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Today — 7 August 2025News

After a Lull, Agents Conduct a Big Immigration Raid in L.A.

A rented Penske truck was used to ferry agents to the Home Depot where the raid was conducted, days after an appeals court upheld an order limiting some enforcement tactics.

© Mark Abramson for The New York Times

A protest in June after people were detained by ICE in Los Angeles.

Trump orders India tariff hike to 50% for buying Russian oil

7 August 2025 at 06:19
Getty Images India Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with President Donald Trump at the White House in February during a press conference. Behind the two men are the flags of India and the US. Modi stands in profile while Trump is looking forward. Getty Images

US President Donald Trump has issued an executive order on Wednesday hitting India with an additional 25% tariff over its purchases of Russian oil.

That will raise the total tariff on Indian imports to the United States to 50% - among the highest rates imposed by the US.

The new rate shall be "effective with respect to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time 21 days after the date of this order", the executive order stated.

The US president had earlier warned he would raise levies, saying India "don't care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine".

"The Russian Federation's actions in Ukraine pose an ongoing threat to US national security and foreign policy, necessitating stronger measures to address the national emergency," according to a White House statement.

"India's importation of Russian Federation oil undermines US efforts to counter Russia's harmful activities."

The White House said that India import and subsequent reselling of Russian oil on the market "further enables the Russian Federation's economy to fund its aggression [in Ukraine]".

It stated that the US president is using the tariff to "deter countries from supporting the Russian Federation's economy".

It added that the US will determine which other countries import oil from Russia, and will "recommend further actions to the President as needed".

The threatened tariff hike follows meetings by Trump's top envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow, aimed at securing peace between Russia and Ukraine.

New Delhi had previously called Trump's threat to raise tariffs over its purchase of oil from Russia "unjustified and unreasonable".

In an earlier statement, a spokesperson for India's foreign ministry, Randhir Jaiswal, said the US had encouraged India to import Russian gas at the start of the conflict, "for strengthening global energy markets stability".

He said India "began importing from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the conflict".

India also criticised the US - its largest trading partner - for introducing the tariffs, when the US itself is still doing trade with Russia.

Last year, the US traded goods worth an estimated $3.5bn (£2.6bn) with Russia, despite tough sanctions and tariffs.

"Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security," the foreign ministry statement said.

Trump says 'good prospect' of summit with Putin and Zelensky after envoy's Russia visit

7 August 2025 at 06:21
Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Pool via REUTERS Putin and Witkoff shaking hands in a gilded roomSputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Pool via REUTERS
Steve Witkoff and Vladimir Putin met at the Kremlin on Wednesday morning

A meeting between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Russia's Vladimir Putin is under way at the Kremlin, Russian media has said.

Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Wednesday as Donald Trump's deadline for Russia to agree a ceasefire in Ukraine looms.

The US president has said Russia could face hefty sanctions or see secondary sanctions imposed against all those who trade with it if it doesn't take steps to end the "horrible war" with Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's president, has warned that Russia would only make serious moves towards peace if it began to run out of money. He welcomed the threat of tougher US sanctions and tariffs on nations buying Russian oil.

Expectations are muted for a settlement by Friday, and Russia has continued its large-scale air attacks on Ukraine despite Trump's threats of sanctions.

Three rounds of talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul have failed to bring the war closer to and end, three and a half years after Moscow launched its full-invasion.

Moscow's military and political preconditions for peace remain unacceptable to Kyiv and to its Western partners. The Kremlin has also repeatedly turned down Kyiv's requests for a meeting between Zelensky and Putin.

Meanwhile, the US administration approved $200m of additional military sales to Ukraine on Tuesday following a phone call between Zelensky and Trump, in which the two leaders also discussed defence cooperation and drone production.

Ukraine has been using drones to hit Russia's refineries and energy facilities, while Moscow has focused its air attacks on Ukraine's cities.

The Kyiv City Military Administration said the toll of an attack on the city last week rose to 32 after a man died of his injuries. The strike was the deadliest on Kyiv since the start of the invasion.

Ukrainian authorities on Wednesday reported that a Russian attack on a holiday camp in the central region of Zaporizhzhia left two dead and 12 wounded.

"There's no military sense in this attack. It's just cruelty to scare people," Zelensky said.

