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  • Friendship or geopolitics? BBC breaks down Xi and Putin relationship

    Friendship or geopolitics? BBC breaks down Xi and Putin relationship

    As top leaders from Russia and China prepare to gather for a high-profile meeting in Beijing, two seasoned BBC journalists have launched a detailed examination of the nuanced, multi-layered connection between President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin, probing whether the core of their partnership is rooted in personal diplomacy or driven by calculated geopolitical strategy.

    Laura Bicker, the BBC’s veteran Beijing correspondent, and Steven Rosenberg, the outlet’s long-serving Moscow-based correspondent, have combined their on-the-ground expertise from both capitals to unpack the evolving dynamic between the two heads of state. The analysis comes at a time of heightened global attention on the Sino-Russian partnership, amid shifting international alliances, ongoing Western sanctions against Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and rising strategic competition between China and the United States.

    The correspondents outline a framework that acknowledges both the public rhetoric of “no-limits friendship” that Beijing and Moscow have embraced in recent years, as well as the underlying pragmatic calculations that shape every interaction between the two leaders. Their breakdown explores how domestic priorities, global power dynamics, and shared opposition to what both nations frame as U.S. hegemony have brought the two leaders closer together, while also noting the subtle balancing acts each side maintains to protect their own sovereign interests.

    As the meeting gets underway in the Chinese capital, the analysis offers global audiences a grounded, dual-perspective look at one of the most consequential bilateral relationships shaping 21st-century global order, giving context to what outcomes observers can expect from the latest high-level engagement between the two world powers.

  • Woman dies after falling into uncovered New York City manhole

    Woman dies after falling into uncovered New York City manhole

    A fatal accident on Manhattan’s iconic Fifth Avenue has shaken New York City this week, after a 56-year-old woman fell 10 feet (three meters) into an unmarked, open maintenance hole and later succumbed to her injuries. The New York Police Department confirmed that first responders were dispatched to the scene shortly before midnight on Monday, following an emergency call from witnesses. When officers arrived, they found the victim, identified by family to national media as Donike Gocaj, a resident of Briarcliff Manor, New York, unconscious and non-responsive at the bottom of the open manhole.

    Gocaj was quickly transported to a nearby hospital for emergency care, but medical staff were unable to save her, and she was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Local utility giant Con Edison, which oversees maintenance work on many of the city’s utility access holes, has opened an internal probe to determine why the structure was left uncovered and unprotected. In an official statement given to media partner CBS, the company expressed profound regret over the tragedy. “We are deeply saddened to confirm that a member of the public has died after falling into an open manhole,” the statement read. “We are actively investigating how this occurred. Our thoughts are with the individual’s family, and safety remains our top priority.” The BBC has reached out to Con Edison for additional updates on the ongoing investigation, as of Tuesday.

    Grieving family members spoke to reporters at the accident site Tuesday, saying they are still struggling to comprehend how the preventable tragedy could happen. Gocaj’s daughter-in-law, speaking through visible emotion, told reporters that no safety cones, warning signage, or physical barriers had been placed around the open hole to alert pedestrians of the hazard.

    NYPD officials confirmed that the investigation remains active, though investigators have not found any evidence of criminal involvement in the incident. The city’s medical examiner’s office will conduct an autopsy to formally confirm the exact cause of Gocaj’s death.

    Fatal falls into open manholes are not an unprecedented risk in New York City, where aging public infrastructure spans hundreds of square miles. According to the official website of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, the agency manages the entire municipal water and wastewater network, which includes more than thousands of miles of sewer lines and roughly 100,000 active manholes across the five boroughs. The New York Times reports that as of mid-2026, the department has already received more than 700 formal service requests related to unsecured, open manholes just this year, highlighting the persistent scope of the public safety issue.

  • ‘They feel panicked’ – Community reacts to San Diego mosque shooting

    ‘They feel panicked’ – Community reacts to San Diego mosque shooting

    A horrific act of violence has shaken the tight-knit community of San Diego, after law enforcement confirmed that a deadly shooting at a local Islamic center left five people dead on Monday. Authorities have released initial details confirming that two teenage suspects carried out the fatal attack, which claimed the lives of three men who were inside the center at the time. Following the shooting, the two teenagers took their own lives at the scene, leaving investigators with few immediate answers about what motivated the attack.

    The violence has sparked immediate fear and anguish across the local community, with residents and community leaders expressing deep alarm over the targeted attack on a place of worship. “They feel panicked,” one community organizer shared, describing the widespread anxiety that has spread through local Muslim neighborhoods in the wake of the tragedy. Local religious leaders across all faiths have already begun reaching out to offer support, while community gatherings are being planned to honor the victims and stand in solidarity with the affected Islamic congregation.

