标题:北同十五周年纪念:我们曾这样努力驱散偏见,将温暖编织成网 作者:何流、Emily Feng 发表日期:2025.7.1 来源:JF Pod 主题归类:新闻自由 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。
写在前面
看到Emily Feng的新书标题“红花独秀”(Let Only Red Flowers Bloom),我瞬间就明白了背后的隐喻。“红花独秀”的反面是“百花齐放”,在中文语境里,这是个颇具威胁意义的词语。人们会很自然地联想到毛泽东的“百花齐放、百家争鸣”政策,看似鼓励社会各界批评政党与时政,实则是为“引蛇出洞”的铺垫,并最终演化成了反右运动,让大量的知识分子落难。“红花独秀”是“百花齐放”政策的实质,看似倡导多元灿烂,但在中国的政治环境里,社会只能有一种声音、一个样貌,这个声音和样貌是被官方所定义的,脱离官方叙事的个人往往要付出政治代价,即使大量的人与那个官方倡导的形象格格不入。
借新书发布的机会,我联系到Emily。那时季风播客尚未发布,前期嘉宾邀请不断遇阻。Emily爽快地答应了我的邀请,给了播客关键的支持。作为在美国长大的华裔,用中文做公共表达需要付出很多勇气和努力。很感激Emily对我和季风的信任,相信读者们会喜欢这期富有温度和细节的对话。感兴趣的朋友也欢迎点击链接购买Emily的新书Let Only Red Flowers Bloom。
BBC reports from the scene of floods in Kerr County
A frantic search for survivors is under way in central Texas after flash floods killed at least 32 people, including 14 children.
Many were asleep when the Guadalupe River rose more than 26 ft (8m) in less than an hour in the early hours of Friday.
Officials in Kerr County have said 27 children are missing from a Christian youth camp located along the river. Some 850 people were rescued.
Weather forecasts suggest that more rain and, potentially, more flooding could be on the horizon for the area.
Among the areas most severely hit by the floods were mobile homes, summer camps and camping sites where many had gathered for 4 July holiday celebrations.
At a press conference on Saturday afternoon, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said he had signed an expanded disaster declaration to boost search efforts.
He said officials would be relentless in ensuring they locate "every single person who's been a victim of this event", adding that "we will stop when job is completed".
It remains a search and rescue mission, officials said, not a recovery effort.
They said rescuers were going up and down the Guadalupe River to try to find people who may have been swept away by the floods.
Much of the rescue has focused on a large all-girls Christian summer camp called Camp Mystic.
The camp, where 27 remain missing, is on the banks of the Guadalupe River near Hunt, Texas.
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick told the BBC's Radio 4 PM programme that of the 27 children missing from Camp Mystic "many of these girls are younger girls under the age of 12".
He also said that many more people were likely to remain unaccounted for across the region, because some were visiting for the holiday weekend.
In an email to parents of the roughly 750 campers, Camp Mystic said that if they haven't been contacted directly, their child is considered missing.
US President Donald Trump has said his administration is working closely with local authorities to respond to the emergency.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the president was "devastated" by the loss of life and promised full federal support.
Noem joined Governor Abbott at Saturday afternoon's press conference and said the federal government would soon be deploying the Coast Guard to help search efforts.
Elsewhere in central Texas, in Travis County, officials say another two people have died and 10 are missing because of the flooding.
Forecasters have warned that central Texas may see more flooding this weekend.
The National Weather Service (NWS) said the area could see 2 to 5in (5cm to 12cm) of rain on Saturday.
Up to 10in of rain was possible in some areas that are still reeling from Friday's deluge.
Asked last month whether he was planning to join Israel in attacking Iran, US President Donald Trump said "I may do it. I may not do it. Nobody knows what I'm going to do".
He let the world believe he had agreed a two-week pause to allow Iran to resume negotiations. And then he bombed anyway.
A pattern is emerging: The most predictable thing about Trump is his unpredictability. He changes his mind. He contradicts himself. He is inconsistent.
"[Trump] has put together a highly centralised policy-making operation, arguably the most centralised, at least in the area of foreign policy, since Richard Nixon," says Peter Trubowitz, professor of international relations at the London School of Economics.
"And that makes policy decisions more dependent on Trump's character, his preferences, his temperament."
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Trump has learned to put his unpredictability to political use, making it a key strategic and political asset
Trump has put this to political use; he has made his own unpredictability a key strategic and political asset. He has elevated unpredictability to the status of a doctrine. And now the personality trait he brought to the White House is driving foreign and security policy.
It is changing the shape of the world.
Political scientists call this the Madman Theory, in which a world leader seeks to persuade his adversary that he is temperamentally capable of anything, to extract concessions. Used successfully it can be a form of coercion and Trump believes it is paying dividends, getting the US's allies where he wants them.
But is it an approach that can work against enemies? And could its flaw be that rather than being a sleight of hand designed to fool adversaries, it is in fact based on well established and clearly documented character traits, with the effect that his behaviour becomes easier to predict?
Attacks, insults and embraces
Trump began his second presidency by embracing Russian President Vladimir Putin and attacking America's allies. He insulted Canada by saying it should become the 51st state of the US.
He said he was prepared to consider using military force to annex Greenland, an autonomous territory of America's ally Denmark. And he said the US should retake ownership and control of the Panama Canal.
Article 5 of the Nato charter commits each member to come to the defence of all others. Trump threw America's commitment to that into doubt. "I think Article 5 is on life support" declared Ben Wallace, Britain's former defence secretary.
Conservative Attorney General Dominic Grieve said: "For now the trans-Atlantic alliance is over."
A series of leaked text messages revealed the culture of contempt in Trump's White House for European allies. "I fully share your loathing of European freeloaders," US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told his colleagues, adding "PATHETIC".
AFP via Getty Images
Pete Hegseth, right, called European leaders "freeloaders" in leaked messages while JD Vance, left, said the US would no longer be the guarantor of European security
In Munich earlier this year, Trump's Vice-President JD Vance said the US would no longer be the guarantor of European security.
That appeared to turn the page on 80 years of trans-Atlantic solidarity. "What Trump has done is raise serious doubts and questions about the credibility of America's international commitments," says Prof Trubowitz.
"Whatever understanding those countries [in Europe] have with the United States, on security, on economic or other matters, they're now subject to negotiation at a moment's notice.
"My sense is that most people in Trump's orbit think that unpredictability is a good thing, because it allows Donald Trump to leverage America's clout for maximum gain…
"This is one of of his takeaways from negotiating in the world of real estate."
Trump's approach paid dividends. Only four months ago, Sir Keir Starmer told the House of Commons that Britain would increase defence and security spending from 2.3% of GDP to 2.5%.
Last month, at a Nato summit, that had increased to 5%, a huge increase, now matched by every other member of the Alliance.
The predictability of unpredictability
Trump is not the first American president to deploy an Unpredictability Doctrine. In 1968, when US President Richard Nixon was trying to end the war in Vietnam, he found the North Vietnamese enemy intractable.
"At one point Nixon said to his National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger, 'you ought to tell the North Vietnamese negotiators that Nixon's crazy and you don't know what he's going to do, so you better come to an agreement before things get really crazy'," says Michael Desch, professor of international relations at Notre Dame University. "That's the madman theory."
