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What we know about deadly Lisbon funicular crash

Watch: Emergency crews surround derailed Portugal funicular

One of Lisbon's most iconic tourist attractions, the Gloria funicular, derailed and crashed on Wednesday evening.

At least 15 people have been killed and 18 more injured, some critically, local authorities have said.

It is not yet clear what caused the carriage to derail.

Here's everything we know so far:

What have authorities said?

The crash occurred at around 18:05 on Wednesday, near Lisbon's Avenida da Liberdade, according to local authorities.

More than 60 emergency service personnel and 22 vehicles were deployed to the scene.

Officials said it was too early to determine the cause of the incident. However, Portuguese newspaper Observador reported that a cable came loose along the railway's route, causing it to lose control and collide with a nearby building.

Images and footage from the scene the showed an overturned yellow carriage, which appeared almost entirely destroyed.

People could be seen fleeing the area on foot as smoke engulfed the cobbled street.

Map of incident

What do we know about the casualties?

Portugal's emergency medical service authority said at least 15 people have been been killed and 18 others injured.

Five of those injured were in a serious condition, it said. The remaining thirteen, which included a child, sustained minor injuries.

Lisbon's mayor, Carlos Moedas, said the victims had been taken to hospital.

Some of those killed were foreign nationals, authorities said.

Several people trapped at the scene have since been freed, the medical authority said.

Who was onboard?

The Gloria funicular can carry up to 43 passengers and is extremely popular with tourists.

It is not known how many people were onboard at the time of the collision, however.

What is the Gloria funicular and how does it work?

EPA Rescuers and firefighters operate at the scene after the Gloria funicular cable railway derailedEPA

A funicular is a type of railway system that allows travel up and down steep slopes.

In Lisbon, funiculars are among the most sought after tourist attractions. The bright yellow vehicles are a crucial means of navigating the city's steep, cobbled streets.

The Gloria funicular - the railway on which the collision took place - was opened in 1885 and electrified three decades later.

It travels some 275m (900ft) from Restauradores, a square in the centre of Lisbon, up to the picturesque streets of Bairro Alto. The journey takes just three minutes to complete.

Unlike traditional funiculars, the two cars on the Gloria funicular are powered by electric motors.

They are attached to opposite ends of a haulage cable meaning that as one travels downhill, its weight lifts the other, allowing them to ascend and descend simultaneously.

'Lisbon is in mourning'

Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas has declared three days of municipal mourning for the victims of the incident.

Posting on X, he said: "I extend my heartfelt condolences to all the families and friends of the victims. Lisbon is in mourning."

Spain's Prime Minster Pedro Sánchez said he was "appalled by the terrible accident".

"All our affection and solidarity with the families of the victims and with the Portuguese people in this difficult moment," he wrote in a statement on X.

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said he "deeply regrets" the "fatalities and serious injuries" caused by the crash.

In a statement, he expressed his "condolences and solidarity with the families affected by this tragedy" and hoped for clarity around the incident from authorities soon.

Pedro Bogas from Carris, the Lisbon Tramways Company, told reporters it was a "very a sad day, not just for the victims but also for their families".

"We have strict protocols, excellent professionals for many years, and we need to get to the bottom of what happened," he added.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X: "It is with sadness that I learned of the derailment of the famous Elevador da Glória. My condolences to the families of the victims."

Trump says 11 killed in US strike on 'drug-carrying vessel from Venezuela'

Donald Trump/Truth Social A grainy aerial video still shows a motor boat speeding across choppy watersDonald Trump/Truth Social
Donald Trump posted a video on social media showing a motor boat speeding across choppy waters before it bursts into flames.

President Donald Trump says the US has carried out a strike against a drug-carrying vessel in the southern Caribbean, killing 11 "Narcoterrorists".

He posted on social media that Tuesday's US military operation had targeted members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.

Trump said the vessel was in international waters and was transporting illegal narcotics bound for the US.

The Trump administration has ratcheted up military and political pressure against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in recent weeks, including through a $50m (£37m) reward for information leading to his arrest on drug-trafficking charges. Maduro has vowed Venezuela would fight any attempted US military intervention.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump said that US forces had "shot out" a "drug-carrying boat" in the vicinity of Venezuela.

"A lot of drugs in that boat," he said.

Trump added he had been briefed on the incident by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine.

Later the president posted on his Truth Social platform: "Earlier this morning, on my Orders, US Military Forces conducted a kinetic strike against positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility."

He added: "The strike resulted in 11 terrorists killed in action. No US Forces were harmed in this strike. Please let this serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America. BEWARE!"

His post was accompanied by a grainy aerial video showing a motor boat speeding across choppy waters before it bursts into flames.

In a social media post, Venezuela's Communications Minister, Freddy Nanez, suggested, without evidence, that the video shared by Trump was created with artificial intelligence.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a post on X that "today the US military conducted a lethal strike in the southern Carribean against a drug vessel which had departed from Venezuela and was being operated by a designated narco-terrorist organisation".

It is so far unclear what drugs the vessel was believed to have been carrying.

Since returning to the White House in January, the Trump administration has designated several drug-trafficking organisations and criminal groups in Mexico and elsewhere in Latin America as terrorist organisations.

Among them are Tren de Aragua and another Venezuelan group the "Cartel of the Suns", which US authorities allege is headed by President Maduro and other high-ranking government officials, some drawn from the country's military or intelligence services.

