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Today — 12 December 2025News

A Grand Jury Again Resists Trump’s Push to Re-Indict Letitia James

It was a striking rejection of the administration’s retribution campaign.

© James Estrin/The New York Times

Letitia James, New York’s attorney general, and President Trump have clashed for years, in part because of the civil suit she brought against him, his company and his family members.

What Does the Oil Tanker Seizure Mean for Venezuela’s Economy?

12 December 2025 at 04:23
Seizures of more tankers could put a stranglehold on Venezuela’s economy, which is exceptionally dependent on oil to keep the government running and pay for basic necessities.

© Adriana Loureiro Fernandez for The New York Times

An oil tanker docked at Cardon Refinery in Venezuela, in 2021.

US wants 'special economic zone' in Ukraine's frontline region, Zelensky says

12 December 2025 at 03:23
Getty Images A man walking over an explosion siteGetty Images

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the latest peace plan draft for Ukraine has been presented to US President Donald Trump - including a proposal on territorial concessions Kyiv may be prepared to make.

But Merz highlighted the territorial issue was "a question that must be answered primarily by the Ukrainian president, and the Ukrainian people."

"We also made this clear to President Trump," Merz pointed out.

In recent weeks European leaders have worked closely with Ukraine to come up with a new iteration of a peace plan that addresses Kyiv's interests and concerns.

Trump appears to have grown frustrated with the intricacies of the question of sovereignty over Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories.

Because his negotiating team has previously worked closely with Moscow, Kyiv's European allies fear the US president might eventually seek to impose a Russian-led solution on Ukraine.

"It would be a mistake to force the Ukrainian president into a peace that his people will not accept after four years of suffering and death," Merz said in a joint news conference with Nato chief Mark Rutte.

He added that in Wednesday's "constructive" phone call with Trump, he, France's Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had "made it clear" that Europeans needed to have their interests heard too.

For his part, Trump said the participants had "discussed Ukraine in pretty strong words" and added that he was yet to decide whether to attend a meeting in Europe. "We don't want to be wasting time," he said.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has long signalled he would be prepared to talk to Trump directly to discuss the sticking points of a deal, but the US president has suggested all issues had to be ironed out before such a meeting could take place.

The territorial question is one of the thorniest. Russia demands that Ukraine withdraws entirely from the parts of the eastern Luhansk and Donetsk regions which it still holds - something Kyiv refuses to do, both on principle and because it fears it would allow Moscow a foothold for future invasions.

"We have no legal right to [cede territory], under Ukrainian law, our constitution and international law," Zelensky said earlier this week. "And we don't have any moral right either."

Zelensky is set to hold more talks with his allies today as he co-chairs a coalition of the willing call alongside Merz, Macron and Starmer.

As high-level, frantic diplomatic activity of the last few weeks has taken place among US, European and Ukrainian officials, with frequent statements from all sides, Moscow has remained remarkably tight-lipped.

Any comments from Russia have sought to cement the impression that Moscow and Washington are aligned on their hopes for the terms of a peace deal.

On Thursday Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov praised Trump for trying to broker a deal and said the recent meeting between Vladimir Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff at the Kremlin had "eliminated" the "misunderstandings" which had arisen since last summer's Trump-Putin summit in Alaska.

At the time, Russia and the US agreed Ukraine should return to a non-aligned, neutral, and nuclear-free status, Lavrov stated.

A map of Ukraine's south-eastern territories under Russian occupation

The foreign minister also batted off suggestions that Kyiv could be given security guarantees in the form of foreign troops stationed in Ukraine.

"This is yet another return to the sad logic of Zelensky's so-called peace formula," Lavrov said, adding that Moscow had handed the US "additional" proposals on collective security and that Russia was ready to give legal guarantees not to attack Nato or EU countries.

Yet Kyiv and its European allies believe that without security guarantees any peace settlement could be rendered meaningless.

But because Russia has previously violated ceasefire and truce deals, neither Ukraine nor Europe are likely to take any promise by Moscow at face value. In recent weeks European and Ukrainian officials have pushed for the US to be involved in guaranteeing that Kyiv doesn't become the target of renewed attacks.

Earlier this week Zelensky said he was ready to hold elections if the US and European countries could guarantee Ukraine's security during the vote. His five-year term as president was due to end in May 2024, but elections have been suspended in Ukraine since martial law was declared after Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Not for the first time, Nato chief Mark Rutte said on Thursday that too many of the alliance's allies did not feel the urgency of Russia's threat in Europe.

"We are Russia's next target," he warned, adding that Nato had to make all efforts to prevent a war that could be "on the scale of war our grandparents and great-grandparents endured".

Royal Navy shadows Russian submarine through English Channel

12 December 2025 at 03:14
MOD The Russian Kilo-class submarine Krasnodar being tracked by RFA tanker TidesurgeMOD
The Russian submarine was tracked by a Royal Navy tanker

The Royal Navy says it has tracked a Russian submarine through the English Channel to "safeguard" UK waters.

A tanker shadowed the Russian Kilo-class submarine Krasnodar as it sailed on the surface from the North Sea, through the Strait of Dover and into the English Channel, it said.

The Royal Navy added that it had been prepared to "pivot to anti-submarine operations" if Krasnodar had dived below the surface.

The incident is the latest in a series of instances of Russian naval activity in UK waters. The government says there has been a 30% increase in Russian vessels threatening UK waters in the past two years - though Russia says the UK is the one being provocative.

The Russian submarine and its tugboat Altay were tracked by Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) tanker Tidesurge carrying a specialist Merlin helicopter aboard, as part of a three-day operation.

It said this was part of the government's commitment to "safeguard the integrity of UK waters and protect national security", the Royal Navy said.

Capt James Allen, commanding officer of RFA Tidesurge, said the vessel had provided "a show of presence and deterrence as we transited from the North Sea to the English Channel".

The navy continued to shadow the Russian submarine and its tugboat until it approached the north-west of France, at which point tracking of it was handed over to a Nato ally.

This week, Defence Secretary John Healey announced the government's Atlantic Bastion programme, which aims to secure the UK's undersea cables and pipelines from Russian threats - though critics say the navy lacks sufficient resources to do the job properly.