    Law enforcement agencies have launched a full investigation into the shooting, working to piece together the backgrounds of the two teenagers and determine whether the attack was premeditated or motivated by religious hatred. Local officials have also increased patrols around places of worship across San Diego in response to the violence, in an effort to reassure communities and prevent further acts of aggression. As the investigation continues, the community remains on edge, grappling with the shock of an unprecedented attack that has stolen three innocent lives and left a lasting wound on the city.

  • Google to release first smart glasses since Google Glass flop

    Google to release first smart glasses since Google Glass flop

    More than ten years after its high-profile first attempt at wearable smart eyewear ended in public backlash and commercial failure, Google is making a second push into the emerging smart glasses space, with a new AI-integrated model slated to hit the market in autumn this year.

    The tech giant first unveiled the new device during its annual I/O developer conference held on Tuesday in Mountain View, California. The upcoming launch will feature two distinct style variants, one co-designed by popular direct-to-consumer eyewear brand Warby Parker and the other by Seoul-based fashion eyewear label Gentle Monster.

    Google’s original 2013 Google Glass product was pulled from the market in 2015, just seven months after its UK rollout, crippled by widespread criticism over its steep price point and sweeping privacy risks. For its second iteration, Google is leaning heavily on integration with its flagship large language model, Gemini, to deliver a hands-free, heads-up user experience. The new glasses come equipped with a compact camera built into the front frame and small speakers embedded in the arms, and are compatible with both Android and Apple iOS operating systems.

    Unlike the original Google Glass, which included a head-mounted micro-display, the initial launch version will operate exclusively via private audio, delivering Gemini-powered responses directly to the wearer’s ear rather than displaying visual information on a screen. “They are designed to give you all-day help with Gemini that’s spoken into your ear privately rather than shown on a display,” explained Shahram Izadi, a senior Google executive who presented the device at the conference. Izadi confirmed that Google is already developing a follow-up version with an in-lens display capable of showing text and other visual data, but that model is not yet scheduled for public release, with additional details expected to be shared by the end of 2025. Developers are already at work building custom applications for the display-enabled variant, the company added.

    Google’s new entry mirrors the product architecture of rival Meta’s existing AI smart glasses line, which also pairs a small camera and speakers to enable voice interaction with Meta’s in-house AI assistant. Meta’s Ray-Ban co-branded smart glasses have already hit a major sales milestone of seven million units sold, according to company data, but the product has reignited the same privacy concerns that doomed Google’s first attempt: multiple reports have emerged of unknowing members of the public being recorded in public and private spaces by glasses wearers, with footage later uploaded to public online platforms without consent.

    Google is far from the only major tech player racing to capture a share of the growing smart eyewear market. Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, is preparing to launch an updated version of its own smart glasses line this year, and Apple is widely reported to be developing its mixed-reality glasses product as the next major expansion of its wearable device ecosystem.

    Industry observers have largely framed Google’s return to the space as a positive step for the emerging category. Christine Tsai, an investor at early-stage venture capital firm 500 Global, who attended this week’s developer conference, noted that mainstream adoption of smart glasses is widely seen as the next major computing shift following the rise of the smartphone. “It’s good for consumers. And it’s good for early stage start ups, where we tend to invest, because they’re a platform where people can build more capabilities,” Tsai said.

    Independent developers also see clear opportunities to leverage Google’s existing ecosystem of services. Anil Shah, founder of startup tixfix.ai which builds event management tools, says the form factor holds huge promise for integrating existing Google tools from Maps to Voice into a seamless, hands-free experience. For his own business, Shah is already considering building a dedicated integration that would let users find nearby events directly via voice commands to the glasses, without needing to open a smartphone app. “I think being able to just talk with the smart glasses without opening the app would be a very nice integration,” he said.

  • Trump endorses Paxton in Texas, gambling on a challenger with baggage in a crucial race

    Trump endorses Paxton in Texas, gambling on a challenger with baggage in a crucial race

    With just one week remaining until Texas’ critical Republican Senate primary runoff, former President Donald Trump has thrown his full weight behind state Attorney General Ken Paxton, launching a direct challenge to three-term incumbent Senator John Cornyn, a longstanding fixture of the Republican Party establishment.

    The endorsement marks the latest chapter in Trump’s ongoing effort to purge the GOP of lawmakers who do not align unwaveringly with his political movement. While Paxton has been one of Trump’s most loyal allies throughout his political career, he also carries a decades-long trail of ethical controversies and legal battles that have made him a deeply polarizing figure even within his own party.