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The madman theory has been associated with the foreign policy of Richard Nixon, seen here speaking to Henry Kissinger
Julie Norman, professor of politics at University College London, agrees that there is now an Unpredictability Doctrine.
"It's very hard to know what's coming from day to day," she argues. "And that has always been Trump's approach."
Trump successfully harnessed his reputation for volatility to change the trans-Atlantic defence relationship. And apparently to keep Trump on side, some European leaders have flattered and fawned.
Last month's Nato summit in The Hague was an exercise in obsequious courtship. Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte had earlier sent President Trump (or "Dear Donald") a text message, which Trump leaked.
"Congratulations and thank you for your decisive action in Iran, it was truly extraordinary," he wrote.
On the forthcoming announcement that all Nato members had agreed to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP, he continued: "You will achieve something NO president in decades could get done."
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Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte sent Trump a congratulatory message ahead of the summit
Anthony Scaramucci, who previously served as Trump's communications director in his first term, said: "Mr Rutte, he's trying to embarrass you, sir. He's literally sitting on Air Force One laughing at you."
And this may prove to be the weakness at the heart of Trump's Unpredictability Doctrine: their actions may be based on the idea that Trump craves adulation. Or that he seeks short-term wins, favouring them over long and complicated processes.
If that is the case and their assumption is correct, then it limits Trump's ability to perform sleights of hand to fool adversaries - rather, he has well established and clearly documented character traits that they have become aware of.
The adversaries impervious to charm and threats
Then there is the question of whether an Unpredictability Doctrine or the Madman Theory can work on adversaries.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, an ally who was given a dressing down by Trump and Vance in the Oval Office, later agreed to grant the US lucrative rights to exploit Ukrainian mineral resources.
Vladimir Putin, on the other hand, apparently remains impervious to Trump's charms and threats alike. On Thursday, following a telephone call, Trump said he was "disappointed" that Putin was not ready to end the war against Ukraine.
Reuters
Zelensky was given a dressing down in the Oval Office but later agreed to grant the US rights to exploit Ukrainian mineral resources
And Iran? Trump promised his base that he would end American involvement in Middle Eastern "forever wars". His decision to strike Iran's nuclear facilities was perhaps the most unpredictable policy choice of his second term so far. The question is whether it will have the desired effect.
The former British Foreign Secretary, William Hague, has argued that it will do precisely the opposite: it will make Iran more, not less likely, to seek to acquire nuclear weapons.
Prof Desch agrees. "I think it's now highly likely that Iran will make the decision to pursue a nuclear weapon," he says. "So I wouldn't be surprised if they lie low and do everything they can to complete the full fuel cycle and conduct a [nuclear] test.
"I think the lesson of Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi is not lost on other dictators facing the US and potential regime change...
"So the Iranians will desperately feel the need for the ultimate deterrent and they'll look at Saddam and Gaddafi as the negative examples and Kim Jong Un of North Korea as the positive example."
Reuters
Many have argued that Iran is now more likely to try and acquire nuclear weapons after the US strikes
One of the likely scenarios is the consolidation of the Islamic Republic, according to Mohsen Milani, a professor of politics at the University of South Florida and author of Iran's Rise and Rivalry with the US in the Middle East.
"In 1980, when Saddam Hussein attacked Iran his aim was the collapse of the Islamic Republic," he says. "The exact opposite happened.
"That was the Israeli and American calculation too... That if we get rid of the top guys, Iran is going to surrender quickly or the whole system is going to collapse."
A loss of trust in negotiations?
Looking ahead, unpredictability may not work on foes, but it is unclear whether the recent shifts it has yielded among allies can be sustained.
Whilst possible, this is a process built largely on impulse. And there may be a worry that the US could be seen as an unreliable broker.
"People won't want to do business with the US if they don't trust the US in negotiations, if they're not sure the US will stand by them in defence and security issues," argues Prof Norman. "So the isolation that many in the MAGA world seek is, I think, going to backfire."
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for one has said Europe now needs to become operationally independent of the US.
"The importance of the chancellor's comment is that it's a recognition that US strategic priorities are changing," says Prof Trubowitz. "They're not going to snap back to the way they were before Trump took office.
"So yes, Europe is going to have to get more operationally independent."
AFP via Getty Images
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says Europe now needs to become operationally independent of the US
This would require European nations to develop a much bigger European defence industry, to acquire kit and capabilities that currently only the US has, argues Prof Desch. For example, the Europeans have some sophisticated global intelligence capability, he says, but a lot of it is provided by the US.
"Europe, if it had to go it alone, would also require a significant increase in its independent armaments production capability," he continues. "Manpower would also be an issue. Western Europe would have to look to Poland to see the level of manpower they would need."
So, have the Europeans really been spooked by Trump's unpredictability, into making the most dramatic change to the security architecture of the western world since the end of the Cold War?
"It has contributed," says Prof Trubowitz. "But more fundamentally, Trump has uncorked something… Politics in the United States has changed. Priorities have changed. To the MAGA coalition, China is a bigger problem than Russia. That's maybe not true for the Europeans."
And according to Prof Milani, Trump is trying to consolidate American power in the global order.
"It's very unlikely that he's going to change the order that was established after World War Two. He wants to consolidate America's position in that order because China is challenging America's position in that order."
But this all means that the defence and security imperatives faced by the US and Europe are diverging.
The European allies may be satisfied that through flattery and real policy shifts, they have kept Trump broadly onside; he did, after all, reaffirm his commitment to Article 5 at the most recent Nato summit. But the unpredictability means this cannot be guaranteed - and they have seemed to accept that they can no longer complacently rely on the US to honour its historic commitment to their defence.
And in that sense, even if the unpredictability doctrine comes from a combination of conscious choice and Trump's very real character traits, it is working, on some at least.
Top image credit: Getty Images
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Liam Roberts had only just finished university, but he was already thinking ahead to how to buy a home and fund retirement.
In 2018, he was looking for a way to build up some savings, and so he chose a Lifetime ISA (LISA).
Anyone under 40 can open a LISA to either help save towards retirement or buy a first home. Savers can put in up to £4,000 a year and the government will top it up by 25%.
"It is an excellent product," says Liam, now aged 28. "The government paid £4,000 towards my first home."
Liam Roberts
Liam is delighted with his Lifetime ISA
He bought a two-bedroom home in Manchester in 2022, using the cash savings and government bonus to help pay the mortgage deposit.
That LISA was automatically closed, and so, after getting his job as an asset manager, he opened another one.
This time it was a stocks and shares LISA, for even longer-term retirement plans. Again, he puts in the maximum £4,000 a year, and gets the 25% government bonus. He can start making withdrawals, without a penalty, from the age of 60.
"They are designed for long-term planning," he says.
In a job that involves reading financial products, he knew what he was signing up for, and that it would work well for his circumstances.
Not everyone has the same knowledge, though, or the same opportunity to make the most of the benefits of the LISA. There remains a limited number of providers, with High Street banks and building societies not among them.
The influential Treasury Committee of MPs has said the LISA is ripe for reform, as the commitment of taxpayer funds is involved.
Many of you have got in touch via Your Voice, Your BBC to express your dismay about the product's pitfalls.
At the heart of these concerns are two issues:
the penalty involved in withdrawing money early, which means people face losing 6.25% of their own savings
the cut-off which means LISA savings can only be used when purchasing a property up to a value of £450,000 - a threshold that has been unchanged since LISAs were launched in 2017, despite rising house prices particularly in south-east England
Those who have been in touch have hit out at the penalty, particularly after being caught out by the £450,000 limit.