美国向广岛长崎投下的原子弹如何改变了日本

7 August 2025 at 08:09

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美国向广岛长崎投下的原子弹如何改变了日本

HANNAH BEECH
广岛和平博物馆展出的原子弹投下时的视觉模拟。
广岛和平博物馆展出的原子弹投下时的视觉模拟。 Chang W. Lee/The New York Times
目前全球拥有核武器的国家有九个,这种武器能在瞬间摧毁和辐射人类定居地。但核武器只被使用过两次,那是在80年前,当时只有一个国家掌握这种刚起步的毁灭性技术。
1945年8月6日,美国在日本西部城市广岛投下一枚原子弹,人们认为这个极端行动加速了日本在第二次世界大战中投降。一架名为“埃诺拉·盖伊”的美国轰炸机投下了这枚重达约4.4吨的原子弹,原子弹在距离地面600多米的空中引爆,形成巨大的蘑菇云,以高达4000摄氏度的高温将这座城市烤焦。到当年年底,原子弹爆炸及其核辐射影响夺走了约14万人的生命。
三天后,另一架美国轰炸机在日本西南部城市长崎投下了第二枚原子弹,造成那里的7万人死亡。这两座城市被摧毁数天后,日本宣布投降,结束了其长达数十年的残暴征服战争。但这两次轰炸也宣告了一个更可怕时代的到来,这是一个人类的创新可能引发规模空前的死亡和破坏的时代。
1945年8月9日,美国在日本港口城市长崎投下原子弹后,爆炸产生的烟雾上升到1.8万多米的高空。
1945年8月9日,美国在日本港口城市长崎投下原子弹后,爆炸产生的烟雾上升到1.8万多米的高空。 United States Air Force
被夷为平地的广岛在重建过程中,也将自己奉献给了和平事业。原子弹爆炸的幸存者们一直致力于推动一个没有核武器的世界。但80年过去了,这个梦想已在逐渐渺茫。日本的三个邻国——俄罗斯、中国、朝鲜——都是拥核国家,而日本依靠美国为其提供核保护伞。随着太平洋地区紧张局势的加剧,以及核毁灭亲历记忆的逐渐消退,越来越多的日本人开始怀疑国家不惜任何代价维护和平的承诺。
日本为什么在“二战”后全力推行和平主义?
是美国人强迫它那样做的。大日本帝国武装力量残暴地入侵了亚洲大部分地区,偷袭了珍珠港,而且日本军国主义者愿意为帝国牺牲一代年轻士兵的性命,这些原因使获胜的美国坚定地认为,再也不能让日本发动战争。
1945年9月2日,日本外务大臣于停靠在东京湾的美国海军战舰密苏里号上签署《日本投降书》。美国人后来占领日本数年时间,并起草了日本的和平宪法。
1945年9月2日,日本外务大臣于停靠在东京湾的美国海军战舰密苏里号上签署《日本投降书》。美国人后来占领日本数年时间,并起草了日本的和平宪法。 Carl Mydans/The LIFE Picture Collection, via Shutterstock
日本的所谓“和平宪法”是美国人起草的,美国曾占领日本近七年。该宪法规定日本“永远放弃以国权发动的战争”。其第九条一直被解读为日本永远不得拥有具备进攻能力的军队。
作为对日本放弃战争的回报,美国承诺在日本受到攻击时提供防卫。美日安全条约让日本成了核威慑理论的受益者,该理论认为,对核报复的惧怕能阻止先发制人的核打击。
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那为什么日本有军队呢?
考虑到宪法中的这些限制,日本的军队叫自卫队。日本自卫队不能在国际冲突中参与战斗。但宪法并不阻止日本扩充军备,以应对来自中国等亚洲邻国的潜在威胁。但反过来,由于日本的“二战”行为,中国等邻国也对日本的重新武装感到担忧。如果国防预算持续增长的话,日本将很快跻身于世界上军费开支最高的国家行列。所有这些现代化装备理论上仅用于防御目的,但日本国内关于本国全球军事地位的争论已变得日益激烈。
一名日本士兵在冲绳岛参加训练演习,摄于今年5月。
一名日本士兵在冲绳岛参加训练演习,摄于今年5月。 Ko Sasaki for The New York Times
日本民众如何看待本国重整军备?
虽然许多老一辈担心日本对和平主义的承诺正在减弱,但年轻的日本人普遍更为乐观。支持军事扩张者表示,不应该永远强迫日本采取被动防御姿态,尤其是在太平洋地区的安全威胁日益加剧的时候。(除了超级大国在东亚地区的角逐,日本也与中国、俄罗斯,以及朝鲜和韩国有领土争端。)这些人担心美国也许不会总为日本提供安全保障,尤其是在特朗普总统领导下,他批评日本过度依赖美国军事基地的存在
广岛的街景,摄于今年7月。许多老一辈日本人担心国家对和平主义的承诺正在减弱,而一些年轻人则担心如何应对当今的威胁,比如中国的崛起。
广岛的街景,摄于今年7月。许多老一辈日本人担心国家对和平主义的承诺正在减弱,而一些年轻人则担心如何应对当今的威胁,比如中国的崛起。 Chang W. Lee/The New York Times
随着广岛和长崎原子弹爆炸的亲历记忆逐渐消失,大多数日本人现已不太了解那些灼热证言,那些证言曾支持了日本的和平主义和不拥核立场。以修改宪法第九条为目的的“日本会议”是一个极端民族主义的政治团体,它在执政的自民党议员中获得了显著支持。修宪曾经是不可想象的事情,而现在已成为一个政治话题。
核武器问题呢?
代表原子弹受害者的组织“日本被团协”去年被授予诺贝尔和平奖,以表彰该组织为实现一个无核武世界所做的努力。但日本从未签署过《禁止核武器条约》。2023年,时任日本首相的岸田文雄在广岛(岸田文雄的家族来自广岛)为七国集团峰会作东时,支持了一项暗示核威慑可能带来某种形式和平的峰会声明。
2023年,时任日本首相的岸田文雄与出席七国集团峰会的世界各国领导人在广岛。虽然他支持裁军,但也在一份暗示核威慑可能带来某种形式和平的声明上签了名。
2023年,时任日本首相的岸田文雄与出席七国集团峰会的世界各国领导人在广岛。虽然他支持裁军,但也在一份暗示核威慑可能带来某种形式和平的声明上签了名。 Kenny Holston/The New York Times
岸田文雄的立场反映了日本国内不断增长的一种情绪:虽然核武器很危险,彻底消除核武器是一个崇高的理想,但现实世界也需要威慑力和强劲的防御能力。

Hisako Ueno对本文有报道贡献。

Hannah Beech是《纽约时报》记者,常驻曼谷。她报道亚洲新闻超过25年,主要报道深度和调查新闻。

翻译:Cindy Hao

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Trump’s Redistricting Campaign Tests His Power in the States

7 August 2025 at 08:15
The effort by President Trump and his allies is the latest example of them trying to rewrite the rules to squeeze out every possible political advantage.

© Ilana Panich-Linsman for The New York Times

In Austin, Texans protested the state’s redistricting efforts, which have been encouraged by President Trump.

Huckabee Says U.S.-Backed Aid Sites in Gaza Will ‘Scale Up’

7 August 2025 at 07:54
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation will soon operate 16 distribution sites instead of four, said Mike Huckabee, the United States ambassador to Israel.

© Eric Lee/The New York Times

“The immediate plan is to scale up the number of sites up to 16 and begin to operate them as much as 24 hours a day,” Mike Huckabee, U.S. ambassador to Israel, said in a Fox News interview.

5 troops injured after soldier opens fire at Georgia military base

7 August 2025 at 05:20
BBC 'Breaking' graphicBBC

A military base in the US state of Georgia is on lockdown as officials search for an active shooter.

A Facebook post from the military base said the site was locked down at 11:04 EST (16:04 GMT) and said "casualties have been reported".

It is unclear how many people were shot or are injured in the Wednesday shooting that took place at Fort Stewart, 240 miles (386km) south east of Atlanta.

"We are currently assessing the situation, but we can confirm an active shooter," Lt. Col. Angel Tomko told the Associated Press.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.

Wrong remains from Air India crash 'adds to trauma', says family

7 August 2025 at 04:49
Instagram Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek pictured on the Instagram page of their business, The Wellness Foundry. Instagram
Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek, who ran a spiritual wellness centre in Ramsgate, were among the dead in the Air India plane crash

A woman whose brother died in the Air India crash and then received the wrong body says it has "added trauma" to her family.

Fiongal Greenlaw-Meek, 39, and his husband Jamie, 45, were among the 242 people on board the flight which crashed on 12 June soon after taking off for London Gatwick from Ahmedabad.

His sister Arwen Greenlaw told BBC Newsnight her family was seeking dignity and closure as well as accountability for those who mislabelled her brother's remains.

The Foreign Office said it continues to support families affected by the Air India crash with "dedicated caseworkers", adding that the "formal identification of bodies is a matter for the Indian authorities".

Ms Greenlaw, from Cambridge, told the BBC she wanted "dignity" for her brother and "closure for the family".

"If that is not possible - because the worst case scenario is that he has been cremated as somebody else - then we need to know that in order to move on," she added.

"Somebody mislabelled remains - that has added trauma."

She said it appeared there was a "lack of forensic protocols" at the scene of the crash, and the site was "not closed for 48 hours".

"It just can't happen again," she said.

"I think the whole family were and still are in complete disbelief because it is things that happen on the news and to other people. It was shocking and is confusing."

There were 230 passengers and 12 crew on the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian.

Many people living in a residential neighbourhood near Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport where the jet came down were also killed, taking the number of confirmed casualties to at least 270. This included a number of medical students staying in the area.

A preliminary investigative 15-page report published last month said fuel to the engines of the plane cut off just seconds after take-off.

Circumstances around how or why that happened remain unclear. The report said in recovered cockpit voice recordings, one of the pilots can be heard asking "why did you cut off?" - to which the other pilot replied he "did not do so".

A final report into the crash is expected in 12 months.

In the days after the fatal crash, Ms Greenlaw said their mother flew out to India as part of the formal identification process.