    As the state’s top law enforcement officer, Paxton famously threw his weight behind Trump’s failed 2020 bid to overturn the presidential election results. More recently, he traveled to New York City to rally in support of Trump during the former president’s 2024 hush-money criminal trial, which ended in a conviction on all counts. Like Trump, Paxton has built a political brand as a scandal survivor: he faces a lingering reputation for ethical misconduct, having settled a high-profile federal corruption indictment in 2024 without admitting any wrongdoing, survived a 2023 impeachment by the Republican-controlled Texas House of Representatives over allegations of fraud and obstruction of justice, and was recently caught up in a public divorce after his wife filed for separation amid revelations of multiple extramarital affairs.

    “I know Ken well, have seen him tested at the highest and most difficult levels, and he is a winner!” Trump shared in a post on his Truth Social platform. “John Cornyn is a good man, and I worked well with him, but he was not supportive of me when times were tough.” His endorsement hinges on resentment over Cornyn’s delayed endorsement of Trump’s 2024 presidential bid: the incumbent waited until January 2024, more than a year after Trump entered the race, to publicly back his candidacy.

    Cornyn, who has served in Senate Republican leadership from 2012 to 2024 and boasts a voting record that aligns with Trump’s agenda more than 99% of the time, pushed back against the attack in a post on X. “It is now time for Texas Republican voters to decide if they want a strong nominee to help our GOP candidates down ballot and defeat Talarico in November, or a weak nominee who jeopardizes everything we care about,” he wrote.

    During the campaign, Paxton has attacked Cornyn for his past votes in favor of expanded gun safety regulations and accused him of failing to take aggressive enough action to enforce immigration controls along the U.S.-Mexico border. Cornyn’s campaign has in turn centered its messaging on Paxton’s long list of legal and personal scandals, framing him as too toxic to win the general election in November.

    This endorsement is not an isolated incident: it fits into a broader pattern of Trump backing primary challengers against incumbent Republican senators who have broken with him. Just days before, Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, who voted to convict Trump during his 2021 second impeachment trial, lost his renomination bid to a Trump-endorsed challenger. On the same day Trump announced his Paxton endorsement, voters in Kentucky were heading to the polls to choose between incumbent Congressman Thomas Massie – who irked Trump by opposing key parts of his legislative agenda – and a challenger personally recruited by the former president.

    Cornyn’s candidacy has drawn broad support from sitting Senate Republicans, who have served alongside the Texan for decades and view him as a reliable ally. The endorsement of Paxton has sparked widespread dismay among the Senate GOP caucus, with multiple high-profile senators openly criticizing the choice. Maine Senator Susan Collins labeled Paxton “ethically challenged,” while Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski said she was “supremely disappointed” by Trump’s decision.

    For Democratic operatives across the country, the prospect of a Paxton nomination is widely viewed as a rare opportunity to flip a longtime Republican Senate seat in Texas. It has been 32 years since a Democratic candidate won a statewide election in the deep-red state, but former Congressman Beto O’Rourke came within just 215,000 votes of unseating Senator Ted Cruz in 2018, and polling ahead of the 2026 general election already points to a competitive race. Democrat James Talarico, a state legislator who secured his party’s nomination outright earlier this spring, is already positioned to face the runoff winner. While Trump carried Texas by 14 percentage points in 2024, public polling suggests the general election will be a tight contest regardless of which Republican advances.

    Early voting is already underway across Texas, and polling has consistently shown the runoff race is a dead heat. In the initial March primary, Cornyn finished a fraction of a percentage point ahead of Paxton, but fell just short of the 50% threshold needed to avoid a runoff, despite outspending his challenger by more than $65 million. Political analysts now widely believe that Trump’s late endorsement could deliver a decisive blow to Cornyn’s chances of holding onto his seat, reshaping the balance of power in the U.S. Senate ahead of the 2026 general election.

  • What we know about the San Diego mosque attack suspects

    What we know about the San Diego mosque attack suspects

    On a violent Monday that shattered the peace of a Southern California Muslim community, a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego left five people dead, including the two young suspects who died from self-inflicted wounds after the attack. Law enforcement officials have launched a full investigation into the assault, which they are treating as a likely hate crime rooted in targeted extremism, even as the full scope of the perpetrators’ planning and ideology remains under review.

    San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl has laid out a clear timeline of the tragedy that unfolded on the day of the attack. Roughly two hours before the first shots were fired at the mosque, at approximately 9:40 a.m. local time, the mother of one of the suspects contacted authorities to make an urgent report. She told police that her 17-year-old son had fled her home, stealing her firearms and her car, and warned that he was potentially suicidal and was accompanied by a friend. She also noted that he was wearing full camouflage clothing, a detail that could have allowed officers to locate the pair earlier if resources had been deployed immediately.