It was revealed a month after Healey said a Russian spy ship had pointed lasers at RAF pilots tracking its activity near UK waters.

The UK said the ship was being used for gathering intelligence and mapping undersea cables.

"We see you. We know what you are doing. And we are ready," Healey said in a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Russian embassy has previously said it was "not interested in British underwater communications" and urged the UK to "hold off taking any destructive steps which might aggravate the crisis situation on the European continent".

Workers' rights bill standoff continues after Lords defeat

11 December 2025 at 21:33
Getty Images A woman wearing a purple apron works in a cafe. She is pouring milk into a mug next to a coffee machineGetty Images

Labour's flagship law on workers' rights faces continuing deadlock after the House of Lords inflicted another defeat on the government.

The setback comes just two weeks after ministers said they had reached a compromise between businesses and unions on the right to claim unfair dismissal.

The government had argued the agreement would unblock the passage of the Employment Rights Bill and allow it to become law.

But peers have now backed a Conservative proposal to force a review of a Labour plan to abolish a cap on compensation in unfair dismissal cases.

The proposal to abolish the cap - which emerged from talks between unions and business groups two weeks ago - did not feature in Labour's manifesto, and is being added to the bill at an unusually late stage.

The bill is now due to return to the Commons on Monday, as the parliamentary process known as "ping-pong" continues until the two Houses agree.

Unions have accused peers of "defying the will of the British public" by holding up the bill, but Downing Street has insisted the government was still committed to passing the bill before Christmas.

The bill - which applies to England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland where employment law is devolved - has been described by the government as the "biggest upgrade to rights at work for a generation".

It includes measures such as giving workers the right to sick pay and parental leave from their first day in a job, banning "exploitative" zero-hour contracts and strengthening the right to request flexible working.

However, some businesses have expressed concerns over the plans, warning they will increase costs for employers.

Last month the government dropped a commitment to offer all workers the right to claim unfair dismissal from their first day in a job, after business groups said this would discourage firms from hiring.

Instead, ministers now plan to introduce this right after six months.

Following talks between major industry bodies and unions, the government also committed to scrapping limits on compensation for financial loss in ordinary unfair dismissal cases.

Currently, awards to former employees who successfully bring a claim are limited to either their annual salary or £118,223, whichever is lower.

This would bring the process more into line with "automatic" unfair dismissal cases - where workers have been sacked for reasons such as discrimination and whistleblowing - where financial loss awards are uncapped.

'Recipe for the rich'

On Wednesday evening, peers voted by 244 votes to 220 for a Tory proposal which would require the government to review compensation limits before scrapping them.

During the debate, Tory shadow business minister Lord Sharpe argued uncapped compensation would benefit higher-paid workers, adding: "This policy is a recipe for the rich and a wrecking of justice for working people."

While he welcomed changes on rights to unfair dismissal, the peer said the government's new proposals on compensation limits had been brought forward "at the 11th hour" without any consultation.

Lord Sharpe insisted calling for a review was "not obstruction" but "the bare minimum that a competent administration should undertake".

Independent crossbench peer and entrepreneur Lord Londesborough said his email inbox was "awash with anger and indignation" from businesses over the government "sneaking in this clause on uncapped compensation".

"It is anti-entrepreneurial, anti-enterprise and, I fear, a job destroyer," he added.

'Undemocratic'

Defending the move, Business Minister Baroness Lloyd said the current system incentivised claimants to allege discrimination, as this allowed uncapped compensation.

"These types of claims are more complex and take longer for the tribunal to handle," she said.

"Therefore, by our removing the compensation cap for ordinary unfair dismissal claims, this incentive will be lessened, making it easier for tribunals to reach a judgement more quickly and decreasing burdens on the system."

She said the government had "worked collaboratively with employers and trade unions to find a compromise" and called on peers to allow the bill to progress so workers could benefit from the reforms without any further delay.

However, the Federation of Small Businesses has expressed reservations about the plan, warning that unlimited settlements "would be difficult and further gum up tribunals".

"That was not a concession discussed with us or agreed by us in the negotiations," added executive director Craig Beaumont.

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: "Continuing to vote down the Employment Rights Bill, a clear manifesto commitment, is undemocratic.

"This bill has been debated and scrutinised for months. Tory peers are actively defying the will of the British public and their own supporters who overwhelmingly support measures in this bill."

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US wants 'special economic zone' in Ukraine's frontline region, Zelensky says

12 December 2025 at 03:23
Getty Images A man walking over an explosion siteGetty Images

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the latest peace plan draft for Ukraine has been presented to US President Donald Trump - including a proposal on territorial concessions Kyiv may be prepared to make.

But Merz highlighted the territorial issue was "a question that must be answered primarily by the Ukrainian president, and the Ukrainian people."

"We also made this clear to President Trump," Merz pointed out.

In recent weeks European leaders have worked closely with Ukraine to come up with a new iteration of a peace plan that addresses Kyiv's interests and concerns.

Trump appears to have grown frustrated with the intricacies of the question of sovereignty over Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories.

Because his negotiating team has previously worked closely with Moscow, Kyiv's European allies fear the US president might eventually seek to impose a Russian-led solution on Ukraine.

"It would be a mistake to force the Ukrainian president into a peace that his people will not accept after four years of suffering and death," Merz said in a joint news conference with Nato chief Mark Rutte.

He added that in Wednesday's "constructive" phone call with Trump, he, France's Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had "made it clear" that Europeans needed to have their interests heard too.

For his part, Trump said the participants had "discussed Ukraine in pretty strong words" and added that he was yet to decide whether to attend a meeting in Europe. "We don't want to be wasting time," he said.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has long signalled he would be prepared to talk to Trump directly to discuss the sticking points of a deal, but the US president has suggested all issues had to be ironed out before such a meeting could take place.

The territorial question is one of the thorniest. Russia demands that Ukraine withdraws entirely from the parts of the eastern Luhansk and Donetsk regions which it still holds - something Kyiv refuses to do, both on principle and because it fears it would allow Moscow a foothold for future invasions.

"We have no legal right to [cede territory], under Ukrainian law, our constitution and international law," Zelensky said earlier this week. "And we don't have any moral right either."

