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Survivor of Minnesota assassination says she and husband shot 17 times

Yvette Hoffman / Facebook Yvette and John HoffmanYvette Hoffman / Facebook
Yvette and John Hoffman

A survivor of Saturday's deadly attacks on two Minnesota lawmakers says she and her husband are both "incredibly lucky to be alive" after they were hit by 17 bullets.

State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were gunned down at their home early on Saturday morning, but lived. Melissa Hortman - the top Democratic legislator in the state House - and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed.

Yvette Hoffman said in a statement that she and her husband John were "devastated" by the Hortmans' deaths.

Police are hunting for the suspect, Vance Luther Boelter, who wore a latex mask and posed as an officer to shoot the victims at their homes in suburban Minneapolis, before escaping on foot.

Mrs Hoffman's statement was shared on Instagram by Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar.

"John is enduring many surgeries right now and is closer every hour to being out of the woods," Mrs Hoffman wrote.

"He took 9 bullet hits. I took 8 and we are both incredibly lucky to be alive.

"We are gutted and devastated by the loss of Melissa and Mark. We have no words. There is never a place for this kind of political hate."

Police have not disclosed the killer's motive.

A Facebook post from someone identifying as Mrs Hoffman's nephew said she had thrown herself on her daughter during the assassination attempt, "using her body as a shield to save her life".

According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, the daughter, Hope, is in her 20s and was born with spina bifida, which her father previously cited as motivating him to get into state politics.

Getty Images Minnesota Legislature House Speaker Melissa Hortman Getty Images
Minnesota Legislature House Speaker Melissa Hortman

On Sunday, police said they had found an unoccupied car linked to the suspect in Sibley County, about 50 miles (80km) from the murder scene.

The discovery of the black sedan was alerted to local residents' mobile phones in a message that said: "Suspect not located. Keep your doors locked and vehicles secured."

A cowboy hat, similar to what Boelter, 57, was believed to have been wearing, was found nearby.

Police also said on Sunday that Boelter's wife had been detained in a traffic stop along with three relatives in a car in the city of Onamia, more than 100 miles from the family home in the rural community of Green Isle, on Saturday morning.

Jenny Boelter was released without being taken into custody because she was co-operative, Drew Evans, of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, told a news conference on Sunday evening.

EPA Authorities search for 57-year-old Vance Luther BoelterEPA
The manhunt began on Saturday

Police have extended the search over state lines to South Dakota and the FBI has added Boelter to its most-wanted list, issuing a $50,000 reward.

Both of the targeted lawmakers belonged to Minnesota's Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, which is affiliated with the national Democratic Party.

Authorities said they recovered a target list that included the names of state Democratic politicians from another vehicle used by the suspect.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, congresswoman Ilhan Omar, Klobuchar and Minnesota's other US senator, Tina Smith, were on the list – along with state Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, people familiar with the investigation told local media.

"Clearly, this is politically motivated," Klobuchar told NBC News' Meet the Press on Sunday morning.

President Donald Trump, a Republican, told ABC News on Sunday the attack was "a terrible thing".

Reuters Bullet holes mark the front door of the Hoffman homeReuters
Bullet holes mark the front door of the Hoffman home

Investigators say Boelter was disguised as a police officer when he carried out the attacks and had a vehicle that looked like a police car, equipped with flashing emergency lights.

The gunman first targeted the Hoffmans at their home in Champlin at around 02:00 local time on Saturday, authorities said.

Soon afterwards, Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed at their home in Brooklyn Park, eight miles away.

Officers arrived at the Hortmans' home and exchanged gunfire with the suspect at around 03:35. The suspect managed to flee, leaving behind his car, authorities said.

According to Boelter's CV, he has a background in security and military training.

The city of Brooklyn Park was silent on Sunday morning as the neighbourhood came to terms with a suspected political assassination on their doorstep.

A police car was parked outside the Hortmans' house and bright yellow caution tape surrounded the property.

Vance Luther Boelter seen in four photographs including one from the night of the attacks
Police have issued images of the suspect

Taha Abuisnaineh, who lives across the street, said he and his wife had known the family for more than 20 years.

"They were very nice neighbours in a very quiet neighbourhood," he told the BBC. "You don't see police activity in this neighbourhood. We are very shocked."

Two other nearby residents who did not want to be named said the suburban community was reeling.

"My next-door neighbour heard the shots," said one. "We've all been texting back and forth."

She and her husband described how they received an annual Christmas card from the Hortmans.

"What a big loss for Minnesota," she said.

In Sibley County, where the suspect's car was found, local resident Brian Liebhard also told the BBC of his shock.

"This guy needs to get caught," he said. "I don't agree with everything they [the two politicians] vote for, but this is sad - the guy went wacko."

The reality behind Trump's incredible investment claims

Getty Images US President Donald Trump pumps his fists on stage with an American flag seen behind him as he tours the Al Udeid Air Base on 15 May 2025, in Doha, Qatar.Getty Images

US President Donald Trump may have called tariffs his favourite word in the dictionary. But when it comes to obsessions, business investment has got to be close.

As of last month, he said more than $12 trillion (£8.8tn) had been "practically committed" on his watch. "Nobody's ever seen numbers like we have," he said, crediting his agenda of tariffs, tax cuts and deregulation with making the difference.

If true, the figure would indeed be astonishing, potentially tripling the roughly $4tn in gross private investment the US reported all of last year.

So is a sudden gush of business spending setting the stage for a new golden economic era as Trump claims, or is it all theatre?

First things first: it is too early in Trump's tenure to have clear data to evaluate his claims. The US government publishes statistics on business investment only every three months.

January to March, which reflect two months of Trump's tenure, show a strong jump in business investment, albeit one that analysts said was partly due to data skewed by an earlier Boeing strike.

Other anecdotal and survey evidence indicates that Trump's impact on investment is far more incremental than he has claimed.

"We have hardly any data at this point and almost all the information we have is probably for investment projects that were planned and ordered last year," says economist Nick Bloom, a professor at Stanford University whose work looks at the impact of uncertainty on business investment.

"My guess is business investment is down a little bit, not massively... primarily because uncertainty is quite high and that will pause it."

Swiss pharmaceutical firm Roche, which announced plans to invest $50bn in the US over five years in April, is a good example.

Some of the projects included in the sum were already in the works.

Executives have also warned that some of Trump's ideas - in particular a proposal to overhaul drug pricing - could imperil its plans.

"The pharma industry would need to review their expenses including investments," the company said.

Getty Images On his first day in office, President Donald Trump held a press conference touting investment by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, and Oracle co-founder, CTO and Executive Chairman Larry EllisonGetty Images
On his first day in office, President Trump touted investment by SoftBank's Masayoshi Son, Oracle's Larry Ellison and OpenAI's Sam Altman

Trump typically makes his case pointing to investment promises made by high-profile firms such as Apple and Hyundai.

The White House keeps a running tally of those announcements, but at the start of June, it put total new investments at roughly $5.3tn - less than half the sum cited by Trump.

Even that figure is inflated.

Roughly a third of the 62 investments on the list include plans that were at least partially in the works before Trump took office. For example:

  • Stellantis, on the list for a $5bn plan to reopen a factory in Belvidere, Illinois, initially made that promise in 2023.
  • Other commitments include items that are not traditionally considered investments at all - like Apple's $500bn spending pledge, which includes taxes and salaries paid to workers already at the company.

Falling 'well short' of headlines

In reality, as of mid-May, new investment stemming from the announcements likely totalled something closer to $134bn, according to analysis by Goldman Sachs.

That sum shrank to as little as $30bn, not including investments backed by foreign governments, once researchers factored in the risk that some projects might fail to materialise, or would have happened anyway.

"Though not negligible economically, such increases would fall well short of the recent headlines," they wrote.

When pressed on the numbers, White House spokesman Kush Desai brushed off concerns that the administration's claims did not match reality.

"The Trump administration is using a multifaceted approach to drive investment into the United States... and no amount of pointless nitpicking and hairsplitting can refute that it's paying off," he said in a statement, which noted that many firms had explicitly credited Trump and his policies for shaping their plans.

Getty Images US President Donald Trump speaks in the Cross Hall of the White House during an event on "Investing in America" on April 30, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump was joined by CEOs to highlight their companies during the event. Getty Images
Trump invited chief executives to the White House to mark his first 100 days in office

The BBC approached more than two dozen firms with investments on the White House list.

Many did not respond or referred to previous statements.

Others acknowledged that work on some of their projects pre-dated the current administration.

Incentive to exaggerate

Exaggeration by politicians and companies is hardly unexpected.

But the Trump administration's willingness to radically intervene in the economy, with tariffs and other changes, has given companies reason to pump up their plans in ways that flatter the president, says Martin Chorzempa, senior fellow at the Petersen Institute of International Economics.

"A firm making an announcement is a way to get some current benefits, without necessarily being held to those [spending pledges] if the situation changes," he says. "There's a strong incentive for companies to provide as large a number as possible."

That's not to say that Trump policies aren't making a difference.

