Donald Trump begins the 250th anniversary of US independence

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1:24our main stories. Donald Trump lands in Mount Rushmore, where he's marking the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America. The UN warns of impending catastrophe as paramilitaries close in on the Sudanese city of El Obeid. And the fairy tale is over for the team that stunned the World Cup. But Cape Verde did push world champions Argentina into extra time before losing 3-2. Also in this podcast... Congratulations, Taylor Swift!

2:01Fans are ecstatic that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey have tied the knot in New York.

2:11President Trump has started a weekend of celebrations for the 250th anniversary of American independence with a speech at Mount Rushmore where the faces of four former presidents are carved into rock. The National Monument in the state of South Dakota has George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt chiseled into granite. Over the years, Mr Trump has hinted that he too would like his likeness to be added, but for now, he had this to say. As we approach this magnificent anniversary, we see our American identity under a renewed attack A generation after we fought and won the Cold War against the menace of communism, there is now a resurgence of the communist menace in our land, including from newcomers to our country who embrace ideas totally opposed to our way of life and our great success.

3:08These are not mere political disagreements like differences over taxes or regulations. Communism is a mortal threat to American liberty. For more details, I spoke to our North America correspondent, Howell Griffith. I think it's interesting that he was willing to speak so much about history. Often the focus of the presidential speech is on the current president. He did reflect on his predecessors, what he thought made them great, the four figures behind him carved into Mount Rushmore. and those who succeeded. And he seemed to draw a line between their spirit of adventure, creating America, and then ingenuity, and building up, of course, to what is, he says, now the beginning of the golden age of America.

4:01Of course, his current term in office, where he says things are going to be bigger and better than ever before. But different, perhaps, to a speech I heard him make on the wall in Washington here last week, also part of the 250 celebrations, where there was a lot more focus on him. This was more about the sweep of history. Now, that history included anti-communism, because communism, according to Donald Trump, is the greatest threat facing current-day America. Why, you may ask? Because we're not in a Cold War anymore. Well, that is because the Democrats, particularly left-leaning Democrats, have started doing well in recent votes.

4:42and therefore he's seeing them as the enemy domestically now, telling the American people not to waste their time, not to waste their energy with communists because they only fail to stick with him and his version of republicanism because that is what has done America so well over the centuries and will do them very well over the next few years. And there had been some speculation that he'd want his face also carved into Mount Rushmore, but no mention of that. No mention, no. Now, this is something that emerged during his first presidency, and he reported that he'd suggested himself. He laughed it off but said, actually, it's not such a bad idea.

5:23Now, during Trump II, the second presidency, the 47th presidency, I should say, with Donald Trump in the White House, the idea has been backed by his supporters again, particularly by some Republicans. We understand from those who understand granite and rock formations that it may not be practical to carve a fifth face into that famous rock in South Dakota. So President Trump may be having to accept that gravity or geology is against him on this one and didn't mention it in the speech. Howell, it's the 4th of July, American Independence Day. what events what other events are planned for the 250th anniversary well the speech at Mount Rushmore was in effect a warm-up act to the big event here in Washington in the evening we're going to have according to Donald Trump the biggest firework show ever on the planet not a man known to undersell or describe things in a diminutive way now Now, that will be preceded by another presidential speech.

6:37Donald Trump is going to address the nation this time from the Washington Mall. And we're going to have an afternoon of flyovers. Now, they've been rehearsing this afternoon several times. I've found myself spontaneously ducking down because they were so loud. B-2 bombers and jet fighters going through the air over downtown Washington. That's going to be done in a synchronized way tomorrow over a crowd of potentially thousands. But what the people in Washington will also feel pushing down on them is immense heat. It is so hot and humid here at the moment. Record temperatures across large parts of the United States.

7:14And that means that some parts of the celebration here have been cancelled. So the annual Independence Day parade that goes through Washington has been cancelled. So no marching bands and flags going through the city. and people are being told to go later to this big event on the Washington Mall because it is so hot and humid. They're concerned, obviously, that too much exposure to that heat and humidity would be dangerous. Howell Griffith. Next, to the greatest match of the Football World Cup so far, the smallest country in the tournament, the island nation of Cape Verde, pushing Lionel Messi's Argentina deep into extra time.

7:53It was a Herculean effort involving many heart-stopping moments that finally ended in a 3-2 loss for Cape Verde after they came back from behind twice to almost cling on to a penalty shootout. Our reporter Paul Ngie was watching in the capital prior. The Cape Verdeans came into the tournament as the underdogs, but they turned to prove several doubters wrong. And their performance was quite impressive. People here I've spoken to have said that they are not disappointed because the team went even farther than they had expected. This is their first ever World Cup participation, yet they went to the knockout rounds, the very first, the smallest country so far by population to achieve that feat.