Zelensky is set to hold more talks with his allies today as he co-chairs a coalition of the willing call alongside Merz, Macron and Starmer.

As high-level, frantic diplomatic activity of the last few weeks has taken place among US, European and Ukrainian officials, with frequent statements from all sides, Moscow has remained remarkably tight-lipped.

Any comments from Russia have sought to cement the impression that Moscow and Washington are aligned on their hopes for the terms of a peace deal.

On Thursday Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov praised Trump for trying to broker a deal and said the recent meeting between Vladimir Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff at the Kremlin had "eliminated" the "misunderstandings" which had arisen since last summer's Trump-Putin summit in Alaska.

At the time, Russia and the US agreed Ukraine should return to a non-aligned, neutral, and nuclear-free status, Lavrov stated.

A map of Ukraine's south-eastern territories under Russian occupation

The foreign minister also batted off suggestions that Kyiv could be given security guarantees in the form of foreign troops stationed in Ukraine.

"This is yet another return to the sad logic of Zelensky's so-called peace formula," Lavrov said, adding that Moscow had handed the US "additional" proposals on collective security and that Russia was ready to give legal guarantees not to attack Nato or EU countries.

Yet Kyiv and its European allies believe that without security guarantees any peace settlement could be rendered meaningless.

But because Russia has previously violated ceasefire and truce deals, neither Ukraine nor Europe are likely to take any promise by Moscow at face value. In recent weeks European and Ukrainian officials have pushed for the US to be involved in guaranteeing that Kyiv doesn't become the target of renewed attacks.

Earlier this week Zelensky said he was ready to hold elections if the US and European countries could guarantee Ukraine's security during the vote. His five-year term as president was due to end in May 2024, but elections have been suspended in Ukraine since martial law was declared after Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Not for the first time, Nato chief Mark Rutte said on Thursday that too many of the alliance's allies did not feel the urgency of Russia's threat in Europe.

"We are Russia's next target," he warned, adding that Nato had to make all efforts to prevent a war that could be "on the scale of war our grandparents and great-grandparents endured".

Ethiopia arrests 'indecently' dressed social media stars after awards ceremony

12 December 2025 at 01:40
@Krinfud / Instagram ; @Evan / TikTok ; @Jahnny / TikTok ; BBC Adonay Berhane, Wongelawit Gebre Endrias and Yohannes Mekonnen in the outfits they wore to the awards@Krinfud / Instagram ; @Evan / TikTok ; @Jahnny / TikTok ; BBC
Adonay Berhane (L), Wongelawit Gebre Endrias (C) and Yohannes Mekonnen (R) were arrested because of their clothing

Ethiopian police have arrested a sixth popular TikTok creator days after five other influencers were detained over allegations of wearing "indecent attire" at a public event in the culturally conservative country.

Adonay Berhane, 25, is a lifestyle and motivational creator with close to four million followers, who was named "TikToker of the Year" at the TikTok Creative Award 2025 - the same ceremony now at the centre of the controversy.

Police said on Wednesday evening that he was under investigation.

The detentions have ignited widespread debate across Ethiopian social media.

Supporters argue the arrests violate freedom of expression and stifle creativity, while conservative voices have defended the police, insisting that public figures must respect cultural norms.

Among those arrested were Wongelawit Gebre Endrias, aka Evan, who posts lifestyle and fashion videos to TikTok. At the event she went braless under an oversized blazer jacket.

Sporting a man-bag was Yohannes Mekonnen, known as Jahnny, a dancer and content reviewer who won an award for video production at the ceremony.

Adonay was pictured wearing an open-necked shirt.

Bereket Tsegaye, Mekdim Dereje and Girum Gezahegn are were also detained.

None of the six influencers have spoken about their treatment.

But the mother of Adonay Berhane - Abeba Gebru - was shocked by the news.

Adonay is her "backbone" and an "example to Ethiopian youth", she told BBC Tigrinya.

Having spent his teenage years in Canada, Adonay returned to Ethiopia and much of his TikTok content warns of the negative sides of becoming an immigrant. He urges his followers to live and work in their homeland instead.

Ethiopia's government has not commented on the matter, but police said the detainees were suspected of promoting behaviour that undermines public morality - citing concerns about the growing influence of online trends on Ethiopian youth.

With more than eight million social media users nationwide, the incident highlights the growing strain between Ethiopia's rapidly expanding digital culture and longstanding traditional expectations.

Federal police warn that further action will be taken against anyone "violating the country's cultural values" or promoting what they described as "shallow culture."

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

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

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

Bessent Accelerates Regulation Overhaul to Jumpstart Growth

12 December 2025 at 04:03
The Treasury Secretary unveiled changes to the Financial Stability Oversight Council to ease “overregulation.”

© Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent argued that financial stability was best achieved through faster economic growth, which he said was constrained by unnecessary regulations.

Lecturer Sanctioned Over MAGA White Supremacy Lesson Is Back in Class

12 December 2025 at 03:37
Some disciplinary measures have been imposed on the lecturer, including being monitored as she teaches a class on diversity and social justice.

© Darron Cummings/Associated Press

The Indiana University campus in Bloomington.

Can OpenAI Respond After Google Closes the A.I. Technology Gap?

12 December 2025 at 03:24
A new technology release from OpenAI is supposed to top what Google recently produced. It also shows OpenAI is engaged in a new and more difficult competition.

© Aaron Wojack for The New York Times

OpenAI’s newest technology comes after Google claimed it had topped its young competitor.

U.S. Helped to Weaken Report at U.N. Environment Talks, Participants Say

12 December 2025 at 02:54
American officials joined Russia, Saudi Arabia and Iran in objecting to language on fossils fuels, biodiversity and plastics in a report that was three years in the making.

© Monicah Mwangi/Reuters

The opening session of the 7th United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya, on Monday.

Fate of 11 Nigerian troops unclear after ‘unauthorised’ plane landing in Burkina Faso

12 December 2025 at 02:18
A C-130 military cargo plane

Eleven Nigerian military personnel are reportedly still in Burkina Faso days after their plane made an “unauthorised” landing in the south-west city of Bobo Dioulasso, despite earlier suggestions they had been freed, deepening confusion about the diplomatic standoff.