"By her own words it was a chaotic scene," Ms Greenlaw recalled. "She went straight to the hospital to give a blood sample, we were told it would be up to 72 hours to get a positive identification - and that was about right.

"She returned from India with what she thought were her son's remains. It has been the equivalent of losing him twice.

"Mum had seen the situation there, smelt the smells, seen the sights, seen the crash site. I think for her that made it more real to be able to see that."

Arwen Greenlaw looks directly at the camera wearing spectacles, a black blazer and a blue v-neck t-shirt with a necklace. Behind her is some studio graphics showing the Air India plane crash aftermath - as part of a BBC Newsnight interview
Arwen Greenlaw

Ms Greenlaw explained when the casket was returned it was tested and found to be "the remains of two different people".

As a result, a coroner in London decided to carry out further tests and the family were able to get some DNA from Fiongal's headphones that proved the remains were not his.

"I would say we go up and down with feelings," Ms Greenlaw said when asked how the family are feeling.

"We are not naïve, we understand it must have been a horrendous situation and my heart goes out to those who did the clear up - but we know Finn's remains were found.

"At that point you would expect the remains to come home. If he had not been matched we could get our heads around that."

EPA Officials inspect the remains of the Air India passenger plane at the crash site near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, Gujarat state, western India, 14 June 2025. EPA
Investigators are still trying to establish the cause of the crash

Mr Greenlaw-Meeks founded The Wellness Foundry in Ramsgate, in Kent, in 2018 with his husband joining as a managing director five years later.

They had also been due to be hosting workshops at Ramsgate Pride event in June.

Moments before boarding the Air India flight, the pair posted a video to social media on their last night in the country, where Mr Greenlaw-Meeks reflected on a "magical experience".

"They were amazing," Ms Greenlaw said.

"Two parts of the one soul. They lived together, they married and they died together. They were two halves of one."

The Foreign Office told the BBC it is continuing to liaise with the Gujarati government and the Indian government on behalf of the Inner West London Senior Coroner to support the coronial process.

"We understand that this is an extremely distressing time for the families, and our thoughts remain with them," a Foreign Office spokesperson said.

"Foreign Office staff continue to support the families and loved ones in line with our consular remit.

"We have allocated dedicated caseworkers to each family who wish to have one."

Ms Greenlaw's comments come days after a separate memorial service was held on Sunday in Wembley to remember two other victims who died on the flight - Ashok and Shobhana Patel.

Their son Miten Patel told the BBC last month that he had discovered "other remains" were in his mother's casket when her body was returned to the UK.

Doctors had to re-identify Mr Patel's mother's remains and his family were also able to recover his father's ring, which he was wearing when the plane crashed.

India's foreign ministry previously said: "In the wake of the tragic crash, the concerned authorities had carried out identification of victims as per established protocols and technical requirements.

"All mortal remains were handled with utmost professionalism and with due regard for the dignity of the deceased.

"We are continuing to work with the UK authorities on addressing any concerns related to this issue."

British man accused of trying to drown daughter-in-law in US pool

7 August 2025 at 04:26
Polk County Sheriff's Office A man in his sixties with white hair looks at the camera during his police mug shot.Polk County Sheriff's Office

A British man has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly trying to drown his daughter-in-law in a Florida swimming pool during a row over his grandchildren.

Mark Gibbon, 62, was on holiday with his family at the Solterra Resort in Davenport, near Walt Disney World Resort, when the disagreement between the pair erupted, Polk County Sheriff department said.

Mr Gibbon, from Beaconsfield, is accused of pushing and holding the 33-year-old woman's head under the water multiple times preventing her from breathing.

He is charged with attempted 2nd-degree murder and two counts of battery.

Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement: "It's great that Polk County draws visitors from all across the world.

"Because Mr Gibbon couldn't control his anger, he may find himself spending a lot more time in Florida than he had anticipated."

The woman told officers the pair began arguing about his grandchildren while they were in the holiday rental home's swimming pool, before he allegedly tried to drown her.

A young girl then jumped into the pool in an attempt to stop Mr Gibbon drowning the woman, the sheriff's office said.

Mr Gibbon is accused of only stopping when two sisters who were holidaying next door said they had called the Sheriff's office.

He has been taken to Polk County Jail.

Trump orders India tariff hike to 50% for buying Russian oil

7 August 2025 at 06:19
Getty Images India Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with President Donald Trump at the White House in February during a press conference. Behind the two men are the flags of India and the US. Modi stands in profile while Trump is looking forward. Getty Images

US President Donald Trump has issued an executive order on Wednesday hitting India with an additional 25% tariff over its purchases of Russian oil.

That will raise the total tariff on Indian imports to the United States to 50% - among the highest rates imposed by the US.

The new rate shall be "effective with respect to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time 21 days after the date of this order", the executive order stated.

The US president had earlier warned he would raise levies, saying India "don't care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine".

"The Russian Federation's actions in Ukraine pose an ongoing threat to US national security and foreign policy, necessitating stronger measures to address the national emergency," according to a White House statement.

"India's importation of Russian Federation oil undermines US efforts to counter Russia's harmful activities."

The White House said that India import and subsequent reselling of Russian oil on the market "further enables the Russian Federation's economy to fund its aggression [in Ukraine]".

It stated that the US president is using the tariff to "deter countries from supporting the Russian Federation's economy".

It added that the US will determine which other countries import oil from Russia, and will "recommend further actions to the President as needed".

The threatened tariff hike follows meetings by Trump's top envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow, aimed at securing peace between Russia and Ukraine.

New Delhi had previously called Trump's threat to raise tariffs over its purchase of oil from Russia "unjustified and unreasonable".

In an earlier statement, a spokesperson for India's foreign ministry, Randhir Jaiswal, said the US had encouraged India to import Russian gas at the start of the conflict, "for strengthening global energy markets stability".

He said India "began importing from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the conflict".

India also criticised the US - its largest trading partner - for introducing the tariffs, when the US itself is still doing trade with Russia.

Last year, the US traded goods worth an estimated $3.5bn (£2.6bn) with Russia, despite tough sanctions and tariffs.

"Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security," the foreign ministry statement said.

Trump says 'good prospect' of summit with Putin and Zelensky after envoy's Russia visit

7 August 2025 at 06:21
Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Pool via REUTERS Putin and Witkoff shaking hands in a gilded roomSputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Pool via REUTERS
Steve Witkoff and Vladimir Putin met at the Kremlin on Wednesday morning

A meeting between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Russia's Vladimir Putin is under way at the Kremlin, Russian media has said.

Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Wednesday as Donald Trump's deadline for Russia to agree a ceasefire in Ukraine looms.

The US president has said Russia could face hefty sanctions or see secondary sanctions imposed against all those who trade with it if it doesn't take steps to end the "horrible war" with Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's president, has warned that Russia would only make serious moves towards peace if it began to run out of money. He welcomed the threat of tougher US sanctions and tariffs on nations buying Russian oil.

Expectations are muted for a settlement by Friday, and Russia has continued its large-scale air attacks on Ukraine despite Trump's threats of sanctions.

Three rounds of talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul have failed to bring the war closer to and end, three and a half years after Moscow launched its full-invasion.

Moscow's military and political preconditions for peace remain unacceptable to Kyiv and to its Western partners. The Kremlin has also repeatedly turned down Kyiv's requests for a meeting between Zelensky and Putin.