The US military has moved to bolster its forces in the southern Caribbean over the last two months, including through the deployment of additional naval vessels and thousands of US Marines and sailors.

The Trump administration has repeatedly signalled a willingness to use force to stem the flow of drugs into the US.

"There's more where that came from," Trump said of the strike on the vessel.

Venezuela's government has reacted angrily to the deployments.

On Monday, for example, Maduro vowed to "declare a republic in arms" if the US attacked, adding that the American deployments are "the greatest threat that has been seen on our continent in the last 100 years".

日前首相:怀反省谢罪心情参加阅兵

背负国内压力出席中国九三阅兵的日本前首相鸠山由纪夫说,他怀着反省和谢罪的心情参加了纪念大会。日本应以史为鉴,才能面向未来。

据中国央视新闻国际时讯栏目在微博发布视频,应邀出席纪念中国人民抗日战争暨世界反法西斯战争胜利80周年大会的鸠山由纪夫星期四(9月4日)返回日本,在首都东京机场接受独家访问。

他表示,作为日本前首相应邀前往北京,深刻感受到日本应该以史为鉴,才能面向未来。

他说:“回顾对于夺去很多人生命的过去(日本发动侵略战争)的历史,我作为一个日本人怀着反省和谢罪的心情参加了纪念大会。我感谢受邀出席,这非常有意义。”

鸠山由纪夫星期二(2日)飞往北京。日本电视台引述消息人士称,他是受到中国外交部长王毅的邀请。

据日本共同社8月28日引述外交消息人士报道,北京星期三(3日)举行阅兵前,日本政府已通过外交渠道呼吁欧洲及亚洲各国不要参加中国的阅兵式和其他相关活动。

DeepSeek计划年底前发布AI模型 与OpenAI竞争

彭博社引述知情人士称,中国人工智能(AI)公司深度求索(DeepSeek)正开发一款具备更先进代理功能的AI模型,以与OpenAI等美国同行竞争。

知情人士称,DeepSeek正在构建一款AI模型,希望能在用户极少指示的情况下,替用户执行多步骤操作。知情人士说,系统还能基于先前的操作进行学习和改进。

知情人士还说,DeepSeek创始人梁文峰正督促团队在今年最后一个季度,推出这款新软件。

DeepSeek上个月发布了一款旧有AI模型的升级版,称不仅可以针对中国制造的晶片进行优化功能,还具备更快的处理速度。

中俄朝密谋抗美?中国外交部:从不针对第三方

美国总统特朗普指责中国、俄罗斯和朝鲜领导人“密谋对抗美国”,中国外交部回应说,中国发展同任何国家的外交关系,从来不针对第三方。

中国外交部发言人郭嘉昆星期四(9月4日)在例行记者会上指出,中国邀请外国嘉宾赴华出席有关活动,是为了纪念中国人民抗日战争暨世界反法西斯战争胜利80周年,是为了携手爱好和平的国家和人民共同铭记历史、缅怀先烈、珍爱和平、开创未来。

他强调,中国发展同任何国家的外交关系,从来不针对第三方。

针对特朗普表示,九三阅兵式本应突出美国在结束太平洋战争中所起的作用,郭嘉昆回应说,中国国家主席习近平星期三(3日)在阅兵式上的讲话中强调,中国人民以巨大的民族牺牲为拯救人类文明、保卫世界和平作出了重大贡献。

同时,习近平向支援和帮助过中国人民抵抗侵略的外国政府和国际友人表示衷心感谢。

中国企业仍希望购买英伟达晶片

四名了解采购讨论情况的人士称,尽管北京监管机构强烈劝阻购买英伟达人工智能(AI)晶片,但阿里巴巴、字节跳动及其他中国科技公司仍然兴趣浓厚。

路透社引述两名知情人士称,这些科技公司希望确保英伟达H20晶片的订单能够得到处理,H20晶片在7月重新获准在中国销售;同时,它们也在密切关注英伟达推出性能更强大的晶片的计划。这款晶片暂定名为B30A。

两名知情人士说,如果华盛顿批准销售,B30A晶片的售价可能会是H20晶片的两倍,H20晶片目前的售价在1万至1.2万美元(1.29万至1.55万新元)之间。

知情人士补充说,中国科技公司认为B30A晶片的潜在定价颇具吸引力。知情人士称,B30A晶片的性能有望比H20晶片提升多达六倍。

这两款晶片都是面向中国市场的降级版本,专门为遵守美国出口限制而开发。

与此同时,中国渴望本国科技产业摆脱对美国晶片的依赖。路透社上个月引述消息人士透露,中国政府就企业购买英伟达H20晶片一事,约谈了腾讯、字节跳动等,要求企业解释采购原因,并对信息风险表达了担忧。

不过,官方尚未勒令这些公司停止采购H20晶片。

四名消息人士称,尽管存在压力,但由于华为、寒武纪等本土竞争对手的产品供应受限,中国对英伟达晶片的需求依然强劲。

另有三名在中国科技公司从事工程业务的消息人士说,英伟达的晶片性能优于中国国产产品。

云南省人大常委会原副主任李文荣被双开

云南省人大常委会原中共党组成员、副主任李文荣严重违纪违法,被开除党籍和公职。

中央纪委国家监委星期四(9月4日)在官网通报称,经查,李文荣丧失理想信念,背弃初心使命,贯彻落实党中央决策部署打折扣、搞变通,履行全面从严治党主体责任不力,对抗组织审查;违反中央八项规定精神,接受可能影响公正执行公务的宴请和旅游、健身活动安排,违规组织用公款支付的宴请。

