A sourdough baker turned entrepreneur in North Carolina has delayed his new product as he contemplates the prospect that higher costs will doom his company.
The two leaders are set to confirm details of a strengthened defense relationship at a summit Thursday. An agreement on tackling unauthorized migration may also be announced.
Firefighters also battled fires sparked by explosions in the Kyiv region on Wednesday
Ukraine's capital Kyiv is again under a massive overnight Russian drone attack, local officials say, with at least eight people reported injured and fires burning across the city.
Authorities in Kyiv say drone wreckage has hit the roof of a residential building in the central Shevchenkivskyi district.
Footage on social media, as yet unverified by the BBC, shows explosions in the night sky, as air defence units begin repelling the attack. Ukraine's military has also warned of a threat of a ballistic missile attack.
In the early hours of Thursday, morning Kyiv's military administration reported Russian drone strikes in six city districts.
"Residential buildings, vehicles, warehouses, office and non-residential buildings are burning," administration head Tymur Tkachenko said in a post on Telegram.
He urged city residents to shelter until the air raid siren was lifted.
Overnight, Ukraine's air force reported a threat of Russian drone attacks in a number of regions. It was not immediately clear whether there were any casualties outside Kyiv.
Russia's military has not commented on the reported latest attack.
In other developments:
Ukraine's emergency service DSNS said late on Wednesday that three people had been killed in a Russian air strike in the town of Kostiantynivka - close to the front line in eastern Ukraine
The US resumed sending some weapons to Ukraine, Reuters reported late on Wednesday, days after it halted shipments of some critical arms
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
2025年4月2日｜宣布“对等关税”：特朗普4月2日在白宫玫瑰花园举行“让美国再次富有”（Make America Wealthy Again）记者会，宣布“对等关税”措施。美国对大多数国家征收10％的基准关税，但针对特定国家征收更高税额。中国、欧盟和越南分别面临34%、20%和46%的关税； 日本、韩国、印度、柬埔寨和台湾，分别受到24%、25%、26%、49%和32%进口关税的打击。
Anthony Pierce was bishop of Swansea and Brecon between 1999 and 2008 and was jailed in March after pleading guilty to five counts of indecent assault on a child
A convicted bishop and a former vicar of the Church in Wales are being investigated by detectives over allegations of historical sexual abuse, the BBC can reveal.
Four people have told BBC Wales Investigates about abuse being ignored at the crisis-hit Church and have called for an independent inquiry.
Former Bishop of Swansea and Brecon Anthony Pierce, jailed for child sexual abuse earlier this year, faces fresh historical sex abuse allegations while a former vicar is also being investigated by South Wales Police.
The Church in Wales have said they were "profoundly sorry" and apologised to "anyone who has suffered or been let down by failings."
Warning: This story contains graphic descriptions of sexual assault
The BBC investigation found concerns about Pierce were reported to Church officials in 1986 - 13 years before he became Bishop of Swansea and Brecon - but nothing was done.
One victim has waived his right to anonymity to speak out and questions how a "predator" was allowed to become a Bishop when serious concerns had been raised about him.
Former Bishop of Swansea and Brecon Anthony Pierce was high up in the Church of Wales and that enabled him to meet dignitaries like the Prince of Wales, now King Charles, during a visit to Swansea in 2002
It is the latest controversy to hit the Church in Wales after the Archbishop of Wales retired last month after two critical reports highlighted safeguarding concerns where "sexual boundaries seemed blurred" at his north Wales diocese of Bangor.
People who sang with the Bangor Cathedral choir also told the BBC there had been a "binge drinking culture".
Although there is no suggestion the former archbishop behaved inappropriately, the church's representative body said there must be a "change in leadership, procedures and governance in the diocese of Bangor".
BBC Wales understands the current police investigation is looking into historical sexual abuse allegations against Pierce, as well as a former vicar of the Church in Wales.
Three alleged victims, from across Wales whose allegations span decades, have told BBC Wales Investigates they want an independent inquiry into the Church in Wales abuse.
Alisdair Adams was 18 and at University College Swansea, now Swansea University, when he first met Pierce who was a parish priest in the city in the 1980s.
Alisdair Adams has described to the BBC in detail the alleged abuse he suffered at the hands of a former and now convicted Bishop
"He invited me to his house for dinner to see how we could work together and gave me lots of white wine and no food," said Alisdair, now 59.
Alisdair said Pierce moved to sit on the arm of the sofa before the lights went out suddenly.
"He grabbed me and pulled me into him and held me tightly," he added. "I could feel his erect penis through his brown nylon trousers."
'He was the predator and we were the prey'
Alisdair said he left immediately and reported the incident to a Methodist minister.
He said he was invited to speak to the Anglican campus chaplain and said two other students were interviewed that day about Pierce.
D J Photography
Convicted child sex offender Anthony Pierce was a priest in Swansea during the 1980s and was chaplain at the city's Singleton Hospital
BBC Wales Investigates has spoken to Mark Dickey-Collas, who was also interviewed.
He said he was also invited to Pierce's house and offered alcohol before the lights went out and Pierce came onto him.
Mark said the chaplain reported his concerns to the Church and Pierce was banned from campus and university halls.
The Church in Wales said it was not aware of the report but confirmed it was undertaking enquiries into how it responded at the time.
Alisdair Adams
Alisdair was a student in Swansea when he said 'the lights went out' and Pierce attacked him
Pierce continued as a priest and worked as chaplain at Swansea's Singleton Hospital.
He became Bishop of Swansea and Brecon in 1999, and met the then Prince Charles, now King Charles, while he was on a visit to Swansea in 2002.