Meanwhile, the US administration approved $200m of additional military sales to Ukraine on Tuesday following a phone call between Zelensky and Trump, in which the two leaders also discussed defence cooperation and drone production.

Ukraine has been using drones to hit Russia's refineries and energy facilities, while Moscow has focused its air attacks on Ukraine's cities.

The Kyiv City Military Administration said the toll of an attack on the city last week rose to 32 after a man died of his injuries. The strike was the deadliest on Kyiv since the start of the invasion.

Ukrainian authorities on Wednesday reported that a Russian attack on a holiday camp in the central region of Zaporizhzhia left two dead and 12 wounded.

"There's no military sense in this attack. It's just cruelty to scare people," Zelensky said.

'I live in a peaceful corner of Bristol. But the house next door is empty and full of rats'

7 August 2025 at 07:03
BBC Ann Devereaux stands beside the derelict property next door - a large building now overtaken by decay. Graffiti covers the walls, weeds and shrubs grow unchecked from cracks in the brickwork, and gaping holes expose the interior to the elements.BBC
Ann Devereaux lives next to a property which has been empty for decades

Across England, the number of empty homes has been steadily rising, with councils "increasingly concerned" about both the impact they have on local communities and the lost resource.

"It makes you feel afraid because you don't know what's going to happen next."

Ann Devereaux has cherished her home in a peaceful corner of Bristol for more than 25 years. But the property next door - empty, collapsing and overrun with pests - has become a constant source of stress.

What was once just an eyesore is now a "magnet" for crime, she said.

"It's a place just available and open for misuse," she added.

"Whether it's men coming out and urinating against the wall, drug-dealing or fly-tipping.

"It makes me feel scared when I leave my house or come in at night. It's wearing me down emotionally."

She has witnessed violence outside her front door, and the rotting smell of rubbish dumped inside the building sometimes drifts into her living room.

The empty property - covered in graffiti with a bush growing out of it - is attached to Ms Devereaux's house and a row of other similar houses on a residential street.
The empty property is attached to Ms Devereaux's house

Bristol City Council said it has ordered the owner of the building to make it safe.

But Ms Devereaux and others in the tight-knit community of St Werburgh's say the situation is "only getting worse".

Just months ago, the roof of the derelict property collapsed, unleashing dozens of rats into nearby gardens.

"It's a wasted resource, and I know there are a lot of places like this which are empty and rotting and creating real problems," said Ms Devereaux.

The city council said it is "continuing to monitor the building" and will consider further action, including stepping in to carry out safety works, if the owner does not meet their obligations.

The roof of the property has partially fallen in - revealing the inside which is full of debris.
The roof of the property collapsed causing rats to escape into neighbour's gardens

The BBC contacted the owner of the building, but had no response.

Residents of St Werburgh's say they want the property brought back into use urgently - and their story is not unique.

The number of empty homes in England has risen over the last decade, even as the country grapples with a housing shortage.

There are now more than 700,000 empty homes, according to the most recent government figures. Of those, 264,884 are classed as "long-term empty", meaning no one has lived there for six months or more.

In Wales, the figure stood at 120,000 empty properties the last time the data was collated.

In 2023 the Welsh Government launched a £50m National Empty Homes scheme, which offered up to £25,000 for improvements to be made to properties to make them available again.

Empty homes are also viewed as a missed opportunity by housing charities.

On one single night last autumn there were 4,667 people sleeping on the streets in England, according to official statistics - a near-record high and the third annual rise in a row.

Bristol charity, 1625 Independent People, is trying to change that.

Its Future Builders programme is transforming vacant properties into homes for young people facing homelessness to rent at a reduced cost.

Becky Hopkins looking into the camera in front of a row of houses
Becky Hopkins was offered an affordable place to live through the Future Builders scheme

Becky Hopkins became homeless in the city at just 18 years old.

"I was completely lost, lonely, and isolated. I had feelings of self-hatred. I was worried all the time," she said.

But the programme gave Ms Hopkins a more affordable place to rent while she worked towards a more stable future.

"After having a stable place, I really could focus on working on my mental health and building better habits."

Now 21, she is training to become a Royal Navy engineer.

"It's a transformation I didn't think was possible," she said.

Sean Fudge who works at South Gloucestershire Council stood outside an empty home which has its curtains closed.
Sean Fudge said empty homes can have "a detrimental impact" on the neighbourhood

Local councils are on the frontline of the empty homes issue, and leaders are now calling for stronger powers and resources to bring more back into use.

Specific officers are tasked with tracing the owners of empty properties so they can be held accountable.

Sean Fudge leads the team at South Gloucestershire Council, which has brought 47 properties back into use so far this year.

"If left empty, they can lead to a spiral of decline, neglect and decay in a community," he said.

"We initially try to engage with the owner, but when it becomes a detrimental impact to the wider neighbourhood, then we have to take enforcement action to stop that decline."

Law change call

If the property has been empty for more than two years, and the owner is not cooperating, councils can apply for an Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO).

If granted, the council does not gain ownership of the property, but gets the right to manage and potentially improve it, recouping costs through rent.

But this power is rarely utilised because of the long and complex process involved.

In England, between 2017 and 2020, only 20 decisions were made on EDMO applications, according to government research.

The Local Government Association is calling for changes in the law to make it easier for councils to take over the management of vacant homes.

An empty home which has its windows boarded up because they are smashed. It's door handle is hanging of. Paint is peeling away. Weeds are growing out of the floor. It sits on a residential road.
There are more than 700,000 empty and unfurnished homes in England

The group Action on Empty Homes is also campaigning to bring empty properties back into use.

Campaign manager Chris Bailey said: "Every empty home is a lost opportunity to improve the life of a family that's currently homeless.

"These are homes which are relevant, in the right places - in the middle of towns and cities where people want to live - where services exist already.

"It's not a case of building a whole new town and waiting for 10 years for it to happen, these are homes that are available now, they could be brought back into use within a year."

But it is not always straightforward.

Jenni Sadler standing in front of the house she inherited - it is white and covered in scaffolding as work is ongoing to bring it back into use
Jenni Sadler inherited a house which had fallen into disrepair

When homeowners die, their property often remains empty during the probate process, during which their assets are legally assessed and distributed.

Jenni Sadler inherited her mother's house in 2011.

"It's a huge privilege to inherit a home," she said. "But it's bittersweet when it's such a close family member, because the home is them and they are the home."

The property had fallen into disrepair, and Ms Sadler struggled to afford the mounting costs of essential renovations. As a result, the house has been empty while work is ongoing.

"We found more and more things that needed work," she said.

"You find yourself thinking - how am I going to do this?"

Ms Sadler has secured a loan from Lendology which works with councils to offer low-interest loans to bring empty homes back into use.

She now hopes to complete the renovations and rent out the property through the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

The back of the house - it is two stories high and covered in scaffolding as work is ongoing to bring it back into use.
Ms Sadler said she had a good experience in the family home and now wants another family to experience that

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: "We are determined to fix the housing crisis we have inherited, and we know that having too many empty homes in an area can have a significant impact on local communities.

"That's why we are giving councils stronger powers to increase council tax on long-term empty homes alongside removing tax incentives for short-term lets, and we continue to consider further action."