'Upset and annoyed'
One of those was Holly from London. The 28-year-old says she lost around £750 when she bought her home in 2023.
"I was very upset because I'd been using it to save for a house since I was 19 and I did actually use the money to buy my first home as the scheme intended."
She says at 19 the chances of buying a house over £450,000 felt very remote but then her career was going well and she met her future husband.
"What annoys me is that I bought the home with my now husband and my share is well under £450,000 but of course that wasn't taken into account," she says.
Lucy Slavin
Lucy and Daniel Slavin say the rules around LISAs need to change
Daniel Slavin set up a LISA in his 20s. At the time, as a single person, he understood why the thresholds were there and thought it was a good product.
But fast-forward a few years, and now married, when it came to buying a house, he and his wife Lucy fell foul of the £450,000 limit.
While they were still able to buy without needing to use their LISA, Lucy says it put them in a difficult financial position.
"It is incredibly frustrating knowing that if we need to withdraw the money our only option is to lose part of our savings," says the 32-year-old, who works as a research specialist for a charity.
"I can understand losing the bonus if you withdraw early but the penalties are awful."
Daniel, 33, who's a doctor, has since stopped paying into his LISA.
"The current government wants us to buy houses and increase growth and I don't think they should penalise us for doing the right thing and saving money," he says.
They need to take inflation into account, he says. "They should change the rules."
Barrier to new savers
Commentators and campaigners are keen to see changes.
Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert, says the £450,000 threshold is "unjust, unfair and the rules need changing".
"If a LISA is used to buy a property above the threshold, there should be no fine, they should get back at least what they put in," he said.
"And this flaw doesn't just hurt those with LISAs. It puts off many young people, especially from lower income backgrounds, who tend to be more risk averse, from opening LISAs in the first place."
Helen Morrissey, head of retirement analysis at investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown, says that LISAs had proven popular among the self-employed, who can save for retirement despite not having access to a workplace pension.
However, she called for the penalty for early withdrawal to be eased, and the age limit for opening a LISA to be extended.
Savings habit
LISAs were launched under the then-Conservative government in April 2017.
Since then, 6% of eligible adults have opened one, with about 1.3 million accounts still open, according to the most recent figures.
Opinions are clearly divided among those account holders about how well they work.
The government says the LISA is a source of celebration but, in time, it could well address some of their concerns.
"Lifetime ISAs aim to encourage younger people to develop the habit of saving for the longer term, helping them to purchase their first home or build a nest egg for when they are older," a Treasury spokesperson said.
"We welcome the committee's report and will now review its findings and respond in due course."
Additional reporting by Alex Emery, Kris Bramwell and Shanaz Musafer
Grace is still struggling to find a summer job without previous paid work experience
Grace Pickett has been applying for part-time jobs for two years now - with no luck.
The 18-year-old from Corby is hoping to head to Liverpool John Moores University to study history in September, and now her A-levels are over, she's ramped up her job hunt.
But she's found herself facing the same issue many other young people across the UK say makes it hard for them to get their first part-time or summer job - not having enough previous experience.
"It is very frustrating," says Grace, who has been told by several companies they cannot hire her due to a lack of prior work experience.
Lauren Mistry, from charity Youth Employment UK, which helps young people find jobs, says it's "a vicious cycle".
"To have experience, you need experience."
Grace volunteered at a charity shop for six months and says she doesn't understand why some employers don't think this is enough. She's been dropping off her CV in pubs, emailing potential employers, and filling in applications on job site Indeed - but hasn't found anything yet.
Some of Grace's friends have "given up" on their job hunts because they don't think they'll ever find anything, she says. She's not reached that stage yet, but she's started to feel pessimistic about whether she'll find a job before the summer ends.
Oliver Holton, a 17-year-old college student in Retford, is also struggling to find a summer job, despite nearly four years' experience doing a paper round. Many employers in the retail and hospitality sectors want him to have more specific experience, he says.
Summer jobs are more competitive than they were 20 years ago because online applications mean there are generally more candidates for each job, says Chris Eccles, from jobs site Employment 4 Students. Increases in the minimum wage and National Insurance have also affected hiring, according to Lauren Mistry.
Oliver Holton
Oliver is trying to find a summer job, but it's not easy
As well as earning money, working part-time while at school, college or university, or during holidays can also help boost your CV when the time comes to apply to full-time jobs.
But figures from the Office for National Statistics show fewer young people have jobs while studying than 30 years ago. From 1992, when records began, to 2004, more than 35% of 16-17 were employed while in full-time education each summer, compared to fewer than 20% in summer 2024.
For those aged 18 to 24, about a third had jobs last summer, which is also lower than in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
We asked careers experts what you need to do to to land a summer job, and how you can stand out - even with no work experience.
Where can I find jobs?
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Many young people get their first job in retail or hospitality. There are also part-time roles in healthcare, warehousing and offices.
Though many jobs get posted on jobs boards like Indeed, LinkedIn and Reed, some employers only advertise them directly on their websites or social-media profiles.
Is it old-fashioned to drop your CV off speculatively at local pubs and cafes? Careers experts think it's still worth trying, especially at smaller businesses.
"I actually prefer it when people come in," says Edward Frank, manager of the Brewers Arms pub in Berwick-upon-Tweed. "It shows initiative."
Jane Meynell, owner of Olive and Bean cafe in Newcastle, agrees. She says when candidates pop in with their CV it doesn't just show their interest in the role, it also allows her to find out more about their personality than she might over email. And if she doesn't have any vacancies, she often keeps the CVs on record, she says.
Show off your volunteering or teamwork experience
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Even if employers list previous work experience as desirable or required, they might be flexible if you find other ways to prove you've acquired the same skills, according to Matt Burney, an advisor at Indeed.
"You're not going to be expected to have a really packed CV at 16, 17, 18," he says.
Think about how you can show you've learned the skills employers are looking for -like teamwork, communication, problem-solving and team management.
Careers experts say this could be through volunteering at a charity shop, being on a football team, delivering a presentation or even taking on caring responsibilities at home.
Keep your CV simple
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If you've never written a CV before, there are countless examples online demonstrating how to format them, as well as templates.
Include your contact details, then list your work experience, if you have any, followed by your education and any volunteering or extra-curriculars. Matt Burney recommends keeping it to one page. "Don't pad it out just for the sake of it," he says.
"Make it easy for them to find your best skills and achievements without having to wade through large blocks of waffly text," Chris Eccles says.
Show some personality but keep the appearance simple. Go for a size 11 or 12 font and "stay away from highly-designed PDFs", which CV-scanning software may struggle to read, Lauren Mistry recommends.
And make the document easy for the employer to find by saving it with an appropriate title, which includes your name, she adds.
Don't waffle in your cover letter
Some jobs also require a cover letter. This should summarise why you're interested in the role and why you're suitable for it.
"It's very easy to waffle," Matt Burney says, but people should keep it "short and specific" instead.
Cover letters a bit like exams with marking criteria, according to Chris Eccles. Study the job advert carefully to see which skills and experience the employer is looking for - and make sure you include this information, he says.
You should address the letter to the person recruiting, if you can find their name on the job listing or company website, Matt Burney says. Otherwise, open with "Dear Hiring Manager", and end with "Sincerely" or "Best", he recommends.