Burkinabé authorities told the BBC on Tuesday that the troops had been released and given permission to return to Nigeria, but officials in Abuja have said the matter is yet to be resolved.

The Nigerian daily the Punch quoted Kimiebi Ebienfa, a foreign ministry spokesperson, as saying late on Wednesday that that Nigerian embassy in Ouagadougou was “engaging with the host authorities to secure their release”.

The saga began on Monday when a Nigerian military cargo plane, a C-130, travelling from Lagos to Portugal was forced to land in Burkina Faso. Authorities in the country, which is part of the three-member Alliance of Sahel States (AES), called the landing an “unfriendly act carried out in defiance of international law” in a statement that evening.

The Nigerian air force said technical concerns had forced the plane to divert to the nearest airport “in line with standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols”. The Burkinabé authorities had treated the crew courteously and plans were under way to continue the mission, it said.

Conspiracy theories began circulating on social media and offline given that the landing came within 24 hours of Nigerian troops helping to thwart a coup attempt in Benin, which borders Nigeria and Burkina Faso.

The AES trio of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger officially left the larger Ecowas regional bloc in January, forming a military alliance as it withdrew from many of its traditional local and international allegiances.

100,000 in Washington State Ordered to Evacuate as Rivers Rise

Days of heavy rain pushed waterways to record flood levels in a mountainous region north of Seattle. “Do not wait,” local officials warned residents as they urged them to seek higher ground.

© Erika Schultz/The Seattle Times, via Associated Press

Katie Gomez watched water rush into her front yard near Lyman, Wash.

'Super flu' wave hits hospitals in England with no peak yet

12 December 2025 at 00:58
Getty Images A&E departmentGetty Images

The number of patients in hospital in England with influenza has risen by more than 50% in the past week, with NHS bosses warning there is no sign of "super flu" peaking yet.

In the week up to Sunday there were 2,660 flu cases a day on average in hospital – and NHS England said the numbers had continued rising this week.

NHS England said it was the equivalent of having three hospitals full of flu patients, with some reporting nearly one in 10 beds occupied by patients with the virus.

Officials said the numbers had continued rising this week with fears it may top 5,000 by the weekend. Increases are also being reported in other parts of the UK.

Super flu circulating

NHS England medical director Prof Meghana Pandit said: "This unprecedented wave of super flu is leaving the NHS facing a worst-case scenario for this time of year – with staff being pushed to the limit to keep providing the best possible care for patients."

The numbers in hospital with flu is at its highest level at this time of year since records began - although they only date back to 2021 and so do not capture the two worst flu seasons of the past 15 years which were seen in 2014-15 and 2017-18.

Chart showing flu rates in hospital

Flu rates began rising a month earlier than normal this year driven by a mutated strain of the virus. The dominant strain is H3N2, but it has some genetic changes this year.

It means the general public has not encountered this exact version of flu before, which means there is maybe less immunity.

NHS England said the number of patients in hospital with the vomiting bug norovirus was also on the rise, with more than 350 beds occupied by people with that virus.

Chart showing hospitals with most flu cases

It comes ahead of a strike by resident doctors, the new name for junior doctors, which is due to start next week.

There are hopes it may be called off after a fresh offer from Health Secretary Wes Streeting prompted the British Medical Association to agree to poll their members to see if they were willing to call off the five-day walkout that is due to begin on Wednesday. The results of that poll will be be announced on Monday.

Daniel Elkeles, of NHS Providers, which represents hospitals, said: "The NHS is in the thick of a storm come early. Flu is hitting hard and other winter bugs are surging.

"Now more than ever, the NHS needs all hands on deck.

"We have to hope that BMA resident doctors will step back from next week's strike, take up the government's sensible offer and end their damaging dispute."

Buckling system

Data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), which takes into account levels of infection in the community as well as hospitals, shows infection rates are continuing to rise, but not as sharply as they were in the previous week.

But officials stressed it was too early to take that as a sign that flu could be peaking.

They said the virus was unpredictable and a lull could be followed by another surge.

Dr Conall Watson, an infectious diseases expert at the UKHSA, urged people who are eligible for a free flu vaccine on the NHS, which includes the over 65s, those with certain health conditions and pregnant women, to still come forward if they had not yet got one.

"There is still plenty of flu vaccine available to protect those who need it – what's running out is time to be protected ahead of Christmas.

"If you are eligible this is the last chance to get protected as we head into Christmas – so make an appointment with the NHS today."

It can take up to two weeks following vaccination to develop the fullest protection from the jab, Dr Watson added.

Dr Vicky Price, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said winter viruses were placing further strain on an "already buckling system".

She said patients were facing long waits in A&E as hospital staff were being overloaded with patients.

But she accused NHS England and the government of using it as a "convenient scapegoat" for the "predictable breakdown" in NHS capacity caused by workforce shortages.

"The situation in emergency departments has become so dire that what was once considered a critical incident is now seen as normal and routine. What is happening is not an isolated emergency, but the culmination of systemic failure."

Four charts that show how flu outbreak is different this winter

12 December 2025 at 00:25
PA Media A healthcare worker administers a flu jab to another person in a healthcare environment at Ulster hospital in Belfast on 4 December.PA Media
The NHS has urged those eligible to get vaccinated against flu to help limit the severity of symptoms

The NHS says it's facing its "worst-case scenario" after the number of people in hospital with flu jumped by 55% in a week.

NHS England chief executive Sir Jim Mackey has warned that between 5,000 and 8,000 hospital beds could be filled with flu patients by the weekend.

Health experts at the King's Fund think tank have said talk of an "unrelenting flu wave" has become worrying familiar over recent years.

How then is winter 2025 really any different and which patients have been affected most by what the NHS is now describing as "super flu"?

An earlier start for flu

A chart showing the percentage of daily positive tests for flu from July to June each year from 2023-4 onwards. The graph for 2025-26 shows a sharp rise over the past few months up to around 20% of cases. That is still below the 30%+ of cases which were positive in previous years.

The major difference between 2025's flu season and the previous three years is that the virus started spreading around a month earlier.

The first sign of this was in October in data published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

When someone goes to their GP or hospital with flu-like symptoms they can be tested for a number of viruses including influenza, Covid and RSV.