通报称,李文荣违反组织原则,违规为他人职务晋升、岗位调整提供帮助;廉洁底线失守,违规收受礼品礼金,利用职权或职务影响为亲属经营活动提供帮助,搞权色交易;泄露尚未公开的企业重组信息;贪欲膨胀,把公权力当作谋取私利的工具,与商人老板沆瀣一气,搞权钱交易,利用职务便利为他人在工程承揽、企业经营、项目审批等方面谋利,并非法收受巨额财物。

通报称,李文荣严重违反党的政治纪律、组织纪律、廉洁纪律、工作纪律和生活纪律,构成严重职务违法并涉嫌受贿犯罪,且在党的十八大后不收敛、不收手,性质严重,影响恶劣,应予严肃处理。依据有关规定,经中央纪委常委会会议研究并报中共中央批准,决定给予李文荣开除党籍处分;由国家监委给予其开除公职处分;终止其云南省第十一次党代会代表资格;收缴其违纪违法所得;将其涉嫌犯罪问题移送检察机关依法审查起诉,所涉财物一并移送。

公开资料显示,今年63岁的李文荣是云南昭通人,1984年加入中共,拥有在职研究生学历。李文荣在云南工作多年,在2012年出任昆明市长,2015年任曲靖市委书记,2022年1月出任云南省人大常委会副主任。今年3月,李文荣通报被查。

中国强烈谴责欧盟官员中俄朝“专制联盟”言论

对于欧盟外交官称中国、俄罗斯和朝鲜领导人九三阅兵同框象征“专制联盟”形成的言论,中国外交部批“十分错误极不负责”,是在抱持冷战思维和严重意识形态偏见,刻意制造对抗分裂。

中国外交部发言人郭嘉昆星期四(9月4日)在例行记者会上做出以上答复。他称欧盟有关官员的言论充满了意识形态偏见,缺乏基本历史常识,公然鼓噪对立对抗,既是对二战历史的不尊重,也损害欧方自身利益,十分错误极不负责。中方对此坚决反对,强烈谴责。

他指出,在中国人民抗日战争期间,俄罗斯、美国以及一些欧洲国家的友好人士都向中国人民抵抗侵略提供了宝贵的援助和支持。

出席大会的26位外国元首和政府首脑、数十位外国政府高级代表和国际组织负责人,以及包括19个欧洲国家在内的100多位驻华使节,具有广泛代表性,恰恰表明国际社会对中国抗战的历史贡献和世界意义的普遍认同。

郭嘉昆说,欧洲作为二战策源地,本应更加深刻正视历史,汲取教训,加强团结。然而有些欧盟领导人却顽固抱持冷战思维和严重意识形态偏见,刻意制造对抗分裂。这不符合欧盟自身利益,必将进一步损害欧盟国际信誉和影响力。

“希望这些人摒弃井底之蛙的偏见、夜郎自大的傲慢,树立正确二战史观和理性对华认知,立即纠正错误言论,消除负面影响,多做有利于世界和平稳定,有利于中欧关系的事,而不是相反。”

欧盟外交与安全政策高级代表兼欧洲委员会副主席卡拉斯星期三(3日)举行阅兵式当天,在布鲁塞尔对记者说,中国、俄罗斯和朝鲜领导人一起在九三阅兵典礼上亮相,象征着一个“专制联盟”已形成。他们正在挑战以规则为基础的国际秩序,试图建立反西方的“新世界秩序”。

中国外交部:中朝领导人将举行会谈

中国外交部星期四说,中国与朝鲜领导人将举行会谈,就中朝关系和共同关心的问题深入交换意见。

中国外交部发言人郭嘉昆星期四(9月4日)主持例行记者会。有日本媒体提问,朝鲜最高领导人金正恩正在北京访问,不过关于中朝两国领导人是否见面,目前还没有消息公布。外交部能否提供相关信息,他们什么时候会举行会见?

郭嘉昆回答,应中国国家主席习近平邀请,金正恩赴华出席“9·3”纪念活动,两党两国领导人将举行会谈,就中朝关系和共同关心的问题深入交换意见。

郭嘉昆说,金正恩赴华出席“9·3”纪念活动和两党两国最高领导人举行会谈具有重要意义。中国愿同朝鲜一道,加强战略沟通,密切交往合作,深化治国理政经验交流,推动各自社会主义事业和中朝传统友好合作关系不断向前发展。

Trump Administration Targets Financial Relief for Undocumented Students

The Justice Department has challenged several states that offer in-state tuition to unauthorized immigrants, contending that the policies discriminate against U.S. citizens.

© Ilana Panich-Linsman for The New York Times

Shortly after the Trump administration challenged Texas, a federal judge ruled that a state law offering undocumented students access to in-state tuition was “invalid.”

Stephen Miran, Trump’s Fed Pick, to Face Grilling From Lawmakers

Stephen Miran, who served as one of the president’s top economic advisers, will have to reconcile his past criticism of the central bank with his new responsibilities if he becomes a governor.

© Doug Mills/The New York Times

Stephen Miran is testifying in front of the Senate Banking Committee as lawmakers consider whether to confirm him as the newest member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.