Use AI carefully
Some people use generative AI to craft CVs and cover letters. Attitudes towards that vary between companies, Lauren Mistry says - some big companies scan CVs for AI and automatically reject candidates who've used it. But others don't mind.
Sam Westwood, people experience director at KFC UK and Ireland, says AI is a "really good starting point" for writing a CV or cover letter, and that recruiters at his company "actively embrace" the technology.
Careers experts recommend that if you do opt to use AI, you should check for accuracy and make sure you refine results to show your personality.
Don't worry about your grades
Don't stress too much about your GCSE and A-Level grades when you're applying for a summer job. For part-time roles in retail and hospitality, "maths and English GCSEs shouldn't be a barrier", though the importance of exam results varies by employer, Lauren Mistry says.
Most employers just want to know that an applicant has good numeracy and literacy skills, which they can demonstrate through their CV, emails and job interview, she says.
You can never be too prepared for an interview
Matt Burney advises people ask friends or family to conduct a mock interview with them or get an AI platform to generate some questions, and think of specific examples for your answers. Chris Eccles recommends structuring your answers using the STAR answer method - situation, task, action, result.
Research both the role and the company as much as possible too. If you can, visit the place you're applying to before your interview - cafe owner Jane says the first question she always asks candidates is whether they've been there before.
Present well at the interview
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It can be hard to know what to wear for an interview because dress codes vary so much by company. Lauren Mistry advises against wearing trainers, and recommends keeping your shoulders covered and avoiding blue jeans. If you're unsure what's appropriate, ask the company how you should dress, she says.
Careers experts say interviews are a two-way process. It's not just an opportunity for an employer to find out about you, it's also an opportunity for the candidate to learn more about the role and the company. Asking questions shows your interest in the role too.
You can ask about training, the company culture, and what a typical day in the job looks like. You can also ask about the next steps in the application process and when you're likely to hear about the outcome.
And don't just save your own questions until the end - asking them throughout the interview shows curiosity, Lauren Mistry advises.
Make sure you're polite when you're speaking to other staff at the company. Managers often ask other workers, like receptionists, what they thought of the candidates, she says.
Matt Burney recommends sending a short, polite follow-up email after your interview and says this will help set you apart from other candidates.
The joint funeral of footballers Diogo Jota and André Silva are dominating Sunday's front pages. The Sunday Telegraph covers the story with its main image, showing Virgil van Dijk and Andrew Robertson - Liverpool teammates of Jota - leading mourners in Portugal. Jota, 28, was laid to rest alongside his brother, Silva, 25, after they died in a car crash on Thursday. Leading the front page is the Conservatives' attempt to draw a "clear dividing line" with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Reform's Nigel Farage on welfare. "Axe sickness benefits for foreigners, Tories urge," the paper declares, reporting that the party has called on the Labour government to restrict personal independence payments (Pips) and sickness top-ups to Universal Credit to UK citizens only.
"You'll never walk alone," says the Sunday Mirror, in reference to Liverpool FC's anthem. It reports that Liverpool players gathered on Saturday along with hundreds of locals and supporters for the funeral of Jota, which was held at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar church. Also featured on the front page is Spice Girls member Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B, who got married to hairstylist Rory McPhee on Saturday.
Van Dijk and Robertson are also pictured on the front page of the Sun on Sunday, with the players holding the brothers' shirt numbers on wreaths at the funeral. Leading the paper is a tribute from Portugal's manager Roberto Martinez, who said: "Their spirit will be with us forever."
"Farewell quiet hero," says the Sunday People, with van Dijk and Robertson featuring again on the front page at the funeral. Mel B's "joy at wedding" is also pictured, with the 50-year-old singer tying the knot at St Paul's Cathedral after a three-year engagement with McPhee, 37.
The Daily Star also bids "farewell to Anfield Ace", with Van Dijk and Robertson again splashed across the front page at Jota's funeral - alongside a headline that references Led Zeppelin's hit Whole Lotta Love.
The main image on the front of the Sunday Times features Renee Smajstria, an eight-year-old girl who was among 32 people killed in flash flooding in Texas. Fourteen children were among those who died in the disaster on Friday, with a frantic search under way for survivors. Officials in Kerr County have said 27 children are still missing from a Christian youth camp located along the river. In its top story, the paper reports that "plans to shelve the two-child benefit cap are 'dead' after Labour's £5bn retreat on welfare, according to Downing Street sources".
"Rayner to put 'banter police' in your office," declares the Mail on Sunday, with its exclusive revealing that "under new laws drawn up by the deputy prime minister, firms will be pressured into bankrolling 'diversity officers', whose jobs would include protecting staff from the content of overheard conversations."
The Observer takes a look at the Salt Path - and how the film and Raynor Winn's bestselling memoir were "spun from lies, deceit and desperation". The book tells the story of Winn's journey with her husband Moth walking the route from Somerset to Dorset, after being evicted from their farm and her husband receiving a devastating health diagnosis.
I went to West Africa to report on girls’ education. I left convinced that the Western feminist movement has grown far too comfortable fighting only for itself.
BBC reports from the scene of floods in Kerr County
A frantic search for survivors is under way in central Texas after flash floods killed at least 32 people, including 14 children.
Many were asleep when the Guadalupe River rose more than 26 ft (8m) in less than an hour in the early hours of Friday.
Officials in Kerr County have said 27 children are missing from a Christian youth camp located along the river. Some 850 people were rescued.
Weather forecasts suggest that more rain and, potentially, more flooding could be on the horizon for the area.
Among the areas most severely hit by the floods were mobile homes, summer camps and camping sites where many had gathered for 4 July holiday celebrations.
At a press conference on Saturday afternoon, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said he had signed an expanded disaster declaration to boost search efforts.
He said officials would be relentless in ensuring they locate "every single person who's been a victim of this event", adding that "we will stop when job is completed".
It remains a search and rescue mission, officials said, not a recovery effort.
They said rescuers were going up and down the Guadalupe River to try to find people who may have been swept away by the floods.
Much of the rescue has focused on a large all-girls Christian summer camp called Camp Mystic.
The camp, where 27 remain missing, is on the banks of the Guadalupe River near Hunt, Texas.
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick told the BBC's Radio 4 PM programme that of the 27 children missing from Camp Mystic "many of these girls are younger girls under the age of 12".
He also said that many more people were likely to remain unaccounted for across the region, because some were visiting for the holiday weekend.
In an email to parents of the roughly 750 campers, Camp Mystic said that if they haven't been contacted directly, their child is considered missing.
US President Donald Trump has said his administration is working closely with local authorities to respond to the emergency.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the president was "devastated" by the loss of life and promised full federal support.
Noem joined Governor Abbott at Saturday afternoon's press conference and said the federal government would soon be deploying the Coast Guard to help search efforts.
Elsewhere in central Texas, in Travis County, officials say another two people have died and 10 are missing because of the flooding.
Forecasters have warned that central Texas may see more flooding this weekend.
The National Weather Service (NWS) said the area could see 2 to 5in (5cm to 12cm) of rain on Saturday.
Up to 10in of rain was possible in some areas that are still reeling from Friday's deluge.
Elon Musk says he is launching a new political party, weeks after a dramatic falling out with US President Donald Trump.
The billionaire announced on his social media platform X that he had set up the America Party and billed it as a challenge to the Republican and Democratic two-party system.