UKHSA records the percentage of those tests that come back positive for flu, which can then give a strong indication that rates in the community are either rising or falling.

Virologists have linked the earlier flu season this year to a subtle shift in the genetic makeup of the main flu virus that is circulating - called H3N2.

So-called 'super-flu' is not a medical term and it does not mean the virus is more severe or harder to treat.

But the general public has not encountered this exact version of flu before, which means there may be less immunity built up in society, allowing it to spread more easily.

Children and young people most affected

A line graph showing a rise in positive flu cases since September by age group. It shows the groups recording the highest percentage positive tests are the 5-14 year old group, followed by the 15-24 age group. Older age groups over 45 years old have a much power percentage of positive cases.

Children tend to be more susceptible to flu than older adults, partly because their immune systems are still developing and because they tend to spread viruses more quickly through close contact.

The latest breakdown of UKHSA data shows that the proportion of positive tests is currently much higher in children and young people still at school or university.

Some schools have had to bring back Covid-like measures to prevent the spread of the virus, such as cutting back on singing in assemblies and introducing sanitisation stations, while one site in Caerphilly had to close temporarily.

Each year thousands of otherwise healthy children end up in A&E with complications after catching influenza.

But there is another concern: that younger people will go home and then spread the disease to elderly relatives who tend to be more vulnerable.

Flu adds to winter pressure

A bar graph showing the number of people in a hospital bed with flu in the week starting 1 December for each year from 2022/3 onwards. It shows a big increase for that week in 2025/26 to around 2,500 beds from around 1900 beds in 2024/25.

The NHS records the number of patients in hospital each week with influenza and other types of respiratory illness.

The number has been rising sharply in England with an average of 2,660 flu patients taking up a hospital bed last week, up from 1,717 in the previous week.

Those over 85-years-old are five times more likely to be hospitalised than the general population.

But the patients being admitted now would have been infected with the virus a week or so ago when infection rates were lower.

The greater concern for the health service is what happens over the coming weeks as new cases appear in A&E.

The NHS has roughly 105,000 available hospital beds in England and tends to "run hot" over the winter with 95% of those taken up at any one time.

If the number of flu patients needing overnight treatment jumps to 5,000 or higher, as Sir Jim Mackey predicts, then it could put the whole hospital system under more pressure.

What about vaccine protection?

The message coming from doctors and the NHS is for people in vulnerable groups to continue to come forward for a flu vaccine.

Even though the genetic make-up of the virus has shifted this winter, the main jab is still thought to offer effective protection, particularly against severe disease.

The flu vaccine is free on the NHS for those over 65-years-old, young children, pregnant women, those with certain health conditions, carers, and front line health and social care workers.

People in other groups can get the same vaccine for between £15 and £25 from high street pharmacists.

As of 30 November, just over 40% of people in an at-risk group had taken up the offer of a free flu jab this year.

Flu vaccination rates among NHS workers in England, which have fallen back since the Covid pandemic, appear to have stabilised this year at about the same level - around 42%.

Huge undersea wall dating from 5000 BC found in France

12 December 2025 at 01:39
BBC A diver is holding a camera and torch examining the wall. The water is a cloudy blue colour, and the wall has algae and seaweed on it.BBC
The structure has lasted 7,000 years

French marine archaeologists have discovered a massive undersea wall off the coast of Brittany, dating from around 5,000 BC.

They think it could be from a stone age society whose disappearance under rising seas was the origin of a local sunken city myth.

The 120-metre (394ft) wall – the biggest underwater construction ever found in France – was either a fish-trap or a dyke for protection against rising sea-levels, the archaeologists believe.

When it was built on the Ile de Sein at Brittany's western tip, the wall would have been on the shore-line – between the high and low tide marks. Today it is under nine metres of water as the island has shrunk to a fraction of its former size.

The wall is on average 20 metres wide and two metres high. At regular intervals divers found large granite standing stones – or monoliths – protruding above the wall in two parallel lines.

It is believed these were originally placed on the bedrock and then the wall built around them out of slabs and smaller stones. If the fish-trap hypothesis is the right one, then the lines of protruding monoliths would have also supported a "net" made of sticks and branches to catch fish as the tide retreated.

With an overall mass of 3,300 tonnes, the wall must have been the work of a substantial settled community. And to have lasted 7,000 years, it was clearly an extremely solid structure.

"It was built by a very structured society of hunter-gatherers, of a kind that became sedentary when resources permitted. That or it was made by one of the Neolithic populations that arrived here around 5,000 BC," said archaeologist Yvan Pailler.

The monoliths that form the basis of the wall are similar to - but predate - the famous menhirs that dot the Brittany countryside and are associated with the Neolithic culture.

According to Pailler, there could have been a transmission of know-how on extracting, cutting and transporting the stones between older Mesolithic hunter-gatherers and incoming Neolithic agriculturists.

The wall was discovered after local geologist Yves Fouquet studied undersea depth charts drawn up using the latest radar technology. "Just off Sein I saw this 120-metre line blocking off an undersea valley. It couldn't be natural," he told Le Monde newspaper.

Archaeologists made their first exploration in summer 2022, but had to wait till the following winter – when the seaweed had died back – before they could map the wall properly.

In a paper in the International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, the writers conjecture that sites such as this may lie at the origin of local Breton legends of sunken cities. One such lost city – Ys – was believed to lie in the Bay of Douarnenez, just a few kilometres to the east.

"It is likely that the abandonment of a territory developed by a highly structured society has become deeply rooted in people's memories," the paper says.

"The submersion caused by the rapid rise in sea level, followed by the abandonment of fishing structures, protective works, and habitation sites, must have left a lasting impression."

Sandie Peggie says 'I will not give up legal fight' in trans doctor row

12 December 2025 at 00:58
Getty Images A woman with shoulder-length blonde hair is wearing a blue jacket over a white T-shirtGetty Images
Sandie Peggie was suspended by NHS Fife after she complained about trans women using single-sex changing rooms

The judgement in the tribunal of a nurse suspended from her job in a row over trans women using single-sex changing rooms has been amended following complaints a quote used in it was "made up".

On Monday, an employment tribunal outlined four ways in which NHS Fife harassed Sandie Peggie, but dismissed all her other claims.