If you want to contact us regarding this story, email westinvestigations@bbc.co.uk

Follow BBC West on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.

More teens to get their choice of uni even if they miss their grades, says Ucas

7 August 2025 at 07:13
Getty Images Two female students open exam results. The student on the elft is wearing a checkered shirt, has long straight blonde hair and wears black thick-rimmed glasses. The student on the right has dark curly hair and wears a pink t-shirt. Both students are smiling as they look down at the pieces of paper in their hands.Getty Images

A record number of 18-year-olds are likely to get into their first choice of university this year, the head of the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas) has said - even if they narrowly miss their grades.

Dr Jo Saxton said universities were keen to enrol UK undergraduates because there was more "uncertainty" around international student numbers.

She said they would "quite possibly" accept students who did not meet the conditions of their offer adding that domestic students offered universities "stability" for "financial planning".

The prediction comes as thousands of students will open A-level, T-level, Btec and other level-three results next week.

Dr Saxton said it was a "really, really good year to be a UK-domiciled 18-year-old that wants to go to one of our world-class universities".

"I would anticipate a record number of 18-year-olds will wake up with confirmation, quite possibly even where they are near-misses," she said.

She added that universities were "recognising, actually, that a three-year undergraduate student is stability for your teaching and learning, for your university community, for your financial planning".

Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK, said universities were "certainly competitive" with one another, which meant applicants had "lots of choice".

Ucas says universities have made more offers this year, which it says "typically translates into more acceptances".

Dr Saxton said she expected there to be "slightly fewer" places in clearing as a result - because if more places are taken up by students who have received offers, there will be fewer places to list.

Ucas's clearing system lets students search for university courses with available places.

More than 22,600 courses had listed vacancies for undergraduate students from England this week, according to a Press Association analysis of 129 universities.

There were more than 3,600 courses advertised across 17 of the selective Russell Group universities.

Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, said year 13 students were "well placed" to study where they wanted to.

"The financial plight of universities makes them very keen to fill their courses and they will be falling over themselves to sign up good potential students," he said.

Students from England and Wales will pay higher tuition fees for university this year, after the sector called for help with its finances.

Tuition fees have risen from £9,250 to £9,535 for the 2025-26 academic year.

It is the first time they have gone up in England since 2017, and comes after universities said their real-terms value had fallen.

They have become increasingly reliant on higher fees from international students in recent years to make up for frozen domestic fees - but the number of overseas students coming to the UK has fallen.

In May, the regulator in England, the Office for Students, warned that more than four in 10 universities expected to be in a financial deficit by this summer.

Maintenance loans have also gone up this year, which means students can borrow more to help with day-to-day living costs.

In England, the maximum maintenance loan for students from England who live away from their parents outside London has increased to £10,544 a year, up from £10,227.

Ucas said last month that the number of 18-year-olds from the UK applying to university had risen again to 328,390.

However, because the total number of 18-year-olds in the UK has also grown, those applicants make up a slightly smaller proportion of the total 18-year-old population than last year (41.2%).

Students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will receive A-level and other level-three grades next week.

In Scotland, the number of pupils achieving an A, B or C grade at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher rose across the board this year.

The Scottish Qualifications Authority also reported a reduction in the attainment gap between candidates from the most and least deprived areas.

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Bank of England expected to cut interest rates

7 August 2025 at 07:02
EPA Bank of England building with white and purple flowers in the foreground EPA

UK interest rates are widely expected to be cut on Thursday, taking the cost of borrowing to its lowest level for more than two years.

Financial markets predict that the Bank of England will reduce interest rates to 4% from 4.25% in its fifth cut since last August, taking it to the lowest since March 2023.

A lower base rate can reduce monthly mortgage costs for some homeowners but it also means a smaller return for savers.

The Bank of England will also publish its forecasts for an economy that failed to grow in April and May - potentially creating a yawning spending gap which the government could choose to fill by announcing tax rises in the Autumn Budget.

Next week, the Office for National Statistics will release data on how the UK economy performed between April and June.

It grew by 0.7% in the first three months of the year.

If the Bank does trim rates, repayments on an average standard variable rate mortgage of £250,000 over 25 years will fall by £40 per month, according to Moneyfacts.

But for savers, the average return rate would fall from 3.9% in August last year to 3.5%, the financial data firm said.

"Savings rates are getting worse and any base rate reductions will spell further misery for savers," said Rachel Springall, finance expert at Moneyfacts.

Inflation

Interest rates are expected to be cut despite inflation - which measures the pace of price rises - climbing above the Bank of England's 2% target.

In the year to June, inflation rose to 3.6% due in part to the higher cost of food and clothing as well as air and rail travel.

However, there are signs that the UK employment market is cooling which could weigh on inflation.

Recent figures show that the number of people on payrolls is falling, vacancies are lower and the jobless rate has ticked higher.

Meanwhile, annual growth in average regular earnings, excluding bonuses, slowed to 5% between March and May.

Employers are facing higher costs, including an increase in National Insurance Contributions and the national minimum wage.

We will bring you live reporting from the Bank when we get the decision at 1200 along with expert analysis on what it means for you and your money.

On Ukraine's front line, twisted wreckage shows sanctions haven't yet stopped Russia

7 August 2025 at 05:17
Lee Durant/BBC Dymtro Chubenko stands in front of a pile of Russian missile and drone partsLee Durant/BBC
Dymtro Chubenko collects and documents evidence of Russian attacks

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Western nations have imposed far-reaching sanctions on the aggressor, in a bid to stymy its war effort.

But on the ground here in Ukraine, these sanctions seem to have limited impact.

Just outside Kharkiv, at a secret location, lies a collection of twisted metal remnants from attacks in and around the city. It's a scrapyard of savagery - the remains of many of the Russian bombs, rockets, missiles and drones used to hit in and around Kharkiv over the past three and a half years.

"This is the material evidence with which we, as prosecutors, will prove the guilt of Russia in committing war crimes," Dymtro Chubenko of the Kharkiv Region Prosecutor's Office tells me. Every piece of rocket and drone here has been carefully collected and analysed.

Dmytro shows me one of the latest editions – a Russian version of Iran's Shaheed drone. Russia has recently been firing hundreds of these Kamikaze drones at Ukraine's towns and cities. They're relatively cheap to make, he tells me – about $20,000 (£15,000) each.

He points to the nearby carcass of a Russian cruise missile. He says these cost millions.

But these weapons are not fully Russian-made - they contain "many components from western nations," Dmytro says. "It's possible [for Russia] to circumvent sanctions, but doing nothing is not an option either," he adds.

Lee Durant/BBC Jonathan Beale and Dymtro Chubenko kneel next to the remains of a large Russian Shahed drone, a black aerial vehicle used to attack UkraineLee Durant/BBC
Russia is launching hundreds of its own version of the Shahed drone at Ukraine

Donald Trump appears to have lost patience with President Vladimir Putin. After early efforts at rapprochement between the US and Russia, the US president has now threatened to boost sanctions on the Kremlin unless Russia agrees to a ceasefire in Ukraine by this Friday.

Trump has said secondary sanctions will also come into force that day, affecting any country trading with Russia. He has already imposed an additional 25% tariff on India for buying Russian oil. US envoy Steve Witkoff met Putin in Moscow on Wednesday for talks ahead of the looming deadline.