    Just over two hours after that initial warning, at 11:43 a.m., local emergency dispatch received the first report of an active shooter at the mosque. Responding officers arrived on the scene within four minutes, a fast response that still came too late for three men who were already fatally shot outside the building. As first responders activated active shooter protocols to secure the area, they received a second report of shots fired from a vehicle nearby: the suspects had opened fire on a local landscaper, who escaped the attack without injury.

    Less than a quarter of a mile from the mosque, officers located the suspects’ vehicle and found both young attackers — the 17-year-old and his 18-year-old accomplice — dead from self-inflicted gunshot wounds. Authorities have not officially released the suspects’ identities to the public, though multiple major U.S. media outlets have published their names unofficially.

    The three victims of the attack, all regular community members tied to the mosque, have been formally identified by representatives of the Council on American-Islamic Relations San Diego (CAIR-SD). The first victim, Amin Abdullah, was a veteran security guard at the mosque and a father of eight children who had served the community for more than a decade. Chief Wahl confirmed that Abdullah’s quick, brave intervention stopped the attack from escalating into an even deadlier massacre, saying “It’s fair to say [Abdullah’s] actions were heroic. Undoubtedly, he saved lives today.”

    CAIR-SD spokesperson Tazheen Nizam paid tribute to Abdullah, describing him as a beloved, constant presence at the mosque who greeted every visitor and child with a warm smile. “Amin was loved by everybody, he stood there day after day, always smiling, welcoming everybody, welcoming the kids who came to the school,” Nizam told the BBC. “He was a shining light. He is a true hero, a martyr.”

    The two other victims were also deeply embedded in the mosque community. Nader Awad raised his children at the center, and his wife works as a teacher at the mosque’s on-site school. The third victim, Mansour Kaziha, supported the community by maintaining the mosque’s grounds and working in its on-site convenience store.

    Investigators have uncovered early evidence pointing to the attack being ideologically motivated by hate. Multiple law enforcement sources, speaking on condition of anonymity to CNN, confirmed that hate speech was found scrawled on one of the weapons used in the attack. A suicide note left by the suspects also contained writings promoting racial supremacy, the outlet reported. Chief Wahl confirmed that investigators have identified hate rhetoric as a core component of the attackers’ motivation, cementing the decision to open a hate crime investigation.

  • Three Canadian off-duty officers arrested in Spain over ‘serious’ allegations

    Three Canadian off-duty officers arrested in Spain over ‘serious’ allegations

    A high-profile incident involving three Canadian law enforcement officers has sparked scrutiny after the group was criminally charged during a personal vacation in Barcelona, Spain, Toronto Police Service has confirmed. In an official emailed statement to the BBC, Toronto police acknowledged that the accusations against the trio are severe in nature. One of the three officers has already returned to Canada and has been placed on administrative suspension immediately pending the outcome of the legal process. The remaining two officers are set to return to Canada in the coming days, and will also be suspended as soon as they re-enter the country, according to department officials.

    Toronto Police have declined to release the identities of the three officers, noting that no further comment will be provided while the cases work through the Spanish judicial system. Initial reporting from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), citing sources within Spanish law enforcement, indicates the charges center on acts of violence. The BBC has reached out to local Spanish authorities to request additional context and comment on the case, but has not yet received a response.

    Beyond confirming the officers’ employment with Toronto Police and that the trip was strictly personal leisure travel with no official law enforcement mandate, the department has released few additional details. More specific reporting from CBC outlines the individual charges: two of the three officers face counts of sexual assault and assault that resulted in bodily injury, while the third officer is charged with assaulting a public authority agent. The alleged incident is reported to have taken place inside a Barcelona taxi and involved a sex worker, according to Canadian media accounts.

    Spanish law enforcement took two of the officers into custody on May 13, Canadian media sources confirm. The third officer was arrested days later following a police chase in the coastal resort city of Palma de Mallorca, located on the Balearic Islands off Spain’s eastern coast. All three officers made their initial court appearance in Spain on May 15.

  • ‘Not a big fan’ – Top Senate Republican breaks with Trump on $1.8bn compensation fund

    ‘Not a big fan’ – Top Senate Republican breaks with Trump on $1.8bn compensation fund

    A high-stakes political rift has emerged within the Republican Party, as Senate Majority Leader John Thune has become the most prominent member of former President Donald Trump’s own party to publicly oppose the newly unveiled $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” a initiative created to compensate people the Trump administration claims were unfairly targeted by prior U.S. presidential administrations.

