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'Priceless' jewels stolen in raid on Louvre Museum

EPA/Shutterstock Image shows the exterior of the LouvreEPA/Shutterstock
The Louvre is one of the world's most famous museums

The Louvre Museum in Paris has been closed following a robbery, France's culture minister says.

Rachida Dati wrote on X that the robbery happened on Sunday morning as the museum was opening. She said she was at the site, where police are investigating

The museum confirmed it was closing for the day "for exceptional reasons," without providing further details. Various French media reports say jewellery has been stolen.

The Louvre is the world's most visited museum and houses many famous artworks and other valuable items.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.

Ex-Kenyan leader Raila Odinga buried after days of memorial events

AFP via Getty Images Senior members of the Kenya Army in ceremonial uniform tip their hats to the coffin, draped in a Kenyan flag.AFP via Getty Images

Former Kenyan prime minister and revered long-time opposition leader Raila Odinga was buried in the west of the country after a service attended by thousands on Sunday.

"Now finally Baba is home," his son, Raila Odinga junior, said beside his father's casket, draped in the Kenyan flag.

The burial concluded days of memorials that at times led to chaos, with at least five mourners dying at other events and dozens injured at a public viewing on Saturday.

Odinga died on Wednesday aged 80 in an Indian hospital.

He became prime minister after the bloody and disputed 2007 election, and was the main opposition leader for many years, losing five presidential campaigns, most recently three years ago.

He retains a devotional following in the west of the country. Former US President Barack Obama, whose Kenyan family hails from the same region, called Odinga a "true champion of democracy".

Politicians, relatives and throngs of his supporters waved Kenyan flags and held his picture aloft as they gathered at Sunday's memorial service, which was held at a university in Bondo.

"Even in the grave, he still remains our hero," one mourner told the AFP news agency.

Military personnel carried Odinga's coffin to the front, where a choir sang and speakers, including Kenyan President William Ruto, remembered him.

"His courage, his vision, and his unyielding faith in our collective destiny will forever illuminate the path of our nation," Ruto said in a post on Facebook about the event.

"His return to Bondo was not merely a homecoming; it was the embrace of a grateful Republic bidding farewell to one of its greatest sons, a patriot who devoted his life to the cause of justice, democracy, and the enduring unity of our beloved Kenya."

Odinga was buried nearby at his late father's homestead, where there is a family mausoleum.

Multiple memorial events had already taken place, including a state funeral in Nairobi on Friday and a public viewing in a stadium in his home city of Kisumu on Saturday.

At the viewing, tens of thousands filed past his open coffin, many crying out the phrase "we are orphans".

At least three people were killed when police opened fire to disperse mourners, with dozens more injured in the chaotic scenes that followed.

Millions turned out for anti-Trump 'No Kings' protests across US

Getty Images A person waves a flag that reads, "NO KINDS IN AMERICA" with the blue sky above it at a Washington DC rally on 17 October - one day before the No Kings protests scheduled in cities across the US. Getty Images

Republican governors in several US states have placed National Guard troops on standby in preparation for a nationwide protest to oppose Donald Trump and his policies.

The organisers of the "No Kings" protests say that gatherings will take place at more than 2,500 locations around the US. Trump allies have accused the protesters of being allied with the far-left Antifa movement.

Governors in Texas and Virginia have activated their state's National Guard troops, however it is unclear how visible the military presence will be.

Organisers say that at the last No Kings protest, held in June, more than five million people took to the streets to denounce Trump's political agenda.

The protest organisers say the protest will challenge Trump's "authoritarianism".

"The president thinks his rule is absolute," they say on their website.

"But in America, we don't have kings and we won't back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty."

Some Republicans have dubbed the protests "Hate America" rallies.

"We'll have to get the National Guard out," Kansas Senator Roger Marshall said ahead of the rallies, according to CNN.

"Hopefully it'll be peaceful. I doubt it."

Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Thursday activated the state's National Guard ahead of a protest scheduled in Austin, the state's capital.

He said the troops would be needed due to the "planned antifa-linked demonstration".

Democrats denounced the move, including the state's top Democrat Gene Wu, who argued: "Sending armed soldiers to suppress peaceful protests is what kings and dictators do — and Greg Abbott just proved he's one of them."

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin also ordered the state National Guard to be activated.

Trump ends aid to Colombia and calls country's leader a 'drug dealer'

Reuters Donald Trump at a podium in the Oval Office pointing as he takes questions from reporters. Reuters

President Donald Trump has said the US will return two people who survived a strike on what he called a "drug-carrying submarine" to their countries of origin, Ecuador and Colombia.

Writing on social media, Trump said two other people were killed in the US strike on the vessel, which he said US intelligence confirmed was "loaded up with mostly Fentanyl, and other illegal narcotics".

The attack on Thursday is at least the sixth US strike on ships in the Caribbean Sea in recent weeks. It is the first time survivors have been reported.

At least 27 people were killed in the prior five boat strikes in the waters off Venezuela, according to figures released by the administration.

The two survivors were rescued by a US military helicopter and then shuttled onto a US warship in the Caribbean, unnamed US officials told US media earlier.

In recent weeks, Trump has ramped up threats against Venezuela's leadership over claims that the country is sending drugs to the US. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has accused Trump of trying to make the South American nation "an American colony".

Trump has defended the ongoing boat attacks, saying they are aimed at stemming the flow of drugs from Latin America into the US, but his government has not provided evidence or details about the identities of the vessels or those on board.

"It was my great honor to destroy a very large DRUG-CARRYING SUBMARINE that was navigating towards the United States on a well known narcotrafficking transit route," Trump said in his Truth Social post on Saturday.

"The two surviving terrorists are being returned to their Countries of origin, Ecuador and Colombia, for detention and prosecution."

He added that no US military personnel were injured in the attack.

On Friday, the US president had said the submarine targeting the latest attack was "built specifically for the transportation of massive amounts of drugs".

"This was not an innocent group of people. I don't know too many people who have submarines, and that was an attack on a drug-carrying, loaded submarine," he added.

UN-appointed human rights experts have described the US strikes as "extrajudicial executions".

Trump earlier told reporters that he had authorised the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela, and that he was considering launching attacks on Venezuelan soil.

Narco-subs have become a popular way to transport drugs as they can go largely undetected, and can be sunk after delivery. They are often homemade and constructed using fibreglass and plywood.

The US, as well as other coastal nations, have previously intercepted some of these subs.

Questions surround US singer D4vd weeks after teen's body found in his Tesla

Getty Images D4vd sings into a microphone. He wears a yellow sports jersey, lots of diamond jewelry, a silk scarf tied around his head and sunglassesGetty Images
D4vd performed at Coachella music festival months before a body was discovered in the trunk of his car

The day after a body was found in his car in Hollywood, singer D4vd was belting his TikTok hit Romantic Homicide - a brooding breakup song about killing an ex with no regret - to a sold-out crowd in Minneapolis.

The US recording artist had self-launched his music career from his sister's closet while working a part-time gig at Starbucks. It led him to viral fame, millions of followers online, and a global tour.

But all of it came to an abrupt halt last month with the discovery of a severely decomposed body in the front trunk of his Tesla.

The corpse was identified as that of 15-year-old runaway Celeste Rivas Hernandez.

A month later, mystery still surrounds the teen's death, as well as her relationship to the 20-year-old singer, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke.

Getty Images Wearing a white jacket and surrounded by white roses, D4vid sings into a microphoneGetty Images
D4vd performs on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Deep dives into his macabre oeuvre - which is peppered with references to death, remembrance, violence and bloody motifs - have led some to question if life was imitating art and vice versa.

The young singer has yet to publicly comment on the case or the grim discovery in his car. His spokesperson has only said that that he is "fully cooperating with authorities" and he has since hired a prominent criminal defence attorney who has represented celebrities such as Mel Gibson, Lindsay Lohan, Kanye West and Britney Spears.

Representatives for the singer - including his lawyer Blair Berk, Universal Music Group, Darkroom Records and Sony Music Publishing - did not respond to the BBC's requests for comment.

Rivas Hernandez's cause of death has yet to be determined.

The county's medical examiner has said her body was "severely decomposed" when it was found and has deferred making a ruling on how she died - an investigation they say could take months.

Getty Images CelesteGetty Images

Police have also not named a suspect or person of interest in case, even weeks after discovering her body.

The Los Angeles Police Department has not offered many details in the case or the probe, calling it an open death investigation. The department would not comment on multiple questions posed by the BBC about the case, the investigation and any connections the singer may have to Rivas Hernandez.

"It's just such a strange one," Neama Rahmani, a former prosecutor and Los Angeles attorney, told the BBC. "It keeps getting more bizarre each day that goes on without an arrest."

That lack of information has also seemed to fuel intrigue. Fans, true-crime enthusiasts and internet sleuths have launched their own inquiries, locking in on details that appear to connect the teen girl with the gamer-turned-songwriter, who was once heralded by GQ as a "Mouthpiece for Gen-Z Heartache".

A runaway teen found dead in a Tesla

Rivas Hernandez - who lived about 75 miles away from where her body was discovered - had last been reported missing by her family in April 2024, but it was not the first time she had run away from their Lake Elsinore home.

A first-generation daughter of immigrant parents from El Salvador, neighbours recognised her as a girl who would visit the corner store almost daily to buy candy and soda, according to the Los Angeles Times.

She first went missing on Valentine's Day 2024, and her family filed a missing persons report the next day.

Posters of her face were put up in her neighbourhood and her mother posted pleas on Facebook in Spanish for her return - public overtures that apparently irked the teen.

Over the next two years, her parents would file at least two more missing-persons reports.

Her family and friends told the newspaper that every time Rivas Hernandez ran away, she would eventually return and blend back into her life as a middle schooler.

Getty Images A memorial for Getty Images

When the teens' remains were found in a bag in D4vd's Tesla on 8 September, the medical examiner said that she was wearing a tube top, size small black leggings and jewellery, including a yellow metal stud earring and a yellow metal chain bracelet.

She also had a tattoo that read "Shhh…" on her index finger - a marking nearly identical to that on the pop singer's own index finger.

The decomposition of her body indicated that she had already been "deceased for several weeks", investigators said.

Her family, who described her as a beloved daughter, sister, cousin and friend, has said they are "heartbroken and devastated by this tragic loss". They have since solicited money on a crowdfunding website to pay for her funeral, which took place earlier this month.

A singer on the precipice of main-stream fame

D4vd's rise to stardom - fuelled by TikTok and online gaming - is a paradigm for his generation.