So, if President Trump chooses to impose more sanctions on the Kremlin, would it be enough to force Russia to change course in this war? Dymtro believes hitting Russian oil and gas exports could have a significant economic impact.

"We will not be able to stop it with a snap of our fingers, but we need to do it, we need to act," he says. There is hope that President Trump might act.

Kharkiv, just 30 kilometres from the Russian border, has borne the brunt of many strikes throughout the war. Thousands of buildings have been damaged or destroyed. Throughout the region almost 3,000 civilians have been killed, 97 of them children.

Police Colonel Serhii Bolvinov shows me the burnt-out shell of the police headquarters he used to work in. A Russian strike in 2022 killed three of his officers as well as six civilians. He points to the gaping hole in the wall where the missiles entered. Russian tactics, he says, haven't changed. "Russia tries to hit and kill as many civilians as they can."

Lee Durant/BBC A woman in white overalls and a face mask tests DNA on a table in KharkivLee Durant/BBC
Investigators test DNA to identify casualties of Russian strikes

Colonel Bolvinov's job is to investigate every single civilian death. He's leaving no stone unturned. He has 1,000 men and women working for him, now dispersed in basement offices right across the city. They're carrying out painstaking forensic work to build a criminal case against those responsible.

Photographs of Russian military officers who've been tied to specific attacks are plastered across the wall – the wanted.

In another building, crime scene investigators carry out DNA tests to identify the latest casualties – Ukrainian civilians killed in a Russian rocket attack as they queued up to collect water. Colonel Bolvinov shows me footage from strike - unrecognisable charred bodies lie on the ground.

"It's hard to do this work, but it's very important work for future justice for us, for the Ukrainian people," he says. He shows me a three-dimensional computer image of a mass grave in Izium where more than 400 bodies were discovered. "Some of the cases leave a scar on all of us, and we will never forget this trauma," he says.

Colonel Bolvinov says he wants to see an end to this war. He hopes President Trump's increasing pressure on President Putin will work. But the police chief doesn't want peace at any price. "Peace without justice, is not really peace," he says. Even if a ceasefire can be agreed, it still won't address the wounds of most Ukrainian people.

Lee Durant/BBC Police Colonel Serhii Bolvinov stands in uniform staring into the cameramanLee Durant/BBC
Police Colonel Serhii Bolvinov says Ukraine can't have peace without justice

At a cemetery outside Kharkiv is another reminder of the cost of the war: the ever-growing ranks of dead Ukrainian soldiers. Each grave is marked by the blue and gold of the national flag. The silence here is only broken by the sound of them flapping in the wind.

Nearby, in the civilian section of the cemetery, a mother and her family are placing flowers on their daughter's grave. Sofia was just 14 years old when a Russian glide bomb took her life last year. She was sitting on a park bench in Kharkiv, enjoying the warm summer afternoon with a friend.

I ask her mother Yulia if President Trump's increasing pressure on Russia can bring any comfort, but she's not optimistic.

"These conversations have already been going on too long," she tells me.

"But so far there are no results… Hope is fading."

Lee Durant/BBC A grave for a 14-year-old girl in Ukraine, topped with the Orthodox cross and flowers over recently dug groundLee Durant/BBC
A Russian glide bomb struck and killed 14-year-old Sofia as she sat on a park bench last summer

People returned to live in Pompeii's ruins, archaeologists say

7 August 2025 at 06:39
Getty Images Pillars stand among the ruins of Pompeii Getty Images

New evidence suggests people returned to live among the ruins of Pompeii after the ancient Roman city was devastated by a volcanic eruption.

Archaeologists believe some survivors who could not afford to start a new life elsewhere returned to the site and may have been joined by others looking for a place to settle.

Pompeii was home to more than 20,000 people before Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD79, burying - and preserving - much of the city, before its rediscovery in the 16th century.

There had been previous speculation that survivors had returned to the ruins, and archaeologists at the site said in a statement on Wednesday that the theory appears to have been confirmed by new research.

"Thanks to the new excavations, the picture is now clearer: post-79 Pompeii reemerges, less as a city than as a precarious and grey agglomeration, a kind of camp, a favela among the still-recognisable ruins of the Pompeii that once was," the site's director, Gabriel Zuchtriegel, said.

The archaeologists' said the informal settlement continued until the 5th century.

EPA A plaster cast of a body lying on the ground at Pompeii EPA
The eruption preserved much of the city, including the remains of some caught up in the disaster

The evidence suggests people lived without the infrastructure and services typical of a Roman city, and that the ruins provided the opportunity of finding valuable objects, the researchers said.

People are thought to have lived in the upper floors of homes above the ash below, with the lower floors converted into cellars.

The city's destruction has "monopolised the memory", Mr Zuchtriegel said, and in the rush to reach Pompeii's well-preserved artefacts, "The faint traces of the site's reoccupation were literally removed and often swept away without any documentation".

The site is now a world-famous tourist attraction and offers a window into Roman life.

Oregon Man Accused of Killing 3 Women Is Now Charged With Murdering a Fourth

7 August 2025 at 03:04
The killings spread fear in the area after the bodies were found over several months in early 2023.

© Multnomah County District Attorney

Melissa Smith, the mother of Kristin Smith, whose body was found in early 2023, speaking at a news conference at the Multnomah County District Attorney’s office in Portland, Ore., on Tuesday.

兵叔聊事|知名律师于凯再次上书全国人大,建议废除寻衅滋事罪!

7 August 2025 at 06:00
CDT 档案卡
标题:知名律师于凯再次上书全国人大,建议废除寻衅滋事罪!
作者:李兵
发表日期:2025.8.6
来源:微信公众号“兵叔聊事”
主题归类:寻衅滋事
CDS收藏:公民馆
版权说明:该作品版权归原作者所有。中国数字时代仅对原作进行存档,以对抗中国的网络审查。详细版权说明

明知通往光明的道路上布满刀剑风雪,有些人也会选择无畏逆行!

7月28日,山东晓临律师事务所律师于凯,向全国人大法工委邮寄了《关于废除寻衅滋事罪的立法建议》。

于凯提出该《建议》的理由,归纳下来有以下四条:

一、“寻衅滋事罪”罪状表述的模糊性,严重影响了公众对权利义务的合理预期,损害了刑法的权威和公信力;

二、在当前司法实践中,寻衅滋事罪的存在,是导致执法机关选择性执法的主要原因之一。一些处在行政处罚与刑事处罚模糊地带的行为,大多被以寻衅滋事罪作为兜底条款进行处罚;

三、寻衅滋事罪规定的模糊性与罪刑法定原则存在巨大冲突,导致该罪在司法实践中被滥用;

四、寻衅滋事罪在立法和司法解释上存在缺陷。

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针对目前社会反响最大,争议最多的网络发表失察言论,上访、申诉、控告等行为被指控寻衅滋事罪的现实,于凯提出批评称,此举不仅剥夺了公民的言论自由权,使公权力缺乏监督,更违背了刑法的谦抑性原则。

在《建议》中,于凯律师还提废除寻衅滋事罪后的处理办法:,其四种不同形式可分解到故意伤害罪、侮辱罪、抢劫罪、故意损坏财物罪、聚众扰乱公共场所秩序罪来处理。行为情节较轻的,可以依照治安管理处罚法进行行政处罚。

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当我看到于凯向全国人大邮寄出该建议的时候,我除了尊敬,对他的行为只有九个字的评论:

于凯律师,你又“任性”了!