However, it is unclear whether the party has been formally registered with US election authorities, and Musk has not provided details about who will lead it or what form it will take.
He first raised the prospect of launching a party during his public feud with Trump, which saw him leave his role in the administration and engage in a vicious public spat with his former ally.
During that row, Musk posted a poll on X asking users if there should be a new political party in the US.
Referencing that poll in his post on Saturday, Musk wrote: "By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it!
"When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy.
"Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom."
As of Saturday, no documents indicating the party had been registered with the Federal Electoral Commission.
Musk was a key Trump advocate during the 2024 election and spent $250m (£187m) to help him regain office.
After the election, he was appointed to lead the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), which was tasked with identifying swingeing cuts in the federal budget.
His fallout with Trump began when he left the administration in May and publicly criticised Trump's tax and spending plans. The legislation - which Trump has called his "big, beautiful bill" - was narrowly passed by Congress and signed into law by the president this week.
The massive law includes huge spending commitments and tax cuts, and is estimated to add more than $3tn to the US deficit over the next decade.
Israeli hostages' families took part in a rally in Tel Aviv to demand a deal that would see them all released
Israel has decided to send a delegation to Qatar on Sunday for proximity talks with Hamas on the latest proposal for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he had accepted the invitation despite what he described as the "unacceptable" changes that Hamas wanted to make to a plan presented by mediators from Qatar, the US and Egypt.
On Friday night, Hamas said it had delivered a "positive response" to the proposal for a 60-day ceasefire and that it was ready for negotiations.
However, a Palestinian official said the group had sought amendments including a guarantee that hostilities would not resume if talks on a permanent truce failed.
In Gaza itself, the Hamas-run Civil Defence agency said Israeli strikes and gunfire killed at least 35 Palestinians on Saturday.
Seven people were killed, including a doctor and his three children, when tents in the al-Mawasi area were bombed, according to a hospital in the nearby city of Khan Younis.
Meanwhile, two American employees of the controversial aid distribution organisation backed by Israel and the US - the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) - were wounded in what it said was a grenade attack at its site in the Khan Younis area.
The Israeli and US governments both blamed Hamas, which has not commented.
Late on Saturday, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office said in a statement that "the changes that Hamas is seeking to make" to the ceasefire proposal were "unacceptable to Israel".
But it added: "In light of an assessment of the situation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed that the invitation to proximity talks be accepted and that the contacts for the return of our hostages - on the basis of the Qatari proposal that Israel has agreed to - be continued. The negotiating team will leave tomorrow."
Earlier, an Israeli official had briefed local media that there was "something to work with" in the way that Hamas had responded.
Mediators are likely to have their work cut out to bridge the remaining gaps at the indirect talks in Doha.
Watching them closely will be President Trump, who has been talking up the chances of an agreement in recent days.
On Friday, before he was briefed on Hamas's response, he said it was "good" that the group was positive and that "there could be a Gaza deal next week".
Trump is due to meet Netanyahu on Monday, and it is clear that he would very much like to be able to announce a significant breakthrough then.
The families of Israeli hostages and Palestinians in Gaza will also once again be holding their breath.
Hostages' relatives and thousands of their supporters attended a rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday night to call for a comprehensive deal that would bring home all of the hostages.
Among those who spoke was Yechiel Yehoud. His daughter Arbel Yehoud was released from captivity during the last ceasefire, which Trump helped to broker before he took office and which collapsed when Israel resumed its offensive in March.
"President Trump, thank you for bringing our Arbel back to us. We will be indebted to you for the rest of our lives. Please don't stop, please make a 'big beautiful hostages deal'," he said.
Reuters
An overnight Israeli strike hit a UN-run school sheltering displaced people in Gaza City
On Tuesday, the US president said that Israel had accepted the "necessary conditions" for a 60-day ceasefire, during which the parties would work to end the war.
The plan is believed to include the staggered release of 10 living Israeli hostages by Hamas and the bodies of 18 other hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Fifty hostages are still being held in Gaza, at least 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
The proposal also reportedly says sufficient quantities of aid would enter Gaza immediately with the involvement of the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
A senior Palestinian official familiar with the talks told the BBC on Friday that Hamas was demanding aid be distributed exclusively by the UN and its partners, and that the GHF's operations end immediately.
Another amendment demanded by Hamas was about Israeli troop withdrawals, according to the official.
The US proposal is believed to include phased Israeli pull-outs from parts of Gaza. But the official said Hamas wanted troops to return to the positions they held before the last ceasefire collapsed in March, when Israel resumed its offensive.
The official said Hamas also wanted a US guarantee that Israeli air and ground operations would not resume even if the ceasefire ended without a permanent truce.
The proposal is believed to say mediators will guarantee that serious negotiations will take place from day one, and that they can extend the ceasefire if necessary.
The Israeli prime minister has ruled out ending the war until all of the hostages are released and Hamas's military and governing capabilities are destroyed.
Far-right members of his cabinet have also expressed their opposition to the proposed deal.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said on Saturday that the only way to secure the return of the hostages was the "full conquest of the Gaza Strip, a complete halt to so-called 'humanitarian' aid, and the encouragement of emigration" of the Palestinian population.
The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the 7 October 2023 attack, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
At least 57,338 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has made his first public appearance since the start of Iran's conflict with Israel, according to state media.
State television footage showed him greeting worshippers at a mosque on Saturday during a ceremony a day before the Shia festival of Ashura.
Khamenei's last appearance was in a recorded address during the conflict with Israel, which began on 13 June and during which top Iranian commanders and nuclear scientists were killed.
Israel launched a surprise attack on nuclear and military sites in Iran, after which Iran retaliated with aerial attacks targeting Israel.
During the 12-day war with Israel, Khamenei appeared on TV in three video messages and there was speculation that he was hiding in a bunker.
On Saturday Iranian media coverage was dominated by Khamenei's appearance, with footage of supporters expressing joy at seeing him on television.
Khamenei is seen turning to senior cleric Mahmoud Karimi, encouraging him to "sing the anthem, O Iran". The patriotic song became particularly popular during the recent conflict with Israel.
State TV said the clip was filmed at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Mosque, named after the founder of the Islamic republic.
Iranian TV has invited people to send in videos sharing their reactions to Khamenei's return to the public eye.
His appearance comes as the predominantly Shia Muslim country observes a period of mourning during the month of Muharram, traditionally attended by the Supreme Leader.
Ashura is held on the 10th day of Muharram - this year falling on 6 July - during which Shia Muslims commemorate the death of Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Hossein.
On 26 June, in pre-recorded remarks aired on state television, Khamenei said Iran would not surrender to Israel despite US President Donald Trump's calls.
Thousands of Jewish children fled to Britain and other European countries in the 1938-39 rescue mission known as the Kindertransport. Seven recall their journeys, and what came next.
BBC reports from the scene of floods in Kerr County
A frantic search for survivors is under way in central Texas after flash floods killed at least 32 people, including 14 children.
Many were asleep when the Guadalupe River rose more than 26 ft (8m) in less than an hour in the early hours of Friday.
Officials in Kerr County have said 27 children are missing from a Christian youth camp located along the river. Some 850 people were rescued.
Weather forecasts suggest that more rain and, potentially, more flooding could be on the horizon for the area.