普京证实与习近平谈及器官移植与“长生不老”:现代医学让人类对未来充满希望

04/09/2025 - 11:14

俄罗斯总统普京周三与中国国家主席习近平并肩走向九三阅兵观礼台时,现场麦克风意外录下两人通过翻译讨论器官移植可以让人类实现“永生”和人类在本世纪有可能活到150岁的对话。在当晚就结束对华为期四天的访问而举行的新闻发布会上,当被塔斯社记者问及上述言论时,普京证实了这番对话的发生。

记者问道,“今天我们有一些您和习主席讨论长生不老和器官移植的镜头”,普京打断该记者的提问说:“我甚至没有注意到这件事”。

记者追问,“您真的认为人们能够活150岁或更长吗?” 普京回答说:“是的,是的,我们去参加阅兵式的时候,国家主席(习近平)谈到了这一点。过去贝卢斯科尼先生(已故意大利前总理)也曾积极探讨过这个话题”。

普京补充道:“是的,现代的治疗手段、医疗手段,甚至与器官移植相关的外科手术,都让人类对未来充满希望,希望以不同于现在的方式继续积极生活。不同国家的平均年龄有所不同,但预期寿命仍将显著提高”。

普京援引联合国的数据称,到2050年,全球65岁以上的人口数量将超过5至6岁的儿童数量。普京续指,“这将产生社会、政治和经济后果。当我们谈论预期寿命时,我们也应该考虑这一点”。

中方对原产于美国的进口相关光纤产品征收反倾销关税:中国首起反规避调查

04/09/2025 - 11:39

中国商务部3日晚间发布公告称,自9月4日起对原产于美国的进口相关光纤产品采取反规避措施。

中国商务部的公告指,3月4日,应中国国内企业申请,该部门对原产于美国的进口相关截止波长位移单模光纤可能规避对原产于美国的非色散位移单模光纤反倾销措施进行调查。该案是中国首起反规避调查。

公告显示,中国商务部裁定,“美国光纤生产商和出口商通过改变贸易模式的方式向中国出口相关截止波长位移单模光纤(G.654.C光纤),不具有充分的商业合理性,削弱了现行反倾销措施的实施效果,构成了对原产于美国的进口非色散位移单模光纤反倾销措施的规避”。

据介绍,非色散位移单模光纤的主要用途包括:非色散位移单模光纤具有内部损耗低、带宽大、易于升级扩容和成本低的优点,能广泛应用于高速率、长距离传输,如长途通信、干线、有线电视和环路馈线等网络。

公告显示,新一轮加征关税措施于北京时间周四生效,对原产于美国的“相关截止波长位移单模光纤(G.654.C光纤)”征收33.3%至78.2%的关税。

在受新关税影响的公司中,康宁公司的税率为37.9%,OFS-费特有限责任公司的税率为33.3%,德拉克通信美国公司的税率为78.2%,其他美国公司的税率为78.2%。

此外,中国商务部新闻发言人通过答记者问形式指出,“该案是中国首起反规避调查”。

该新闻发言人称,“立案后,商务部依法依规开展了调查,调查程序公开透明,充分保障了各利害关系方的权利。经过调查,证据显示,美国出口商通过对华出口相关截止波长位移单模光纤,规避了中国对美非色散位移单模光纤产品的反倾销措施。根据调查结果,商务部发布公告,决定自2025年9月4日起实施反规避措施”。

Migrant crisis: How Europe went from Merkel's 'We can do it' to pulling up the drawbridge

BBC A hand holding barbed wireBBC

The day they appeared he could hardly believe his eyes. Small boat after small boat bearing in from the Turkish side. "I have so many memories that are coming back to me now," says Paris Louamis, 50, a hotelier on the Greek island of Lesbos. "There were people from Syria, Afghanistan, many countries."

This was August 2015 and Europe was witnessing the greatest movement in population since the end of the Second World War. More than a million people would arrive in the EU over the next few months driven by violence in Syria, as well as Afghanistan and Iraq and elsewhere.

I witnessed the arrivals on Lesbos and met Paris Laoumis as he was busy helping exhausted asylum seekers near his hotel. "I am proud of what we did back then," he tells me. Along with international volunteers he provided food and clothing to those arriving.

Today the beach is quiet. There are no asylum seekers. But Paris is worried. He believes another crisis is possible. With the number of arrivals rising over the summer months, his country's migration minister has warned of the risk of an "invasion", with thousands arriving from countries such as Sudan, Egypt, Bangladesh and Yemen.

Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images Migrants are escorted through fields by police as they are walked from the village of Rigonce to Brezice refugee camp Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
More than a million migrants and refugees crossed into Europe in 2015, sparking a crisis as countries struggled to cope with the influx

"Of course I worry. I can see the suffering of the people. They are not coming here but we see it on Crete (Greece's largest island) where people have come. So it is possible that with the wars more people will come here."

In 2015 I followed as the asylum seekers boarded ferries, trudged in the heat along railway lines, through cornfields, down country lanes and along highways, making their way up through the Balkans and onwards to Germany and Scandinavia.

The numbers entering Germany jumped from 76,000 in July to 170,000 the following month. On the last day of August the Chancellor Angela Merkel declared 'wir schaffen das' - we can do it - interpreted by many as extending open arms to the asylum seekers.