于凯“任性”的时候,距离他重新拿到律师执业证,仅仅过去了11天。

“任性”的于凯,是一个有故事的人。

2023年8月,于凯曾联合兰庆洲、马晓临、于兆燕、张文鹏等五位法律人士,以山东晓临律师事务所的名义,向全国人大法工委上书提出《关于废除寻衅滋事罪的立法建议》。 

因为该建议提及了包括安徽淮南朱玉珍案、吉林洮南黄德义“私造浮桥”案、“上访妈妈”唐慧案等三个广受社会公众关注、争议的“寻衅滋事”典型案件,于凯受到了一记重锤。

2024年7月4日,青岛市司法局作出《行政处罚决定书》,决定对于凯作出“停止执业一年”的处罚。

理由是:“违规炒作案件。”

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遗憾的是,一年前的重锤虽然将于凯敲得头破血流,却没有将他敲醒。

当他重新拿到被律师视为生命的执业证后,又一头扎进了虽看似通往光明,实则布满刀剑风雪的漩涡中。

在《建议》,于凯又提出了包括张文鹏、许宗平寻衅滋事案、兰州周禄宝,景树仁等人寻衅滋事案,淮南朱玉珍一家满门寻衅滋事案等三个典型案例。

不知道这一次,于凯会不会因“违规炒作案件”,再次被吊销律师执业证?

当今的律师圈,泥沙俱下,有胆小如鼠者,也有蝇营狗苟之人!

当然,也不乏于凯这样的人。

律师们,不妨扪心自问一下,你具备家国情怀的法律理想吗?你有法律报国的精神准备吗?

一句话,你是一个真正的律师吗?

缺乏独立自主的个性,盲目地服从权威,完全没有独立思考的能力,不敢质疑……

这,应该是很多律师的精神现状吧。

但也正因如此,才凸显出诸如于凯,徐昕、张新年、周筱赟等情怀律师的重要性和他们的风骨气节,也以此,他们才赢得世人的敬重。

胸中有情怀,心中有正义,是一种力量。

一种改变时代,推动时代的力量。

我们勇敢的情怀和朴素的正义,也许改变不了现实,但让我们,至少不会活成自己讨厌的人。

祝于凯:好运!

Trump Threatens 100% Tariff on Chips, With a Big Caveat

The tariff would not apply to businesses that made a commitment to build and invest in the United States.

© Cassidy Araiza for The New York Times

The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company facility in Phoenix.

On the Hunt for Spies, Iran Executes a Nuclear Scientist

7 August 2025 at 07:19
After the war with Israel, Iranian authorities have swept up hundreds of people deemed suspected infiltrators. But the arrest and hanging of the nuclear scientist Roozbeh Vadi was a rare move.

© Arash Khamooshi for The New York Times

The state funeral for top military commanders and nuclear scientists killed during Israeli attacks on Iran in June.

Trump’s Tariff Gamble Puts America’s Ties With India at Risk

7 August 2025 at 06:53
As the president pursues his goals on Russia and trade, America’s relationship with an important partner in Asia could end up as collateral damage.

© Saumya Khandelwal for The New York Times

Assembling printed circuit boards at factory in Bengaluru, India, in June.

Charleston’s Climate Lawsuit Against Oil Giants Is Dismissed

7 August 2025 at 06:36
The legal claim, one of a raft of lawsuits across the country, had accused companies of a yearslong disinformation campaign about climate change.

© Madeline Gray for The New York Times

Judge Roger M. Young wrote that his court lacked jurisdiction and that the issue fell under federal law, not state law.

Flights resume after Birmingham Airport emergency landing closes runway

7 August 2025 at 04:45
Footage shows plane landing at Birmingham Airport

Thousands of people travelling to and from Birmingham Airport have been affected by delays and cancellations after a light aircraft made an emergency landing on its runway.

Woodgate Aviation, which owns the plane, said one of its Beechcraft fixed-wing aircraft had developed landing gear problems on the journey from Birmingham to Belfast.

Two crew members and one passenger were onboard, but were not seriously injured when the main undercarriage collapsed on touch down.

The runway was shut for more than six hours until the plane was removed at about 19:30 BST, after which the airport said it had reopened.

The first plane to depart from the airport after its reopening was a Wizz Air flight to Bucharest, Romania, which had been scheduled to leave Birmingham at 14:10.

A number of flights on the Birmingham Airport online departure board also showed that they were open for check-in.

Some passengers told the BBC that their planes were cancelled "moments before boarding" on Wednesday afternoon.

In a statement, a Birmingham Airport spokesperson said passengers should check flight details with their airlines.

"We understand the frustration and apologise for the disruption this has caused," it added.

"Our teams have worked as quickly as possible, in line with strict protocols, which must be followed to ensure a safe reopening of the runway following a prolonged closure."

Mr Singh Small white plane on runway surrounded by large vehicles with small crane arms on them.Mr Singh
Photos on social media show a small aircraft on the runway

At least 10 flights due to depart from the airport were cancelled.

Others were delayed by more than five hours, and more than 20 due to land there were diverted to other airports.

West Midlands Police, West Midlands Fire Service, and Birmingham Airport Police were among the agencies at the scene.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch said it was investigating the incident.

Faye Two young girls and one younger girl, one adult woman, a young man and a man are sitting around a table in an airport lounge, with games and drinks on the tableFaye
Faye and her family's holiday was cancelled altogether

Faye, who was travelling with her partner and four children, said they found out about the incident on Facebook.

They had been due to fly to Antalya in Turkey with Jet2 at 14:55. While waiting at the airport, the family was given £10 per person by the airline for food and drinks.

Faye told the BBC she subsequently received a text message saying the whole holiday had been cancelled, and there would be a full refund in four to five days.

She and her family were waiting to collect their baggage along with about 400 other people, her children "sobbing and crying", she said.

"We are stuck here waiting for our baggage and it's boiling hot... and now our kids aren't going to have a holiday," she added.

James Conibere A man with a bald head and black glasses is smiling into the cameraJames Conibere
James Conibere said passengers were frustrated with the lack of updates

James Conibere and his family of eight were hoping to board a flight to Malta on Wednesday afternoon.

He told the BBC it was a retirement gift for his mother-in-law, and they had arrived at the airport shortly before the incident, at 13:00.

While the family sat in a Wetherspoons, waiting for updates, Mr Conibere said he watched other passengers searching for somewhere to sit in the crowded pub, many of them frustrated.

"Lots of people are getting agitated and angry by the lack of information from the airport," he said.

"We have received a food voucher from Ryanair. We're relying on news outlets for information."

What do we know about the aircraft?

Flightrader24 A map image showing an aircraft. Its route is in green and yellow, going around in large loops over an area marked BirminghamFlightrader24
The plane had to turn back to Birmingham

The aircraft involved in this incident was a Beechcraft B200 Super King Air, a small, twin-engine propeller plane that has been in production since the 1970s.