Among the areas most severely hit by the floods were mobile homes, summer camps and camping sites where many had gathered for 4 July holiday celebrations.
At a press conference on Saturday afternoon, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said he had signed an expanded disaster declaration to boost search efforts.
He said officials would be relentless in ensuring they locate "every single person who's been a victim of this event", adding that "we will stop when job is completed".
It remains a search and rescue mission, officials said, not a recovery effort.
They said rescuers were going up and down the Guadalupe River to try to find people who may have been swept away by the floods.
Much of the rescue has focused on a large all-girls Christian summer camp called Camp Mystic.
The camp, where 27 remain missing, is on the banks of the Guadalupe River near Hunt, Texas.
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick told the BBC's Radio 4 PM programme that of the 27 children missing from Camp Mystic "many of these girls are younger girls under the age of 12".
He also said that many more people were likely to remain unaccounted for across the region, because some were visiting for the holiday weekend.
In an email to parents of the roughly 750 campers, Camp Mystic said that if they haven't been contacted directly, their child is considered missing.
US President Donald Trump has said his administration is working closely with local authorities to respond to the emergency.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the president was "devastated" by the loss of life and promised full federal support.
Noem joined Governor Abbott at Saturday afternoon's press conference and said the federal government would soon be deploying the Coast Guard to help search efforts.
Elsewhere in central Texas, in Travis County, officials say another two people have died and 10 are missing because of the flooding.
Forecasters have warned that central Texas may see more flooding this weekend.
The National Weather Service (NWS) said the area could see 2 to 5in (5cm to 12cm) of rain on Saturday.
Up to 10in of rain was possible in some areas that are still reeling from Friday's deluge.
Israeli hostages' families took part in a rally in Tel Aviv to demand a deal that would see them all released
Israel has decided to send a delegation to Qatar on Sunday for proximity talks with Hamas on the latest proposal for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he had accepted the invitation despite what he described as the "unacceptable" changes that Hamas wanted to make to a plan presented by mediators from Qatar, the US and Egypt.
On Friday night, Hamas said it had delivered a "positive response" to the proposal for a 60-day ceasefire and that it was ready for negotiations.
However, a Palestinian official said the group had sought amendments including a guarantee that hostilities would not resume if talks on a permanent truce failed.
In Gaza itself, the Hamas-run Civil Defence agency said Israeli strikes and gunfire killed at least 35 Palestinians on Saturday.
Seven people were killed, including a doctor and his three children, when tents in the al-Mawasi area were bombed, according to a hospital in the nearby city of Khan Younis.
Meanwhile, two American employees of the controversial aid distribution organisation backed by Israel and the US - the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) - were wounded in what it said was a grenade attack at its site in the Khan Younis area.
The Israeli and US governments both blamed Hamas, which has not commented.
Late on Saturday, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office said in a statement that "the changes that Hamas is seeking to make" to the ceasefire proposal were "unacceptable to Israel".
But it added: "In light of an assessment of the situation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed that the invitation to proximity talks be accepted and that the contacts for the return of our hostages - on the basis of the Qatari proposal that Israel has agreed to - be continued. The negotiating team will leave tomorrow."
Earlier, an Israeli official had briefed local media that there was "something to work with" in the way that Hamas had responded.
Mediators are likely to have their work cut out to bridge the remaining gaps at the indirect talks in Doha.
Watching them closely will be President Trump, who has been talking up the chances of an agreement in recent days.
On Friday, before he was briefed on Hamas's response, he said it was "good" that the group was positive and that "there could be a Gaza deal next week".
Trump is due to meet Netanyahu on Monday, and it is clear that he would very much like to be able to announce a significant breakthrough then.
The families of Israeli hostages and Palestinians in Gaza will also once again be holding their breath.
Hostages' relatives and thousands of their supporters attended a rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday night to call for a comprehensive deal that would bring home all of the hostages.
Among those who spoke was Yechiel Yehoud. His daughter Arbel Yehoud was released from captivity during the last ceasefire, which Trump helped to broker before he took office and which collapsed when Israel resumed its offensive in March.
"President Trump, thank you for bringing our Arbel back to us. We will be indebted to you for the rest of our lives. Please don't stop, please make a 'big beautiful hostages deal'," he said.
Reuters
An overnight Israeli strike hit a UN-run school sheltering displaced people in Gaza City
On Tuesday, the US president said that Israel had accepted the "necessary conditions" for a 60-day ceasefire, during which the parties would work to end the war.
The plan is believed to include the staggered release of 10 living Israeli hostages by Hamas and the bodies of 18 other hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Fifty hostages are still being held in Gaza, at least 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
The proposal also reportedly says sufficient quantities of aid would enter Gaza immediately with the involvement of the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
A senior Palestinian official familiar with the talks told the BBC on Friday that Hamas was demanding aid be distributed exclusively by the UN and its partners, and that the GHF's operations end immediately.
Another amendment demanded by Hamas was about Israeli troop withdrawals, according to the official.
The US proposal is believed to include phased Israeli pull-outs from parts of Gaza. But the official said Hamas wanted troops to return to the positions they held before the last ceasefire collapsed in March, when Israel resumed its offensive.
The official said Hamas also wanted a US guarantee that Israeli air and ground operations would not resume even if the ceasefire ended without a permanent truce.
The proposal is believed to say mediators will guarantee that serious negotiations will take place from day one, and that they can extend the ceasefire if necessary.
The Israeli prime minister has ruled out ending the war until all of the hostages are released and Hamas's military and governing capabilities are destroyed.
Far-right members of his cabinet have also expressed their opposition to the proposed deal.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said on Saturday that the only way to secure the return of the hostages was the "full conquest of the Gaza Strip, a complete halt to so-called 'humanitarian' aid, and the encouragement of emigration" of the Palestinian population.
The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the 7 October 2023 attack, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
At least 57,338 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
Elon Musk says he is launching a new political party, weeks after a dramatic falling out with US President Donald Trump.
The billionaire announced on his social media platform X that he had set up the America Party and billed it as a challenge to the Republican and Democratic two-party system.
However, it is unclear whether the party has been formally registered with US election authorities, and Musk has not provided details about who will lead it or what form it will take.
He first raised the prospect of launching a party during his public feud with Trump, which saw him leave his role in the administration and engage in a vicious public spat with his former ally.
During that row, Musk posted a poll on X asking users if there should be a new political party in the US.
Referencing that poll in his post on Saturday, Musk wrote: "By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it!
"When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy.
"Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom."
As of Saturday, no documents indicating the party had been registered with the Federal Electoral Commission.
Musk was a key Trump advocate during the 2024 election and spent $250m (£187m) to help him regain office.
After the election, he was appointed to lead the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), which was tasked with identifying swingeing cuts in the federal budget.
His fallout with Trump began when he left the administration in May and publicly criticised Trump's tax and spending plans. The legislation - which Trump has called his "big, beautiful bill" - was narrowly passed by Congress and signed into law by the president this week.
The massive law includes huge spending commitments and tax cuts, and is estimated to add more than $3tn to the US deficit over the next decade.
Ozzy Osbourne (centre) pictured before the show with some of the stars who were also on the bill
Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath have gone out with a bang at what they say will be their final gig, in front of 40,000 fans and supported by an all-star line-up of rock legends who have been influenced by the founding fathers of heavy metal.