Growing up near Houston, Texas, he was home-schooled and said he exclusively listened to gospel music until he was 13. He became an avid Fortnite player in 2017 and launched his music career using pop songs to soundtrack gameplay montages that he posted on YouTube.

He started making his own music when he ran into copyright hurdles, beginning by recording songs on The BandLab app in 2021 and uploading his work on SoundCloud.

Soon, he saw his music breaking through with thousands of listens. He then released what would become his two biggest hits thus far: Romantic Homicide and Here With Me.

The songs went viral on TikTok and led to billions of streams on Spotify, where he has amassed 33 million monthly listeners.

He signed with Darkroom and Interscope Records and released his debut EP, Petals and Thorns, in 2023. That same year, he landed on Variety's Young Hollywood list and opened for SZA on her SOS tour.

Last spring, he made his Coachella debut - known as the festival for up-and-coming talent to break into mainstream fame. He was also commissioned by Fortnite - which he has said shaped his story as an artist - to create the game's first official anthem, Locked & Loaded.

Getty Images D4vid sits down, wearing a matching jean jacket and baggy pants, black shades, and carrying a pink Labubu dollGetty Images

A discovery that broke a family and halted a career

But this ascent to fame came to a pause when his Tesla was towed to an impoundment lot and authorities found a bag inside the front trunk that contained Rivas Hernandez's decomposing remains after someone complained about a foul smell.

His world tour was cancelled within days of the discovery, and Sony Music Publishing reportedly suspended promotion of his sophomore album.

Los Angeles police soon raided the posh Hollywood Hills mansion where the singer was living, just blocks from where his Tesla had been towed.

US retailer Hollister and footwear giant Crocs dropped D4vd from marketing campaigns and Telepatía singer Kali Uchis announced she was taking down their collaboration, Crashing.

But while his career ground to a screeching halt, authorities have been silent on the investigation into Rivas Hernandez's death.

Investigators have not released any new information in the case since 29 September.

The agency also said that it is still unclear whether there is any criminal culpability beyond the concealment of her body.

CBS News A parking lot with cars, including a black Tesla with the trunk popped openCBS News
Footage of the Tesla where Rivas Hernandez's body was found

While online sleuths have been quick to speculate, legal experts say that there is still much we don't know.

"You have this connection to David that seems pretty strong," Mr Rahmani, the former prosecutor, told the BBC. "There is a lot of smoke but look, he could be absolutely innocent and it could be someone else who had access to his vehicle."

Mr Rahmani said while there are many questions in this case, the biggest for him is "what is taking the LAPD so long".

"They haven't released any real information," he said. "This isn't a good look for the LAPD and it's a terrible look for D4vd."

He added that a case like this has added pressures: it involves a teen girl's death, it has garnered global headlines, and the investigation involves a celebrity.

Mr Rahmani noted that technology and potential for video footage is likely to be a "treasure trove" for investigators. Telsa vehicles come with advanced technology that tracks vehicles, notifies users when things like the trunk is open and are also outfitted with a slew of cameras as part of its Sentry Mode systems.

On top of this, the Hollywood home where he was living also had cameras. When authorities searched the home last month, investigators took a DVR that stores video and other data from the surveillance system.

Malden Trifunovic, the owner of the Hollywood Hills home D4vd was renting, has told the BBC that he has hired a private investigator to help uncover what might have happened inside his multi-million-dollar abode.

D4vd's manager Josh Marshall, the founder of Mogul Vision, rented the home for D4vd and has distanced himself from the singer. He vehemently denied rumours that he is connected to the death investigation.

The widening mystery

In addition to the mystery surrounding the cause of Rivas Hernandez's death, it is still unclear what relationship the teenager had with the 20-year-old singer.

Rivas Hernandez would have turned 15 the day before her body was found by police.

In California, the age of consent is 18.

Family, friends and those who knew her have told local media that she had been dating someone named David and said he was a music artist.

A former middle-school science teacher blamed her last attempt to run away from home, in the spring of 2024, on her dating a music artist she'd met online.

"She's been missing since I taught her," the teacher said in a viral video after Rivas Hernandez's body was identified.

Online sleuths have also connected her to the singer in a number of ways, from their matching tattoos to photos he posted online that appear to show them together.

Getty Images A faint tattoo is seen on a close-up picture of D4vd's fingerGetty Images
A close up of D4vd's tattoo on his finger

But D4vd has not addressed the rumours, nor have police.

Like many who don't follow indie pop music, his landlord Mr Trifunovic said he had never heard of D4vd until news broke about the discovery. He didn't even know it was D4vd who was renting his home because the lease had been signed by the singer's manager, Mr Marshall.

"I share the same anxiety and desire to understand what happened to poor Celeste as everyone else does," Mr Trifunovic told the BBC.

Although he said he trusts the LAPD to conduct a thorough investigation, he too, is anxious for information.

"There is absolutely no question that a crime was committed," he said.

"She did not place herself in the front trunk of the Tesla or move the vehicle to where it was found."

A Fragile Cease-fire Between Afghanistan and Pakistan Ends Violence, for Now

The two committed to stop attacking each other after the worst outbreak of hostilities in years. But the underlying causes remain, analysts warn.

© Sanaullah Seiam/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Taliban security personnel walking past a destroyed car in Afghanistan’s Kandahar Province on Thursday, a day after cross-border clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

乒乓欧锦赛 法国男团夺冠

19/10/2025 - 19:26

19日晚,在克罗地亚扎达尔(Zadar)举行的2025欧洲乒乓球锦标赛团体决赛落幕。法国队重夺冠军桂冠并不令人意外,教练纳塔内尔·莫林·莫林的球队在比赛中占据主导地位,前一天在半决赛中以3-1横扫夺冠热门德国队,随后又在对阵罗马尼亚队的比赛中势不可挡。

罗马尼亚队在四分之一决赛中爆冷击败了卫冕冠军瑞典队,最终进入决赛。继2024年亚历克西斯·勒布伦赢得洲际冠军(单打和双打,由菲利克斯搭档)之后,法国队实现了勒布伦教练一直期盼的“大满贯”,而此前,他们还曾获得过2024年欧洲杯冠军(亚历克西斯·勒布伦和菲利克斯·勒布伦分别获得单打和双打冠军),以及欧洲16强赛冠军,以及菲利克斯·勒布伦在2023年欧洲运动会上夺得单打冠军。

决赛中,艾利克斯·勒布伦完美掌控了尤利安·奇里塔(3-0、11-2、11-6、11-7),彻底压制了对手,但面对这位蒙彼利埃球员强势的打法,他束手无策。

随后,爱德华·约内斯库试图给菲利克斯·勒布伦制造麻烦,他成功拿下第一盘。但这位法国选手再次发力,轻松取胜(3-1、11-3、9-11、11-5、11-4)。最终,30岁的老将西蒙·高齐( Simon Gauzy)尽管比赛竞争更加激烈,且在第三盘失利,但他没有错过机会(3-1、11-9、11-9、3-11、11-3战胜奥维迪乌·约内斯库),将冠军奖杯献给队友。法国队获胜后,队员冲上看台与球迷们一起分享幸福的时刻。

法国队上一次夺冠是在 1998 年,当时的阵容中包括让-菲利普·加蒂安(Jean-Philippe Gatien)、帕特里克·奇拉()和达米安·埃洛伊(Patrick Chila)等著名球星。 

法国对教练纳塔内尔·莫林(Nathanaël Molin)在比赛前就信心十足。他曾对媒体表示,可以说法国队是有史以来最强的阵容。

法国男子乒乓球队是代表法国参加国际乒乓球赛事的国家男子乒乓球队。在2022年第56届成都世乒赛团体赛中,法国队于10月4日晋级十六强 ,并在10月5日的1/8决赛中以3-2战胜英格兰队,成功进入八强。随后在1/4决赛中以2-3负于德国队,止步八强 。

2022年12月,法国队在世青赛U15男团半决赛中1-3不敌澳大利亚队。2024年2月25日,法国队在釜山世乒赛男子团体决赛中0-3负于中国队,获得亚军 。

'Priceless' jewels stolen in raid on Louvre Museum

EPA/Shutterstock Image shows the exterior of the LouvreEPA/Shutterstock
The Louvre is one of the world's most famous museums

The Louvre Museum in Paris has been closed following a robbery, France's culture minister says.

Rachida Dati wrote on X that the robbery happened on Sunday morning as the museum was opening. She said she was at the site, where police are investigating

The museum confirmed it was closing for the day "for exceptional reasons," without providing further details. Various French media reports say jewellery has been stolen.

The Louvre is the world's most visited museum and houses many famous artworks and other valuable items.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.

Green Party leader defends wealth tax proposals

Jeff Overs/BBC Zack Polanski being interviewed by the BBC.Jeff Overs/BBC

Green Party leader Zack Polanski has defended his party's proposals for a wealth tax as "tackling the deep inequality in our society".

He told the BBC that at a time when people are "really struggling" it was right to focus on the "super wealthy".

In its general election manifesto last year, the Green Party of England and Wales proposed an annual tax of 1% on assets above £10m and 2% on assets above £1bn.

Critics of the idea have said such a tax would penalise savings and investment, while arguing it could encourage wealthy individuals to leave the country.

In an interview with the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Polanski suggested a wealth tax could raise between £15bn and £25bn a year.

Challenged that other countries which have implemented similar proposals have found they raised much smaller sums, he said: "Whatever you're going to create from a wealth tax, it's ultimately about reducing inequality.

"This isn't about creating public investment, we can do that anyway, we don't need to tax the wealthy to do that. This is ultimately about tackling the deep inequality in our society."

However, he admitted the idea was not even "close to a panacea" and said capital gains tax - which is charged on profits made from the sale of an asset such as a second home or shares - also needed to brought in line with income tax.

"We need to tax unearned wealth as much as we tax earned income," he added.

Pressed over whether lower and middle-income earners would also have to contribute more for better public services, Polanski insisted the focus at the moment should be on the wealthiest.

But he added: "Once we start to move to a better footing as a society, where we have better public infrastructure and services, then I think it is legitimate to say paying tax is something that's actually patriotic, we should be proud of contributing to this country, to making sure we have an NHS that works, that we have public transport that works.

"And, yes, everyone will have to pay for that, but ultimately this is about where is the biggest burden, and that should be on the people with the broadest shoulders."

Polanski was also asked about his position on Nato, after previously suggesting the UK should leave the military alliance.