This flight was departing from Birmingham and headed to Belfast.

It departed at 13:11, but soon had to make a turn and flew in a holding pattern, landing back at Birmingham Airport at 13:58.

The plane transmitted a 7700 squawk code - which are broadcast to tell air traffic control that there is an emergency and the aircraft needs priority handling.

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Wrong remains from Air India crash 'adds to trauma', says family

7 August 2025 at 04:49
Instagram Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek pictured on the Instagram page of their business, The Wellness Foundry. Instagram
Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek, who ran a spiritual wellness centre in Ramsgate, were among the dead in the Air India plane crash

A woman whose brother died in the Air India crash and then received the wrong body says it has "added trauma" to her family.

Fiongal Greenlaw-Meek, 39, and his husband Jamie, 45, were among the 242 people on board the flight which crashed on 12 June soon after taking off for London Gatwick from Ahmedabad.

His sister Arwen Greenlaw told BBC Newsnight her family was seeking dignity and closure as well as accountability for those who mislabelled her brother's remains.

The Foreign Office said it continues to support families affected by the Air India crash with "dedicated caseworkers", adding that the "formal identification of bodies is a matter for the Indian authorities".

Ms Greenlaw, from Cambridge, told the BBC she wanted "dignity" for her brother and "closure for the family".

"If that is not possible - because the worst case scenario is that he has been cremated as somebody else - then we need to know that in order to move on," she added.

"Somebody mislabelled remains - that has added trauma."

She said it appeared there was a "lack of forensic protocols" at the scene of the crash, and the site was "not closed for 48 hours".

"It just can't happen again," she said.

"I think the whole family were and still are in complete disbelief because it is things that happen on the news and to other people. It was shocking and is confusing."

There were 230 passengers and 12 crew on the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian.

Many people living in a residential neighbourhood near Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport where the jet came down were also killed, taking the number of confirmed casualties to at least 270. This included a number of medical students staying in the area.

A preliminary investigative 15-page report published last month said fuel to the engines of the plane cut off just seconds after take-off.

Circumstances around how or why that happened remain unclear. The report said in recovered cockpit voice recordings, one of the pilots can be heard asking "why did you cut off?" - to which the other pilot replied he "did not do so".

A final report into the crash is expected in 12 months.

In the days after the fatal crash, Ms Greenlaw said their mother flew out to India as part of the formal identification process.

"By her own words it was a chaotic scene," Ms Greenlaw recalled. "She went straight to the hospital to give a blood sample, we were told it would be up to 72 hours to get a positive identification - and that was about right.

"She returned from India with what she thought were her son's remains. It has been the equivalent of losing him twice.

"Mum had seen the situation there, smelt the smells, seen the sights, seen the crash site. I think for her that made it more real to be able to see that."

Arwen Greenlaw looks directly at the camera wearing spectacles, a black blazer and a blue v-neck t-shirt with a necklace. Behind her is some studio graphics showing the Air India plane crash aftermath - as part of a BBC Newsnight interview
Arwen Greenlaw

Ms Greenlaw explained when the casket was returned it was tested and found to be "the remains of two different people".

As a result, a coroner in London decided to carry out further tests and the family were able to get some DNA from Fiongal's headphones that proved the remains were not his.

"I would say we go up and down with feelings," Ms Greenlaw said when asked how the family are feeling.

"We are not naïve, we understand it must have been a horrendous situation and my heart goes out to those who did the clear up - but we know Finn's remains were found.

"At that point you would expect the remains to come home. If he had not been matched we could get our heads around that."

EPA Officials inspect the remains of the Air India passenger plane at the crash site near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, Gujarat state, western India, 14 June 2025. EPA
Investigators are still trying to establish the cause of the crash

Mr Greenlaw-Meeks founded The Wellness Foundry in Ramsgate, in Kent, in 2018 with his husband joining as a managing director five years later.

They had also been due to be hosting workshops at Ramsgate Pride event in June.

Moments before boarding the Air India flight, the pair posted a video to social media on their last night in the country, where Mr Greenlaw-Meeks reflected on a "magical experience".

"They were amazing," Ms Greenlaw said.

"Two parts of the one soul. They lived together, they married and they died together. They were two halves of one."

The Foreign Office told the BBC it is continuing to liaise with the Gujarati government and the Indian government on behalf of the Inner West London Senior Coroner to support the coronial process.

"We understand that this is an extremely distressing time for the families, and our thoughts remain with them," a Foreign Office spokesperson said.

"Foreign Office staff continue to support the families and loved ones in line with our consular remit.

"We have allocated dedicated caseworkers to each family who wish to have one."

Ms Greenlaw's comments come days after a separate memorial service was held on Sunday in Wembley to remember two other victims who died on the flight - Ashok and Shobhana Patel.

Their son Miten Patel told the BBC last month that he had discovered "other remains" were in his mother's casket when her body was returned to the UK.

Doctors had to re-identify Mr Patel's mother's remains and his family were also able to recover his father's ring, which he was wearing when the plane crashed.

India's foreign ministry previously said: "In the wake of the tragic crash, the concerned authorities had carried out identification of victims as per established protocols and technical requirements.

"All mortal remains were handled with utmost professionalism and with due regard for the dignity of the deceased.

"We are continuing to work with the UK authorities on addressing any concerns related to this issue."

British man arrested in US accused of trying to drown daughter-in-law in pool

7 August 2025 at 04:26
Polk County Sheriff's Office A man in his sixties with white hair looks at the camera during his police mug shot.Polk County Sheriff's Office

A British man has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly trying to drown his daughter-in-law in a Florida swimming pool during a row over his grandchildren.

Mark Gibbon, 62, was on holiday with his family at the Solterra Resort in Davenport, near Walt Disney World Resort, when the disagreement between the pair erupted, Polk County Sheriff department said.

Mr Gibbon, from Beaconsfield, is accused of pushing and holding the 33-year-old woman's head under the water multiple times preventing her from breathing.

He is charged with attempted 2nd-degree murder and two counts of battery.

Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement: "It's great that Polk County draws visitors from all across the world.

"Because Mr Gibbon couldn't control his anger, he may find himself spending a lot more time in Florida than he had anticipated."

The woman told officers the pair began arguing about his grandchildren while they were in the holiday rental home's swimming pool, before he allegedly tried to drown her.

A young girl then jumped into the pool in an attempt to stop Mr Gibbon drowning the woman, the sheriff's office said.

Mr Gibbon is accused of only stopping when two sisters who were holidaying next door said they had called the Sheriff's office.

He has been taken to Polk County Jail.

Republicans Raise the Pressure on Texas Democrats to End Their Walkout

7 August 2025 at 06:20
The political and legal threats against Democrats who left Texas to protest a redrawn political map have gone further and faster than many anticipated.

© Scott Olson/Getty Images

Representative Al Green spoke alongside fellow Texas House Democrats during a news conference in Aurora, Ill., on Tuesday.

Where the Redistricting Wars Might Go After Texas

7 August 2025 at 06:20
Texas Democrats may have bought their party some time with their walkout, but both parties are mobilizing to redraw U.S. House maps ahead of the midterms.

© Jim Vondruska for The New York Times

Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois speaking alongside Texas House Democrats in Carol Stream, Ill., on Sunday.
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