Pierce admitted five charges of indecent assault against a boy under the age of 16 between 1985 and 1990 and was sentenced to four years and one month in March.
Former Bishop of Swansea and Brecon Anthony Pierce was sentenced to four years and one month after admitting abusing a young boy between 1985 and 1990
"I'm dumbfounded as to why this man with allegations swirling around him in 1985 and 1986 was allowed to be employed by the church," Alisdair told BBC Wales Investigates.
"And they promoted him to Bishop. He was a predator and we were the prey and the Church did nothing about it."
The Church is currently holding a review into claims "senior figures" were aware of a separate allegation of abuse against Pierce in 1993 which was not passed to police until 2010.
After becoming Bishop, Pierce was in ultimate charge of Church safeguarding in his diocese.
D J Photography
Anthony Pierce had established links in Swansea and Brecon and was considered a pillar of the community before his conviction earlier this year
Ruth, not her real name, told BBC Wales serious allegations she made about a choirmaster were not acted on by Pierce.
She says Brecon Cathedral choirmaster David Gedge assaulted her on a choir exchange to Ireland in 2001 when she was 17 years old.
"He suggested we go for a walk," said Ruth, who was a chorister at the cathedral.
"He held my arm and turned me round and kissed me. In that moment I felt just kind of shattered."
Brecon Cathedral choirmaster David Gedge at a social event in early 2000s with Ruth in the foreground
"He put his hand underneath my top and was touching me. He talked about his wife and as he was talking about this his hands were moving and he put his hands down my trousers and into my pants.
"All of this was happening whilst I was really frozen."
She said she was scared to report the abuse initially, but eventually did two years later to try and protect other choristers.
'The Church allowed my abuser to have more opportunities'
Pierce was Bishop of Swansea and Brecon at the time - and Ruth says he did nothing.
The Church in Wales admitted there was no record of action against Mr Gedge in 2003 and any decisions about the case would have been made by Pierce.
Mr Gedge continued to work with children in the choir for four years before retiring.
Ruth had a passion for music so joined the Church choir at Brecon before leaving for university
"Anthony Pierce did not abuse me, but he allowed my abuse to go unaccounted for and for my abuser to have many more opportunities to do the same thing," said Ruth.
"I don't know how many other people are without justice because Anthony Pierce stopped their case from moving forward - maybe to protect his friends, maybe to take the eyes off him."
Ruth said she went to the police in 2012 after the lack of action by the Church.
Brecon Cathedral choirmaster David Gedge was "like a father figure" to Ruth before he sexually abused her
BBC Wales Investigates has seen police documents that say Mr Gedge admitted holding Ruth's hand, taking her for a walk and talking to her about intimate details of his life but he denied assaulting her.
The Director of Public Prosecutions in Ireland said there appeared to be substance to Ruth's allegations but it was unlikely a prosecution would be successful.
Mr Gedge was prevented from holding any role in the Church after 2012. He died in 2016.
Former priest Graham Sawyer started working in Pontypool in south Wales in 2003 when he raised concerns about Darren Jenkins, a youth leader and lay reader - someone who can preach and take services.
'I was told I should be very careful about reporting abuse'
"I was worried about the inappropriate touching," he said. "It didn't appear sexual, it was hugging."
As a former sexual abuse victim himself, Graham tried to raise the alarm.
"I was told that I should be very careful or I'd end up in court," he said.
He said he went to the police after he became concerned at the lack of action by the Church in Wales and left Pontypool for Australia.
Graham said cases like Pierce's show "the culture has not changed".
Former priest Graham Sawyer has written to Welsh politicians urging them to call on the Senedd to hold an independent inquiry
"Whenever there's a problem, they will close ranks and ignore. If that doesn't work, they would attack you with great ferocity," he told BBC Wales Investigates.
The Church in Wales is a separate body to the Church of England and both have separate safeguarding departments to protect vulnerable people including children.
Graham has written to Welsh politicians urging them to call on the Senedd to hold an independent inquiry.
The Church in Wales has been subject to two independent safeguarding reports to date - the Historic Cases Review in 2009 and the Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse (IICSA) which started in 2014.
An IICSA panel member has questioned if the Church in Wales has done enough since that report and thought there should be an external review into the Church.
Professor Sir Malcolm Evans was part of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse that examined sex abuse in the church and said the Church in Wales needs to act
"We did make it very clear that there were quite a lot of significant gaps and operational shortcomings," Professor Sir Malcolm Evans told the BBC.
"But there doesn't seem to have been a broad-ranging discussion as to the future in Wales as there has been in the Church of England. What we now need is that level of discussion, reflection, and action."
Church in Wales promise culture review
The Church in Wales has apologised and told the BBC that an external safeguarding audit of all cathedrals in Wales would be commissioned as well as a review into its culture.
"There is no place in the Church for abuse, misconduct or concealment," a Church in Wales spokesman said.
"We are determined that the issues identified will be fully addressed and practices improved so that all church members, and the wider society, can have confidence that the church is, as it should be, a safe and supportive environment for all."
The Church added its complaints handling process is now more independent, professional and robust and it is committed to continuous improvement.
A senior Homeland Security official testified in court on Wednesday that his department had relied in part on an anonymously compiled list to identify foreign academics for investigation.
Peter Hatch, the assistant director of the Homeland Security Investigations department within ICE, testified that a team he oversaw had been directed to pore over the thousands of individuals profiled by the Canary Mission, an anonymous group that has been accused of doxxing individuals engaged in anti-Israeli activism.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio talks about countering China as it expands its global influence. But President Trump’s tariff threats have created friction with U.S. partners.