Ms Peggie had brought the case after she was suspended following a disagreement between her and Dr Beth Upton - who is a trans woman.

Campaigners claimed that the 312-page judgement in the Peggie case contained a "made up" quote from another legal case.

The tribunal has now issued a "certificate of correction" stating there had been "clerical mistake(s), error(s)or omissions(s)". This does not change the overall verdict.

The case has attracted international interest as it concerned whether transgender women – biological males who identify as women – could use female-only changing rooms.

Following the tribunal ruling, one of Ms Peggie's most high-profile supporters, campaigner Maya Forstater, said a reference in the judgement to her own case against the Centre for Global Development Europe was "completely made up".

The Peggie ruling originally stated the verdict in Ms Forstater's case emphasised that the Equality Act does not create "a hierarchy of protected characteristics."

On the social media platform X, Ms Forstater posted a screenshot of the text from the tribunal and said: "One of the many things wrong with the Sandie Peggie judgment.

"This 'quote' from my judgment doesn't come from my judgment. It is completely made up."

A new quote from the Forstater case has now been added.

The revised version of the Peggie judgement then states: "We consider that quotation provides support for the proposition that the Equality Act 2010 does not create a hierarchy of protected characteristics."

Dr Beth Upton walking outside a court building, dressed in a dark tan coat and wearing a multi coloured scarf. Several supporters are walking alongside.
Sandie Peggie refused to change with Dr Beth Upton

Under employment law, a judge may "at any time correct any clerical mistake or other accidental slip or omission" and an amended version issued.

Ms Forstater said she was astonished how the error happened and that she wanted an explanation.

She added other mistakes had been spotted in the verdict and that they "severely undermine people's confidence in the legal process."

The employment tribunal, which was held over several weeks earlier this year, was high-profile and controversial.

It was brought by Ms Peggie, a nurse who has worked for the NHS for 30 years.

She refused to share a women's changing room with Dr Upton - a biological male who identifies as a woman - at Victoria Hospital, in Kirkcaldy, and was suspended from work at the beginning of 2024.

This followed an encounter between the due in the changing facilities on Christmas Eve 2023, where Ms Peggie told Dr Upton she did not feel comfortable about the doctor's presence there.

She also referenced Isla Bryson - a rapist who changed gender while awaiting trial.

Bryson was initially remanded to a women's jail after being found guilty, but was then moved to a men's facility.

The rapist was later jailed for eight years.

Ms Peggie claimed her own experiences amounted to harassment and took legal action against the health board and Dr Upton, citing the Equality Act 2010.

On Monday, the 312-page judgement found in her favour on four counts, but dismissed her other claims against both the health board and Dr Upton.

It found that some of Ms Peggie's comments towards Dr Upton "amounted to an incident of harassment" and breached the health board's bullying and harassment policy.

A separate hearing will take place at a later date to decide on the "remedy" for Ms Peggie, which could result in her being awarded compensation.

However the verdict was criticised by some campaigners, including Sex Matters - the group Ms Forstater is chief executive of.

Progressives launch another primary challenge to a House Democrat

12 December 2025 at 02:17

Democrat Nida Allam is launching a primary challenge against Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-N.C.), she announced Thursday, joining a growing list of candidates vying to unseat House Democrats with a slate of progressive endorsements already in tow.

The Durham County commissioner is the latest progressive to launch an insurgent campaign against a Democratic incumbent, reinforcing what she describes as renewed energy in fighting against “Trump’s authoritarianism.” Her entrance into the race comes with a slew of progressive support — including from Justice Democrats, David Hogg’s Leaders We Deserve and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) — an early inundation of endorsements that quickly adds salience to the 31-year-old commissioner’s bid for office.

“I’m not here to stay quiet while Washington fails us,” Allam said in her campaign announcement Thursday. “I’m here to fight for the people who built this district.”

In launching her bid, Allam panned Foushee, 69, as a “silent” voice in Congress, asserting that constituents are looking for action that reaches beyond “strongly worded letters and Tweets.”

In a statement Thursday, Foushee — who’s served two terms in Congress — said her commitment to her district “remains unchanged” in the face of the emerging primary challenge, pointing to her past wins in advancing progressive legislation in Congress.

“Without listening to my constituents, I would not be able to properly reflect our community's needs in Congress, like fighting back against Trump's billionaire tax breaks, helping to uncover Elon Musk's illegal interference in government contracts, and voting against the National Defense Authorization Act,” she wrote in the statement.

Other progressive organizations like the Working Families Party and the Sunrise Movement have already thrown support behind Allam, who they say has the resolve needed to buck the Trump administration — and veteran Democrats — in representing the working class in Congress.

Allam’s entrance into the race for North Carolina’s 4th Congressional District — a blue, Durham-based district — marks the second candidate in just a matter of days to announce plans to oust a sitting Democrat from Congress, with backing from major progressive players.

On Wednesday, Brooklyn progressive Brad Lander announced he’d challenge Rep. Dan Goldman for his seat in a district that New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani carried. His bid — which zeroed in on ramping up resistance against the Trump administration — quickly accrued support from the Democratic base’s left flank, including from the Working Families Party, Mamdani and Sanders.

© Julia Nikhinson/AP

泽连斯基:领土妥协需通过选举或公投确认 - RFI - 法国国际广播电台

12 December 2025 at 02:15
11/12/2025 - 18:52

乌克兰总统沃洛季米尔·泽连斯基周四表示,乌克兰与俄罗斯在东部地区控制权问题上的任何妥协都必须是“公正的”,并需通过乌克兰的“选举”或“全民公投”予以确认。

乌克兰总统泽连斯基对包括法新社记者在内的记者们表示:“我相信乌克兰人民会回答这个问题。无论是通过选举还是公投,都必须体现乌克兰人民的立场”。

泽连斯基周四表示,控制东部顿涅茨克地区和扎波罗热核电站的地位是结束与俄罗斯战争的谈判中仍“悬而未决”的两个主要问题。

泽连斯基说:“顿涅茨克地区的领土及其相关事宜,以及扎波罗热核电站。这是我们与华盛顿仍在讨论的两个议题。”华盛顿方面已向双方提出了一项结束冲突的计划。

自由经济区

此外,泽连斯基总统周四透露,美国提议乌克兰军队撤出其仍在东部顿涅茨克地区控制的领土,并在该地区建立一个非军事化的“自由经济区”。

他告诉记者:“他们(美国人)希望乌克兰军队撤出顿涅茨克地区的领土,而所谓的妥协方案是俄罗斯军队不会进入该地区”目前由基辅控制的部分。

他表示, “他们(美国人)不知道谁将统治这片他们已经称为'自由经济区'或'非军事区'的领土”。他并说,华盛顿还提议俄罗斯军队撤出乌克兰的苏梅、哈尔科夫和第聂伯罗彼得罗夫斯克地区(北部、东北部和中东部),但保留在赫尔松和扎波罗热地区(南部)的部队。