"Germany is a strong country," she said. "The motive with which we approach these things must be: we have achieved so much – we can do it! We can do it, and where something stands in our way, it has to be overcome, it has to be worked on."

But the high emotions of that summer, when crowds welcomed asylum seekers along the roads north, seem to belong to a very different time.

Sean Gallup/Getty Images German Chancellor Angela Merkel poses for a selfie with Anas Modamani, a refugee from SyriaSean Gallup/Getty Images
Chancellor Angela Merkel declared "Wir schaffen das" – "We can do it" – widely seen as an open welcome to asylum seekers

That optimistic proclamation soon became a political liability for Mrs Merkel. Political opponents and some European leaders felt the words acted as a magnet for asylum seekers to the EU. Within a fortnight the Chancellor was forced to impose controls on Germany's borders due to the influx of asylum seekers.

And a decade on, concerns over migration have become a major political issue in many European countries. The causes are complex and vary from country to country, but concerns around security, struggling economies and disillusionment with governing parties have all had a major role in shaping attitudes towards those who arrive who are fleeing war, hunger and economic desperation.

It has fuelled the rise of far right parties and seen centre and even left wing parties scramble to impose controls on migration, fearing electoral defeat by populist right-wingers. Data from the Atlas Institute of International Affairs shows how support for far right parties in Europe nearly doubled over the term of two electoral cycles to 27.6%.

Since 2015, when the UNHCR says over a million people entered Europe on asylum routes, there has been a dramatic drop in arrivals. But since 2016, the average number of people entering Europe has still been around 200,000 people a year. So far this year a total of 96,200 asylum seekers have been recorded arriving. So can tough new controls really further bring down the numbers trying to come to Europe? Or does global conflict and economic desperation make their continuing flow inevitable, with ebbs and flows in the numbers?

Hungary's tough stance

In Hungary, the far right government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, has taken one of the toughest approaches to migration. Back in September 2015, I was present when Hungary's first fence was erected along the border with Serbia, and witnessed hundreds of people scrambling to cross into the EU before they could be shut out.

In Budapest, this week I met the country's minister for the EU, János Bóka, who said Hungary's approach has been vindicated by the restrictive measures now being put forward in the UK - where the government plan to make it harder for refugees to bring family members to the UK - as well as countries like Ireland, Denmark and Sweden.

The border fence in Hungary
Hungary began building a four-metre-high fence along its 175 kilometre southern border in June 2015

"We feel vindicated not only because of what's going on in other countries in Europe. This is of course also a sign that we took the right path 10 years ago, that now we see most of the countries are doing what we have been doing for the past 10 years."

Hungary immediately returns people who arrive at the border without permission to enter. They can only apply for asylum in the Serbian capital Belgrade, or in Kyiv in war battered Ukraine.

Human rights lawyer Timea Kovács says this effectively makes it impossible to enter the EU via Hungary. "Basically there is no legal way to enter the Hungarian territory as a refugee," she asserts.

MARTIN BERTRAND/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images János Bóka, Minister for European Union Affairs of HungaryMARTIN BERTRAND/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images
The EU now fines Hungary one million euros a day for breaching asylum obligations. Minister János Bóka insists the policy will not change

As a result Hungary is being fined one million Euros per day for breaching its responsibilities to asylum seekers under EU law. EU minister Bóka says the country is not about to change its policy. "If it is the price that we pay for the protection of our borders and maintaining peace and stability in Hungary, this is a price worth paying."

But even such restrictive measures haven't managed to entirely halt the entry of asylum seekers.

Austrian police told the BBC that there were between 20 to 50 people detected every day trying to enter their country illegally from Hungary. This is just the figure for those detected.

On a trip to the border with Serbia I heard the frustration of one group of Hungarian guards. We left the tar road and followed a patrol onto a dirt track into the forest. The trees closed over forming a natural tunnel. Bright sunlight gave way to shadows. The men in the vehicle ahead of us carried shotguns.

'Just one big circus'

Dressed in military camouflage Sándor Nagy and Eric Molner are citizen volunteers, paid by the state to patrol the Hungarian side of the border with Serbia.

"I feel sad and angry, and most of all, worried about what is coming," says Sandor. He believes Europe is failing to stop people from coming across its borders. "To be honest, what we experience here is basically just one big circus. What we see is that border defence here is mostly a show, a political performance."

Eric Molner
Citizen patrols like Sandor Nagy and Eric Molner (pictured) are paid by the state to guard Hungary's border with Serbia

We emerge into a clearing where a 12ft high border fence appears, topped with barbed wire, equipped with sensors and cameras to detect illegal crossings.

"They simply cut through it, and groups rush in at several points at once—this has been the same for years." The problem, he argues, is with organised crime, which is constantly one step ahead of the authorities. "This fence does not stop anyone in the long run … It delays the flow, but cannot stop it."

A deluge of abuses

With the growth of criminal trafficking has come a deluge of human rights abuses, according to the United Nations. People traffickers dump people in the Sahara desert; others crowd them onto unsafe boats. Some of those who get through find themselves being forced back into the desert by local security forces.

More than 32,000 people have died trying to reach Europe in the past 10 years - including 1,300 dead or missing this year.

According to the UN's International Organisation of Migration "much of this is happening in a situation of near complete impunity".