Ozzy, 76, who has Parkinson's disease, sang while seated on a black throne - clapping, waving his arms and pulling wild-eyed looks, just like old times.
He appeared overwhelmed at times. "You have no idea how I feel. Thank you from the bottom of my heart," he told the crowd at Villa Park in Birmingham.
He was joined by the original Sabbath line-up for the first time in 20 years.
Ross Halfin
Metallica were among the other bands who rocked Villa Park
Getty Images
Anthrax
The show's bill also included fellow rock gods Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Slayer, the Rolling Stones' Ronnie Wood and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler.
Wearing a long leather robe and gold armband bearing his name, Ozzy rose from below the stage in his throne to a huge roar from the crowd.
"Are you ready? Let the madness begin," he called.
"It's so good to be on this stage. You have no idea," he told the crowd, who responded by chanting his name.
After playing five songs from his solo career, Ozzy was joined by his Sabbath bandmates - guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist and lyricist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward - for four more tunes, finishing with 1970 classic Paranoid.
The Parkinson's, other health problems and age have taken their toll, meaning he performed sitting down. His wavered a bit but still packed a fair punch.
Ross Halfin
The Rolling Stones' Ronnie Wood
Ross Halfin
Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler
Fans came from all over the world - if they could get tickets - for the all-day Back to the Beginning gig at Aston Villa's football stadium, a stone's throw from Ozzy's childhood home.
The star-studded show was dubbed the "heavy metal Live Aid", and profits will go to charity.
The pitch was a sea of Black Sabbath T-shirts and rock hand signs, with some areas becoming a melee of moshing. One person waved an inflatable bat, a reference to the infamous 1982 incident when Ozzy bit the head off a live bat on stage - the most notorious moment of many in the rock star's wild career.
Getty Images
The day's other performers paid homage to him and the other band members.
"Without Sabbath there would be no Metallica," the band's frontman James Hetfield told the crowd during their set. "Thank you for giving us a purpose in life."
Guns N' Roses' set included a cover of Sabbath's 1978 song Never Say Die, with frontman Axl Rose ending with the words: "Birmingham! Ozzy! Sabbath! Thank you!"
A series of star-studded supergroups saw Tyler, who has suffered serious vocal problems in recent years, sound back on form as part of a band including Ronnie Wood, Blink-182's Travis Barker and Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello.
Another version of the band included Smashing Pumpkins singer Billy Corgan and KK Downing from Judas Priest, another of the West Midlands' original metal heroes.
Battle of the drummers
Younger performers included Yungblud, who sang one of Sabbath's more tender songs, Changes, originally released in 1972, and which Ozzy took to number one as a duet with daughter Kelly in 2003.
Yungblud was part of another supergroup whose revolving cast of musicians included members of Megadeth, Faith No More and Anthrax.
A titanic battle of three drummers in a "drum-off" between Barker, Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Danny Carey of Tool.
Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo told the crowd the artists on the bill "would all be different people" without Black Sabbath. "That's the truth. I wouldn't be up here with this microphone in my hand without Black Sabbath. The greatest of all time."
Momoa in the moshpit
Hollywood actor Jason Momoa was the show's compere and while introducing Pantera, told fans he was joining the moshpit, saying: "Make some space for me, I'm coming in."
At another point, he told the crowd: "The history of Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne is to look back at the best who've ever done it. We have some of the greatest rock and metal musicians ever here today on this stage."
Momoa's Minecraft Movie co-star Jack Black sent a video message, as did other big names ranging from Billy Idol to Dolly Parton.
Ross Halfin
Leeft-right: Bill Ward, Geezer Butler, Ozzy Osbourne and Tony Iommi performed together for the first time since 2005
"Black Sabbath really kind of started all this, the metal era," former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar told BBC News backstage. "Everyone looks at them like the kings, and if the kings are going to go out then we're going to go honour them.
"Everyone that was asked to do this, shoot, you drop everything and do this. This is going to go down in history as the greatest metal event of all of all time."
Ozzy said beforehand that the show would be "a goodbye as far as my live performances go, and what a way to go out".
The line-up of legends "means everything", he said in an interview provided by organisers.
"I am forever in their debt for showing up for me and the fans. I can't quite put it into words, but I feel very emotional and blessed."
Ticket prices ranged from about £200 to £2,000, with profits being shared between Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children's Hospital and Acorn Children's Hospice.
Back to the Beginning line-up:
Black Sabbath
Ozzy Osbourne solo
Metallica
Guns N' Roses
Slayer
Tool
Pantera
Supergroup including Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins), Ronnie Wood (the Rolling Stones), Steven Tyler (Aerosmith), Adam Jones (Tool), KK Downing (Judas Priest), Vernon Reid (Living Colour), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Sammy Hagar (Van Halen), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Travis Barker (Blink-182) and Tobias Forge (Ghost)
Drum-off - Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Travis Barker (Blink-182) and Danny Carey (Tool)
Gojira
Alice in Chains
Anthrax
Supergroup including Lizzy Hale (Halestorm), David Ellefson (Megadeth), Mike Bordin (Faith No More), David Draiman (Disturbed), Scott Ian (Anthrax), Yungblud and Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme)
Foreign Secretary David Lammy has become the first UK minister to visit Syria since the uprising that led to the country's civil war began 14 years ago.
Lammy met Syria's interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa eight months after the collapse of the Assad regime and as the new Islamic-led government continues to establish control within the country.
Alongside the visit, the UK government announced an additional £94.5m support package to cover humanitarian aid and support longer-term recovery within Syria and countries helping Syrian refugees.
Lammy told the BBC the purpose of his meeting was to promote inclusivity, transparency and accountability with the new government.
"I'm here to speak to this new government, to urge them to continue to be inclusive, to ensure that there's transparency and accountability in the way that they govern," he said.
"But [also] to stand by the Syrian people and Syria as it makes this peaceful transition over the coming months."
Syria is in a fragile situation with a new Islamic-led government in charge.
In December, rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a group which has been proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK, UN and US, stormed Damascus, toppling the Assad regime which had ruled the country for 54 years.
Since then, Western countries have sought to reset relations with the country.
The White House said at the time it would monitor the new Syrian government's actions including by "addressing foreign terrorists" and "banning Palestinian terrorist groups".
The UK has also lifted sanctions.
Al-Sharaa met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris in May while other foreign officials, including Ukraine's foreign minister, have visited Syria.
Many members of Syria's new government, including the interim president, were members of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
Asked how the government deals with a group it had listed on the proscribed terror group as a pseudonym for al-Qaeda, Lammy said he recognised the country has a bloody recent history associated with terrorism and war, but said the UK is looking "to the future" and engaging with the new government.
Various violent attacks against minority groups have been committed in Syria in recent months.
Hundreds have been killed from the Alawite minority, there were violent attacks on the Druze community, and recently a brutal attack on peaceful worshippers inside a church in Damascus.
Internationally, these attacks have prompted concern about how much Syria's new government can protect minorities but also provide safety and stability.
Almost every day, there are reported cases of killing or kidnapping.
Lammy said: "It's important that the UK lean in to ensure that the balance is tipped in the right direction, a balance towards accountability, transparency, inclusivity for all of the communities that make up this country, a prosperous one and a peaceful one."
Within Syria, many people are worried the government is slipping towards a new form of dictatorship.
There are restrictions on social freedoms, the role of women is being marginalised in the government, and there is more and more enforcement of Islamic practices rather than a clear governance based on civic codes representing the whole society.