The tariff threats have "definitely been a catalyst" for pharmaceutical firms to plan more manufacturing in the US, a key source of sector profits, says Stephen Farrelly, global lead for pharma and healthcare at ING.

But, he adds, there are limits to what the threats can accomplish.

The pharma investments are set to unfold over time - a decade in some cases - in a sector that was poised for growth anyway.

And they have come from firms selling branded drugs - not the cheaper, generic medicines that many Americans rely on and that are made in China and India.

Mr Farrelly also warned that the sector's investments may be at risk over the long term, given uncertainty about the government's approach to tariffs, drug pricing and scientific research.

Overall, many analysts expect investment growth to slow in the US this year due to policy uncertainty.

Economist German Gutierrez of the University of Washington says Trump is right to want to boost investment in the US, but believes his emphasis on global competition misdiagnoses the problem.

His own work has found the decline in investment is due in part to industry consolidation. Now a few large firms dominate sectors, there is less incentive to invest to compete.

In addition, the kinds of investments firms are making are typically cheaper items such as software rather than machines and factories.

Tariffs, Prof Gutierrez says, are unlikely to address those issues.

"The way it's being done and the type of instruments they are using are not the best ways to achieve this goal. It just takes a lot more to really get this going," he says.

劳工权益组织中国劳工通讯宣布解散

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劳工权益组织中国劳工通讯宣布解散

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2024年,中国劳工通讯创始人韩东方在香港办公室。这个追踪中国境内工人维权事件的组织周四宣布停止运营。
2024年,中国劳工通讯创始人韩东方在香港办公室。这个追踪中国境内工人维权事件的组织周四宣布停止运营。 Anthony Kwan for The New York Times
总部位于香港的中国劳工通讯周四宣布,因财务困难将停止运作。它由一位前民主抗议领袖创办,一直以来追踪中国境内的工人维权事件。近年来,随着香港民间社会普遍遭受打压,该组织也面临日益严格的审查。
该组织表示,由于“资金短缺和负债问题”,它无法再维持运营,已“决定解散”。它表示,其网站和社交媒体平台上的内容停止更新。
该组织由韩东方创立,他是中国境内少数仍然活跃的劳工权益活动人士之一。即便2020年北京实施《国家安全法》、逐步瓦解保障香港半自治地位的公民权利以来,众多关注中国的民间社会团体相继关闭或撤离,但中国劳工通讯仍坚持在香港运作。
韩东方是1989年天安门广场民主抗议活动的领导者之一,他于1994年创办了中国劳工通讯,为记者和学者提供有关中国工人的抗争资讯。多年来,该组织密切关注中国多起重大劳资纠纷,帮助权益受侵害的工人争取赔偿。它定期更新全国各地的劳工罢工地图,并发布有关已知存在劳工问题的企业和行业的报告。
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但近年来,随着中国公民社会的活动空间不断收窄,劳工活动人士受到监控和骚扰,韩东方指示员工将工作重心转向涉及外资企业的劳资纠纷案件,这些企业受外国法律管辖。
周五,记者通过电话或电子邮件联系韩东方未果。中国劳工通讯香港办公室所在大厦的一名大堂保安表示,该组织一个月前就搬走了。其标牌已经取下。
在去年接受采访时,韩东方告诉《纽约时报》,他确信中国的国家安全部门和香港的国安警察正在监视他的办公室。但是,他还说,“我宁愿公开,也不愿躲藏。”
有学者警告称,中国劳工通讯和韩东方可能会成为北京以国家安全为幌子加紧控制香港的目标,因为它的部分资金来自一家在美国注册的慈善机构。
香港和北京当局越来越多地依靠新的国家安全立法来逮捕和起诉活动人士,往往以他们与外国资金和海外组织的联系作为逮捕的理由。
在中国劳工通讯发布公告的几个小时前,周四晚间,香港的国安机构搜查了六人的住所和一个组织的办公室,政府称该组织涉嫌“勾结外国或者境外势力危害国家安全”。当局没有透露上述个人或组织的名字。

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NCA to target gangs as report on grooming is expected

Getty Images A woman has her back to the camera and is sitting on the edge of a bed in a dark room, facing the window. She has her hair tied back into a ponytail and is wearing jeans and a white tank top.Getty Images

The National Crime Agency (NCA) will carry out a nationwide operation to target and jail predators who have sexually exploited children as part of a grooming gang, according to the Home Office.

It said the NCA would work with police forces to give victims whose cases were not progressed through the criminal justice system "long-awaited justice" and prevent more children from being hurt by such crimes.

It comes ahead of the release of a report by Baroness Louise Casey on Monday on the nature and scale of group-based child sexual abuse.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced on Saturday there would be a full national statutory inquiry into grooming gangs covering England and Wales.

'Please speak up': Survivor of child grooming speaks to BBC

The NCA operation will aim to imprison more perpetrators of child sexual abuse, protect more victims and improve how local police forces investigate such crimes, the Home Office said.

It will also aim to "put an end to the culture of denial in local services and authorities about the prevalence of this crime".

The Home Office said police had reopened more than 800 historic cases of group-based child sexual abuse since the home secretary had asked them in January to look again at cases that were "closed too early and victims denied justice".

"The vulnerable young girls who suffered unimaginable abuse at the hands of groups of adult men have now grown into brave women who are rightly demanding justice for what they went through when they were just children," Yvette Cooper said.

"Not enough people listened to them then," the home secretary added. "That was wrong and unforgivable. We are changing that now."

The Home Office said the national inquiry announced by the prime minister on Saturday would be able to "compel" investigations into "historic cases of grooming gang crimes".

That would ensure complaints and allegations of "mishandling, wrongdoing and cover-ups by police, agencies and other professionals and elected officials are brought to light and those responsible held accountable", the Home Office added.

It said the inquiry would report to a single chairperson and its panel would have the power to call witnesses to hearings.

EPA Yvette Cooper walks along Downing Street. She is wearing a blue jacket and has blue eyes and short blonde hair.EPA
Cooper is set to address the findings of the review by Baroness Casey in Parliament on Monday

The grooming gangs issue was thrust into the spotlight at the start of 2025, fuelled partly by tech billionaire Elon Musk, who had criticised Sir Keir for not calling a national inquiry.

A row between the two centred on high-profile cases where groups of men, mainly of Pakistani descent, were convicted of sexually abusing and raping predominantly young white girls in towns such as Rotherham and Rochdale.

On Saturday, Sir Keir said he had read an independent report into child sexual exploitation by Baroness Casey and would accept her recommendation for an inquiry covering England and Wales.

In January, the government stopped short of launching a statutory national inquiry intro grooming gangs despite the idea receiving support from some Labour MPs.

Instead, Cooper unveiled plans for five government-backed local inquiries - to be held in Oldham and four other area yet to be named.

She also announced a "rapid" three-month audit, led by Baroness Casey, into the data and evidence on the nature and scale of group-based child sexual abuse.

That report is expected to be published on Monday and Cooper is set to address the findings of the review in Parliament.

For months, the prime minister has faced criticism for not being willing to set up a national inquiry, with the Conservatives claiming they had forced him into a U-turn.

Shadow Chancellor Sir Mel Stride told the Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme that the decision to launch the inquiry should have happened "far, far earlier".

Chancellor Rachel Reeves defended the decision to launch a national inquiry, telling the programme on Sunday that ministers "never dismissed the concerns of victims" of grooming gangs.

Truckloads of Scotland's rubbish will be sent to England, experts say

BBC A mountain of rubbish on a landfill site in GlasgowBBC
Landfill sites can be used for biodegradable municipal waste in Scotland until 31st December

Up to 100 truckloads of Scotland's waste each day will be moved to England once a landfill ban comes in at the end of the year, the BBC's Disclosure has been told.

The Scottish government is banning "black bag" waste from being buried in landfill from 31 December but acknowledges that there are not currently enough incinerators to meet the extra demand.

The ban, which covers biodegradable municipal waste (BMW), will apply to pretty much all domestic and commercial waste.

Scottish ministers said any export of waste should only be viewed as a "short-term solution".

The ban was originally meant to be in place by 2021 but was delayed because of the Covid pandemic and concerns that businesses were not ready.

It will see a string of materials banned from landfill, including non-recyclable black bag municipal waste, wood, textiles, paper and food.

Such biodegradable waste breaks down to produce methane, a greenhouse gas that is around 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

Some inert material, such as ash from incinerators and building rubble, will still be allowed at landfill sites.

The Scottish government wants to stop traditional black bag waste being buried in the ground by increasing recycling rates and using more energy-from-waste incinerators.

However, four years on from the date of the original plan, environmental consultants have concluded that hundreds of thousands of tonnes of rubbish still have no home.

David Balmer, with short dark hair and stubble, wears a checked shift and high visibility vest.  He's standing in front of a methane extraction pipe on an active landfill site.
David Balmer says up to a hundred lorries a day will cross the border with waste

More waste is already being sent to incinerators - or energy-from-waste sites - but not enough of them will be ready by the 31 December deadline.