Carl Court/Getty Images People swim to try and board a migrant dinghy into the English Channel Carl Court/Getty Images
More than 32,000 people have died trying to reach Europe over the past decade

The summer of 2015 was not only a summer of welcome. It prompted immediate changes in the approaches of several European states. Not just with the erection of the fence in Hungary but, among several examples, the deployment of riot police in Croatia, and migrants being detained in Slovenia.

By March 2016 - six months after Mrs Merkel's statement - the EU had reached agreement with Turkey to keep migrants from crossing into Greece and Bulgaria.

Since then the EU has done deals with countries including Morocco, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt to prevent their countries being used as launch points to Europe.

Now, there are numerous well documented cases of asylum seekers being pushed back across EU borders by police and coast guards. Last January the European Court of Human Rights found Greece guilty of illegal and "systematic" pushbacks of asylum seekers to Turkey.

Paula Bronstein/Getty Images Refugees arriving to the island of Lesbos fall out of a boat as it capsizes on landing in rough seas coming from TurkeyPaula Bronstein/Getty Images
There are numerous well documented cases of asylum seekers being pushed back across EU borders by police and coast guards.

Gerasimos Tsourapa, a professor of international relations at the University of Birmingham, describes the policy of outsourcing the asylum issue as a dramatic change for Europe. "The idea that migration can be leveraged for money or aid or other concessions, which was fairly exceptional for Europe in 2016, has now become a pattern.

"Migration diplomacy is contagious. Once the deal is struck then the logic spreads."

There is also a paradox here, he says. "We are restricting asylum, we're keeping borders closed, but we also need to find labour migrants to fill shortages and help our national economy."

A changing Sweden

Persistent public concern has seen a rise in support for far right parties across the EU, even in places like Sweden, which historically prided itself as a welcoming nation for those fleeing persecution. The far right Sweden Democrats won 20.5 percent of the vote in the 2022 general election - making them the country's second largest party. In return for supporting a minority coalition government they have seen much of their anti-migration platform shape government policy.

Family re-unification for migrants has been made more difficult, as have conditions for permanent residency, and asylum quotas have been substantially reduced.

Abdulmenem and Yumma
Syrian refugee Abdulmenem Alsatouf remembers arriving in Sweden to a warm welcome in 2015

For the final leg of my journey I went to the western Swedish city of Karlstad, a picture postcard place on the banks of the River Klarälven, the longest waterway in Scandinavia.

Syrian refugee, Abdulmenem Alsatouf, 44, remembered the welcome he received here in 2015.

That has changed, he says. "At the beginning people treated us very well. But after a few years — and after the government changed — things shifted. They became more racist." He cites incidents of racist abuse, including one neighbour leaving a toy pig outside this devoutly Muslim family's home.

I first met Abdulmenem and his family ten years ago as they were trying to reach Europe from Turkey. I remember their hope for a new life. Now his wife Nour says she would prefer to be in Syria. "They look at us as if we only came here to take their money or live off their aid. But that's not true. When I first arrived, I studied Swedish for two years, I learned the language, I finished school. Then I went to work — cleaning, kitchens, childcare. I pay taxes here, just like anyone else. I'm part of this society."

Why has Swedish public opinion shifted to the right on migration? One of the more frequently cited reasons in local media and by politicians is crime, specifically the rise of organised crime, with young perpetrators used to commit extreme violence. Since 2013 the rate of gun crime in the country has more than doubled.

People born abroad, and their children born in Sweden, are over-represented in crime statistics. But Sweden's foreign ministry warns against a simplistic analysis of figures. It says low levels of education, unemployment, social segregation and refugee's war trauma are all causes - not the fact of being a migrant.

Outside the local cultural museum, where he and his apprentice were busy painting the walls, I met Daniel Hessarp, 46, who is among the 60% of Swedes that opinion polls record as being concerned about crime. "We see the statistics of the crimes, who does it and such. So, there you have the answer. We didn't have this before in Sweden.

Painter, Daniel Hessarp
Karlstad resident Daniel Hessarp is among the majority of Swedes who say they worry about crime

The apprentice, Theo Bergsten, 20, said he wasn't opposed to immigration because "you learn from, they learn from you…so it's really nice also." But he said the growth in crime was a "sad part" of the story.

Maria Moberg, a sociology lecturer at the University of Karlstad, says social media has allowed the far right's message to thrive and find new support among those who feel excluded from society.

"Sweden Democrats are very open with [us] - they don't want any asylum seekers. They actually want people to leave Sweden. And the whole government is sort of setting the agenda for being a hostile country. It's more acceptable now to not be welcoming."

Graves marked 'Unknown'

Back on Lesbos, I went to visit a place I have come to know over many years of reporting migration issues there. About 30 minutes drive from the Mytilene airport, in the middle of some olive groves, are the graves of asylum seekers who have died trying to reach here, or in the refugee camps set up after 2015. Numerous graves are simply marked 'Unknown', the last resting place of those who believed Europe would offer them a better life.

When I visited there were three fresh graves, and a fourth open waiting for a burial to take place. It is a sobering reminder that desperate people will keep trying to reach Europe, despite the enormous risks.

MANOLIS LAGOUTARIS/AFP via Getty Images Tombs at the newly renovated cemetery dedicated to refugees drowned while trying to cross to Europe in the Aegean seaMANOLIS LAGOUTARIS/AFP via Getty Images
A cemetery in Greece holds the graves of refugees who drowned while trying to cross the Aegean Sea

So far this year the numbers of asylum seekers detected trying to reach Europe is down by 20 percent. The numbers may surge and fall, but the global crises that drive migration are not going to disappear. That is the fundamental challenge for politicians, whatever party is in power.