In these early days of the government there are also fears around how it is being formed.
Only one female minister has been appointed and al-Sharaa has made almost every other appointment - with no election, referendum or opinion polls.
Many appointments in the government are reported to be based on connections rather than qualifications, and most of those in charge have a radical Islamic agenda and are enforcing it.
Lammy said the UK wants Syria to "move in the direction of peace, of prosperity, of stability for the people and an inclusive country" and will use humanitarian aid to help that.
He added the UK would monitor the situation to ensure the new government ruled the population in an inclusive manner.
The UK government is also supporting the Organisation of the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to help dismantle Assad's chemical weapons in Syria.
A further £2m was committed to the organisation this financial year in addition to around £837,000 provided since the fall of Assad.
Challenges ahead for new government
There are many challenges ahead of Syria - both internally and in the region.
Israel has invaded parts of Syria and carried out hundreds of air strikes, and continues to hold hundreds of square kilometres inside Syrian territory.
Lammy said he "urged the Israeli government to think again about some of their actions" to avoid undermining "the progress that could be made in this new Syria".
Hundreds of foreign fighters and their families have been held in detention camps in north-west Syria for years, including dozens from the UK.
Asked whether the UK was going to take them back home, Lammy did not give a clear answer.
He said he had discussed the issue of camps with Syria's president, as well as how to help the country deal with counterterrorism and irregular migration.
The situation in Syria remains precarious, and its security is at risk with threats from the Islamic State group and radical jihadist fighters who have joined the government.
While international support will certainly help the war-torn country recover, it could also help pressure the government to be a representative of a diverse and open society.
The tech billionaire, who has publicly feuded with President Trump, wrote on social media that he would be creating “the America Party,” though he hadn’t yet filed paperwork.
Elder Jose Arteaga Hernandez is photographed after he was detained
Colombian police have arrested the alleged mastermind of the assassination attempt against a presidential hopeful during a rally last month.
Miguel Uribe, a conservative senator, was twice shot in the head in the capital, Bogotá, as he was campaigning for his party's nomination in the 2026 presidential election.
Police arrested a suspected criminal, Élder José Arteaga Hernandez, who they say persuaded a 15-year-old to carry out the attack. Four other people had already been arrested, including the teenager charged with shooting Uribe.
Uribe remains in a critical condition. The motive for the attempt on his life on 7 June is unclear.
Colombian police chief Carlos Fernando Triana said on Friday that Arteaga had a long criminal history and was wanted for "aggravated attempted homicide" and "use of minors for the commission of crimes" over the attack on Uribe.
Police say he co-ordinated the assault, hired the gunman and provided him with a weapon.
Authorities had previously accused Arteaga, who uses the aliases Chipi and Costeño, of being near the Bogotá park where Uribe was shot.
The 15-year-old suspect was arrested as he was fleeing the scene. He subsequently pleaded not guilty, the prosecutor's office said.
Uribe, a critic of left-wing President Gustavo Petro, announced his candidacy for next year's presidential election last October. The 39-year-old has been a senator since 2022.
He is from a prominent political family, with links to Colombia's Liberal Party. His father was a union leader and businessman.
His mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was killed in 1991 in a rescue attempt after she was kidnapped by the Medellin drugs cartel.
The 7 June attack prompted silent protests attended by tens of thousands of Colombians.
More than 20 people have been arrested in London after a protest in support of the banned group Palestine Action, the Metropolitan Police has said.
Pictures from the demonstration showed a small group holding placards reading "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action" in Westminster.
As of Saturday, the group is proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000, after lawyers acting on its behalf failed with a court bid to block the ban on Friday.
The designation means that being a member of, or showing support for Palestine Action, is a criminal offence and could lead to up to 14 years in prison.
In an earlier statement, the Met said: "Officers are responding to a protest in support of Palestine Action in Parliament Square.
"The group is now proscribed and expressing support for them is a criminal offence."
The government moved to ban the group after an estimated £7m of damage was caused to planes at RAF Brize Norton last month during a protest Palestine Action said it was behind.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced plans to proscribe the group last month, calling damage to two military aircraft "disgraceful" and claiming the group had a "long history of unacceptable criminal damage".
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Elder Jose Arteaga Hernandez is photographed after he was detained
Colombian police have arrested the alleged mastermind of the assassination attempt against a presidential hopeful during a rally last month.
Miguel Uribe, a conservative senator, was twice shot in the head in the capital, Bogotá, as he was campaigning for his party's nomination in the 2026 presidential election.
Police arrested a suspected criminal, Élder José Arteaga Hernandez, who they say persuaded a 15-year-old to carry out the attack. Four other people had already been arrested, including the teenager charged with shooting Uribe.
Uribe remains in a critical condition. The motive for the attempt on his life on 7 June is unclear.
Colombian police chief Carlos Fernando Triana said on Friday that Arteaga had a long criminal history and was wanted for "aggravated attempted homicide" and "use of minors for the commission of crimes" over the attack on Uribe.
Police say he co-ordinated the assault, hired the gunman and provided him with a weapon.
Authorities had previously accused Arteaga, who uses the aliases Chipi and Costeño, of being near the Bogotá park where Uribe was shot.
The 15-year-old suspect was arrested as he was fleeing the scene. He subsequently pleaded not guilty, the prosecutor's office said.
Uribe, a critic of left-wing President Gustavo Petro, announced his candidacy for next year's presidential election last October. The 39-year-old has been a senator since 2022.
He is from a prominent political family, with links to Colombia's Liberal Party. His father was a union leader and businessman.
His mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was killed in 1991 in a rescue attempt after she was kidnapped by the Medellin drugs cartel.
The 7 June attack prompted silent protests attended by tens of thousands of Colombians.
Elon Musk declared the launch of his new political party on Saturday, a project he has repeatedly floated in the weeks since his explosive breakup with President Donald Trump — but provided no details as to how he planned to jump through the hoops necessary to establish a viable alternative.
The billionaire entrepreneur and onetime Republican megadonor — who mere months ago appeared as the president’s right-hand man in the Oval Office after pouring millions into his campaign — has for weeks publicly contemplated starting a new third party to disrupt the current system.
Musk on Saturday appeared to confirm his intention to launch his “America Party,” after posting a poll to his X account the prior day asking followers whether or not he should create the new party.
“By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it! When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy,” he wrote. “Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.”
Musk’s third-party musings began in earnest after last month’s massive meltdown between the president and his former adviser over the “big beautiful bill,” which the former DOGE head has decried as wasteful.
As Trump on Thursday flaunted his successful push to muscle the Republican megabill through Congress this week, Musk sought to drum up support for his potential third party launch, positing that his new party would target a handful of vulnerable swing seats to leverage political power.
“Given the razor-thin legislative margins, that would be enough to serve as the deciding vote on contentious laws, ensuring that they serve the true will of the people,” he wrote.
While Musk may have the millions to pour into backing certain candidates — which he has already promised to do, pledging to support Rep. Thomas Massie’s (R-Ky.) reelection campaign amid targeting from Trump — establishing a third party involves a series of thorny obstacles including navigating complex state laws, ballot access regulations and other legal hoops.
So far, the billionaire would-be party founder has yet to outline a concrete plan forward. Just two months ago, Musk had vowed to cut back on political spending, saying he had “done enough.”