    Thune’s public criticism marks the most significant intraparty pushback against the plan to date. Speaking with reporters on Capitol Hill, the top Senate Republican made his stance clear: he is “not a big fan” of the fund and sees no clear justification for its existence. He added that he remains uncertain of the fund’s intended use, and called for a rigorous full vetting process by congressional lawmakers, noting that the widespread backlash following the announcement guarantees the proposal will face intense scrutiny moving forward.

    The fund was announced Monday by the U.S. Department of Justice, as part of a deal that saw Trump drop a $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over the 2020s leak of his personal tax returns to national media outlets. Under the terms of the agreement, Trump, his adult sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, and the Trump Organization — all named plaintiffs in the original suit — will receive a formal apology from the agency, but no direct financial compensation. The $1.776 billion funding amount was intentionally chosen to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States’ 1776 declaration of independence from Great Britain.

    Governance of the fund will fall to a five-member commission, four of which will be directly appointed by the U.S. Attorney General, a structure that has drawn sharp criticism from lawmakers across the aisle. Democrats have already decried the initiative as an unaccountable “slush fund” designed to direct taxpayer dollars to Trump’s political allies, including many who faced criminal charges or convictions for their role in the January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

    Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the fund during a Tuesday congressional hearing, pushing back against Democratic claims of partisan bias. Blanche argued the initiative is explicitly non-partisan, stressing that no groups are barred from filing claims, including Democrats. While he acknowledged the fund structure is unusual, he noted it is not without precedent in U.S. governance.

    Democratic lawmakers rejected Blanche’s defense, with senior Washington Senator Patty Murray calling the initiative open, blatant political corruption. “Trump and his cronies cash it. American taxpayers who are already being whacked with high prices are going to foot the bill,” Murray said during the hearing.

    The controversy has already sparked personnel upheaval: just hours after the fund was announced on Monday, Brian Morrissey, general counsel for the U.S. Treasury Department, resigned abruptly after just seven months on the job. Morrissey has not publicly shared his reason for stepping down, but a Treasury Department spokesperson confirmed his departure, noting he served the agency with “honour and integrity.”

  • Trump: White House ballroom to be ‘drone-proof’ with military complex

    Trump: White House ballroom to be ‘drone-proof’ with military complex

    In a recent announcement that has drawn widespread attention across U.S. political circles, former President Donald Trump has revealed plans for a major new development connected to the White House: a fully ‘drone-proof’ ballroom that will be integrated into a broader on-site military complex. The project, which Trump has framed as a lasting ‘gift’ to the American people, is designed to address growing security concerns around unmanned aerial systems that have emerged as a persistent threat to high-profile government sites in recent years.

    Beyond the hardened, drone-resistant event space, the proposed complex will also include a full-service on-site hospital and dedicated cutting-edge medical research facilities, according to Trump’s remarks. The integration of military and medical infrastructure is intended to enhance the White House’s ability to respond to emergency scenarios, from security incidents to public health crises, that could impact the executive branch leadership.

    The announcement comes amid ongoing conversations about the modernization of security infrastructure for the nation’s top government facilities. As drone technology has become more accessible and sophisticated, federal security agencies have repeatedly identified the need for upgraded counter-drone measures to protect the White House compound and other critical sites. Trump’s proposal frames this upgrade as a proactive step that combines ceremonial space with practical national security and public health capabilities, all wrapped into a single development that he says will serve the country for generations.

  • Watch: Crews battle blaze as thousands evacuated near Los Angeles

    Watch: Crews battle blaze as thousands evacuated near Los Angeles

    A fast-moving wildfire, dubbed the Sandy Fire, has broken out in Simi Valley, just outside of Los Angeles, triggering mass evacuations and forcing emergency crews into a desperate battle against the advancing flames. As of Tuesday’s latest official updates, the out-of-control blaze has already charred 1,364 acres (roughly 550 hectares) of dry brush and vegetation, with containment efforts falling far short of halting its spread. Regional emergency management authorities confirmed that thousands of local residents have been ordered to leave their homes as a precaution, moving to designated evacuation centers set up by local government agencies to shelter those displaced. Firefighters from across Ventura County and surrounding regions have been deployed to the fire line, working around the clock to establish containment lines and protect residential neighborhoods from the advancing inferno. Unseasonably warm temperatures and dry, gusty winds in the area have created dangerous fire conditions, helping the blaze expand rapidly since it first ignited and complicating suppression efforts. Emergency officials have warned residents to remain alert, advising that evacuation orders could be expanded if the fire continues its uncontrolled spread toward more populated areas near the Los Angeles county line.