Elected officials in New York and California are trying to upend President Trump’s deportation campaign by banning law enforcement officers from wearing masks in public.
Donald Trump was basking in the praise of a group of African leaders on Wednesday, when the Liberian president took the microphone.
“Liberia is a longtime friend of the United States and we believe in your policy of making America great again,” President Joseph Boakai said in English at a White House meeting before advocating for US investment in his country. “We just want to thank you so much for this opportunity.”
Trump, clearly impressed, inquired where Boakai got his language skills.
“Such good English, such beautiful …” Trump said. “Where did you learn to speak so beautifully? Where were you educated?”
Boakai seemed to chuckle. English is the official language of Liberia.
“That’s very interesting, that’s beautiful English” Trump said. “I have people at this table who can’t speak nearly as well.”
Liberia was founded in 1822 as a colony for free Black Americans, the brainchild of white Americans trying to address what they saw as a problem – the future for Black people in the US once slavery ended. English is Liberia’s official language, though multiple Indigenous languages are spoken there as well.
Trump hosted the leaders from Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania and Senegal at the White House on Wednesday, telling them that he was shifting the US approach to the continent from aid to trade and that the US is a better partner for Africa than China. Many of the leaders at the meeting spoke in their own languages through interpreters.
Trump said his administration was committed to strengthening friendships in Africa, which he hoped to visit at some point.
“We’re shifting from aid to trade,” he said at the start of a White House meeting. “There’s great economic potential in Africa, like few other places. In many ways, in the long run, this will be far more effective and sustainable and beneficial than anything else that we can be doing together.”
The African leaders, in turn, heaped praise on the US president for brokering peace deals around the world and expressed support for his receiving a Nobel Prize.
“We are not poor countries. We are rich countries when it comes to raw materials. But we need partners to support us and help us develop those resources,” said Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, president of Gabon. “You are welcome to come and invest. Otherwise, other countries might come instead of you.”
US President Donald Trump said he was planning to impose a 50% tax on goods made in Brazil, escalating his fight with the South American country.
He announced the plan in his latest tariff letter, shared on social media, accusing Brazil of "attacks" on US tech companies and conducting a "witch hunt" against former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, who is facing prosecution over his role trying to overturn the 2022 election.
Trump had already sparred with Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva over Bolsonaro's trial earlier this week.
At the time, President Lula said Brazil would not accept "interference" from anyone and added: "No one is above the law."
Trump has posted 22 letters to countries around the world this week, including trade partners such as Japan, South Korea and Sri Lanka, outlining new tariffs on their goods he says will come into force on 1 August.
The moves have largely served to revive plans he had put forward in April but that were put on hold after financial markets recoiled at the measures.
But the message to Brazil was a far more targeted missive and threatened a significant increase from the 10% rate the White House had previously announced.
Millie Castleton (r) was eight when her father was prosecuted over missing Post Office money
Millie Castleton was only eight years old when her father lost his job managing the post office in Bridlington, Yorkshire, and her family was branded as "thieves and liars" in the local community.
Nearly a decade later, after facing bullying at school, developing an eating disorder and dropping out of university, she is still struggling with the impact.
Millie's story was singled out by a report published this week, looking into the scandal around subpostmasters who were wrongly accused of fiddling the books.
But hundreds of other children suffered similar experiences, shunned by friends, suffering financial hardship, and watching their parents fall apart under the strain of being accused.
"Part of me will always feel a little broken-up," Millie told the official inquiry into the Post Office scandal, which produced this week's report.
"That nagging voice in my head still says ugly things sometimes. It still tells me that my past and my family's struggle will define me, that it will be a branding on my skin forever. Broken, thief or liar."
Like many subpostmasters, Millie's father, Lee Castleton, challenged the Post Office's allegations that he had taken funds from the branch he managed.
But it took years to win official recognition that people had been wrongly accused and that faulty software on the Post Office system could make it look as though money was missing when it wasn't.
In the meantime, Millie told the inquiry "confusion, frustration and anxiety... was leeching into my home".
At 17 Millie's mental health began to suffer. She experienced "self-loathing, depression and feeling like a burden to [her] family".
Millie managed to take up a place at university but dropped out at the start of her second year after developing anorexia.
Even now, at 29, she finds it hard to trust anyone, she says.
"I sabotage myself by not asking for help with anything. Asking for equipment, advice or resources feels terrifying. Like I'm unworthy."
The report provides glimpses into the impact on other families.
Janine Powell's daughter, aged 10, went to live with a friend when Janine, postmistress at a branch near Tiverton in Devon, was convicted and spent five months in prison. The separation from her mother, change of school and deep-seated unhappiness in her new home formed a traumatic experience for the child, the inquiry's report states, leading to mental illness.
Robert Thomson, a subpostmaster in a rural community near Alloa in Scotland, said his children, aged 10 and 13 at the time, were teased and bullied at school, while his wife became reclusive and depressed because she was "so embarrassed and ashamed".
Mahesh Kumar Kalia said his family was "dysfunctional" and his parents separated after their relationship became "toxic and turbulent" following his father's conviction. Mahesh and his father were estranged for 17 years until he understood his father had been wrongly convicted.
"Between the ages of 17 and 35, I did not have a relationship with my dad. We will never get back this time," he told the inquiry.
The government has confirmed that it is setting up a scheme, along the lines recommended in the report, to compensate "close family members" if they "suffered serious adverse consequences" from the scandal. So far there are no details of how the scheme will work or how soon they will see any results.