It is leaving a "capacity gap" which is estimated by Zero Waste Scotland to be 600,000 tonnes in the first year of the ban.

Some councils and commercial waste companies have been approaching rubbish handling operators in England to negotiate "bridging contracts".

Because most incinerators run with very little spare capacity, it would mean sending Scotland's excess waste to be landfilled in England.

The UK government also wants to eliminate biodegradable waste from landfill and it announced a consultation earlier this year but there is currently no policy in place south of the border.

David Balmer, a waste expert from ERS Remediation, told the Disclosure programme: "You're looking at the equivalent of between 80 and 100 trucks minimum running seven days a week to take this material to a facility in England or abroad."

And there are concerns that logistically the transportation might not be fully achievable.

Alasdair Meldrum, director of waste management consultants Albion Environmental, said: "We've probably not got the trucks and vehicles to actually move it."

He added: "You've got the environmental impact of all that transport, it's nonsensical, but the people who have invested in incinerators are saying 'we've invested all this money because of the ban'.

"So, we're stuck in a really hard place."

Disclosure reporter Kevin Keane about to load a green bin onto the refuse lorry while out on a collection with workers in Fife.
An army of refuse collectors take our recycling and waste from kerbsides every day

While the reason for the ban is to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases coming from landfill sites, the short-term impact will be a rise in emissions from the fleet of heavy vehicles taking the waste to sites in Cumbria, Northumberland or potentially as far away as Manchester.

The long-term strategy had been to reduce the amount of "black bag" waste households generate, meaning less would have to be incinerated.

But domestic recycling rates have barely budged in a decade.

In 2013, Scottish homes recycled 41.6% of their waste but by 2023 that figure had increased by less than 2 percentage points to 43.5%.

The figures for England and Northern Ireland are slightly better but for Wales it is a massive 64.7%.

NESS Energy Project Drone picture of the NESS Energy from Waste facility in AberdeenNESS Energy Project
The 'energy from waste' incinerator in Aberdeen processes 150,000 tonnes of waste each year

In Scotland, there are currently eight operational incinerators across the country.

Until 2022 there was a rush to build more but the Scottish government put the brakes on development fearing there would end up being an overcapacity.

The only additional ones which will now be built have already entered the planning process.

While incinerators are still responsible for a significant amount of greenhouse gases, experts say they are about a third less environmentally damaging than the methane caused by materials rotting in landfill sites.

As an additional benefit, they also produce some electricity and some recover heat to warm neighbouring homes and buildings.

Colin Church, who chaired an independent review into incineration in Scotland, believes the shift to incinerators has been the right choice.

He told Disclosure: "It's probably the best thing that we can do with waste, with our current levels of technology, and so capturing some energy from that is a good idea."

Circular economy

Environmental groups are concerned that contracts which guarantee waste being delivered by councils to incinerators will put off local authorities from investing in more recycling.

Kim Pratt, from Friends of the Earth Scotland, described the current waste management system as broken.

She said: "Incineration in Scotland is out of control.

"There have been incinerators built in Aberdeen, in Falkirk, there's one this year that's going to be built in North Ayrshire as well.

"All of these incinerators have communities locally who are opposing them."

Waste campaigner Laura Young said: "One of the worries is these are expensive facilities – expensive to run, big contracts involved in this – and it means that we need to utilise them.

"We built them so we need to use them."

The Scottish government points to a range of initiatives it has launched in recent years to tackle household waste and create a more "circular" economy, where material are reused over and over.

These include bans on single use vapes, forthcoming charges on disposable cups and a planned deposit-return scheme for cans and plastic bottles.

It said the "vast majority" of councils had alternative measures in place ahead of the landfill ban coming into force but they will "work closely with local authorities and sector bodies to monitor and review any related issues which may arise as the date of the ban approaches".

The Scottish government added: "Any export of waste should only ever be viewed as a short-term solution."

Chris Brown jokes about 'nice' jail as he starts UK tour

Getty Images Chris Brown in a red, white and black patterned leather jacket and patterned baseball cap, singing into a microphone on stage at the Tycoon Music Festival at Little Caesars Arena on April 19, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan.Getty Images
Chris Brown pictured on stage in Detroit in April

US singer Chris Brown has kicked off his UK tour in Manchester, days before he is due back in court after being arrested in the city last month.

The Grammy-winning star performed to thousands of fans at Manchester's Co-op Live arena on Sunday, with a string of stadium dates to follow in other cities.

On Friday, he will appear in court in London for the latest hearing after he was charged with grievous bodily harm over an alleged assault in a nightclub in 2023. The 36-year-old, who is free on £5m bail, has not yet been asked to enter a plea.

"Thank you for coming and supporting me," he said to fans in Manchester. "And thank you to the jail," he joked. "It was really nice."

A video montage was shown of his career highs and lows, including brief clips of TV news footage from outside the Manchester court after he was arrested, which was met by a supportive roar from his loyal fans.

The star is accused of inflicting an "unprovoked attack" on a music producer with a tequila bottle at a nightclub in London while on his last UK tour in 2023.

He was arrested when he returned to the country a month ago, when detectives from London's Metropolitan Police travelled to the hotel in which he was staying in Salford, Greater Manchester.

He was held in custody for almost a week, before being released after agreeing to pay a £5m security fee to the court.

A security fee is a financial guarantee to ensure a defendant returns to court. Mr Brown could be asked to forfeit the money if he breaches bail conditions.

However, the judge agreed that the singer could go ahead with his tour as part of his bail conditions, and he played the first night in Amsterdam last weekend.

The singer's Breezy Bowl XX tour is marking 20 years in the music industry. He has had 19 singles in the UK top 10 over that time, including number one hits Turn Up The Music and Freaky Friday.

Last week, he won the prize for best male R&B/pop artist at the BET Awards in Los Angeles.

After performing a second night in Manchester on Monday, he will move on to Cardiff's Principality Stadium on Thursday.

He will then appear at court on Friday with his co-defendant, Omololu Akinlolu, a 38-year-old who performs under the name HoodyBaby, also from the US.

After the hearing, Mr Brown is scheduled to play at London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday and Sunday, before further stadium shows in Birmingham and Glasgow, and two more arena dates in Manchester.

'Forever chemical' found in all but one of tested UK rivers

Getty Images The River Ness flows through Inverness. There are two spires on the bank. Getty Images
The River Ness in Scotland was the only river of those sampled that did not show traces of the "forever chemical" TFA.

A chemical that scientists worry might have an impact on human reproduction has been found in rivers across the UK.

Researchers from York University analysed samples from 32 rivers in all the UK's 4 nations and found traces of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) at 98% of the test locations.

TFA is what's known as a "forever chemical" which means that it breaks down extremely slowly in nature, and so accumulates over time.

As with other "forever chemicals", also known as PFAS, just how much a threat to human health and at what concentrations is still being researched.

But scientists in Germany say having looked at the impact of TFA on animals they want it to be classed as toxic for reproduction.

TFA forms when synthetic chemicals from other "forever chemicals" such as those found in pesticides and refrigerants are partially broken down.

"This molecule (TFA) is everywhere," Alistair Boxall, professor of Environmental Science at the University of York who carried out the research, told the BBC. "We will all be drinking water containing TFA every day - so we'll be exposed throughout our lifetime. It's that long-term, low level exposure that is the big concern."

This new study was funded by environmental charity Fidras and involved sampling in 5 rivers in Wales, 3 in Northern Ireland 14 in Scotland and 10 in the north of England. The highest concentration was recorded on the River Kelvin in Glasgow.

The River Ness, which flows from Loch Ness to the Moray Firth, was the only river sampled not to show traces of TFA.

Recent studies in the EU have found TFA to be widespread, including in wine and food, human blood and breast milk.

Authorities in Germany have been looking with interest at rising TFA levels in drinking water. In the last two decades its concentrations have gone up fourfold and researchers have been trying to establish what impact - if any - it might have on human health.

Citing scientific studies that showed TFA affecting rabbit and rat foetuses, the German Federal Environment Agency (UBA) has applied to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) for TFA to be classified as toxic for reproduction and harmful to the environment. That could eventually lead to recommendations being made in the EU as to how products containing TFA should be controlled.

"Currently, there are no expected adverse health effects from consuming water or food contaminated with TFA," said Andreas Hensel, president of the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). "The new classification is an important step in preparing further measures to ensure that this remains the case in the future".

There aren't currently any rules or regulations in place to identify or reduce the concentrations of TFA either in the environment or in drinking water supplies in the UK.

But aware of concerns, the Drinking Water Inspectorate, which monitors and regulates drinking water quality in England and Wales, has just commissioned its own research. It will look at how much TFA is already in drinking water and what risk - if any - it poses.

"The information signposted by the University of York suggests that TFA can be formed from the degradation of PFAS-containing pesticides," Ann Bunting, Principal Inspector of the Drinking Water Inspectorate, told the BBC. "It is important that the fate of pesticides and other chemicals in the environment is understood, in order to protect drinking water sources."

A spokesperson for Water UK, which represents the UK's water companies, told the BBC: "We want to see PFAS, including TFA, banned and the development of a national plan to remove it from the environment which should be paid for by manufacturers."