He told the BBC he did not support withdrawing from Nato "immediately" as "the world is in political turmoil, and we need to make sure our country is defended".

However, he added: "Once we've created an alternative alliance with our European neighbours, we should absolutely be looking at a different way that is focused on peace and diplomacy, rather than on nuclear weapons."

Polanski was elected as leader of the Green Party of England and Wales last month, beating his opponents, MPs Adrian Ramsay and Ellie Chowns, by a huge margin.

He campaigned on a platform of "eco-populism", arguing the party needed to be bolder and more radical in its approach.

The party says its membership has surged by 80% since he took over as leader and now stands at more than 126,000.

Polanski said the figures reflected "growing public frustration with the political status quo and a hunger for genuine alternatives".

The party - which won a record four MPs at last year's general election - claims its membership has now overtaken the Conservatives.

The Conservatives do not routinely publish their membership figures.

Some 131,680 members were eligible to vote in last year's Tory leadership election but reports suggest the party's membership has fallen to around 123,000 since then.

Labour, which is the largest political party in the UK on current publicly available figures, has seen its membership drop to 333,235 at the end of last year.

Reform UK did not give a figure for membership in its annual accounts last year, but a ticker on its website says it has more than 260,000 members.

Meanwhile, the number of Liberal Democrat members has almost halved in the last five years to 60,000.

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Trump ends aid to Colombia and calls country's leader a 'drug dealer'

Reuters Donald Trump at a podium in the Oval Office pointing as he takes questions from reporters. Reuters

President Donald Trump has said the US will return two people who survived a strike on what he called a "drug-carrying submarine" to their countries of origin, Ecuador and Colombia.

Writing on social media, Trump said two other people were killed in the US strike on the vessel, which he said US intelligence confirmed was "loaded up with mostly Fentanyl, and other illegal narcotics".

The attack on Thursday is at least the sixth US strike on ships in the Caribbean Sea in recent weeks. It is the first time survivors have been reported.

At least 27 people were killed in the prior five boat strikes in the waters off Venezuela, according to figures released by the administration.

The two survivors were rescued by a US military helicopter and then shuttled onto a US warship in the Caribbean, unnamed US officials told US media earlier.

In recent weeks, Trump has ramped up threats against Venezuela's leadership over claims that the country is sending drugs to the US. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has accused Trump of trying to make the South American nation "an American colony".

Trump has defended the ongoing boat attacks, saying they are aimed at stemming the flow of drugs from Latin America into the US, but his government has not provided evidence or details about the identities of the vessels or those on board.

"It was my great honor to destroy a very large DRUG-CARRYING SUBMARINE that was navigating towards the United States on a well known narcotrafficking transit route," Trump said in his Truth Social post on Saturday.

"The two surviving terrorists are being returned to their Countries of origin, Ecuador and Colombia, for detention and prosecution."

He added that no US military personnel were injured in the attack.

On Friday, the US president had said the submarine targeting the latest attack was "built specifically for the transportation of massive amounts of drugs".

"This was not an innocent group of people. I don't know too many people who have submarines, and that was an attack on a drug-carrying, loaded submarine," he added.

UN-appointed human rights experts have described the US strikes as "extrajudicial executions".

Trump earlier told reporters that he had authorised the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela, and that he was considering launching attacks on Venezuelan soil.

Narco-subs have become a popular way to transport drugs as they can go largely undetected, and can be sunk after delivery. They are often homemade and constructed using fibreglass and plywood.

The US, as well as other coastal nations, have previously intercepted some of these subs.

World of cricket's farewell to umpire Dickie Bird

PA Media A hearse passing a statue with mourners lining the routePA Media
Dickie Bird's funeral cortege passes the umpire's statue in Barnsley

Cricketing stars from Yorkshire and beyond were among the mourners who gathered to say farewell to legendary umpire Dickie Bird at his funeral earlier.

The Barnsley-born son of a miner was 92 when he died "peacefully at home" on 22 September, according to Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

The service at St Mary's Church in Barnsley was attended by former England cricketers Sir Geoffrey Boycott and Michael Vaughan and was followed by a private family-only cremation and a wake at the town hall.

Well-wishers gathered at the statue of Bird on Church Lane where the funeral procession paused for a moment of reflection.

Anthony Devlin/PA Wire Dickie Bird, an elderly man with short grey hair, dressed in a dark suit, white shirt, and a striped yellow and red tie. He is smiling broadly and raising both hands in the air. The background is dark, with other people partially visible behind.
Anthony Devlin/PA Wire
Dickie Bird died on 22 September aged 92

The invited guests also included Yorkshire chair Colin Graves and former director of cricket Martyn Moxon, the sports commentator John Helm and the ex-sports minister Richard Caborn.

Sir Geoffrey and Graves both gave eulogies and a poem by local poet Ian McMillan was read out.

Sir Geoffrey made sure the colourful character of his friend of almost 70 years shined through.

"I first met Dickie Bird when I was 15, at the time I was playing cricket for Hemsworth Grammar School," Sir Geoffrey said to a packed church.

"He called me Gerald for years."

He added: "Surprisingly with all the nerves he had as a batsman, he became a great umpire because he could channel all that nervous energy into good decisions.

"Dickie was refreshingly different. Eccentric but fair. It would be hard to find anyone who didn't like him."

PA Media Man speaking at a person's funeralPA Media
Sir Geoffery Boycott paid tribute to his old friend Dickie Bird

Bird officiated in 66 Tests and 76 one-day internationals, including three World Cup finals, between 1973 and 1996.

He began as a player, batting for Yorkshire and Leicestershire before an injury cut short his career in 1964.

Bird was awarded an MBE in 1986, an OBE in 2012 and the Freedom of Barnsley in 2000.

In 2009 he was immortalised by a statue in Barnsley that depicted him raising his index finger to indicate a batsman was out.

At Yorkshire's home ground, Headingley, he paid for a balcony outside the dressing room for the players to sit and watch the game. Both the balcony and a clock at the ground bear his name.

Reuters Veteran cricket umpire Harold "Dickie" Bird walks onto the pitch at Headingley in Leeds before umpiring his last ever cricket match between Yorkshire and Warwickshire September 13. He is wearing a white sweater with an emblem, a collared shirt, and dark pants stands in front of a building entrance with a sign that reads 'WELCOME TO HEADINGLEY.' Reuters
Dickie Bird retired as an umpire at the age of 65 after a career spanning 30 years

Former England and Yorkshire cricketer Ryan Sidebottom said Bird was so committed to Yorkshire cricket that he would be on the pitch even for county matches he wasn't umpiring.

He said: "He'd be out looking at the wicket and wandering around. But it looked like he'd just come in from a night out, like an 1980s John Travolta, because he had the full suit on with a large collar and tie and really fancy suits and flared trousers.

"We used to see him regularly with different suits, some naughty suits, some proper naughty suits."

Bowler Sidebottom retired in 2017, after taking more than 1,000 career wickets, and he said Bird "absolutely loved" the sport.

"Great bloke and a lovely man who would do anything for Yorkshire cricket. He just loved Yorkshire, he was so passionate about the game and Yorkshire in general," he said.

And it was love for Yorkshire, and its people, that chair of Yorkshire County Cricket Club Colin Graves remembered at his funeral.

"He had a reputation for not being the first at the bar, but he was a very generous man indeed," he said, adding that almost 1,000 children had been recipients of grants from him.

Among the junior cricketers to have received financial awards from Dickie was Harry Brook - now an England international.

Paul Barker/PA Wire Dickie Bird: a man wearing a black hat with a yellow tassel and a large white scarf around their neck has their mouth open and eyes wide, with one hand raised and pointing upward. The background features blurred greenery.Paul Barker/PA Wire
Dickie Bird was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Leeds in 1997

Speaking to the BBC when he turned 90 two years ago, Bird said his secret to a long life had been his love of sport and exercise.

"I run, I go out down to the local football ground here in the local park and I lap around the ground. I feel that's done me good.

"I'd like people, elderly people, if they could to just try and do a few exercises, move your arms, run on the spot, it occupies the brain.

"I'll keep my exercises up as long as I can."

As a young man, he played for Barnsley Cricket Club alongside Boycott and the journalist and broadcaster Sir Michael Parkinson.

Dickie Bird shares secret to healthy life at 90

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North

What we know about the Louvre jewellery heist

Getty Images Image shows an overall view of the Apollon Wing gallery in the Louvre which is a highly ornate, gold-gilded room, with an embellished vaulted ceiling, and tapestries, which house the French Crown Jewels.Getty Images
The robbers reached a first-floor window and cut through glass panes to gain access to the gold gilded Apollon Wing

The Louvre Museum in Paris has been forced to close while police investigate a brazen heist which reportedly targeted France's priceless crown jewels.

Thieves wielding power tools broke into the world's most visited museum in broad daylight, before escaping on scooters with items said to be of "incalculable" value.

Here is what we know about the crime which has stunned France.

How did the theft unfold?

The theft occurred on Sunday between 09:30 and 09:40 local time, shortly after the museum opened to visitors.

The thieves appear to have used a mechanical ladder to gain access to the Galerie d'Apollon via a balcony close to the River Seine.

Pictures from the scene showed a vehicle-mounted ladder leading up to a first-floor window.

The thieves are then said to have cut through glass panes with an angle grinder or chainsaw to gain access to the museum.

Culture Minister Rachida Dati told French news outlet TF1 that footage of the theft showed the masked robbers entering "calmly" and smashing display cases containing the jewels.

No one was injured in the incident, with Dati saying there been "no violence, very professional".

She described the thieves as seemingly being "experienced" with a well-prepared plan to flee on scooters.

Investigators believe three or four suspects were involved and are studying CCTV footage from the escape route.

The whole raid happened "very, very fast", Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told France Inter radio, and was over in a handful of minutes.

One witness described scenes of "total panic" as the museum was evacuated. Later images showed entrances closed off with metal gates.

Getty Images French police officers stand next to a furniture elevator used by robbers to enter the Louvre MuseumGetty Images
The thieves approached the building from the River Seine bankside

What was stolen

French authorities have not confirmed which items were taken but the wing which was targeted houses jewels and riches from France's royal past.

Dati said one item was found outside the museum, apparently having been dropped during the escape. Le Parisien newspaper reported it may have been the crown of Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III.

The newspaper said the Regent Diamond - the 140-carat centrepiece of the gallery - was not stolen.

BFM reported that the stolen pieces were believed to include jewels belonging to Napoleon III, and that a second cabinet containing other regal treasures may also have been targeted.