"We don't want to wait like our parents for three or four year for claims to be settled," said Rebekah Foot.
She established the charity Lost Chances a year and a half ago for the children of wronged subpostmasters and said there was a sense of relief that their situation was now being acknowledged.
Many of the 250 people who have joined Lost Chances had their education disrupted, had to take care of parents or siblings, some watching parents become alcoholics, or have other breakdowns, she said.
Compensation could help some of them return to education or pay for therapy they might otherwise not be able to afford, she said.
"Loss of childhood - we're not sure how that gets put into a claim," she added. That is what happened in her case, she said.
She spent her teenage years looking after her five siblings and working in a chip shop at the weekends while her mother became a recluse.
Rebekah said Lost Chances would be involved in the process of drawing up the new compensation scheme, meeting with ministers in the Department for Business in the coming weeks.
Rebekah Foot
Rebekah Foot (r) had to support her mother (l) by looking after her five siblings and earning money at weekends
Rebekah Foot
Rebekah Foot says she lost her childhood after her mother was accused of taking funds from the post office where she worked
The report acknowledges that it may prove difficult to agree which family members should be entitled to compensation, what evidence should be required for a claim to be made, and what the scale of the compensation should be.
However, Professor Richard Moorhead, an expert in law and ethics at the University of Exeter, said the stories about children highlighted by the report had been "heartbreaking" and welcomed the recommendation for compensation.
"Compensation will not right the wrongs or reclaim the time. Their lives have been blighted, but I hope and expect it to make a substantial difference to improving the chances of those children," he said.
With doubts circling and pressure increasing, England needed to step up at Euro 2025 - and they did.
A 2-1 defeat by France on Saturday meant the defending champions had catching up to do in Group D.
But England ensured their hopes of qualifying for the quarter-finals remained intact with a commanding 4-0 victory over the Netherlands.
"Proper England", as midfielder Georgia Stanway had called it earlier this week, returned as Sarina Wiegman's side played with fluidity and creativity.
They were back to their defensive best and Wiegman's positional switches worked a treat.
Wiegman knows what it means to be under the spotlight, having led England to back-to-back major tournament finals.
When you have set that standard, anything less is a disappointment.
England's level dropped dramatically against France which increased scrutiny on Wiegman, who suffered her first defeat at a Euros after winning 12 games in a row over the previous two tournaments.
It was also the first time the reigning women's European champions had lost the first match of their defence at the following finals.
Wiegman admitted the scrutiny was "hard" but she focused on the task in hand.
"I always knew ahead of this tournament that it was a very hard group. It can happen but then you need to win the other games," she said.
"So yes, I was excited, but at the same time I felt a little tense too. I think that's completely normal as you really want to stay in the tournament and you want to win.
"I just had to focus on my job, review well and think about how we could bring people together."
Wiegman has often delivered in the big moments and no manager has won more Euros matches than the Dutchwoman (13 - level with Germany's former manager Tina Theune).
She also boasts the best goals-per-game rate in the competition among managers to take charge of four or more matches, with her sides scoring 40 in 14 games.
Having come under criticism for her decision to start Lauren James in the number 10 role against France - which left England vulnerable defensively - Wiegman made all the right choices against the Netherlands.
James started on the right wing, with Manchester United's Ella Toone starting in the number 10 role. They scored three of the four goals on the night.
Jess Carter, who struggled against France at left-back, was moved into central defence, swapping with Alex Greenwood, and England kept a clean sheet.
"The priority was that we wanted to skip and exploit space. The Netherlands pushed up so we wanted to go over them. That worked really well," said Wiegman.
"When you're in their half of the pitch, you can start playing. We had some nice crosses and we spoke about that too.
"[James] came in good positions but she can also do that in midfield. In midfield today we wanted Ella [Toone] because she can make good runs in behind."
The plan worked.
Netherlands striker Vivianne Miedema had just eight touches in the first half and the Dutch conceded more than two goals in a single match at a major women's tournament for the first time.
They also managed just four shots against England - their fewest on record (since 2011) at a major tournament.
'That's a proper English performance'
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'That should be three points for England' - James makes it 3-0
England midfielder Keira Walsh said the players "had to acknowledge that sometimes it is a bad day and it was a really bad day against France".
They wanted to put it behind them and do their talking on the pitch, as team-mate Stanway stressed this week.
Striker Alessia Russo felt they produced the "proper England" performance that Stanway had talked about.
"'Proper English' to us means we'll work hard until we can't run any more, stick together and know that we are very dominant on the ball," said Russo.
"We were picking up the ball in right areas and were clinical with our chances. We wanted to return to our roots and we know we're capable of performances like that."
Russo was among the standout performers as she picked up three assists - the first player on record (since 2013) to provide as many in a women's Euros match.
James' double means she has now been directly involved in more goals (eight) than any other European player at the past two major tournaments.
Stanway and Toone impressed in midfield, while Carter thrived in the centre-back role, with Greenwood producing the goods at left-back.
"We can change the structure of the team with so many different players. That's a strength of ours, that each individual player is so good at something," said Lucy Bronze.
"[Greenwood] isn't the fastest player on the pitch and I think she completely marked Chasity Grant out of the game. She was front-footed, she was aggressive.
"Jess Carter was covering her every single minute of the game as well. I think that's a proper English performance."
Carter told BBC Radio 5 Live that the two defenders had felt "isolated" in the defeat by France and they wanted to combat that.
Wiegman made the decision to swap them in training and tested it out.
"I'm not one to question and ask for a reason, I just do the job I'm asked to do," said Carter.