Minnesota police find car of suspect in shootings of two lawmakers

Getty/Minnesota State Senate Melissa Hortman (left) and John Hoffman (right)Getty/Minnesota State Senate
Melissa Hortman (left) and John Hoffman (right)

The manhunt for a suspect in deadly attacks on Minnesota lawmakers continued into its second day on Sunday, as police extended the search over state lines to nearby South Dakota.

Minnesota state Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed in their home early Saturday morning .

Another lawmaker, state Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were also shot multiple times and injured.

Police are searching for Vance Luther Boelter, a 57-year-old who they say impersonated a police officer while carrying out the attacks. Federal authorities announced a $50,000 reward for information.

Both lawmakers belonged to Minnesota's Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, which is affiliated with the national Democratic Party.

Senator Hoffman and his wife underwent surgery on Saturday, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said he was "cautiously optimistic they will survive this assassination attempt."

"Clearly, this is politically motivated," US Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat who represents Minnesota, told NBC News' Meet the Press on Sunday morning.

Authorities said they recovered a target list from a vehicle used by the suspect that reportedly contained the names of several Democratic politicians who supported abortion rights, as well as abortion providers. The office of Tina Smith, Minnesota's other US Senator, confirmed to BBC News she was on the list.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) added Boelter to their most wanted list, and issued a $50,000 reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction.

"It is really not about any of us, it is this incredible woman that we lost, Melissa Hortman," Klobuchar said. "We think about her family today."

"I just wish everyone in the world political world knew this woman like we know her in Minnesota. Loved by Democrats and Republicans," Klobuchar said.

President Donald Trump is aware of the situation, but it was not clear if he would reach out to the state's leadership about the attack.

Governor Walz, a Democrat, was presidential candidate Kamala Harris' running mate in the 2024 election.

Despite the frantic search under way across the region, the city of Brooklyn Park, where Rep. Hortman lived, was still and silent on Sunday morning as the neighbourhood came to terms with the deadly attack.

FBI Vance Luther Boelter seen in four photographs including one from the night of the attacksFBI
Police issued images of the suspect as the manhunt continued

A police car stood guard outside the Hortman's house, and bright yellow caution tape surrounded the home, now an active crime scene.

Taha Abuisnaineh, who lives across the street, said he and his wife had known the Hortmans for more than 20 years.

"They were very nice neighbours in a very quiet neighbourhood," he told the BBC. "You don't see police activity in this neighbourhood. We are very shocked."

Two other nearby residents who did not want to be named said this suburban community was reeling as news spread of the attack.

"My next-door neighbour heard the shots," said one. "We've all been texting back and forth."

She and her husband described how they received an annual Christmas card from the Hortmans - and recounted how Representative Hortman got along with local Republican politicians.

"What a big loss for Minnesota," she said.

At Least 5 Dead in West Virginia Flash Flooding

Up to four inches of rain fell in a 30-minute period in Ohio County on Saturday night. More rain was falling on Sunday, damaging homes and flooding roads.

© Wheeling, W.Va. Fire Department

Searches took place at Big Wheeling Creek in Wheeling, W.Va. At least three people died in flash flooding in Ohio County.

特朗普主持阅兵式,美国多地爆发“不要国王”抗议

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特朗普主持阅兵式,美国多地爆发“不要国王”抗议

DAVID E. SANGER
全国范围内的“不要国王”抗议活动由200多个团体组织。
全国范围内的“不要国王”抗议活动由200多个团体组织。 Jordan Gale for The New York Times
周六傍晚,特朗普总统在首都华盛顿主持了庆祝美国陆军建军250周年的阅兵式,展示美国的军事实力。阅兵式与全国各地的示威者谴责特朗普扩大行政权力的抗议活动形成了意志的较量和形象的博弈。
特朗普坐在宪法大道的检阅台上,观看装甲车队(包括两次世界大战年代的装甲车)从面前驶过,同时,有80年机龄的轰炸机和现代的直升机隆隆作响地从华盛顿市中心上空飞过。全城采取了封控措施,高高的黑色围栏将人群隔离在阅兵场地外——这是自美军1991年海湾战争归来后的首次此类活动——以确保阅兵式不受干扰地展示历史和国力。
虽然阅兵式顺利进行,但仪式上看不出一点对时局的回应。特朗普曾一度离开位于妻子梅拉尼娅和国防部长皮特·海格塞斯之间的座位给新兵们宣誓,那个简短仪式结束后,他对新兵们说:“祝你们拥有精彩人生!”后来,他在日落时分发表了讲话,回顾了陆军历史上最辉煌的时刻。
他提到了乔治·华盛顿,回顾了葛底斯堡战役。但他提的更多的是陆军的实力,而非使命。“美国的敌人一次又一次地学到,如果他们威胁美国的人民,美国的军人不会放过他们。他们的失败是必定的,灭亡是不可逆转的,覆灭终将彻底。”
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早在他离开白宫前往阅兵场的几小时前,那天就已浓缩了美国社会在移民、言论自由,以及特朗普决意按照自己的世界观重塑政府、大学和文化机构等问题上的尖锐分歧。
阅兵式从来即是爱国主义的庆典,也是为了对外的震慑。自从2017年在巴黎观看了巴士底日阅兵以来,特朗普就一直想在华盛顿举行阅兵。这次阅兵形式上是为纪念第二届大陆会议1775年6月14日的决定——在列克星敦和康科德与英军作战的震撼下,会议决定组建一支由殖民者组成的一体化的轻武装部队。这支一个月后由乔治·华盛顿担任统帅的军队最终赶走了数量更大、装备更精良的英国统治者军队。
然而,任何庆祝历史的活动都不是在政治真空中进行的。从西雅图到基韦斯特,全美大城小镇的抗议者走上街头,用绝大多数为和平的方式举行示威,抗议特朗普滥用当代武装力量。他过去一周做出的决定——让国民警卫队听从联邦政府调遣,把海军陆战队员派到洛杉矶的街上,为他的移民围捕行动提供支持,已让关于他是否滥用了总司令权力的争论更加激烈。
亚特兰大周六举行的“不要国王”抗议活动,这是全国数百场抗议活动之一。
亚特兰大周六举行的“不要国王”抗议活动,这是全国数百场抗议活动之一。 Dustin Chambers for The New York Times
这是这两种力量的对比展示。美国各地周六当天发生了约2000起抗议活动,人们喊着“不要国王”的口号,群众谴责他们认为的专制越权行为。尽管大城市的集会吸引了更多关注和镜头,但农村地区也组织了不少规模较小的活动,包括印第安纳州举行的36场抗议活动,特朗普去年11月曾以19个百分点的优势赢得该州。
达拉斯是特朗普的另一处票仓,那里的抗议队伍在一条宽阔的街道上延伸了至少五个街区。休斯顿的抗议活动看起来更像是街区派对,人们在墨西哥音乐的伴随下跳舞,在喷泉里冲凉。
但洛杉矶的气氛更紧张一点,那里已经发生了一周的示威活动,以及焚烧汽车等偶然的暴力事件。周六聚集在市中心的抗议者人群覆盖了几个街区。随着夜幕降临,晚上8点的宵禁时限临近,紧张气氛不断升级。在联邦大楼外,警察试图使用化学刺激物驱散聚集的抗议者,在其他地方,骑警冲向人群,挥舞警棍企图强行清场。
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再说华盛顿这边。这次阅兵是“美国250”组织者的首场大制作,组织者把“专属VIP体验”票卖给了大额捐赠者们,还向总统的支持者出售红色的MAGA(让美国再次伟大)帽子。当天也是特朗普的79岁生日,尽管他坚称庆祝活动是为军队,无关个人。组织者们预期参加过朝鲜战争和越南战争的老兵,以及在阿富汗和伊拉克战争中打过仗的老兵出席了阅兵式,后两场战争曾被特朗普——以及许多民主党人——批评为浪费生命和金钱。
特朗普为此次高达4500万美元的开支进行了辩护,这笔钱包括修复华盛顿市内道路的费用,60吨重的坦克从宪法大道上驶过会损坏道路。他说对激发民族自豪感、提醒世界美国的硬实力来说,这是笔小钱。他上个月接受NBC采访时说,这笔钱“与这样做的价值相比微不足道”。
福克斯新闻等保守派电视网和流媒体平台全程转播了阅兵式,而老式有线电视网则维持常规节目安排。福克斯新闻的一名主播说,这场阅兵表明“美国说话算数”;另一位则称,沿国家广场两边滚滚而来的武力展示将“给我们的盟友(提供)慰藉”,“给(美国的敌人)带来一点恐惧和一点威慑”。
但在为阅兵做准备期间,特朗普的批评者指出,这种展示可能有适得其反的后果,让人觉得美国似乎沉湎于过去的辉煌,却忽视将盟友视为负担的风险。
特朗普的政治顾问们心中确信,半数甚至更多的美国人会喜欢看这场美国陆军历史的展示,从“一战”时期的坦克,到从华盛顿西北部的街道上空飞过、前往阅兵场做飞行表演的双螺旋桨B-25“米切尔”轰炸机。这些顾问们笃信,这些画面会像特朗普对“美国优先”理念在其总统任期内不断变化的定义一般,令半数甚至更多的美国人津津乐道。阅兵纯粹是作秀,而特朗普则是最擅长表演的大师。
但阅兵也是对美国硬实力赤裸裸的颂扬,尽管这场阅兵主要展示了像M-1艾布拉姆斯坦克这样的巨型装备,在一个无人机和网络武器时代,这些装备显得有些过时。(乌克兰在过去两年里得到的31辆艾布拉姆斯坦克中,现在只有少数还能作战;大多数已被俄军摧毁或因故障瘫痪。)
在白宫将全球援助、艾滋病防治和高校基础研究等特朗普长期抨击的项目斥为浪费的同时,这场耗资约等于"美国之音"全年预算五分之一的阅兵却大张旗鼓上演——而这家曾拥有数百万全球听众的机构已在今春遭特朗普政府停播。
一辆停在国家广场边上准备参加阅兵式的军车。预计这些重型车辆将损坏华盛顿的道路。
一辆停在国家广场边上准备参加阅兵式的军车。预计这些重型车辆将损坏华盛顿的道路。 Eric Lee for The New York Times
美国各地的抗议活动已筹划了数周,组织者们特意将活动安排在华盛顿特区以外的地方,以避免让更多的注意力集中到阅兵式上。民众对特朗普政府打压专家意见、清除“深层政府”,以及噤声批评者等行径日益高涨深感不满。
特朗普调动4000名国民警卫队员和700名海军陆战队员前往洛杉矶的决定明确肯定了军队在国内的作用,这正是大陆会议在组建殖民者军队的问题上犹豫不决的原因。250年后,同样的担忧让周末的抗议活动规模更大、更有力。特朗普上周在北卡罗来纳州的布拉格堡发表讲话,进一步激励了人们参加抗议活动,他把和平的抗议者与“麻烦制造者、煽动者、叛乱分子”归并在一起,后来还说,任何在华盛顿抗议的人都将遇到“非常大的力量”。
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Teachers union president Randi Weingarten resigns from DNC