Top image credit: Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images

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My toddler's constipation wasn't taken seriously until he reached crisis point

BBC Elissa in a pale blue striped shirt sitting on a leather sofa, wearing glasses with her hair downBBC
Elissa says constipation needs to be screened for in every area of healthcare

A mother who feared her two-year-old son's untreated constipation could have killed him is calling for access to children's continence services to be made a national priority.

Elissa Novak said Ivan was constantly vomiting, losing weight and in severe pain when it was at its worst, and a doctor said 2kg of his 10kg (22lb) body weight was estimated to be stool.

The number of children aged up to 16 admitted to English hospitals suffering with constipation, among other symptoms, is at a 10-year high, with more than 44,000 admissions in 2023-24, according to NHS figures.

Children are being failed by the absence of dedicated bladder and bowel services in some parts of the country, an expert said.

About 1.5 million children in the UK suffer with constipation, according to the charity Bladder and Bowel UK.

As many children returned to school this week, charities have told the BBC they are seeing a spike in calls to their helplines.

"It's a huge problem and many healthcare professionals don't consider it a serious issue in children," said Davina Richardson, a children's specialist nurse with the charity.

"Discussing wee and poo is very un-British. It's not something that we as a culture do."

Elissa said Ivan, who is now aged five, had been "completely robbed of his toddler years" due to health issues resulting from constipation.

He was admitted to hospital 25 times in one six-month period in 2022 for emergency treatment.

"It was horrific," Elissa said. "He was so frail he couldn't lift himself up or do anything.

"He was in pain all the time and either screaming or just lying there because he was too weak."

Elissa Novak Ivan lying down in a bath of water showing signs of being underweight. He is a young boy with blonde hair.Elissa Novak
Ivan became severely underweight as a result of constipation

Elissa, 35, from Nuneaton, Warwickshire, said she had constantly gone to her GP to try to get help and answers.

At that time in Warwickshire, there was no bowel or bladder community service, which meant they were going to A&E up to four times a week.

It was only when things got to a crisis point that Elissa was told constipation was causing Ivan's pain.

She thinks he would have died had there been any further delay in treating it.

Elissa was told Ivan's entire colon was impacted, which had pushed up into his lung cavity and compromised his lungs.

'Signs missed'

"His stomach was squashed. All of his organs were being pushed out of the way," Elissa said.

"We were in A&E for up to 12 hours at a time... just waiting for an enema of all things.

"It was a very horrible time. It was so traumatic for everybody."

Ivan has two genetic syndromes which affect his cognitive functions.

Elissa thinks this played a part in the signs being missed and constipation not being diagnosed sooner.

"It was seen as 'that's just what disabled children are like'. We did actually have one consultant who said 'disabled children just scream'," Elissa said.

"It wasn't looked into properly, it wasn't taken seriously until he was really at crisis point. His signs of pain weren't recognised. It was just a perfect storm really."

Elissa Novak Ivan in hospital wearing a blue dressing gown with his stomach visibly distendedElissa Novak
Ivan's stomach became extremely swollen due to impacted stools

Ivan now has a care package so his constipation can be managed at home with laxatives and daily bowel wash outs.

"It is a huge part of his life and a huge part of his day. He still suffers pain but it's so much better," his mother said.

Elissa is campaigning for better bladder and bowel care services across the country.

"People are falling through the cracks," she said.

Ivan wearing a cowboy hat and eating a snack. He has a white shirt on and a blue lanyard around his neck with a green plastic shape on it. A woman with brown hair can just be seen in the foreground, holding a packet of snacks.
Ivan has laxatives and daily bowel irrigations to manage his constipation

Tips for parents and carers

Here are some of the ways to prevent a child from becoming constipated:

  • Ensure your child's diet includes plenty of fruit and vegetables
  • Make sure children are drinking enough water-based drinks daily - dehydration can make constipation more likely or worse
  • A good toilet position is also helpful. Children need their bottom and the backs of their thighs well supported. Feet need to be flat on a firm surface with knees slightly higher than hips, as that helps relax the pelvic floor

Source: Bladder and Bowel UK

Brenda Cheer, a paediatric specialist continence nurse with children's bowel and bladder charity Eric, said children's constipation was on the rise for a number of reasons, including delayed potty training and today's generation of children spending more time in childcare.

She said children were being failed in areas where there was no dedicated children's continence service.

"There's huge disparity of those services," she said.

"Where is the parent supposed to go? How are they supposed to get the help they need? How is a family supposed to access support if there is no children's bladder and bowel nurse?"

Constipation can be treated in the community and should not require a hospital admission, but is not being recognised, Ms Cheer added.

Holly wearing a grey top and glasses with her daughter Ayda sitting on her lap holding a cuddly toy dog
Holly described feeling "broken" as a parent at not being able to get Ayda help

Holly Brennan told the BBC her daughter Ayda had suffered with chronic constipation for three years and she had been in "turmoil" at the lack of help.

It started when Ayda got a virus when she was two years old and spiralled from there, Holly said.

The 31-year-old described going to her GP six times and being prescribed laxatives to treat it - but not being given any guidance on how to use them, and said she had been told her daughter would grow out of it.