"This game felt the total opposite with Alex and the whole team. She was phenomenal at left-back."
Has optimism been revived?
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Toone and Russo combine for England's fourth
England were one of the pre-tournament favourites and despite defeat by France, qualification for the quarter-finals is in their hands.
If they beat Wales in their final group game, they will qualify for the last eight.
Wiegman admitted the "consequences of the result were huge" against the Netherlands - but it was nothing they did not expect.
"We knew exactly that we were going straight into finals [against strong opposition]," she added.
"Losing the first game, it was not the end of the world but it doesn't put you in the best position.
"We knew we had to perform really well and the team did."
Were England written off too soon? They won Euro 2022 and reached the 2023 World Cup final after all.
"Everybody else was panic stations, but we still needed to win this game whether we beat France or not and we knew that," said Walsh.
"The objective didn't change. We wanted to take the game to them and put things right that we didn't the other day.
"I think we did back up what we said in the media and I think everyone was just on it from the first whistle to the last."
All-inclusive family package holidays from the UK have jumped in price for some of the most popular destinations, including Spain, Cyprus and Turkey.
The average price for a week in Cyprus in August has gone up by 23%, from £950 per person to £1,166, figures compiled for the BBC by TravelSupermarket show.
Of the top 10 most-searched countries, Italy and Tunisia are the only ones to see prices drop by 11% and 4% respectively compared with 2024.
Travel agents say holidaymakers are booking shorter stays or travelling mid-week to cut costs.
The top five destinations in order of most searched are: Spain, Greece, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Portugal. They have all seen price rises.
Trips to the UAE have seen the biggest jump, up 26% from £1,210 in August 2024 to £1,525 this year.
Cyprus had the next biggest rise and came in at number nine in terms of search popularity.
The figures are based on online searches, made on TravelSupermarket from 18 April to 17 June, for all-inclusive, seven-night family holidays in August 2024 and 2025.
While this snapshot of data reveals a general trend, costs will vary depending on exactly where a family goes and when they book.
Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of travel agent industry group Advantage Travel Partnership, said the price rises were down to a number of factors.
"These increases simply keep pace with the broader cost of doing business and reflect the reality of higher operational costs, from increased energy bills affecting hotels, to elevated food costs impacting restaurants and rising wages across the hospitality sector," she said.
But she added the group had seen evidence that some holidaymakers still had money to spend.
Some customers were upgrading to more premium all-inclusive packages and booking more expensive cabin seats on long-haul flights to locations such as Dubai, she said.
Abi Smitton / BBC News
Ellie Mooney said she's spent the last year saving up for her holiday to Turkey
Holiday destinations are a frequent topic of conversation at the hairdressers.
At Voodou in Liverpool, Ellie Mooney talked to us as she got a last-minute trim before jetting off to Turkey.
"We've been going for the past 20 years or so. We normally book a year ahead then save up in dribs and drabs," she said.
Hope Curran, 21, was getting her highlights done and she and her partner had just got back from holiday in Rhodes in Greece.
"We did an all-inclusive trip because it was a bit more manageable, but it's not cheap," she said.
Francesca Ramsden
Nurse Francesca Ramsden says she spends thousands of hours hunting for the best deals
End of life care nurse Francesca Ramsden, 35, from Rossendale, has made it her mission to cut the cost of holidays, saving where she can and hunting for a bargain at every turn.
"My husband is sick of me, he'll ask 'have you found anything yet' and I'll say no, rocking in the corner after looking for 10,000 hours.
"The longest I've booked a holiday in advance is two to three months and I find that the closer you get, the cheaper it is."
She said she spent hours trying to save as much as possible on a May half-term break to Fuerte Ventura for her family of four which came in at £1,600.
She now shares her budgeting tips on social media.
"I've mastered the art of packing a week's worth of clothes into a backpack. I always book the earliest or latest flight I can, and midweek when it's cheaper."
Abi Smitton / BBC News
Travel consultant Luke says people are getting creative to save money
Luke Fitzpatrick, a travel consultant at Perfect Getaways in Liverpool, said people were cutting the length of their holidays to save money.
"Last year we did a lot for 10 nights and this year we've got a lot of people dropping to four or seven nights, just a short little weekend vacation, just getting away in the sun," he said.
He has also seen more people choosing to wait until the last minute to book a trip away.
"People are coming in with their suitcases asking if they can go away today or tomorrow," he added.
"Yesterday we had a couple come in with their passports and we got them on a flight last night from Liverpool to Turkey."
How to save money on your holiday
Choose a cheaper location. A UK holiday eliminates travel and currency costs, but overseas destinations vary a lot too
To decide whether all-inclusive will save you money, first look at local costs for eating out and don't forget about drinks and airport transfers
Travel outside the school holidays if you can
Booking early can help, especially if you have to travel at peak times
Check whether you can get a cheaper flight by travelling mid-week
Haggle. Call the travel agent to see if they can better the price you found online
Choose destinations where the value of the pound is strong. This year that includes Turkey, Bulgaria and Portugal
When the defending European champions had their backs against the wall at Euro 2025, the Chelsea forward stepped up to deliver.
James dazzled against the Dutch, scoring the Lionesses' first and third goals as they went from a potential early exit to the cusp of the quarter-finals.
Following criticism in their opening-game defeat by France, she provided much-needed inspiration for England to claim a vital first victory in the tournament.
Her first strike was superb as she finished off a sweet counter-attack with three tight touches to get the ball out of her feet and finish with a dreamy drive into the top corner from the edge of the box.