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, a longtime powerhouse member of the Democratic National Committee, is leaving the DNC, according to a letter obtained by POLITICO.

Weingarten, who has been a member of the DNC for 23 years, wrote to DNC Chair Ken Martin that she had fundamental disagreements with him.

"I appear to be out of step with the leadership you are forging," the union leader said in the letter dated June 5, "and I do not want to be the one who keeps questioning why we are not enlarging our tent and actively trying to engage more of our communities."

Weingarten's departure is the latest sign that the party is still embroiled in factional disputes, and it is likely to only further finger-pointing and intensify criticism among Democrats. Weingarten has defended former DNC vice chair David Hogg, who was ousted last week from his post on the committee, as he has come under fire over his decision to fund primary challenges against Democrats that he sees as ineffective in safe-blue districts.

Weingarten also supported another candidate to lead the DNC, Wisconsin Democratic Party chair Ben Wikler, during the party’s election earlier this year. When Martin took over, he removed Weingarten from her position on the influential DNC’s rules and bylaws committee, which she had sat on since 2009.

A spokesperson for Weingarten said that when she told AFT members the news of her departure, “Randi has gotten applause" from them, “much to her dismay as a proud Dem.”

Martin has been criticized by some Democrats after he told DNC officers and staff in a recent private conversation that Hogg had “essentially destroyed any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to” and “I don’t know if I wanna do this anymore,” as POLITICO first reported. But many other Democrats, including DNC officers, have stood by Martin and bashed Hogg as divisive.

The infighting among Democrats comes as they are trying to rebuild their party in the wake of their 2024 loss.

Martin did not respond to a request for comment.

© J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Trump told Israel not to kill Iran's supreme leader - report

Getty Images A close-up of US President Donald Trump sitting in the Oval Office. He is looking to his left, wearing a red tie with a US flag pin on his suit. Getty Images

US President Donald Trump rejected a plan by Israel to kill Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, three US officials have told BBC's US partner CBS News.

Trump reportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that assassinating Khamenei was not a good idea, according to one official. The president has not commented publicly on the report.

The conversation is said to have happened since Israel launched its attack on Iran on Friday.

During an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu did not directly confirm or deny a report from Reuters that Trump had vetoed a plan to killed the ayatollah.

"There's so many false reports of conversations that never happened and I'm not going to get into that," the Israeli prime minister said.

"But I can tell you I think we do what we need to do. We will do what we need to do and I think the United States knows what is good for the United States and I'm just not going to get into it."

An Israeli official told CBS News that "in principle," Israel does not "kill political leaders, we are focused on nuclear and military. I don't think anyone making decisions about those programs should be living free and easy."

Israel first launched an attack on Iranian nuclear infrastructure and other targets on Friday.

Iran later confirmed the head of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) intelligence unit, Mohammad Kazemi, had been killed, alongside a deputy and another commander.

The two countries have continued to launch massive strikes at each other since, with attacks entering a third day on Sunday.

In his latest post on Truth Social about the escalating situation in the Middle East, Trump said "Iran and Israel should make a deal", adding that he would get the two to cease hostilities "just like I got India and Pakistan" - referring to the recent confrontation between the countries.

In a separate post on Saturday, the president said the US "had nothing to do with the attack on Iran".

"If we are attacked in any way, shape or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the U.S. Armed Forces will come down on you at levels never seen before," he warned.

'Nowhere feels safe': Iranians on life under Israeli attacks

Reuters People run along a street amid smoke following the Israeli strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, June 15Reuters

"Stuck". That is the word most people who have spoken to the BBC use to describe life in Iran right now.

After three days of Israeli attacks, "everyone is trying to escape" Tehran "one way or another," one resident told BBC News Persian.

On Sunday, long queues formed at petrol stations across the city. Many people tried to leave for remote areas, away from any possible Israeli target, but could not even get out of the province because of heavy traffic.

"Tehran isn't safe, clearly," one resident said. "We get no alarms or warnings from officials about Israeli attacks. We just hear the blasts and hope our place isn't hit. But where can we go? Nowhere feels safe."

One person who managed to move from Tehran to another province said: "I don't think I've fully processed that I'm living in an active war zone, and I'm not sure when I'll reach acceptance."

"This is not my war. I'm not rooting for either side, I just want to survive along with my family."

Since Friday, Israel hit Iran with its biggest wave of air strikes in years.

Israel's strikes have led to retaliation from Iran, which has launched missile attacks on Israel.

At least 10 people have been killed in Israel, authorities said. Iranian media, citing the health ministry, reported that 128 people had been killed in Israeli attacks as of midday on Saturday.

One Iranian told the BBC she has not been able to sleep for two nights: "I've gone through really tough situations."

She said the current situation reminds her of bombings and going to shelters during the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s, when she was a child.

"The difference is that back then, at least when an attack happened, we heard the air raid siren or at least warnings before it happened. But now, during this bombing or any air raid, there's no sirens or warnings."

Younger people, born after the war, do not know what it was like, BBC News Persian's Ghoncheh Habibiazad said.

One woman in Tehran said she has considered leaving the city to escape the attacks.

"We've all wanted to go to smaller cities or villages, anywhere we can go, but each of us has loved ones who can't leave, and we're thinking of them," she said. "What we're experiencing is not fair to any of us, the people of Iran."

"We're all trying to get through these days in fear, exhaustion, and a lot of stress, this is extremely hard and painful."

One resident in the capital said: "I can't just leave Tehran. I can't leave my elderly parents who can't travel far and long and leave the city myself. Besides, I need to show up to work. What can I do now?"

EPA-EFE Iranians queue with their vehicles near a petrol station following Israeli strikes on Iran, in Tehran, 15 June 2025.
EPA-EFE
People queued in cars in Tehran to get petrol on Sunday

The internet has been unstable, so it is very hard to keep in touch with people inside the country.

Many of those living outside the country are sending messages to loved ones, hoping for a reply.

Some people have also received warnings from the Israel military asking all Iranians to leave areas near military sites. People in Tehran seem most worried about this.

"How are we supposed to know where a military site is and where isn't?" one said.

Separately, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a message to Iranians on the second day of the attacks said "the time has come" for Iranians to unite "by standing up for your freedom".

However, people in the country have so far chosen to stay safe and there is little evidence that Netanyahu's call has resonated on the ground, BBC News Persian's Daryoush Karimi said.

Getty Images People look over damage to buildings in Nobonyad Square following Israeli air strikes on 13 June 2025 in Tehran, Iran
Getty Images
Tehran has seen a number of attacks since Friday

Inside Iran, what perhaps shocked people the most was the destruction of residential buildings, even more than the attacks on nuclear facilities and airbases, said BBC News Persian's Pouyan Kalani.

Many Iranians had not witnessed scenes like that since the end of the Iran-Iraq war - especially not on the streets of the capital.

