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Hello, I'm Eileen McHugh with BBC News.
France says it will summon the U.S. ambassador in Paris, Charles Kushner, over what it says are "unacceptable" allegations of failing to tackle a surge in anti-Semitism. In a letter to President Macron, Mr. Kushner said there had been an explosion of hatred towards Jews in France since the war in Gaza began. Here's ???. In his letter, Mr. Kushner urged President Macron to do more to stem anti-Semitic violence in France and to tone down his criticism of Israel. In today's world, he said, anti-Zionism was the same as anti-Semitism, plain and simple. He said France's plans to recognize the Palestinian state had fueled anti-Semitic incidents. France was quick to react, saying the allegations were unacceptable and amounted to interference in its internal affairs. Mr. Kushner, the father of President Trump's son-in-law, Jared, only took up his post in Paris last month. He is due to appear at the Foreign Ministry on Monday. President Trump has threatened to send National Guard troops into yet another democratic stronghold, the city of Baltimore. The Maryland State Governor, Wes Moore, had criticized Mr. Trump over his deployment of the U.S. military in Washington, D.C. and his plans to do the same in Chicago and New York. "When I joined the military, we joined with a clear intention to fight and win our nation's wars. The members of our National Guard are trained up to be able to address things like emergency situations, situations where you need, where you need a surge of supports for traumas and disasters that are happening within individual jurisdictions. That is not this. And this is a direct deflection that the president is authorizing." Mr. Trump is portraying his policy as a crackdown on crime. In June, he sent 5,000 troops to Los Angeles in response to protests against immigration enforcement raids. The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said Israeli airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen have struck a military compound housing the presidential palace in Sana'a. They also hit the city's power station. The Houthi say strikes killed six people and injured 86 more. Police in Ecuador say they've seized a truck loaded with explosives, detonators and other bomb-making materials near its border with Colombia. Two people have been arrested. Our America's regional editor, Leonardo Rocha, reports. The material was in plastic bags ready for delivery and contained more than 3,500 cartridges of explosive emulsion and 25 kilometers of detonating cord. In a statement, Ecuadorian police said the shipment came from the south of the country, near the Peruvian border, and was going to be delivered to an armed group in Colombia to be used in terrorist attacks. The seizure comes days after at least 18 people were killed in Colombia in two separate attacks, including a truck bomb explosion in the city of Cali. BBC News. The Australian woman who killed three relatives by deliberately serving them toxic mushrooms in their meal is due back in court in Melbourne for a pre-sentencing hearing. Erin Patterson was found guilty last month of the murders in July 2023 at her home in rural Victoria. Simon Atkinson reports from Melbourne. We expect to hear from Ian Wilkinson, the only surviving guest from the meal. He pulled through after seven weeks in hospital, but his wife Heather Wilkinson succumbed to the death cap mushrooms. They were served hidden in parcels of beef Wellington. Patterson's estranged husband Simon is also likely to address the court. He was invited to the lunch but pulled out, but his parents Don and Gail Patterson did attend and also died. No motive has ever been given for one of this country's most notorious modern crimes. Erin Patterson is likely to be sentenced later this year and faces decades behind bars. Simon Atkinson reporting. Rescue teams in central Pakistan have evacuated more than 4,000 residents to safer areas following flooding in Kasur district, just south of the city of Lahore. An emergency official in Punjab province said more than 600 animals had also been rescued. SpaceX has postponed the latest test flight of its huge Starship rocket. It was due to blast off from Texas on Sunday evening, but the firm said the launch had been delayed to allow time to fix a problem with ground systems. It could be 12 hours before the test is attempted again. Starship has exploded on its last three flights. In tennis, the women's world number one, Aryna Sabalenka, has won her opening match at the US Open in New York, beating her Swiss opponent, Rebeka Masarova. The defending champion is the favorite to win the singles title again. Other matches on the first day include Novak Djokovic, who's continuing his quest for a 25th Grand Slam. BBC News. |