The second on the hour mark was effectively the moment that sealed the success at 3-0 - a calm sweeping first-time finish into the bottom corner from 10 yards out after Ella Toone's effort had been saved.
James' nonchalant celebration of pretending to put her hands in her pockets and staring down the camera almost does her performance a disservice.
The goals were far from routine and in a pressured environment with so much at stake for her team.
They were special strikes by a special player to kickstart England's Euros defence into life.
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'Lionesses have lift off!' James fires England ahead
James was also described as "unstoppable" and a "massive talent" by England team-mate Toone after the impressive showing.
Defender Jess Carter added the 23-year-old was a "phenomenal player" who "thrives under pressure", while Georgia Stanway called her "class".
The England camp love James, who responded superbly to a below-par performance from her and the team against France on Saturday.
She had the fewest amount of touches in that game of all the starting players, before being substituted with England 2-0 down after 60 minutes.
Undeterred, manager Sarina Wiegman gave James even more attacking freedom against the Dutch, allowing her to roam in the inside-right channel and often making late darts forward to overload the box.
Those runs often led to confusion in the Dutch defence with who should have been marking James when she skipped between the lines? A midfielder dropping back or a defender pushing up and leaving space in behind?
"The variety of threat James provides for this England side is tremendous," former England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley told BBC Radio 5 Live. "If I was facing her I would have broken my ankles from being turned inside and out."
James took the joint-most shots in England's win (five), all while having the game's best passing accuracy (93.8%) and regularly carving out chances for team-mates.
"We want James in our starting 11. That is her position coming off that right-hand-side," added ex-England captain Steph Houghton on BBC One.
"Having that defensive responsibility is not her game. We need her on the ball, we need her to make things happen.
"That was a very assured performance and a great tactical change by Sarina Wiegman."
Image source, Getty Images/Opta
Image caption,
Lauren James celebrated her first goal by pretending to put her hands in pockets and staring down the TV cameras. The picture on the right shows James' heat map against the Netherlands. The forward found plenty of joy in the inside-right channel
'She has a wonderful aura'
Well done if you remembered we've been here before.
James was also England's creative force in their run to the World Cup final two years ago, even if she did miss two matches through suspension and was often limited to appearances off the bench.
She has now been directly involved in eight goals in just five starts at major tournaments (World Cups and European Championships - five goals, three assists), the most of any player who has appeared at both Euro 2025 and the 2023 World Cup.
And, after England's record goalscorer Ellen White, James is only the second Lioness to net twice in both a World Cup and European Championship match.
"Lauren James has a wonderful aura. She is cool, calm, and collected," White said on BBC One.
"I would love to have some of that talent. England work defensively for James and it gives her the freedom to roam."
Hampton's 'exquisite' pass
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton made 38 passes. Only Lucy Bronze (51), Keira Walsh (45), Leah Williamson (43) and Alex Greenwood (41) completed more
While James may rightfully claim the headlines, England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton deserves far more than just a paragraph.
The Chelsea stopper is her country's definitive number one after Mary Earps retired from international duty earlier this year.
The 24-year-old had very few saves to make, but impressed with the ball at her feet to make an impact at the other end.
Hampton's drilled line-breaking pass, from inside her own box forward to a counter-attacking Alessia Russo, led to England's first goal.
The ball caught out the entirety of the Netherlands' midfield, allowing Russo to drive upfield before slipping the ball to James for a fantastic left-foot finish.
"The bravery to play that pass in a game like this, for me, says everything you need to know about her mindset," said Bardsley.
And White added: "Exquisite, perfection, this is what Hannah Hampton can bring to this England team."
US President Donald Trump said he was planning to impose a 50% tax on goods made in Brazil, escalating his fight with the South American country.
He announced the plan in his latest tariff letter, shared on social media, accusing Brazil of "attacks" on US tech companies and conducting a "witch hunt" against former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, who is facing prosecution over his role trying to overturn the 2022 election.
Trump had already sparred with Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva over Bolsonaro's trial earlier this week.
At the time, President Lula said Brazil would not accept "interference" from anyone and added: "No one is above the law."
Trump has posted 22 letters to countries around the world this week, including trade partners such as Japan, South Korea and Sri Lanka, outlining new tariffs on their goods he says will come into force on 1 August.
The moves have largely served to revive plans he had put forward in April but that were put on hold after financial markets recoiled at the measures.
But the message to Brazil was a far more targeted missive and threatened a significant increase from the 10% rate the White House had previously announced.
The Trump administration is imposing sanctions on the UN Human Rights Council special rapporteur Francesca Albanese, an outspoken critic of Israel's military offensive in Gaza.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio linked the move to her support for the International Criminal Court (ICC), some of whose judges have already been sanctioned by the US.
Rubio said the US was sanctioning Ms Albanese for directly engaging with the ICC in its efforts to prosecute American or Israeli nationals, accusing her of being unfit for service as a UN Special Rapporteur.
The sanctions are likely to prevent Ms Albanese from travelling to the US and would block any assets she has in the country.
It is the latest escalation by the Trump administration as it wages a campaign against the ICC, having already sanctioned four its judges after the court last year issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his then defence minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes in Gaza, accusations they reject.
Mr Rubio also accused Ms Albanese of having "spewed unabashed antisemitism, expressed support for terrorism, and open contempt for the United States, Israel, and the West."
The move is likely to provoke a fierce backlash from those who argue for accountability over the civilian death toll from Israel's military offensive in Gaza.
The special rapporteur has longed argued that Western governments are not doing enough to support the rights of Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories, and with her outspoken stance has attracted significant support among those who accuse Israeli and US leaders of weaponising accusations of antisemitism in order to silence criticism of their policies.