Many of those in Tehran and elsewhere, recall the confusion of Friday: what exactly was happening; how widespread was it; and how could they protect themselves and their families?

Edited by Alexandra Fouché

G7 is a big moment for Carney. Here are five things to watch

Getty Images Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney seen against a blue backdrop, wearing a darker blue suit and tie. He has a neutral expression Getty Images

Leaders of some of the world's wealthiest countries have descended on a luxury mountain lodge nestled in Canada's Rockies for this year's G7 summit.

The elite gathering comes as Western allies face numerous crises, from conflicts on three continents to global economic instability.

Canada chairs the G7 this year and will host leaders of Italy, US, France, Germany, UK and Japan in Kananaskis, Alberta. It has promised a set of streamlined priorities focused around the global economy and security.

But Mark Carney's carefully planned agenda has now been upended by the Israel-Iran conflict.

It is his first major international gathering as Canadian prime minister.

Here are five challenges ahead.

Big moment for Carney as Iran derails plans

This summit was set to be a test of his ability to meet three lofty goals he advanced for Canada - taking a leadership role on the global stage, becoming the strongest G7 economy and weaning off US dependency.

Now the Iran issue has suddenly shot to the top of the G7 agenda, forcing his officials to rejig their preparations.

But one thing is clear. Carney will be closely watched for how he handles US President Donald Trump, who has frequently undermined Canada's sovereignty.

John Kirton, director of G7 Research Group at the University of Toronto, says that scrutiny will start from the arrival ceremony, where he will need to show that he is treating Trump as an equal. And keep him in check when the meetings are under way.

The summit offers the potential to secure some Canadian wins, perhaps new trade and security deals with the US, hatched last month in Washington.

At that meeting, Carney gave the president some golf gear from the Kananaskis Country Club, a scenic course within the tightly controlled perimeter of the summit.

The Trump factor

The summit is taking place amid a global trade war started by Trump, who is using tariffs as a way to rebalance trading relationships. He has said the US has been "looted, pillaged, raped and plundered by nations near and far, both friend and foe alike".

It also comes as World Bank predicts the global economy will see the slowest decade for growth since the 1960s as the effect the US tariffs are felt, making it likely there will be some awkward - or "frank", in diplomatic lingo - conversations at this family gathering.

A discussion on the global economy will kick off the summit on Monday morning.

But Trump's November election win has shifted the global agenda beyond trade. The gathering offers the president a chance to secure wins on some of his other priorities, such as migration, critical minerals, security and drug trafficking - all of which are on the agenda later in the day.

The president has met each of his G7 counterparts since taking office but he will line up one-on-one meetings on the sidelines - he has already got Carney and the Mexican president in the diary.

There are currently two bilateral meetings on his schedule, according to US officials, though there no details on whom he is speaking with.

Avoiding a walkout like in 2018

This will be Trump's second time in Canada as US president, the first being a discordant summit in Charlevoix, Quebec, in 2018 shortly after he slapped steel and aluminium tariffs on Canada, Mexico and Europe.

Charlevoix was memorable for ending in acrimony and disarray - captured in a now-famous photo of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel confronting a defiant Trump as other world leaders and US aides looked on.

Bundesregierung/EPA  A handout photo made available by the German Government (Bundesregierung) on 09 June 2018 shows French President Emmanuel Macron (3-L, partially hidden), German Chancellor Angela Merkel (C-L) and Japan"s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (C-R) speaking to US Presidend Donald J. Trump (R, seated) during the second day of the G7 meeting in Charlevoix, CanadaBundesregierung/EPA

The leaders struggled to agree on language over global trade for the final communique - a moment captured in that Merkel image - before Trump left the summit early.

He headed to Singapore to sit down with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un while posting missives from Air Force One aimed at then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Many of the tensions from seven years ago remain relevant today.

Carney hopes to avoid a similar derailment, and told Sky News last month that the lesson he took from that blow-up "is to be consistent - say the same thing in private as you do in public, say the same things after the summit as you do during the summit".

The G7 is a "consensus body. We work together", a senior Canadian government official said in a briefing last week.

With that in mind, Canada has chosen to eschew a final communique completely in favour of six of short joint statements on wildfires, critical minerals and other key agenda items.

Forest fires, AI, critical minerals and Ukraine

Canada's priorities for the confab are sharply focused on building stronger economies and strengthening peace and security, including harnessing the power of artificial intelligence and fortifying critical mineral supply chains.

While there are no broad commitments expected on climate change, it is integrated into the agenda, a senior government official told a briefing this week, pointing to an effort to improve the international joint response to the growing global forest fire threat.

Canada's worst wildfire season on record was in 2023 and this year could be on track to be the second worst. Smoke from the blazes has blanketed parts of North America and Europe and could be visible reminder to delegates in Kananaskis of the threat.

Ukraine is another pressing topic on the agenda, with President Volodomyr Zelensky there hoping to discuss continued support for his country, sanctions against Russia and future financing for reconstruction efforts.

Tuesday morning will focus on that conflict, with Ukraine expected to push for more sanctions on Russia.

Carney has also placed countering foreign interference - notably interference in global diaspora communities - high on the summit's agenda, setting up potential for tense discussions with some of the attending leaders who are not part of the G7.

Geopolitical minefields

As host, Canada also invites leaders not permanently attached to the seven-member group, and Carney has given a number the nod to attend, some more controversial than others.

As mentioned, Zelensky will be there.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also be a guest, with Carney saying there are important discussions that India, as a major economic force, should be a part of.

Modi's attendance comes amid deeply strained relations between the two countries over the murder of a Sikh separatist leader on Canadian soil.

Canada has accused India of carrying out that targeted killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar two years ago and the G7 invitation has received backlash among some Sikh Canadians.

Mexico's President, Claudia Sheinbaum, has confirmed she will be in Kananaskis. Her presence sets the stage for talks on North American trade, which has been upended by Trump's tariffs. Sheinbaum has said she is keen to set up a one-on-one meeting with Trump, which would be the first between the pair.

Carney has also invited European and Nato leaders and his counterparts from Australia, South Africa, South Korea, Indonesia, and Brazil.

MI6 appoints first female chief in 116-year history

Getty Images The headquarters for the British Secret Intelligence Services in London. It has has numerous levels that increase in size. It has white walls and blue glass windows.Getty Images
Blaise Metreweli will take over from Sir Richard Moore

MI6 will be led by a woman for the first time in the foreign intelligence service's 116-year history.

Blaise Metreweli, who joined the Secret Intelligence Service in 1999, will become the 18th chief of the organisation and take over from Sir Richard Moore later this year.

She is currently responsible for technology and innovation at the service and said she was "proud and honoured" to have been asked to lead.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the appointment "historic" at a time "when the work of our intelligence services has never been more vital".

MI6 is tasked with gathering intelligence overseas to improve the UK's security, with its core aims being to stop terrorism, disrupt the activities of hostile states, and bolster cyber-security.

Its chief, commonly referred to as 'C', is the only publicly named member of the service.

Ms Metreweli, 47, is currently Director General 'Q' - head of the crucial technology and innovation division that aims to keep the identities of secret agents secret, and come up with new ways to evade adversaries like China's biometric surveillance.

"MI6 plays a vital role - with MI5 and GCHQ - in keeping the British people safe and promoting UK interests overseas," she said.

"I look forward to continuing that work alongside the brave officers and agents of MI6 and our many international partners."

Ms Metreweli, who studied anthropology at the University of Cambridge, has previously held director level roles in MI5 - MI6's sister, domestic security agency - and spent most of her career working in the Middle East and Europe.

On the King's overseas and international birthday honours list in 2024, she received the Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) for her services to British foreign policy.

Speaking to the Telegraph in December 2021 when she was at MI5, under the pseudonym of "Director K", Ms Metreweli said threats to UK national security "really are diverse".

"The threats we are looking at primarily exist around protecting government, protecting secrets, protecting our people - so counter-assassination - protecting our economy, sensitive technology and critical knowledge," she said.

She added that "Russian state activity - not Russia itself - remains a threat" and that China was "changing the way the world is and that presents amazing opportunities and threats for the UK".

The organisation she will be running faces unprecedented and multiple challenges.

Geographically, these emanate primarily from Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, as the four nations co-operate ever more closely to undermine UK and Western interests across the globe.

But there are technical challenges too.

MI6's role is to recruit human agents to steal secrets from Britain's adversaries, which include both hostile nations and non-state groups like al-Qaeda.

In an age of rapid digital innovation, MI6 is having to pedal ever faster to stay ahead of its enemies and to remain relevant, when so much intelligence is now gathered online and from space.

Last September, outgoing chief Sir Richard - alongside then-CIA chief William Burns - warned that the international world was "under threat in a way we haven't seen since the Cold War".

Writing in the Financial Times, the pair said that beyond the war in Ukraine, the two foreign intelligence services were continuing to "work together to disrupt the reckless campaign of sabotage across Europe being waged by Russian intelligence".

Sir Richard and Mr Burns added that they saw the rise of China as the main intelligence and geopolitical challenge of the century. They also said they had pushed "hard" for restraint and de-escalation in the Middle East.