美军在委内瑞拉近海扣押油轮 对马杜罗施压重大升级

12 December 2025 at 01:47
德正(法新社、路透社)
2025-12-11T16:18:45.580Z
美军采取罕见行动,在委内瑞拉海岸附近扣押了一艘油轮。

(德国之声中文网)美国总统特朗普周三(12月10日)表示,美国在委内瑞拉海岸附近扣押了一艘受到制裁的油轮。这一行动推高了油价,并使华盛顿与加拉加斯的紧张关系急剧升级。

特朗普说:“我们刚刚在委内瑞拉海岸扣押了一艘油轮。一艘大油轮,非常大,实际上是有史以来最大的一艘。还有其他事情正在发生。”但是他没有提供更多细节,而是宣称“你们以后会看到”。

特朗普一直在向委内瑞拉总统马杜罗施压,要求其下台。此前,美国军方对涉嫌运毒船只发动打击,引发议员和法律专家对合法性的担忧。

当被问及这些石油将如何处理时,特朗普说:“我们会留下来,我想是这样。”

马杜罗(中)周三表示:“我们已经准备好打断北美帝国主义的牙齿。” 资料图片

动用军队扣押油轮的罕见行动

特朗普多次提出美国可能对委内瑞拉进行军事干预。这次是他在该地区下令进行大规模军事集结后,首次对油轮采取行动。

美国司法部长邦迪(Pam Bondi)在社交平台X上发文说,联邦调查局、国土安全部、海岸警卫队以及美军的支援力量,执行了一项扣押令,目标是一艘运输委内瑞拉和伊朗受制裁原油的油轮。

邦迪发布了一段45秒的视频显示,行动中使用的直升机距离甲板仅数英尺时,有人员沿绳索快速下降。

在之后的画面中,可以看到海岸警卫队人员手持武器,在油轮的上层建筑中穿行。

邦迪写道:“多年来,该油轮因参与支持外国恐怖组织的非法石油运输网络,已受到美国制裁。”

美国动用军队扣押油轮的情况极为罕见。一名不愿公开姓名的美国官员对美联社透露,此次行动由美国海岸警卫队主导,并由海军提供支持。该官员说,此次扣押属于美国执法行动。

该官员说,海岸警卫队人员是由航空母舰“福特”号(USS Gerald R. Ford)的直升机运送到油轮上的。“福特”号上个月抵达加勒比海,作为大型武力部署的一部分,并与其他多艘军舰一起对马杜罗施压。

油轮航行最终目的地是亚洲

特朗普政府官员未公布油轮名称。英国海事风险管理机构Vanguard称,这艘油轮名为“斯基帕”(Skipper),被认为是在周三清晨于委内瑞拉附近被扣押的。美国对这艘油轮实施制裁的理由,是称其曾参与伊朗原油交易,当时它名叫“阿迪萨”(Adisa)。

根据油轮跟踪网站TankerTrackers.com分析的卫星数据和委内瑞拉国有石油公司PDVSA内部航运信息,“斯基帕”在12月4日到5日期间离开委内瑞拉主要石油港口何塞港,船上装载约110万桶梅雷(Merey)重质原油。

据报道,这艘船悬挂着一个拉美国家的旗帜,但并未在该国注册,其航行最终目的地是亚洲。一名美国联邦法官在大约两周前签发了扣押令。

马杜罗:“打断北美帝国主义的牙齿”

委内瑞拉外交部谴责了周三(12月10日)的扣押行动。外交部称,这“构成公然的盗窃和国际海盗行为”。外交部发表的声明说,特朗普在他2024年的竞选中曾公开表示,他的目标一直是“无偿获取委内瑞拉的石油”。该声明还说,美国对委内瑞拉的“侵略”“是一个蓄意计划的一部分,目的是剥夺我们的能源资源”。

马杜罗周三在加拉加斯参加一场纪念军事战役的游行中讲话,但没有提到油轮遭扣押。他并表示:“我们已经准备好打断北美帝国主义的牙齿。”

他还表示,“任何想要委内瑞拉石油的人都必须尊重法律和国家主权。我们永远不会再成为石油殖民地。”

美国已经在加勒比海部署了1962年古巴导弹危机以来规模最大的军事力量。特朗普在周二接受《政治报》采访时谈及马杜罗。他说:“他的日子屈指可数。”

八成委内瑞拉石油出口到中国

委内瑞拉是石油输出国组织(欧佩克)的创始成员国,拥有全球最大已探明石油储量,在本世纪初期日产石油约300万桶。但因管理不善、腐败以及特朗普第一任期实施的“极限施压”制裁,其产量在2020年跌至每天50万桶。随后有所恢复,出口量上个月刚刚超过每天90万桶。

美国曾长期是委内瑞拉最大的石油买家。但政治紧张导致这种关系破裂。目前中国购买了大约80%的委内瑞拉石油出口。在中国市场,它面临来自俄罗斯和伊朗受制裁原油的竞争。

这些交易通常涉及复杂而隐秘的中间商网络,因为制裁吓退了更多知名的贸易公司。许多中间商是秘密注册的空壳公司。买家会使用所谓的“幽灵油轮”来隐藏其航行位置,并在公海上进行货物转移。

扣押行动导致油价上涨

油轮被扣押的消息传出后,油价上涨。布伦特原油期货在经历下跌后反弹27美分,即0.4%,收于每桶62.21美元;美国西德克萨斯中质原油(WTI)期货上涨21美分,也是0.4%,收于每桶58.46美元。