When it was at its worst, Ayda, now five, would have up to 15 accidents a day.

Holly, from Clevedon, Bristol, said: "It was three years of hell. She very much didn't grow out of it.

"We didn't want to go out for day trips because you wouldn't know where the toilet would be and she was constantly having accidents.

"It was just complete stress and caused arguments between my husband and I [about] how to deal with it. It upset her [Ayda] and you try not to get cross with them but it's just frustration and it just affects everything."

Ayda wearing a blue T-shirt with flowers on it. She smiles at the camera and has short blonde hair and behind her is a playground area with a slide and a wooden shelter further behind.
Holly said it was really upsetting not being able to get help for Ayda's constipation

Sometimes it would take Ayda a week to go to the toilet because she associated it with pain, her mum explained.

"It was a vicious circle. It was just complete turmoil... something that everyone just used to say she would grow out of or 'it's a phase' or 'she just needs to learn'," Holly added.

"Our life literally revolved around the toilet for three years."

Holly was not referred for further treatment for Ayda or told about children's continence services that could help.

She said it felt like "the blind leading the blind" with several doctors unable to advise her and she had reached a dead end.

It was only when she was told about the charity Eric that things started to get better.

"There was finally an answer on how to help her," Holly added. "It [the website] described my child."

Ayda is now off laxatives and able to control her bowels.

"I'm very proud of her and how she's coped. She's taken it all in her stride," Holly said.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said it is committed to ensuring children get the right care and support when they need it for conditions such as constipation.

In a statement, it said: "As part of our 10-year health plan, neighbourhood health services will bring together teams of professionals closer to people's home to provide comprehensive community care.

"We will also strengthen health visiting services so all families have access to high-quality, personalised support."

Jodie Gosling, MP for Nuneaton and who chairs the all-party parliamentary group for bladder and bowel continence care, said constipation had fallen low on the list of priorities facing local council and integrated care boards.

She said children's continence care "has been a silent casualty of chronic underfunding and reactive healthcare".

"This leads to a postcode lottery, where even high-need areas fail to address issues like constipation adequately."

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TUC urges chancellor to consider wealth taxes in November Budget

BBC Paul NowakBBC

The TUC, the umbrella group for trade unions in the UK, is calling for Chancellor Rachel Reeves to consider a range of wealth taxes in November's Budget to help boost investment in public services.

Their top official, general secretary Paul Nowak, told the BBC that people needed to see evidence of change.

"We need a progressive tax system – a tax on online gaming companies and gambling companies, a tax on windfall profits which the banks and financial institutions have seen over the last couple of years."

The Treasury said the government's number one priority was to grow the economy.

In the interview, Mr Nowak called for Reeves "not to take anything off the table" and look at other options including equalising capital gains tax with income tax and, he said, "a wealth tax itself".

"It has been introduced in other countries including Spain, which has one of the fastest growing economies."

Individual unions are likely to make similar demands when the TUC's annual Congress gets under way this weekend.

Mr Nowak focused in particular on the case for levying more from financial institutions.

"Banks have record profits driven by a high-interest environment.

"We think we can still have a profitable bank sector and ask them to pay their fair share."

The prime minister reiterated this week that Labour's financial rules were non-negotiable.

So, to meet the chancellor's self-imposed constraints on debt and borrowing, tax rises appear to be inevitable in November.

The debate in the Labour movement – and elsewhere – is over who to tax and by how much.

Mr Nowak argued that "the big four high street banks made £46bn in profits in one year alone".

Charlie Nunn, the chief executive of Lloyds Bank, has previously spoken out against any potential tax rises for banks in the government's Budget announcement this autumn.

He said efforts to boost the UK economy and foster a strong financial services sector "wouldn't be consistent with tax rises".

And when the left-leaning think tank the IPPR suggested further taxing bank profits, share prices fell.

Asked if this approach could make the markets jittery and potentially drive investors away, Mr Nowak said: "Britain is an attractive place for international investors" and he suggested there hadn't been "an exodus of millionaires" after tax changes for non-doms and ending the VAT exemption for school fees.

He claimed that the TUC's own polling suggested that introducing wealth taxes to fund public services was most popular among voters who had gone from Labour to Reform UK.

Nigel Farage's party conference begins on Friday in Birmingham and Mr Nowak issued this warning to Keir Starmer: "Change still feels like a slogan not lived reality. There is a real danger if the government doesn't deliver the change people want, they will become disillusioned with mainstream politics, and some will look for divisive alternatives like Reform."

While the chancellor has been far from keen on a conventional wealth tax on assets, some in the wider Labour movement are pressing her to look at how those with "the broadest shoulders" pay more.

There is some hope that with a new economic adviser now ensconced in Downing Street and reporting to the prime minister, that the debate on tax is more open than before.

That adviser - Baroness Shafik - has called for taxation on wealth and land in the past.

"The public aren't daft – they know there are difficult choices," said Mr Nowak.

"We need a grown up conversation."

A Treasury spokesman told the BBC that the government's number one priority was to grow the economy and pointed to the chancellor's words last month.

Rachel Reeves said: "We introduced increased taxes on private jets, on second homes and increased capital gains tax.

"So I think we've got the balance right in terms of how we tax those with the broadest shoulders. But any further decisions will be ones that are made at a budget in the normal way."

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