On Sunday, Sir Richard said he was "absolutely delighted" with the "historic appointment" of his colleague.

"Blaise is a highly accomplished intelligence officer and leader, and one of our foremost thinkers on technology," he said.

"I am excited to welcome her as the first female head of MI6."

Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who Ms Metreweli will be accountable to as MI6's new chief, said she was the "ideal" candidate and will ensure the UK is able to tackle the challenges of "global instability and emerging security threats".

"I would also like to pay tribute to Sir Richard Moore for his service and leadership," he said.

"I have worked closely with him over the past year and thank him for his valuable contribution enhancing our national security and protecting the British public."

Sir Keir also thanked Sir Richard for his "dedicated service".

"I know Blaise will continue to provide the excellent leadership needed to defend our county and keep our people safe," he added.

Additional reporting by Hollie Cole

NCA to target grooming gangs nationwide

Getty Images A woman has her back to the camera and is sitting on the edge of a bed in a dark room, facing the window. She has her hair tied back into a ponytail and is wearing jeans and a white tank top.Getty Images

The National Crime Agency (NCA) will carry out a nationwide operation to target and jail predators who have sexually exploited children as part of a grooming gang, according to the Home Office.

It said the NCA would work with police forces to give victims whose cases were not progressed through the criminal justice system "long-awaited justice" and prevent more children from being hurt by such crimes.

It comes ahead of the release of a report by Baroness Louise Casey on Monday on the nature and scale of group-based child sexual abuse.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced on Saturday there would be a full national statutory inquiry into grooming gangs covering England and Wales.

'Please speak up': Survivor of child grooming speaks to BBC

The NCA operation will aim to imprison more perpetrators of child sexual abuse, protect more victims and improve how local police forces investigate such crimes, the Home Office said.

It will also aim to "put an end to the culture of denial in local services and authorities about the prevalence of this crime".

The Home Office said police had reopened more than 800 historic cases of group-based child sexual abuse since the home secretary had asked them in January to look again at cases that were "closed too early and victims denied justice".

"The vulnerable young girls who suffered unimaginable abuse at the hands of groups of adult men have now grown into brave women who are rightly demanding justice for what they went through when they were just children," Yvette Cooper said.

"Not enough people listened to them then," the home secretary added. "That was wrong and unforgivable. We are changing that now."

The Home Office said the national inquiry announced by the prime minister on Saturday would be able to "compel" investigations into "historic cases of grooming gang crimes".

That would ensure complaints and allegations of "mishandling, wrongdoing and cover-ups by police, agencies and other professionals and elected officials are brought to light and those responsible held accountable", the Home Office added.

It said the inquiry would report to a single chairperson and its panel would have the power to call witnesses to hearings.

EPA Yvette Cooper walks along Downing Street. She is wearing a blue jacket and has blue eyes and short blonde hair.EPA
Cooper is set to address the findings of the review by Baroness Casey in Parliament on Monday

The grooming gangs issue was thrust into the spotlight at the start of 2025, fuelled partly by tech billionaire Elon Musk, who had criticised Sir Keir for not calling a national inquiry.

A row between the two centred on high-profile cases where groups of men, mainly of Pakistani descent, were convicted of sexually abusing and raping predominantly young white girls in towns such as Rotherham and Rochdale.

On Saturday, Sir Keir said he had read an independent report into child sexual exploitation by Baroness Casey and would accept her recommendation for an inquiry covering England and Wales.

In January, the government stopped short of launching a statutory national inquiry intro grooming gangs despite the idea receiving support from some Labour MPs.

Instead, Cooper unveiled plans for five government-backed local inquiries - to be held in Oldham and four other area yet to be named.

She also announced a "rapid" three-month audit, led by Baroness Casey, into the data and evidence on the nature and scale of group-based child sexual abuse.

That report is expected to be published on Monday and Cooper is set to address the findings of the review in Parliament.

For months, the prime minister has faced criticism for not being willing to set up a national inquiry, with the Conservatives claiming they had forced him into a U-turn.

Shadow Chancellor Sir Mel Stride told the Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme that the decision to launch the inquiry should have happened "far, far earlier".

Chancellor Rachel Reeves defended the decision to launch a national inquiry, telling the programme on Sunday that ministers "never dismissed the concerns of victims" of grooming gangs.

Chris Brown starts UK tour as court hearing looms

Getty Images Chris Brown in a red, white and black patterned leather jacket and patterned baseball cap, singing into a microphone on stage at the Tycoon Music Festival at Little Caesars Arena on April 19, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan.Getty Images
Chris Brown pictured on stage in Detroit in April

US singer Chris Brown has kicked off his UK tour in Manchester, days before he is due back in court after being arrested in the city last month.

The Grammy-winning star performed to thousands of fans at Manchester's Co-op Live arena on Sunday, with a string of stadium dates to follow in other cities.

On Friday, he will appear in court in London for the latest hearing after he was charged with grievous bodily harm over an alleged assault in a nightclub in 2023. The 36-year-old, who is free on £5m bail, has not yet been asked to enter a plea.

"Thank you for coming and supporting me," he said to fans in Manchester. "And thank you to the jail," he joked. "It was really nice."

A video montage was shown of his career highs and lows, including brief clips of TV news footage from outside the Manchester court after he was arrested, which was met by a supportive roar from his loyal fans.

The star is accused of inflicting an "unprovoked attack" on a music producer with a tequila bottle at a nightclub in London while on his last UK tour in 2023.

He was arrested when he returned to the country a month ago, when detectives from London's Metropolitan Police travelled to the hotel in which he was staying in Salford, Greater Manchester.

He was held in custody for almost a week, before being released after agreeing to pay a £5m security fee to the court.

A security fee is a financial guarantee to ensure a defendant returns to court. Mr Brown could be asked to forfeit the money if he breaches bail conditions.

However, the judge agreed that the singer could go ahead with his tour as part of his bail conditions, and he played the first night in Amsterdam last weekend.

The singer's Breezy Bowl XX tour is marking 20 years in the music industry. He has had 19 singles in the UK top 10 over that time, including number one hits Turn Up The Music and Freaky Friday.

Last week, he won the prize for best male R&B/pop artist at the BET Awards in Los Angeles.

After performing a second night in Manchester on Monday, he will move on to Cardiff's Principality Stadium on Thursday.

He will then appear at court on Friday with his co-defendant, Omololu Akinlolu, a 38-year-old who performs under the name HoodyBaby, also from the US.

After the hearing, Mr Brown is scheduled to play at London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday and Sunday, before further stadium shows in Birmingham and Glasgow, and two more arena dates in Manchester.

Big Zuu and Tevez shine as Soccer Aid raises £15m

Big Zuu and Tevez shine as Soccer Aid raises £15m

Big Zuu lifts the trophy alongside team-matesImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Big Zuu lifts the Soccer Aid 2025 trophy for the World XI

  • Published

Big Zuu scored the winner as a Carlos Tevez-inspired World XI beat England in front of a sellout Old Trafford crowd for Soccer Aid.

In the 14th edition of the annual charity football match between England and a World XI - which mixes celebrities and former footballers - the World XI won 5-4, as £15m was raised for children's charity Unicef.

They had trailed 3-0 in the second half but turned things around thanks to four goals from former Manchester United and Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez.

All four of England's goalscorers were former England international strikers, with ex-Tottenham player Jermain Defoe getting a double after former Manchester United star Wayne Rooney and Toni Duggan - who played for clubs including Manchester City and Barcelona - had put England 2-0 up.

Among plenty of former football talents, the two sides featured the likes of former One Direction singer Louis Tomlinson, YouTuber Angry Ginge, Diamond from Gladiator, comedian Richard Gadd, Olympic gold medallist Sir Mo Farah and The Last Of Us star Bella Ramsey.

And while pop star Tomlinson was roundly cheered whenever he touched the ball, the plaudits went to England's Angry Ginge.

He was named player of the match for a defensive display which included a goal-saving clearance to deny Brazil legend Rivaldo, and some on social media jokingly called for Manchester United to sign him after their poor season in the Premier League.

Big Zuu drops a 'siuuu'

Big Zuu celebrates after scoringImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Big Zuu came on in the second half for the World XI

Rapper and TV personality Zuu had been conducting punditry duties until half-time, and predicted he would score before stepping on to the pitch.

He scored his first Soccer Aid goal with just five minutes remaining, mimicking Cristiano Ronaldo's iconic 'siuuu' celebration after beating the goalkeeper - comedian and presenter Paddy McGuinness.

Speaking to presenter Alex Scott after the game, Zuu said: "I don't care if it's Paddy, I don't care if it's David James, I don't care if it's Joe Hart. No likey, no lighty."

Welcome to Manchester, Carlos

Carlos Tevez points to his ear after scoring a goalImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Tevez moved from Manchester United to Manchester City in 2009

Tevez, 41, left Old Trafford during his playing days to join rivals Manchester City.

It prompted a bitter reaction from United fans, while City marked his arrival with a "Welcome to Manchester" poster campaign designed to annoy their rivals.