The timing of the sanctions announcement is notable with Netanyahu currently in Washington, where he on Wednesday received an extended honour cordon at the Pentagon.
Ms Albanese has previously rejected similar claims against her, telling the BBC in October: "I don't take these remarks and the defamation they carry lightly, but at the same time, I know this is not about me, as my predecessors knew that it was not about them.
"I also know these member states [making accusations of antisemitism] have done absolutely nothing to abide by international law."
Her office has been approached for comment.
The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
At least 57,575 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
Most of Gaza's population has also been displaced multiple times. More than 90% of homes are estimated to be damaged or destroyed; the healthcare, water, sanitation and hygiene systems have collapsed; and there are shortages of food, fuel, medicine and shelter.
South Korea's former president has been rearrested over last year's failed martial law bid that plunged the country into political turmoil.
Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached in April over the order, which saw military rule introduced for six-hours in December.
A senior judge at Seoul's Central District Court issued an arrest warrant for Yoon on Wednesday, citing fears he could destroy evidence.
Yoon, who was the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested, faces trial on charges of leading an insurrection over his attempt to impose martial law.
During Wednesday's seven-hour hearing, a special counsel team argued for the arrest warrant on five key charges, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported.
The charges include Yoon's alleged violation of the rights of cabinet members by not inviting some of them to a meeting before he declared martial law.
Yoon initially attended the hearing alongside his lawyers to deny the charges, before being taken to Seoul Detention Center to await a decision on an arrest warrant.
Yoon was released two months later after a court overturned his arrest on technical grounds, but still faces trial.
If found guilty, he could face life in prison or the death penalty.
Prosecutors have reportedly found evidence that Yoon ordered military drones to be flown over North Korea to provoke a reaction that would justify his martial law declaration, according to reports.
Other senior officials also face charges including insurrection and abuse of authority over the martial law declaration.
Insurrection is one of a small number of criminal charges from which South Korean presidents do not have immunity, but now Yoon is no longer president he is open to other criminal charges.
Lee campaigned on the promise to strengthen the country's democracy following the crisis and appointed a special counsel team to investigate Yoon over the imposition of martial-law, as well as other criminal allegations surrounding his administration.
China's "dog days" arrived early this year, catching millions in the country's eastern region off guard
As Chinese authorities issue warnings for extreme heat in the country's eastern region, students are leaving their stuffy dormitories to camp in hallways and supermarkets.
Some have ditched their campuses altogether.
"We sometimes go out to stay in hotels for the air-conditioning," a 20-year-old university student in the northeastern Changchun city, who declined to be named, tells the BBC. "There are always a few days in a year where it's unbearably hot."
Hotels have become popular among students seeking to avoid sweaty nights in their dormitories, which typically house four to eight people a room and do not have air conditioning.
But for many the move is a last resort. "Checking into a hotel is a huge expense for us students," the student in Changchun says.
So on less desperate days, he perches a bowl of ice cubes in front of a small fan to cool down his dormitory room - what he calls "a homemade air-conditioner". The invention has tided him over as the semester ended this week.
The sanfu season, known to be China's "dog days", usually starts in mid-July. But it arrived early this year, with temperatures in the eastern region soaring above 40C (104F) over the past week - and catching millions of residents off guard.
Getty Images
Weather authorities in Qingdao have warned that temperatures could go beyond 40C
Concerns about the high temperatures spiralled after reports that a dormitory guard had died in his room at Qingdao University on Sunday - from what many believed to be heatstroke.
His cause of death was "under investigation", said a statement released by the university on Monday. It said that he had been found in his room in an "abnormal condition" and pronounced dead when paramedics arrived at the scene.
Tributes quickly poured in for the man, known endearingly among students as the dormitory "uncle" who took care of stray cats on the campus.
"The kittens don't know that Uncle has gone far away. After today it met a lot of people, but never heard Uncle's voice again," a Weibo user commented.
The incident has also cast a spotlight on the living conditions of the school's staff and students. Also on Sunday, a student in the same university was sent to the hospital after suffering a heat stroke, Jimu News reported.
"The quality of a university does not lie in how many buildings it has, but rather how it treats the regular people who quietly support the school's operation," wrote another Weibo user.
In recent weeks China has been dealing with extreme weather - a worldwide phenomenon that experts have linked to climate change.
Chinese authorities issued flash flood warnings on Wednesday after a typhoon made landfall on China's eastern coast. The storm, which killed two in Taiwan this week, and has moved across the Chinese provinces of Zhejiang and Fujian.
On the other side of the country, floods swept away a bridge linking Nepal and China. At least nine died and more than a dozen- both Nepalese and Chinese nationals - remain missing.
Meanwhile, heatwaves in China have become hotter and longer.
In 2022, particularly gruelling heat caused more than 50,000 deaths, according to estimates by medical journal The Lancet. The following year saw a township in Xinjiang, northwestern China, logging 52.5C - the highest recorded temperature in China.
2024 was China's warmest year on record, with July becoming the hottest month the country has seen since it started tracking temperatures in 1961.
"It feels like global warming has really affected our world," says the university student in Changchun. "When I was young the summers in the northeast were really comfortable. But now the summers are getting hotter and hotter."
Getty Images
Qingdao residents head to the beach to cool off this summer
This year, high temperatures again tested the limits of residents.
Last week, a video showed a man in Zhejiang province smashing the window of a train to let air in, after the train derailed and passengers were stuck for hours in the sweltering heat.