Nuñez described the stolen jewels "priceless" and "of immeasurable heritage value".

Getty Images Visitors wearing face masks look at the Duchess of Angouleme's Diadem exposed in a window displayed in the Apollo gallery in the Louvre MuseumGetty Images
They would not confirm which items were taken but said the thieves targeted two glass display cases in the Apollon Wing

Have similar thefts happened before?

In 1911, an Italian museum employee was able to make off with the Mona Lisa under his coat after lifting the painting - which was then little-known to the public - straight off the wall of a quiet gallery.

It was recovered after two years and the culprit later said he was motivated by the belief the Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece belonged in Italy.

Fewer chances are taken with the Mona Lisa these days: the painting, perhaps the most renowned in the museum's collection, hangs in a high-security glass compartment.

In 1998, the Le Chemin de Sevres - a 19th century painting by Camille Corot - was stolen and has never been found. The incident prompted a massive overhaul of museum security.

There has been a recent spate of thefts targeting French museums.

Last month, thieves broke into the Adrien Dubouche Museum in Limoges and stole porcelain works reputedly worth €9.5m ($11m / £8.25m).

In November 2024, seven items of "great historic and heritage value" were stolen from the Cognacq-Jay Museum in the capital. Five were recovered a few days ago.

The same month, armed robbers raided the Hieron Museum in Burgundy, firing shots before escaping with millions of pounds worth of 20th century artworks.

Questions surround US singer D4vd weeks after teen's body found in his Tesla

Getty Images D4vd sings into a microphone. He wears a yellow sports jersey, lots of diamond jewelry, a silk scarf tied around his head and sunglassesGetty Images
D4vd performed at Coachella music festival months before a body was discovered in the trunk of his car

The day after a body was found in his car in Hollywood, singer D4vd was belting his TikTok hit Romantic Homicide - a brooding breakup song about killing an ex with no regret - to a sold-out crowd in Minneapolis.

The US recording artist had self-launched his music career from his sister's closet while working a part-time gig at Starbucks. It led him to viral fame, millions of followers online, and a global tour.

But all of it came to an abrupt halt last month with the discovery of a severely decomposed body in the front trunk of his Tesla.

The corpse was identified as that of 15-year-old runaway Celeste Rivas Hernandez.

A month later, mystery still surrounds the teen's death, as well as her relationship to the 20-year-old singer, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke.

Getty Images Wearing a white jacket and surrounded by white roses, D4vid sings into a microphoneGetty Images
D4vd performs on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Deep dives into his macabre oeuvre - which is peppered with references to death, remembrance, violence and bloody motifs - have led some to question if life was imitating art and vice versa.

The young singer has yet to publicly comment on the case or the grim discovery in his car. His spokesperson has only said that that he is "fully cooperating with authorities" and he has since hired a prominent criminal defence attorney who has represented celebrities such as Mel Gibson, Lindsay Lohan, Kanye West and Britney Spears.

Representatives for the singer - including his lawyer Blair Berk, Universal Music Group, Darkroom Records and Sony Music Publishing - did not respond to the BBC's requests for comment.

Rivas Hernandez's cause of death has yet to be determined.

The county's medical examiner has said her body was "severely decomposed" when it was found and has deferred making a ruling on how she died - an investigation they say could take months.

Getty Images CelesteGetty Images

Police have also not named a suspect or person of interest in case, even weeks after discovering her body.

The Los Angeles Police Department has not offered many details in the case or the probe, calling it an open death investigation. The department would not comment on multiple questions posed by the BBC about the case, the investigation and any connections the singer may have to Rivas Hernandez.

"It's just such a strange one," Neama Rahmani, a former prosecutor and Los Angeles attorney, told the BBC. "It keeps getting more bizarre each day that goes on without an arrest."

That lack of information has also seemed to fuel intrigue. Fans, true-crime enthusiasts and internet sleuths have launched their own inquiries, locking in on details that appear to connect the teen girl with the gamer-turned-songwriter, who was once heralded by GQ as a "Mouthpiece for Gen-Z Heartache".

A runaway teen found dead in a Tesla

Rivas Hernandez - who lived about 75 miles away from where her body was discovered - had last been reported missing by her family in April 2024, but it was not the first time she had run away from their Lake Elsinore home.

A first-generation daughter of immigrant parents from El Salvador, neighbours recognised her as a girl who would visit the corner store almost daily to buy candy and soda, according to the Los Angeles Times.

She first went missing on Valentine's Day 2024, and her family filed a missing persons report the next day.

Posters of her face were put up in her neighbourhood and her mother posted pleas on Facebook in Spanish for her return - public overtures that apparently irked the teen.

Over the next two years, her parents would file at least two more missing-persons reports.

Her family and friends told the newspaper that every time Rivas Hernandez ran away, she would eventually return and blend back into her life as a middle schooler.

Getty Images A memorial for Getty Images

When the teens' remains were found in a bag in D4vd's Tesla on 8 September, the medical examiner said that she was wearing a tube top, size small black leggings and jewellery, including a yellow metal stud earring and a yellow metal chain bracelet.

She also had a tattoo that read "Shhh…" on her index finger - a marking nearly identical to that on the pop singer's own index finger.

The decomposition of her body indicated that she had already been "deceased for several weeks", investigators said.

Her family, who described her as a beloved daughter, sister, cousin and friend, has said they are "heartbroken and devastated by this tragic loss". They have since solicited money on a crowdfunding website to pay for her funeral, which took place earlier this month.

A singer on the precipice of main-stream fame

D4vd's rise to stardom - fuelled by TikTok and online gaming - is a paradigm for his generation.

Growing up near Houston, Texas, he was home-schooled and said he exclusively listened to gospel music until he was 13. He became an avid Fortnite player in 2017 and launched his music career using pop songs to soundtrack gameplay montages that he posted on YouTube.

He started making his own music when he ran into copyright hurdles, beginning by recording songs on The BandLab app in 2021 and uploading his work on SoundCloud.

Soon, he saw his music breaking through with thousands of listens. He then released what would become his two biggest hits thus far: Romantic Homicide and Here With Me.

The songs went viral on TikTok and led to billions of streams on Spotify, where he has amassed 33 million monthly listeners.

He signed with Darkroom and Interscope Records and released his debut EP, Petals and Thorns, in 2023. That same year, he landed on Variety's Young Hollywood list and opened for SZA on her SOS tour.

Last spring, he made his Coachella debut - known as the festival for up-and-coming talent to break into mainstream fame. He was also commissioned by Fortnite - which he has said shaped his story as an artist - to create the game's first official anthem, Locked & Loaded.

Getty Images D4vid sits down, wearing a matching jean jacket and baggy pants, black shades, and carrying a pink Labubu dollGetty Images

A discovery that broke a family and halted a career

But this ascent to fame came to a pause when his Tesla was towed to an impoundment lot and authorities found a bag inside the front trunk that contained Rivas Hernandez's decomposing remains after someone complained about a foul smell.

His world tour was cancelled within days of the discovery, and Sony Music Publishing reportedly suspended promotion of his sophomore album.

Los Angeles police soon raided the posh Hollywood Hills mansion where the singer was living, just blocks from where his Tesla had been towed.

US retailer Hollister and footwear giant Crocs dropped D4vd from marketing campaigns and Telepatía singer Kali Uchis announced she was taking down their collaboration, Crashing.

But while his career ground to a screeching halt, authorities have been silent on the investigation into Rivas Hernandez's death.

Investigators have not released any new information in the case since 29 September.

The agency also said that it is still unclear whether there is any criminal culpability beyond the concealment of her body.

CBS News A parking lot with cars, including a black Tesla with the trunk popped openCBS News
Footage of the Tesla where Rivas Hernandez's body was found

While online sleuths have been quick to speculate, legal experts say that there is still much we don't know.

"You have this connection to David that seems pretty strong," Mr Rahmani, the former prosecutor, told the BBC. "There is a lot of smoke but look, he could be absolutely innocent and it could be someone else who had access to his vehicle."

Mr Rahmani said while there are many questions in this case, the biggest for him is "what is taking the LAPD so long".

"They haven't released any real information," he said. "This isn't a good look for the LAPD and it's a terrible look for D4vd."

He added that a case like this has added pressures: it involves a teen girl's death, it has garnered global headlines, and the investigation involves a celebrity.

Mr Rahmani noted that technology and potential for video footage is likely to be a "treasure trove" for investigators. Telsa vehicles come with advanced technology that tracks vehicles, notifies users when things like the trunk is open and are also outfitted with a slew of cameras as part of its Sentry Mode systems.

On top of this, the Hollywood home where he was living also had cameras. When authorities searched the home last month, investigators took a DVR that stores video and other data from the surveillance system.

Malden Trifunovic, the owner of the Hollywood Hills home D4vd was renting, has told the BBC that he has hired a private investigator to help uncover what might have happened inside his multi-million-dollar abode.

D4vd's manager Josh Marshall, the founder of Mogul Vision, rented the home for D4vd and has distanced himself from the singer. He vehemently denied rumours that he is connected to the death investigation.

The widening mystery

In addition to the mystery surrounding the cause of Rivas Hernandez's death, it is still unclear what relationship the teenager had with the 20-year-old singer.

Rivas Hernandez would have turned 15 the day before her body was found by police.

In California, the age of consent is 18.

Family, friends and those who knew her have told local media that she had been dating someone named David and said he was a music artist.

A former middle-school science teacher blamed her last attempt to run away from home, in the spring of 2024, on her dating a music artist she'd met online.

"She's been missing since I taught her," the teacher said in a viral video after Rivas Hernandez's body was identified.

Online sleuths have also connected her to the singer in a number of ways, from their matching tattoos to photos he posted online that appear to show them together.

Getty Images A faint tattoo is seen on a close-up picture of D4vd's fingerGetty Images
A close up of D4vd's tattoo on his finger

But D4vd has not addressed the rumours, nor have police.

Like many who don't follow indie pop music, his landlord Mr Trifunovic said he had never heard of D4vd until news broke about the discovery. He didn't even know it was D4vd who was renting his home because the lease had been signed by the singer's manager, Mr Marshall.

"I share the same anxiety and desire to understand what happened to poor Celeste as everyone else does," Mr Trifunovic told the BBC.

Although he said he trusts the LAPD to conduct a thorough investigation, he too, is anxious for information.

"There is absolutely no question that a crime was committed," he said.

"She did not place herself in the front trunk of the Tesla or move the vehicle to where it was found."