But on his return to the city, having come on at half-time with his team 2-0 down, he scored four second-half goals to turn the match around.

The first two goals came within 97 seconds of each other, before Tevez completed his hat-trick with a well placed free-kick.

He added a fourth to level the scores before Zuu scored the winner in one of the most impressive Soccer Aid performances.

Record-breaker Rooney

Wayne Rooney looks up to the skyImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Wayne Rooney managed in the 2020 edition of Soccer Aid

Manchester United's record goalscorer Rooney is no stranger to making history at Old Trafford, and managed it again at the Stretford End.

His goal after just four minutes is the fastest in Soccer Aid history.

The former England captain was teed up by a fellow Liverpudlian, actor James Nelson-Joyce from BBC drama This City Is Ours.

Rooney was taking up a player-coach role for the England team, with fellow managers boxer Tyson Fury, ex-football boss Harry Redknapp and actor Vicky McClure.

Fury was shown by match broadcaster ITV giving a rousing team-talk before the game - though it featured swearing, prompting presenters Scott and Dermot O'Leary to apologise to viewers.

What is Soccer Aid?

Diego Maradona in 2006 Soccer AidImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

England beat the Rest of the World 2-1 in the first Soccer Aid

Soccer Aid has been raising money for United Nations children's fund Unicef since 2006, and some of the biggest names from sport and showbiz have taken part.

The idea was initiated by singer Robbie Williams and TV presenter Jonathan Wilkes, with football legends Diego Maradona and Paul Gascoigne featuring in the first edition.

Initially held every other year, the match was made annual from 2018 - with more than £115m raised since its inception.

To add to the donations, this year TV personality Sam Thompson ran and cycled more than 260 miles with the Soccer Aid match ball from last year's stadium, Stamford Bridge in London, to the home of this year's match, Old Trafford - raising £2m.

Related topics

Buy, Donate, Repeat. At 91, Leonard Lauder Has More to Give

Picasso paintings. Jasper Johns ale cans. Irving Penn photos. The cosmetics heir created the model for the headline-grabbing donation that museums dream of today.

© Jingyu Lin for The New York Times

Leonard A. Lauder at his Upper East Side apartment with photographs by Irving Penn. “He understands the power of an image and how it can move us all,’’ says Max Hollein, director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Lauder is still on the hunt, adding to the Met’s Penn collection.

Minnesota police find car of suspect in shootings of two lawmakers

Getty/Minnesota State Senate Melissa Hortman (left) and John Hoffman (right)Getty/Minnesota State Senate
Melissa Hortman (left) and John Hoffman (right)

The manhunt for a suspect in deadly attacks on Minnesota lawmakers continued into its second day on Sunday, as police extended the search over state lines to nearby South Dakota.

Minnesota state Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed in their home early Saturday morning .

Another lawmaker, state Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were also shot multiple times and injured.

Police are searching for Vance Luther Boelter, a 57-year-old who they say impersonated a police officer while carrying out the attacks. Federal authorities announced a $50,000 reward for information.

Both lawmakers belonged to Minnesota's Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, which is affiliated with the national Democratic Party.

Senator Hoffman and his wife underwent surgery on Saturday, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said he was "cautiously optimistic they will survive this assassination attempt."

"Clearly, this is politically motivated," US Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat who represents Minnesota, told NBC News' Meet the Press on Sunday morning.

Authorities said they recovered a target list from a vehicle used by the suspect that reportedly contained the names of several Democratic politicians who supported abortion rights, as well as abortion providers. The office of Tina Smith, Minnesota's other US Senator, confirmed to BBC News she was on the list.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) added Boelter to their most wanted list, and issued a $50,000 reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction.

"It is really not about any of us, it is this incredible woman that we lost, Melissa Hortman," Klobuchar said. "We think about her family today."

"I just wish everyone in the world political world knew this woman like we know her in Minnesota. Loved by Democrats and Republicans," Klobuchar said.

President Donald Trump is aware of the situation, but it was not clear if he would reach out to the state's leadership about the attack.

Governor Walz, a Democrat, was presidential candidate Kamala Harris' running mate in the 2024 election.

Despite the frantic search under way across the region, the city of Brooklyn Park, where Rep. Hortman lived, was still and silent on Sunday morning as the neighbourhood came to terms with the deadly attack.

FBI Vance Luther Boelter seen in four photographs including one from the night of the attacksFBI
Police issued images of the suspect as the manhunt continued

A police car stood guard outside the Hortman's house, and bright yellow caution tape surrounded the home, now an active crime scene.

Taha Abuisnaineh, who lives across the street, said he and his wife had known the Hortmans for more than 20 years.

"They were very nice neighbours in a very quiet neighbourhood," he told the BBC. "You don't see police activity in this neighbourhood. We are very shocked."

Two other nearby residents who did not want to be named said this suburban community was reeling as news spread of the attack.

"My next-door neighbour heard the shots," said one. "We've all been texting back and forth."

She and her husband described how they received an annual Christmas card from the Hortmans - and recounted how Representative Hortman got along with local Republican politicians.

"What a big loss for Minnesota," she said.

'Nowhere feels safe': Iranians on life under Israeli attacks

Reuters People run along a street amid smoke following the Israeli strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, June 15Reuters

"Stuck". That is the word most people who have spoken to the BBC use to describe life in Iran right now.

After three days of Israeli attacks, "everyone is trying to escape" Tehran "one way or another," one resident told BBC News Persian.

On Sunday, long queues formed at petrol stations across the city. Many people tried to leave for remote areas, away from any possible Israeli target, but could not even get out of the province because of heavy traffic.

"Tehran isn't safe, clearly," one resident said. "We get no alarms or warnings from officials about Israeli attacks. We just hear the blasts and hope our place isn't hit. But where can we go? Nowhere feels safe."

One person who managed to move from Tehran to another province said: "I don't think I've fully processed that I'm living in an active war zone, and I'm not sure when I'll reach acceptance."

"This is not my war. I'm not rooting for either side, I just want to survive along with my family."

Since Friday, Israel hit Iran with its biggest wave of air strikes in years.

Israel's strikes have led to retaliation from Iran, which has launched missile attacks on Israel.

At least 10 people have been killed in Israel, authorities said. Iranian media, citing the health ministry, reported that 128 people had been killed in Israeli attacks as of midday on Saturday.

One Iranian told the BBC she has not been able to sleep for two nights: "I've gone through really tough situations."

She said the current situation reminds her of bombings and going to shelters during the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s, when she was a child.

"The difference is that back then, at least when an attack happened, we heard the air raid siren or at least warnings before it happened. But now, during this bombing or any air raid, there's no sirens or warnings."

Younger people, born after the war, do not know what it was like, BBC News Persian's Ghoncheh Habibiazad said.

One woman in Tehran said she has considered leaving the city to escape the attacks.

"We've all wanted to go to smaller cities or villages, anywhere we can go, but each of us has loved ones who can't leave, and we're thinking of them," she said. "What we're experiencing is not fair to any of us, the people of Iran."

"We're all trying to get through these days in fear, exhaustion, and a lot of stress, this is extremely hard and painful."

One resident in the capital said: "I can't just leave Tehran. I can't leave my elderly parents who can't travel far and long and leave the city myself. Besides, I need to show up to work. What can I do now?"

EPA-EFE Iranians queue with their vehicles near a petrol station following Israeli strikes on Iran, in Tehran, 15 June 2025.
EPA-EFE
People queued in cars in Tehran to get petrol on Sunday

The internet has been unstable, so it is very hard to keep in touch with people inside the country.

Many of those living outside the country are sending messages to loved ones, hoping for a reply.

Some people have also received warnings from the Israel military asking all Iranians to leave areas near military sites. People in Tehran seem most worried about this.

"How are we supposed to know where a military site is and where isn't?" one said.

Separately, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a message to Iranians on the second day of the attacks said "the time has come" for Iranians to unite "by standing up for your freedom".

However, people in the country have so far chosen to stay safe and there is little evidence that Netanyahu's call has resonated on the ground, BBC News Persian's Daryoush Karimi said.

Getty Images People look over damage to buildings in Nobonyad Square following Israeli air strikes on 13 June 2025 in Tehran, Iran
Getty Images
Tehran has seen a number of attacks since Friday

Inside Iran, what perhaps shocked people the most was the destruction of residential buildings, even more than the attacks on nuclear facilities and airbases, said BBC News Persian's Pouyan Kalani.

Many Iranians had not witnessed scenes like that since the end of the Iran-Iraq war - especially not on the streets of the capital.

Many of those in Tehran and elsewhere, recall the confusion of Friday: what exactly was happening; how widespread was it; and how could they protect themselves and their families?

Edited by Alexandra Fouché

As Trump Returns to G7, Rift With Allies Is Even Deeper

In 2018, the president called for the group to embrace Russia and stormed out of the summit. Now he is seeking to shrink America’s military role abroad and embarking on a more expansive trade war.

© Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times

White House officials have said little about goals for the summit, but they are facing a self-imposed deadline of early July to reach trade deals.
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