In the neighbouring Jiangxi province, an air-conditioned restaurant has become a hotspot for elderly folks to while away their afternoons without ordering any food - to the chagrin of restaurant staff, local media reported.
In the northeastern Jilin province, university students reportedly slept in tents lining an air-conditioned hallway.
And after reports emerged of students in Shandong province squatting in supermarkets and checking into nearby hotels to escape the heat, a university arranged for its students to sleep in the library, Hongxing News reported.
Several schools in Shandong province have announced plans to make their dormitories air-conditioned - an increasingly indispensable amenity.
Air-conditioning has accounted for more than a third of the demand on the power grid in eastern China, China's energy authorities said, as nationwide electricity demand reached a record high in early July.
Qingdao University officials told local media on Monday that it also had plans to install air-conditioning in student dormitories over the summer break.
It is just what one high school student in Jinan city, 350km away, needed to hear.
The teenager, who had just completed his college entrance examinations, tells the BBC that he had been hesitant to go to Qingdao University - his top choice - because of its dormitories.
"Without air-conditioning, it's too hot to survive," he says.
US allies in Europe are worried that American support for Ukraine is fickle, and that the Trump administration will cut its troop posture on the continent.
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2025年2月1日 ｜对墨、加、中加征关税：特朗普上任后首次大规模加征关税：自2月1日开始对美国三大贸易伙伴加拿大、墨西哥和中国加征关税。特朗普宣布对邻国加拿大和墨西哥进口商品加征25%的关税，指责两国未能阻止非法移民进入美国；对来自中国商品加征10%的关税，指责中国在芬太尼生产中扮演重要角色。
2025年2月10日 ｜加征钢铝关税 无例外豁免：特朗普2月10日签署行政令，对所有进口至美国的钢铁和铝制品加征25%关税，并取消加拿大、墨西哥和巴西等钢铝主要供应国的免税额度。
2025年3月26日｜宣布对进口汽车全面征税：特朗普于3月26日宣布，自4月3日起，对所有进口汽车与轻型卡车征收25%的关税。全球汽车供应链受冲击，日韩汽车产业首当其冲。受此消息影响，丰田、本田、现代和起亚等汽车制造商股价大幅下跌，总市值蒸发约165亿美元。
2025年4月2日｜宣布“对等关税”：特朗普4月2日在白宫玫瑰花园举行“让美国再次富有”（Make America Wealthy Again）记者会，宣布“对等关税”措施。美国对大多数国家征收10％的基准关税，但针对特定国家征收更高税额。中国、欧盟和越南分别面临34%、20%和46%的关税； 日本、韩国、印度、柬埔寨和台湾，分别受到24%、25%、26%、49%和32%进口关税的打击。
2025年4月9日｜暂缓关税90日 中国除外：特朗普4月9日在大规模“对等关税”上路不到24小时后出现政策大转弯，宣布暂缓征收“对等关税”90天，在此期间，税率将统一降至10%的基准关税。但中国被排除在暂缓名单之外，不仅如此，还将对中国的关税加码至145%，其中包含了美国此前指控中国打击芬太尼不力而征收的20％关税。
2025年5月4日 | 对美国境外制作的电影征收100%关税：特朗普5月4日以“国安威胁”为由，宣布将对非美国制作的电影征收100％关税，理由是要“拯救美国电影业”。
2025年5月12日｜中美关税战90天“停火协议”：美中高层在瑞士进行谈判后于5月12日发布联合声明，就90天的“暂停期”达成协议：美国对大多数中国输美商品加征145%的关税将在5月14日前下调至30%，30%关税里包括针对芬太尼问题额外施加的20％惩罚性关税；中国对美产品加征的125%关税则将降至10%。美中双边早前不断叠加的报复性关税，在这波协商中几乎都被取消。（图为美财政部长贝森特与贸易谈判代表格里尔出席美中贸易会谈）
2025年5月13日｜美大幅下调中国“小包裹”关税：白宫5月13发布行政命令，将从5月14日起将对中国低价值货物（不超过800美元）征收的“最低限度”关税从120%下调至54%，原计划的200美元固定费用征税方案被搁置，现行的100美元固定费用将继续执行。
5月23日 对阵欧盟：特朗普威胁自6月1日起对欧盟商品加征50%的统一关税。他同时警告苹果公司，若其在美国销售的手机是在海外生产的，将面临25%的关税。两天后，特朗普收回了对欧盟加征50%关税的威胁，他表示，与欧委会主席冯德莱恩通电话后，同意将美国和欧盟的谈判期限延长至7月9日。
5月28日 美国法院裁定特朗普对等关税“越权”：美国联邦国际贸易法庭裁定，特朗普今年4月2日对多国征收的对等关税，以及早前向中国、加拿大和墨西哥加征的报复性关税都属于“非法”。判决认定，特朗普征收全球关税的行为超出了《国际经济紧急权力法》（IEEPA）赋予总统的权限。美政府表示将对该裁决提出上诉。
5月29日 美国上诉法院暂准特朗普关税恢复执行：美国联邦上诉法院一天后推翻该判决，让特朗普的关税政策得以持续实施。上诉法院指出，为了审理特朗普政府的上诉，将先暂缓此前法院的裁决，并命令原告及特朗普政府分别在6月5日和6月9日前提交回应文件。
5月30日 特朗普全面上调钢铝关税：美国总统特朗普宣布将对全球钢铁和铝产品的进口关税提高至50%。中国是美国的第三大铝供应国。他指责中国未按约降低关税，取消针对稀土等产品的贸易限制。他说：“中国完全违反了与我们达成的协议。不能再做好好先生了！”
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