中国间谍案嫌疑人曾在伦敦机场被警方搜出现金手提箱 保守党领袖誓言不会停止调查

19/10/2025 - 17:38

据《星期日泰晤士报》报导称,被撤销的中国间谍案的两名嫌疑人之一,先前在一次从中国飞往伦敦希思罗机场后,被英国警方根据反恐法拦下,当时他被发现携带着一个“装满现金的手提箱”。

33岁的贝瑞(Christopher Berry)是来自牛津郡威特尼的学者,2023年2月,他在希思罗机场被拦截时,被发现身上有4000英镑,该事件发生在他因涉嫌为中国从事间谍活动而正式被捕的近六周前。

报导称,据知情人士透露,这笔钱据信是贝瑞的中国情报上线“亚历克斯”给他的。目前尚不清楚这笔现金是否被英国警方扣押,也不清楚其货币种类。根据英国2019年《反恐与边境安全法》附表三,贝瑞在空港被扣留。附表三是英国警方在怀疑其涉嫌涉及外国的“敌对活动”时使用的。

当时,贝瑞的手机和笔记本电脑被警方没收,随后警方透露了他与来自爱丁堡的现年30岁的英国议会研究员卡什(Chris Cash)的关系。卡什也被指控为中国从事间谍活动,及一名被评估为中国情报特工的人。

报导称,英国检方指控,这名中国特工委托贝瑞撰写了至少34份涉及政治利益的报告,其中10份被认为危害英国国家安全。英国检方怀疑,习近平主席的亲信蔡奇在这起间谍案中收到了来自英国议会的情报。

伦敦警察厅周六表示:“一名三十多岁的男子于2023年2月2日根据2019年《反恐与边境安全法》附表三在希思罗机场被拦截。他当时并未被捕,调查仍在继续”。这些证据原定由检方在针对这两名男子的庭审中提交,但该审判于上月破裂,引发了英国政府部长、议会议员和警方的愤怒。

据悉,英国议会下议院议长霍伊尔(Lindsay Hoyle)上周在对议员们讲话时提到了这一指控:“我认为议员们应该意识到:被监视的是英国议会和议员们;被渗透的是议员们的办公室。目前,我们看到有人收钱监视本应受到保护的机构”。报导称,贝瑞收钱监视议员门的指控可能会重新引发围绕此案被撤销的争议。

反对党方面,英国保守党领袖巴德诺赫(Kemi Badenoch)周日在《星期日泰晤士报》发表了题为“中国回应力量——而基尔·斯塔默却极其软弱”的署名文章。巴德诺赫还将这篇文章的全文通过社媒平台X发表。

巴德诺赫在文中写道,“本案事实如下:两名男子因代表中国对英国议会下院议员们进行间谍活动而被逮捕并受到指控。皇家检察官以为他们掌握了定罪的证据。但似乎政府内部有人破坏了审判。至今仍未查明的是:究竟是谁,又为何如此行事”。

巴德诺赫续称,“中国对我们进行间谍活动并不令人意外——我们对此早已知晓多年。事实上,英国军情五处上周才挫败了中国的另一项阴谋。我们当然清楚中国构成威胁。但他们并非遥不可及的鬼怪;他们是全球性大国,也是联合国安理会常任理事国”。

巴德诺赫称,“因此,当保守党执政时,我们在公开场合对中国的措辞较为克制。我们保持外交渠道畅通。但我们并非天真。我们的安全机构持续破坏中国针对英国的行动,并向部长们通报不断升级的威胁。正因如此,我们推出一系列法律和改革措施来保护英国。这也解释了为何副总检察长决定起诉这起中国案件中的两名嫌疑人时,其立场是清醒认识到中国对英国安全的威胁”。

巴德诺赫谈到,“去年我们下台时,就我们所知这起间谍案正在起诉中。英国皇家检察署曾称其为‘十拿九稳’的案件。然而上个月,该案突然被撤销。涉案的卡什和贝瑞二人否认指控”。

巴德诺赫补充道,“(斯塔默)政府起初声称对此感到意外。但随后,英国皇家检察署史无前例地公开表态——称数月来本届政府始终拒绝提供关于中国威胁的关键证据。直到检察官们彻底放弃获取证据的希望,才终止了诉讼程序”。

巴德诺赫写道,“此后数周内,本届政府的说辞已四度翻转。他们惊慌失措地四处推诿,每一次辩解却都接连倒塌。如今我们得知,(斯塔默)首相明知案件调查陷入僵局却未予干预。他本能的反应并非如何守护国家安全,而是如何将责任推给保守党”。

巴德诺赫提及,“我曾担任商业及贸易大臣。我目睹过中国对部长们施加的压力,见证过北京为推进其政治经济利益所付出的努力,也清楚他们按下哪些按钮······或是试图按下哪些按钮(故意触碰对方的敏感话题)”。

巴德诺赫称,“正因如此,我担任部长期间从未访华。这也解释了为何保守党政府多年来对中国的影响力持谨慎态度。但工党执政后,他们却想另辟蹊径。他们淡化了英国的对华政策,而斯塔默任命鲍威尔(Jonathan Powell)为其国家安全顾问——这位布莱尔时期的旧部与中国的关系众所周知”。

巴德诺赫提到,“中国正寻求在伦敦建造一座新超级大使馆的许可,本周本届政府将该决定推迟至12月,以避免在间谍丑闻期间批准该项目。此外还有敬业集团的案例——这家中国企业曾拥有英国钢铁公司,直至工党政府将其国有化。(英国财政大臣)里夫斯正面临10亿英镑的赔偿追索,但有报道称中国可能在特定条件下使此事不了了之”。

巴德诺赫称,“中国试图对英国施加影响力本无特别之处。但斯塔默未能意识到的是,中国这类政权只对力量作出回应,而非软弱”。

巴德诺赫补充道,“若英国示弱,必遭利用。倘若我们的议会被从事间谍活动却无人问责,我们输掉的远不止一场诉讼。我们将丧失保障英国人民安全的能力,更将失去盟友的尊重与信任。本届政府将持续试图掩盖此事。由于事件复杂且公众关注度不高,他们或许能蒙混过关。但必须有人对事件真相坦白交代”。

巴德诺赫誓言,“为了英国的国家安全,我们必须查明真相。因此,保守党不会停止调查,除非我们查明真相”。



荷兰经济相称接管安世半导体事关业务和知识产权或被移出欧洲 将会晤中方官员

19/10/2025 - 18:07

荷兰经济事务大臣卡雷曼斯(Vincent Karremans)周日表示,预计将在几天内与中国政府官员举行会晤,讨论如何解决围绕芯片制造商安世半导体(Nexperia)的僵局。该事件正威胁着全球汽车供应链。

在美中贸易紧张局势下,荷兰政府于9月30日接管了安世半导体,并暂停了公司首席执行官张学政在安世半导体控股的非执行董事和安世半导体的执行董事职务。

荷兰政府表示,安世半导体可能将技术转让给其中国母公司闻泰科技。《南华早报》报导称,荷兰政府认为闻泰科技计划将安世半导体的制造业务迁至中国,从而引发了对该公司史无前例的接管。

作为回应,中国商务部于10月4日发布出口管制通知,禁止安世半导体(中国)及其分包商出口在华生产的特定成品零部件和子组件。

卡雷曼斯周日在接受荷兰一档政治访谈节目采访时表示,中方“认为我们正在与美方联手”干预安世半导体,但实际上,此举旨在阻止该公司前中国首席执行官将业务和知识产权转移出欧洲。

荷兰政府一直坚称该决定并非在任何其他国家的胁迫下作出,尽管法庭文件明确显示,美国曾施压海牙方面要求撤换公司中国领导层,作为安世半导体不被列入美国商务部实体清单的条件。

安世半导体为汽车制造商和消费电子产品生产芯片。此次纠纷引发了全球汽车和电子行业对芯片短缺可能造成生产中断的担忧。安世半导体的芯片虽然技术上并不先进,但应用范围广泛,产量巨大。

据了解,安世半导体在荷兰总部奈梅亨设计芯片,并在曼彻斯特和汉堡生产晶圆。这些产品主要运往东莞,约70%的最终产品在此完成组装和测试后销往中国市场。其余产品则在安世半导体位于菲律宾和马来西亚的工厂完成生产后出口。这使得安世半导体虽在法律上属于荷兰企业,但实际运营中心位于中国。

此外,卡雷曼斯在采访中指出,中国汽车制造商也需要安世半导体的芯片。卡雷曼斯说道,“我们之间的关系是相互依赖的,各方都存在利益······共同解决这个问题”。

安世半导体报告称,2024年净利润为3.31亿美元,这对闻泰科技来说是一笔宝贵的资产。

卡雷曼斯表示,荷兰外交官们一直在努力解决僵局,他本人将于几天内与中方负责此事的部长举行会晤。卡雷曼斯续称:“所以这件事正在最高层讨论”。

Taliban and Pakistan agree to ceasefire after days of deadly clashes

EPA Two young men, one in all black holding a spade and another in white carrying a brick, stand amid the rubble of a destroyed building in KabulEPA
The Taliban has accused Pakistan of carrying out attacks on the Afghan capital Kabul

Pakistan and Afghanistan's Taliban government have agreed to an "immediate ceasefire" after more than a week of deadly fighting.

The foreign ministry of Qatar, which mediated talks alongside Turkey, said both sides had agreed to establish "mechanisms to consolidate lasting peace and stability".

Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, said ending "hostile actions" was "important", while Pakistan's foreign minister called the agreement the "first step in the right direction".

Both sides claim to have inflicted heavy casualties during the clashes, the worst fighting since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

Islamabad has long accused the Taliban of harbouring armed groups which carry out attacks in Pakistan, which it denies.

Clashes intensified along the 1,600-mile mountainous border the two countries share after the Taliban accused Pakistan of carrying out attacks on the Afghan capital Kabul.

Rumours had circulated the blasts in Kabul were a targeted attack on Noor Wali Mehsud, the leader of Pakistan Taliban. In response, the group released an unverified voice note from Mehsud saying he was still alive.

In the days that followed, Afghan troops fired on Pakistani border posts, prompting Pakistan to respond with mortar fire and drone strikes.

At least three dozen Afghan civilians have been killed and hundreds more wounded, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said on Thursday.

A temporary truce was declared on Wednesday night as delegations met in Doha, but cross-border strikes continued.

On Friday, the Taliban said Pakistan had carried out an air strike which killed eight, including three local cricket players.

Under the new agreement, the Taliban said it would not "support groups carrying out attacks against the Government of Pakistan", while both sides agreed to refrain from targeting each other's security forces, civilians or critical infrastructure.

Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said the latest ceasefire meant "terrorism from Afghanistan on Pakistan's soil will be stopped immediately", with the two sides set to meet in Istanbul for further talks next week.

Pakistan was a major backer of the Taliban after its ouster in 2001 following a US-led invasion.

But relations deteriorated after Islamabad accused the group of providing a safe haven to the Pakistan Taliban, which has launched an armed insurgence against government forces.

The group has carried out at least 600 attacks on Pakistani forces over the last year, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.

Police to look into claims Prince Andrew sought information on accuser

Getty Images A close-up of Prince Andrew, who is outside in front of some railings - he is wearing a dark blue suit jacket and a white shirt which can just be seen and is looking at the camera with a neutral expression Getty Images

The Metropolitan Police said it is "actively" looking into media reports that Prince Andrew tried to obtain personal information about his accuser Virginia Giuffre through his police protection.

"We are aware of media reporting and are actively looking into the claims made," the force said on Sunday.

It comes after Ms Giuffre's brother called on King Charles III to strip Andrew of his "prince" title, following the announcement he would stop using his other titles.

Prince Andrew has not commented on the reports, but consistently denies all allegations against him. Buckingham Palace has been contacted for comment.

Ms Giuffre, who took her own life earlier this year, said she was among the girls and young women sexually exploited by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his wealthy circle.

She also claimed that she was forced to have sex with Andrew on three occasions, including when she was 17.

According to the Mail on Sunday, Andrew asked his police protection officer to investigate her just before the newspaper published a photo of Ms Giuffre's first meeting with the prince in February 2011.

The paper alleged that he gave the officer her date of birth and confidential social security number.

On Friday, Andrew announced that he was voluntarily handing back his titles and giving up membership of the Order of the Garter - the oldest and most senior order of chivalry in Britain.

He will also cease to be the Duke of York, a title received from his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Why John Bolton case is more serious than those against other Trump critics

Bloomberg via Getty Images Former national security adviser John Bolton arrives at court on Friday.Bloomberg via Getty Images
Former national security adviser John Bolton arrives at court on Friday.

President Donald Trump has made no secret of his desire to see his critics investigated, pressuring the Justice Department to prosecute former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

"We can't delay any longer, it's killing our reputation and credibility," the president wrote last month in a Truth Social post.

"They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!)" he said, referencing the four criminal cases he faced after leaving the White House in 2021 and James's civil case.

Both have since been charged, in cases that many experts have said appear to be politically motivated and difficult to win in court.

But the latest charges against a Trump critic, former national security adviser John Bolton, stand apart, legal specialists and former prosecutors say.

"I would say, comparing Bolton's charges to Comey's and James' is like comparing apples to oranges," said Mark Lesko, a former acting US attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

Bolton has been criminally indicted on federal charges pertaining to the alleged mishandling of classified information. Since leaving the White House in 2019, he has become a vocal Trump critic, going so far as to call him "stunningly uninformed" and unfit for office in his memoir.

Experts say that while there may be political reasons to go after Bolton, the procedures used to secure an indictment and the evidence compiled against him indicate a potentially stronger case than the Justice Department brought against Comey or James.

"This misconduct that's being alleged is both more serious and appears to have occurred over a significant period of time," said Carissa Byrne Hessick, a professor at the University of North Carolina School of Law.

During his time as Trump's national security adviser, and after his 2019 White House departure, prosecutors alleged that Bolton put the country at risk by improperly retaining and transmitting classified information to family members using insecure means, including AOL. Some of the documents were labeled top secret.

The indictment alleges that at one point a hacker gained access to Bolton's account where documents were stored and sent an apparent threat to cause "the biggest scandal since Hillary [Clinton]'s emails were leaked".

Bolton pleaded not guilty during a court appearance on Friday to 18 separate charges of mishandling classified information.

Retribution or a strong case?

The timing of his indictment - coming on the tails of charges against Comey and James - has renewed questions about political pressure on the justice system.

Trump once suggested Bolton belonged in jail, and called him a "sleazebag". Bolton, for his part, wrote a book about his time in the Trump administration that was highly critical of the president.

"There's no question that the timing of this indictment, when combined with others, has raised questions about the strength of these charges, and why these charges are being brought now," said Jamil Jaffer, founder and executive director of the National Security Institute at the George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School.

However, he added, "if the Justice Department is able to prove the facts alleged and demonstrate the information is properly classified, his conduct may very well have violated the law".

Charging such a high-ranking official for mishandling classified documents is "rare" but not unprecedented, said Carrie Cordero, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

"Cases that involve classified information present challenges to prosecute, but they can and are brought against both low-level and high-level officials, from time to time," she said.

Similarities to investigations into Trump and Biden

Trump similarly faced charges of improperly storing classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and obstructing their return, but that case was ultimately dismissed by a federal judge and negated by his re-election as president.

A special counsel also found that former President Joe Biden improperly stored classified documents from his time as vice president, but did not criminally charge him.

Bolton's case bears similarities to Trump's and Biden's classified documents issues, said Mr Lesko, who also held a top national security role at the Justice Department.

Strict procedures govern the handling of classified documents. To win a conviction, the government must prove that Bolton knew the information he was transmitting was classified, and he had to knowingly transfer it to someone not entitled to receive it.

"Because of the classified nature of the material at issue in this case, we don't have a lot of details about why the government believes things like the diary entries and the other information he communicated by email, and why there were classified," said Mr Jaffer.

A more traditional prosecution

The process by which the Justice Department brought this case will be under scrutiny, after Trump publicly posted his desire to see his political opponents prosecuted and some of those indictments came to fruition.

But Mr Lesko said in Bolton's case, prosecutors seem to have followed protocol.

"The Bolton prosecution and ultimately the indictment seemed to have followed the regular process including the rules and norms within the Department of Justice," he said.

Unlike Comey's brief, two-page indictment, Bolton's was a more "traditional" document that "clearly sets forth the details involving the facts and circumstances here," Mr Lesko said.

"It seems fairly consistent with a long line of cases... where government officials mishandled and transmitted classified material."

‘Meanest people I have ever met’: Chat leak resurfaces internal fights among Young Republicans

A trove of bigoted messages between members of the Young Republicans is deepening a sharp rift among state groups across the country, further fracturing an organization that has been beset with internal discord and infighting for years.

Young Republicans chapters across the country were divided on how to respond to the texts — with some groups staying silent and others immediately denouncing the Telegram group chat revealed by POLITICO that contained racist, homophobic and antisemitic epithets.

Much of the conflict on how to respond to the texts stems from an August election over who would lead the Young Republican National Federation, the umbrella group for all the state chapters known commonly as Young Republicans.

The election essentially split Young Republicans into two groups: On one side was Hayden Padgett, a Texas Republican and current chair of the Young Republican National Federation who was running for reelection. On the other side was Peter Giunta, who led an insurgent group within the Young Republicans and who previously clashed with Padgett, in part because he challenged Padgett to be chair of the national federation in the August election. Giunta ultimately lost the election.

Giunta, however, was one of the members on the leaked text chain and had posted offensive messages, including “I love Hitler” and “If your pilot is a she and she looks ten shades darker than someone from Sicily, just end it there. Scream the no no word.” Giunta and other members of the group chat also repeatedly used homophobic slurs to refer to Padgett, with Arizona Young Republicans Chair Luke Mosiman at one point writing “RAPE HAYDEN.”

Giunta, who apologized for the texts, did not respond to a request for comment, and Mosiman declined to comment.

After POLITICO revealed the chats, Young Republican leaders in 23 state groups who supported Padget’s reelection bid quickly released statements condemning the leaked text messages. Several used the statements as an opportunity to demonstrate their loyalty to Padgett: Leaders in Missouri, Alaska and Wisconsin, for example, noted in their statements that they opposed Giunta’s attempt to unseat Padgett in August.

By contrast, many of the state groups that previously supported Giunta were silent in the aftermath of the leak, with the exception of a handful of states including Illinois and Georgia that denounced the texts. Several also appeared to have deleted social media posts expressing support for Giunta’s campaign.

One group that endorsed Giunta and his platform over the summer, the Arizona Young Republican Federation, lambasted what it called “mob-style condemnation driven by political opportunism or personal agendas.”

“While certain voices within our movement have been quick to condemn, many of these same individuals have overlooked or ignored deeply concerning rhetoric and actions on the political left–including public celebrations of the tragic death of Charlie Kirk and Jay Jones, calling for the death of family,” the group said in a statement.

The Arizona group, led by Mosiman, also condemned the rhetoric from the Telegram chat but raised concerns about their “authenticity and context.”

The group also used the controversy as an opportunity to take a swipe at Padgett and YRNF leadership, calling out “a troubling disregard for unity and due process” from national leaders who they said failed to communicate with state leaders before releasing its statement.

When asked about criticism against his leadership, Padgett told POLITICO that any claims of division within the organization are “baseless” while calling on Democrats to condemn violent rhetoric from members of their party.

“The YRNF unequivocally condemned the leaked messages in the Politico article—full stop,” he said. “Outside of those in the sticks, every state and local Young Republican chapter stands united.”

The fight over how to respond to the text scandal ultimately exposes the deep fissures within the Young Republican National Federation, which has around 14,000 members who have historically helped the Republican Party run its ground game during elections. Past chairs include longtime Trump ally Roger Stone as well as members of Congress.

One state chair, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly about internal dynamics, said they were surprised some YRNF leaders were “not as strong in condemning the remarks” but hoped the organization could move forward as a united group.

California Young Republicans Chair Ariana Assenmacher, who was Giunta’s running mate in the August election, said in an interview she was surprised by the rhetoric used in the messages and had no knowledge of nor involvement in the group chat.

“I think it’s a very isolated event, and it’s frustrating to see something that is a very small chat being pushed as representation for Young Republicans across the country, which is obviously not the case,” Assenmacher said.

Young Republicans leaders from more than three dozen states did not respond to POLITICO’s requests for comment or declined to comment.

YRNF has seen bitter clashes between warring factions since Padgett was elected in 2023, when the opposing slate garnered less than one-fifth of the vote. But Giunta’s campaign this year picked up significant traction among state leaders disillusioned with the incumbent leadership, winning 47 percent of the vote in August’s national leadership election.

Another state chair, who was granted anonymity due to fears of retribution, said they were not surprised by the maliciousness of the messages but added that they had “never heard anything like that from the people I am friends with.”