大宗商品分析机构Commodity Context的分析师约翰斯顿(Rory Johnston)说:“这是又一个地缘政治和制裁层面的冲击,进一步打击了现货供应。”他补充说:“扣押油轮会进一步加剧市场对近期供应的担忧,但不会立即改变根本状况,因为这些原油本来也会在海上漂游一段时间。”

与PDVSA合作的美国雪佛龙公司(Chevron)表示,该公司在委内瑞拉的运营正常,未受到影响。该公司负责所有运往美国的委内瑞拉原油出口,上月将对美原油出口数量从10月的12.8万桶/日提高到约15万桶/日。

美军在委内瑞拉附近海域对可疑贩毒船只进行军事打击,引起很大争议

特朗普政府的军事行动遭到质疑

自9月初以来,特朗普政府已在加勒比海和太平洋地区对涉嫌运毒船只发动了22次袭击,造成至少87人死亡。

专家认为,这些袭击可能违法,因为几乎没有公开显示这些船只载有毒品的证据,也没有证据表明必须摧毁这些船只,而不是截停、扣押货物并审问船员。

担忧在本月进一步加剧。据媒体报道,负责指挥该行动的官员下令发动第二次袭击,导致两名幸存者被击毙。美国国防部长赫格塞斯(Pete Hegseth)卷入是否承担这场涉嫌非法袭击指挥责任的争议。

民主党议员们要求获得“击沉行动”的未剪辑影像。但赫格塞斯周二告诉国会领导人,他仍在考虑是否公开这些影像。

路透社与益普索(Ipsos)周三发布的一项民调显示,大多数美国人反对美国军方对这些船只实施致命打击,其中约五分之一的共和党人也表示反对。

特朗普政府上周发布的国家安全战略文件称,他的外交政策重点将是重新确立美国在西半球的主导地位。

就在油轮被扣押的同一天,委内瑞拉反对派领袖马查多(María Corina Machado)获颁诺贝尔和平奖。马查多本周离开在委内瑞拉的秘密居所,前往参加颁奖典礼,但未能及时抵达奥斯陆。她的女儿代她领奖。

(路透社、美联社、法新社)

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泰柬边界冲突未缓 争议寺庙周围炮声不断 特朗普预计致电两国“伟大领导人” - RFI - 法国国际广播电台

12 December 2025 at 01:45
11/12/2025 - 18:33

泰国和柬埔寨之间的边境冲突周四仍在持续,此前美国总统唐纳德·特朗普预计将致电两国领导人,要求他们停止敌对行动,该冲突已造成至少20人死亡。

法新社周四发自泰柬边境的报道:据泰国国防部宣布,共有9名士兵丧生,此外还有11名平民遇难,其中包括一名儿童,这些数字与柬埔寨当局报告的数据一致。

自本周初以来,约有60万人被迫逃离边境地区,那里在周四清晨时分,围绕着有争议的高棉寺庙,炮火声此起彼伏。

这两个东南亚邻国长期以来就部分领土问题争执不休,并相互指责对方重启冲突,在唐纳德·特朗普承诺再次担任调解人之际,双方仍未显露任何缓和迹象。

美国总统将于周四与泰国总理阿努廷·查恩维拉库尔和柬埔寨首相洪马内通话会谈,以说服他们停止交火。

特朗普周三在白宫表示:“我发现他们都是伟大的领导人,都是了不起的人,而且上次我解决过这个问题”。

“必须解释问题所在”

今年7月当首次爆发公开冲突导致5天内43人丧生时,唐纳德·特朗普曾与中国和马来西亚(东盟轮值主席国)共同介入。

他从未掩饰过自己渴望获得诺贝尔和平奖的愿望,他还在10月26日与泰国和柬埔寨领导人共同签署了停火协议。

然而几周后,曼谷方面因地雷爆炸造成多名士兵受伤而暂停了这个停火协议,目前似乎仍不愿达成停战。

泰国总理阿努廷·查恩维拉库尔表示:“唐纳德·特朗普真诚地希望看到和平,但我们必须解释问题所在,以及局势为何会发展到如此地步。”

“按下暂停键”

法新社记者在边境采访时看到:数千名因战火流离失所的人在泰国素林府的大学建筑中寻求庇护。

其中一位老妇人在这里捣碎辣椒酱,志愿者们则搅动着大锅里的食物。

61岁的农妇拉特带着八口之家逃离家园时,还没来得及种下本季的木薯。

她抱怨道:“每当战斗重启,生活就仿佛再次按下了暂停键”。而“我只想回家种我的庄稼”。

在边境另一侧,在柬埔寨斯雷斯南县(Srei Snam)一座佛塔内,名叫 Chae Yeang 的88岁老妇人找到了避难所:和五位家人一起住在简陋的帐篷里。她轻声说:“我只想这一切尽快结束,明天就能恢复和平”。

55岁的柬埔寨妇女Voan Chinda也有同样的疲惫感。她抱着八个月大的孙子说:“泰国军队开火太猛烈了,我根本没法待在家里。我希望这一切能停止”。

联合国教科文组织(UNESCO)对位于交战区内的历史寺庙,特别是柏威夏寺感到担忧,呼吁“保护该地区的文化遗产”。

联合国教科文组织在一份声明中表示:“为避免任何潜在损害,我们已向所有相关方提供了世界遗产名录中遗址的地理坐标,以及那些具有国家级重要意义的遗址的地理坐标。”

Judge Orders Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s Release From ICE Detention

11 December 2025 at 23:56
The judge said it was “troubling” that the Trump administration had kept Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia in custody for nearly four months without following through on its pledge to re-expel him.

© Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times

Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia at a vigil in Baltimore on Aug. 25. He was detained again later that day and has been in custody since.

Kristi Noem Testifies Before House Panel Amid Immigration Crackdown

12 December 2025 at 01:23
Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, has overseen President Trump’s immigration policy, including efforts to detain more immigrants and pause visa applications.

© Anna Rose Layden for The New York Times

Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, faced a panel of lawmakers at a time when the federal government is stepping up its immigration enforcement efforts and seeking to increase deportations.
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