“I don’t like attacking our own,” they said. “We spend a lot of time fighting amongst ourselves. The August election was extremely controversial, and there were personal attacks from both sides, very very unkind stuff.”

The state chair added that YRNF has been plagued by division in recent years and that they were “absolutely sure there’s extremely unkind things” in the messages of Giunta’s opponents.

Valerie McDonnell, the youngest state legislator in New Hampshire who stepped down as a Young Republican national committeewoman in August, said she was appalled by the “repeated terrible language about other members.”

“It wasn't just a one-off comment. It was, I believe, over a span of six months, just repeated terrible language about other members,” she said. “This just was beyond belief to see the extent of this.”

Still, the second state chair worried that ongoing divisions in the organization following the August leadership election could hamper the organization’s value to the GOP in the 2026 midterm elections.

“These are the meanest people I have ever met in my life,” the person said of their Young Republicans colleagues. “I love this organization so much, and it meant so much to me in my early- and mid-20s, and it is just different. These kids are not the same. I think they’ve grown up in politics only seeing how Trump treats people and they think that’s how you treat people.”

Samuel Benson, Faith Wardwell and Jason Beeferman contributed to this report.

© Paul Sancya/AP

Police looking into claims Andrew asked officer to seek information on accuser

Getty Images A close-up of Prince Andrew, who is outside in front of some railings - he is wearing a dark blue suit jacket and a white shirt which can just be seen and is looking at the camera with a neutral expression Getty Images

The Metropolitan Police said it is "actively" looking into media reports that Prince Andrew tried to obtain personal information about his accuser Virginia Giuffre through his police protection.

"We are aware of media reporting and are actively looking into the claims made," the force said on Sunday.

It comes after Ms Giuffre's brother called on King Charles III to strip Andrew of his "prince" title, following the announcement he would stop using his other titles.

Prince Andrew has not commented on the reports, but consistently denies all allegations against him. Buckingham Palace has been contacted for comment.

Ms Giuffre, who took her own life earlier this year, said she was among the girls and young women sexually exploited by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his wealthy circle.

She also claimed that she was forced to have sex with Andrew on three occasions, including when she was 17.

According to the Mail on Sunday, Andrew asked his police protection officer to investigate her just before the newspaper published a photo of Ms Giuffre's first meeting with the prince in February 2011.

The paper alleged that he gave the officer her date of birth and confidential social security number.

On Friday, Andrew announced that he was voluntarily handing back his titles and giving up membership of the Order of the Garter - the oldest and most senior order of chivalry in Britain.

He will also cease to be the Duke of York, a title received from his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Ed Miliband hints at cut to VAT on energy bills

BBC Energy Secretary Ed Miliband being interviewed by the BBC.BBC

The government is looking at the possibility of cutting the rate of VAT on energy bills, Ed Miliband has suggested.

The energy secretary said he would not speculate ahead of the chancellor's Budget in November.

But asked if the government would consider scrapping the 5% rate, he told the BBC the country was facing a "cost-of-living crisis that we need to address as a government" and "we're looking at all of these issues".

The government is under pressure to reduce household energy costs and before the election Labour pledged to lower average bills by £300 a year by 2030.

Miliband told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme he stood by that promise but the reason bills were so high was "because of our dependence on fossil fuels".

He added: "There is only one route to get bills down, which is to go for clean power, home-grown, clean energy, that we control, so we're not at the behest of the petrol states and the dictators."

Pressed over whether the government was considering scrapping the 5% VAT rate on energy bills in November's Budget, Miliband said: "The whole of the government, including the chancellor, understand that we face an affordability crisis in this country.

"We face a cost-of-living crisis, a longstanding cost-of-living crisis, that we need to address as a government. We also face difficult fiscal circumstances... so obviously we're looking at all of these issues."

Scrapping VAT on domestic energy bills would save the average household £86 per year and cost an estimated £2.5bn per year to implement, according to the charity Nesta.

There was a rapid spike in energy prices in 2021, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and although costs have gone down, they have remained high by historical standards.

This month bills went up by 2% for millions of households, under the energy regulator Ofgem's price cap.

It means a household using a typical amount of energy will pay £1,755 a year, up £35 a year on the previous cap.

A bar chart titled “How the energy price cap has changed”, showing the energy price cap for a typical household on a price-capped, dual-fuel tariff paying by direct debit, from January 2022 to December 2025. The figure was £1,216 based on typical usage in January 2022. This rose to a high of £4,059 in January 2023, although the Energy Price Guarantee limited bills to £2,380 for a typical household between October 2022 and June 2023. Bills dropped £1,568 in July 2024, before rising slightly to £1,717 in October, £1,738 in January 2025, £1,849 a year from April, and falling slightly to £1,720 from July. From October to December, the figure will rise slightly again to £1,755. The source is Ofgem.

Earlier this week Chancellor Rachel Reeves told the BBC she was planning "targeted action to deal with cost-of-living challenges" in her Budget next month.

The BBC understands this could also include reducing some of the regulatory levies currently added to energy bills.

Levies known as "policy costs" - which are used to fund environmental and social schemes such as subsidies for renewables - made up around 16% of the average electricity bill and 6% of the average gas bill last year.

Some energy bosses have argued green levies are partly to blame for rising bills and the government's independent adviser, the Climate Change Committee, has long recommended removing policy costs from electricity bills to help people feel the benefits of net-zero transition.

Asked whether these could be funded through taxes rather than coming off energy bills, Miliband said: "That's always a judgement for the chancellor, but let's be honest we know we've got really difficult fiscal circumstances that we inherited... but absolutely we look at those things."

He argued the government had to invest in "aging electricity infrastructure" but there needed to be a "balance between public expenditure and levies".

The cost of household energy bills has become a major political battleground, with the Conservatives and Reform UK blaming net-zero policies for higher prices.

The Conservatives have said they would scrap the Climate Change Act, which legally requires the UK government to reduce emissions to net zero by 2050, as well as ditch carbon taxes on electricity generation and cut a funding scheme for renewables.

Shadow energy secretary Claire Coutinho said her party's plans would cut electricity bills for everyone by 20%.

"[The public] care about climate change but what I don't think they are signing up for is much higher bills and jobs being lost to countries abroad," she told the BBC.

In an interview with the same programme, Green Party leader Zack Polanski argued nationalising energy companies would help cut costs for customers.

His party has also proposed a new tax on carbon emissions to drive fossil fuels out of the economy and raise money to invest in the green transition.

Challenged over whether businesses would simply pass on these costs to customers, Polanski rejected this and said the tax would be "vital for tackling the climate crisis".

"What we need to be doing is finding other ways to support particularly small and local businesses... We know the big corporations are destroying our environment, our democracy and our communities," he said.

"They can make a profit, sure, but this isn't about squeezing out every single profit they can make."

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Why John Bolton case is more serious than those against other Trump critics

Bloomberg via Getty Images Former national security adviser John Bolton arrives at court on Friday.Bloomberg via Getty Images
Former national security adviser John Bolton arrives at court on Friday.

President Donald Trump has made no secret of his desire to see his critics investigated, pressuring the Justice Department to prosecute former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

"We can't delay any longer, it's killing our reputation and credibility," the president wrote last month in a Truth Social post.

"They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!)" he said, referencing the four criminal cases he faced after leaving the White House in 2021 and James's civil case.

Both have since been charged, in cases that many experts have said appear to be politically motivated and difficult to win in court.

But the latest charges against a Trump critic, former national security adviser John Bolton, stand apart, legal specialists and former prosecutors say.

"I would say, comparing Bolton's charges to Comey's and James' is like comparing apples to oranges," said Mark Lesko, a former acting US attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

Bolton has been criminally indicted on federal charges pertaining to the alleged mishandling of classified information. Since leaving the White House in 2019, he has become a vocal Trump critic, going so far as to call him "stunningly uninformed" and unfit for office in his memoir.

Experts say that while there may be political reasons to go after Bolton, the procedures used to secure an indictment and the evidence compiled against him indicate a potentially stronger case than the Justice Department brought against Comey or James.

"This misconduct that's being alleged is both more serious and appears to have occurred over a significant period of time," said Carissa Byrne Hessick, a professor at the University of North Carolina School of Law.

During his time as Trump's national security adviser, and after his 2019 White House departure, prosecutors alleged that Bolton put the country at risk by improperly retaining and transmitting classified information to family members using insecure means, including AOL. Some of the documents were labeled top secret.

The indictment alleges that at one point a hacker gained access to Bolton's account where documents were stored and sent an apparent threat to cause "the biggest scandal since Hillary [Clinton]'s emails were leaked".

Bolton pleaded not guilty during a court appearance on Friday to 18 separate charges of mishandling classified information.

Retribution or a strong case?

The timing of his indictment - coming on the tails of charges against Comey and James - has renewed questions about political pressure on the justice system.

Trump once suggested Bolton belonged in jail, and called him a "sleazebag". Bolton, for his part, wrote a book about his time in the Trump administration that was highly critical of the president.

"There's no question that the timing of this indictment, when combined with others, has raised questions about the strength of these charges, and why these charges are being brought now," said Jamil Jaffer, founder and executive director of the National Security Institute at the George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School.

However, he added, "if the Justice Department is able to prove the facts alleged and demonstrate the information is properly classified, his conduct may very well have violated the law".

Charging such a high-ranking official for mishandling classified documents is "rare" but not unprecedented, said Carrie Cordero, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

"Cases that involve classified information present challenges to prosecute, but they can and are brought against both low-level and high-level officials, from time to time," she said.

Similarities to investigations into Trump and Biden

Trump similarly faced charges of improperly storing classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and obstructing their return, but that case was ultimately dismissed by a federal judge and negated by his re-election as president.

A special counsel also found that former President Joe Biden improperly stored classified documents from his time as vice president, but did not criminally charge him.

Bolton's case bears similarities to Trump's and Biden's classified documents issues, said Mr Lesko, who also held a top national security role at the Justice Department.

Strict procedures govern the handling of classified documents. To win a conviction, the government must prove that Bolton knew the information he was transmitting was classified, and he had to knowingly transfer it to someone not entitled to receive it.

"Because of the classified nature of the material at issue in this case, we don't have a lot of details about why the government believes things like the diary entries and the other information he communicated by email, and why there were classified," said Mr Jaffer.

A more traditional prosecution

The process by which the Justice Department brought this case will be under scrutiny, after Trump publicly posted his desire to see his political opponents prosecuted and some of those indictments came to fruition.

But Mr Lesko said in Bolton's case, prosecutors seem to have followed protocol.

"The Bolton prosecution and ultimately the indictment seemed to have followed the regular process including the rules and norms within the Department of Justice," he said.

Unlike Comey's brief, two-page indictment, Bolton's was a more "traditional" document that "clearly sets forth the details involving the facts and circumstances here," Mr Lesko said.

"It seems fairly consistent with a long line of cases... where government officials mishandled and transmitted classified material."

Taliban and Pakistan agree to ceasefire after days of deadly clashes

EPA Two young men, one in all black holding a spade and another in white carrying a brick, stand amid the rubble of a destroyed building in KabulEPA
The Taliban has accused Pakistan of carrying out attacks on the Afghan capital Kabul

Pakistan and Afghanistan's Taliban government have agreed to an "immediate ceasefire" after more than a week of deadly fighting.

The foreign ministry of Qatar, which mediated talks alongside Turkey, said both sides had agreed to establish "mechanisms to consolidate lasting peace and stability".

Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, said ending "hostile actions" was "important", while Pakistan's foreign minister called the agreement the "first step in the right direction".

Both sides claim to have inflicted heavy casualties during the clashes, the worst fighting since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

Islamabad has long accused the Taliban of harbouring armed groups which carry out attacks in Pakistan, which it denies.

Clashes intensified along the 1,600-mile mountainous border the two countries share after the Taliban accused Pakistan of carrying out attacks on the Afghan capital Kabul.

Rumours had circulated the blasts in Kabul were a targeted attack on Noor Wali Mehsud, the leader of Pakistan Taliban. In response, the group released an unverified voice note from Mehsud saying he was still alive.

In the days that followed, Afghan troops fired on Pakistani border posts, prompting Pakistan to respond with mortar fire and drone strikes.

At least three dozen Afghan civilians have been killed and hundreds more wounded, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said on Thursday.

A temporary truce was declared on Wednesday night as delegations met in Doha, but cross-border strikes continued.

On Friday, the Taliban said Pakistan had carried out an air strike which killed eight, including three local cricket players.

Under the new agreement, the Taliban said it would not "support groups carrying out attacks against the Government of Pakistan", while both sides agreed to refrain from targeting each other's security forces, civilians or critical infrastructure.

Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said the latest ceasefire meant "terrorism from Afghanistan on Pakistan's soil will be stopped immediately", with the two sides set to meet in Istanbul for further talks next week.

Pakistan was a major backer of the Taliban after its ouster in 2001 following a US-led invasion.

But relations deteriorated after Islamabad accused the group of providing a safe haven to the Pakistan Taliban, which has launched an armed insurgence against government forces.

The group has carried out at least 600 attacks on Pakistani forces over the last year, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.

Vance celebrates US Marines 250th anniversary with live artillery demo

Getty Images JD Vance claps while at podium with dozens of marines standing behind himGetty Images

Vice President JD Vance celebrated the 250th anniversary of the US Marine Corps at an event that included a live artillery demonstration.

That demonstration - which took place at Camp Pendleton in Southern California - drew the ire of the state's governor Gavin Newsom, in part because the exercise closed a section of a popular interstate.

"Firing live rounds over a busy highway isn't just wrong — it's dangerous," Newsom, a Democrat who has often disagreed with the Trump administration, said in a statement.

During his remarks, Vance recalled his time in the Marines, railed against what he called a Democrat-caused government shutdown and critiqued previous military diversity initiatives.

Getty Images Clouds of black artillery smoke appear over an oceanside cliffGetty Images
The Marines fired live artillery as part of a demonstration commemorating their 250th anniversary

The demonstration was the largest in a decade in the continental US, the Marines said, and involved fighter jets, Navy vessels, helicopters and live fire from a towed howitzer.

In response to the exercise, Newsom said he closed a section of Interstate 5 in Southern California "due to extreme life safety risk and distraction to drivers, including sudden unexpected and loud explosions".

But officials in the vice-president's office disputed Newsom's remarks that the demonstration was dangerous and accused the California governor of trying to stoke fears.

Getty Images JD Vance raises his fist as a military helicopter flies byGetty Images

"If Gavin Newsom wants to oppose the training exercises that ensure our Armed Forces are the deadliest and most lethal fighting force in the world, then he can go right ahead," William Martin, Vance's communications director, told CNN. "It would come as no surprise that he would stoop so low considering his pathetic track record of failure as governor."

Vance, who spoke in front of hundreds of marines, praised his time in the military.

"I would not be here today, I would not be the vice president of the United States, I would not be the man I am today were it not for those four years that I served in the Marine Corps," he said.

Vance spent four years in the Marines and served a tour in Iraq in 2005.

But his remarks largely focused on politics, and in part he attacked "woke" aspects of the military.

"It is our common purpose, it is our common mission and it is the fact that every single person here bleeds Marine Corps green," the vice president said.

Getty Images JD Vance watches along side military members as boats reach the shores of a beachGetty Images

One of the Trump administration's focuses has been eliminating diversity initiatives, particularly within the Pentagon.

Vance also used the stage time to rail against the nearly three-week long government shutdown and put blame on Democrats, particularly Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

"I bring greetings today from our commander in chief, Donald J Trump, and he wanted me to tell each and every single one of you that he's proud of you, that he loves you and that despite the Schumer shutdown, he is going to do everything he can to make sure you get paid exactly as you deserve," he said.

While thousands of federal workers are working without pay, the Defence Department is paying troops.

Katy Perry serenades superfan with song about… Derbyshire

Ben Hatcher Ben on stage with Katy Perry (right) Ben Hatcher
Ben Hatcher was pulled on to the stage by Katy Perry during her show in Sheffield

A Katy Perry superfan got to live his out his Teenage Dream after the singer invited him on stage and serenaded him with a song about his village in Derbyshire.

Ben Hatcher, 20, from Monyash near Bakewell, was pulled out of the crowd by the star during her sell-out show at the Sheffield Utilita Arena on Friday.

The student, who danced with the megastar in front of more than 10,000 screaming fans, said the experience was "crazy".

He told the BBC: "I don't want to say I deserve it, but I am the biggest Katy Perry fan - it was like a full circle moment."

The superfan said the experience was an "all time high"

Mr Hatcher said he had been a fan of the popstar since he was six, and recalls "begging" his mum to play her CDs in the car.

He attended the concert in Sheffield with his friend Mia Lloyd and his mother Sharon, as well as two of her friends.

After being invited on to the stage, Mr Hatcher danced with the Roar and Firework star before Perry sang an off-the-cuff song about Monyash, Bakewell and Derbyshire.

"I'm sure she had no idea where it was but it was crazy that she namedropped the places," he said.

Ben Hatcher Left to right: Ben's mother Sharon in a pink wig, his friend Mia in a pink wig and Ben. Ben Hatcher
Mr Hatcher went to the concert with his mother Sharon and his friend Mia Lloyd

On the experience itself, Mr Hatcher said: "I think I foreshadowed it, me and my friend were screaming the entire time and she did look over a few times.

"We were just vibing and when she was choosing people to come onto the stage we were screaming and our seats were really good, we were directly in her eye sight.

"I was pointing at myself and I couldn't believe it when she picked me, it was so surreal."

Making most of the opportunity, he managed to get a selfie with Perry as a memento.

Supplied Ben, who is wearing a blue t-shirt with blue denim shorts, holds his phone up and takes a selfie with Katy Perry. She is holding a microphone and is wearing an animal print top and bright green skirt.Supplied
Mr Hatcher posed for a selfie with the pop star on stage

Mr Hatcher, a student of Chinese and economics at SOAS University of London, said he was recognised by other fans after his appearance on stage.

"There was this one nine-year-old girl in the car who rolled down the window after the show and screamed 'Ben you legend'," he added.

"This has been an all time high and my small claim to fame. People will get tired of hearing it but I won't get bored of talking about it."

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一株野生稻的科研接力

(本文首发于南方人物周刊)

张茂 邱江华

责任编辑:郑洁 方迎忠

2023年12月12日,位于三亚的国家野生稻种质资源圃,一只白鹭在资源保存区中漫步。这是整个资源圃的核心,承担着野生稻长期活态保存的任务,每一株野生稻都独立种在盆中,保持自身的特征(张茂/图)

你会留意路边的一株“野草”吗?深山密林中,无数寻常草木年复一年地枯荣,却少有人知晓,其中或许藏着关乎粮食安全的“密码”。2023年年底,在海南三亚的一个山区,农业专家就与这样一株“野草”不期而遇——似草非草,颇有野生稻的模样。后经鉴定,这竟是疣粒野生稻。作为水稻的近缘“祖先”,它极为珍贵。一场关于守护粮食安全的科研接力,就此展开。

2024年1月30日,野生稻科考队深入三亚山区密林寻找疣粒野生稻。疣粒野生稻生长于阳光充足且有一定阴翳的位置,寻找极其困难(张茂/图)

这株来自山区的疣粒野生稻,很快被科研人员转移到位于三亚的国家野生稻种质资源圃(以下简称“资源圃”)。目前,该资源圃已经保存了来自全球的1.3万份野生稻种质资源。这座全球规模最大的资源圃保存能力可达4万份,可满足未来30年的种质资源保存需求。

2024年1月30日,野生稻科考队成员进山时随身携带

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校对:赵立宇

欢迎分享、点赞与留言。本作品的版权为南方周末或相关著作权人所有,任何第三方未经授权,不得转载,否则即为侵权。

热射病的背后丨记者手记

他们笑了,表情就像是看一个待在象牙塔里的年轻人,根本不了解社会实际运行的规则。

南方周末记者 林方舟

责任编辑:黄思卓

2025年国庆假期后的一周,北方地区阴冷刺骨,人们裹起了冲锋衣、薄羽绒,而华东地区骄阳似火、连续高温,黄河竟然将发生全年的第一场洪水。这些异常天气都在反复证明:不寻常的气候似乎已成了寻常。

夏季酷热的天气,让长久居住于高纬度东北地区的人感觉陌生。来自辽宁省气候中心的数据显示,2025年7月全省平均气温26℃,比常年同期偏高1.6℃,是有统计数据以来最热的7月。一位来自辽宁沈阳的普通的绿化工人,因为热射病倒下后,再没有醒来(详见南方周末报道《一名绿化工人,倒在东北的盛夏》)。

类似的悲剧并非个例。在短视频社交平台上搜索“热射病”,全国各地都有人

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校对:吴依兰

欢迎分享、点赞与留言。本作品的版权为南方周末或相关著作权人所有,任何第三方未经授权,不得转载,否则即为侵权。
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