8:36The Cape Verdeans really came in here with a slogan, 1 % chance, 99 % faith, and their faith brought them this far. It's only unfortunate that they couldn't go beyond. And they came so close. I love your positivity, but I mean, you nearly did it. They nearly did it, in fact. They came so close. But unfortunately, this is football, and it's said that in the World Cup, any lost opportunity could cost you. So I would say that people who are watching this game were quite disappointed at some instances where they believed that the Keverians could have cashed in on some opportunities. But also they were quite happy because goalkeeper Vosinia also stopped several other opportunities that could have made the score quite worse.

9:20But regardless, people here believe that the team has done well and they also look forward to welcoming them with warm arms. Yeah, they've done well as sort of the understatement of the day, really. How did Cape Verde get so far? It's a tiny country. The goalkeeper's 40 years old. How did they do it? Well, I spoke to the president of the country. He told me that Cape Verde has always been undermined, and for every time that they've been undermined, they've sought to cash in on that situation and prove the doubters wrong. And they've always played the bigger teams and sought to fare well against those big teams.

10:00That's why you saw them put up that performance against Spain, against Uruguay, and against Argentina. It was a tough game, but of course, the South Americans took the lead. Paul NGIE at a very noisy watch party in Praia. Well, there were two other scintillating clashes to wrap up the round of 32 and set the stage for the last 16. For more on both, I spoke to our reporter Alfie Habershan. Colombia versus Ghana, two teams with very different football styles of play. Colombia have been mesmerising on the attack this tournament, topping Group B. That's the group with Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal in it, of course.

10:37It's partly due to the tenacious, wriggly winger that is Luis Diaz, who plays for Bayern Munich in Germany. he was really at the heart of this 1-0 win against Ghana today. It was Jon Arias who scored the opening goal with a sort of lovely side-footed cushion volley into the back of the net. As for Ghana, the critics will say they were a little bit overcautious, a little bit overdefensive. Their coach, Carlos Quieres, is known for these kind of very regimented, sort of overprotective style of play that makes it extremely difficult for teams to score against. But it didn't quite work for them this time.

11:11and a very interesting game between Australia and Egypt yes that one went to penalties we all love it when it goes to penalties it was Egypt who won that one they made history actually it was the first time they've won a World Cup knockout match their star Mohamed Salah he scored a lovely sort of lofted casual Penenka penalty in that shootout which proved to be decisive he'll be especially delighted to have made this record with his country after losing that sort of devastating loss rather in that Afghan Cup of Nations final against Senegal a couple of years ago. As for Australia, they did try to sort of tinker around for the penalty shootout.

11:47They changed their goalkeeper actually just before to see if that could give them the edge. But Egypt scored all five penalties, so it didn't quite work for them either. Them going out means that there are no longer any teams from the Asian Football Confederation left in the tournament. So it's been quite a disappointing competition this year for that part of the world. You watched the Cape Verde game. What for you was the highlight? I thought the Cape Verde goal, the one when it was on the left side and it was that swinger into the top corner on the right, I thought that was absolutely incredible.

12:16I think that will go down as the best goal in the tournament. But I know you were saying to me that the goalkeeper was what stood out for you. The goalkeeper was the hero of the World Cup. And Alfie, before you go, who's going to win the entire competition? Well, as you know, I've got France in the office sweepstakes, so my eyes are on them. I think they're a pretty safe bet too. They're going to be playing Paraguay in the last 16. Other last 16 games to look out for. England are taking on Mexico. I think that one's going to be splendid, full of chaos, full of drama at the iconic Stadium Azteca in Mexico City.

12:48And Portugal, Spain, that's the other one I've got my eye on. Alfie Habishan. Well, it's been confirmed. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey are now Mr and Mrs and celebrations are well underway in New York with around 1 ,000 of their closest friends. Fans came from far and wide to try to catch a glimpse of the happy couple and their celebrity guests, which included Ed Sheeran, Ethan Hawke, Dua Lipa and Jason Siddiquis, to name just a few. Taylor's brother was her man of honour and Travis's brother was best man, with Adam Sandler officiating at the ceremony. Our correspondent, Neda Torfik, has spent the day outside the venue.

13:32Midtown Manhattan was buzzing with excitement for global pop princess Taylor Swift and NFL star Travis Kelsey's wedding. By late afternoon, the elaborate undertaking to get 1 ,000 guests into Madison Square Garden Arena had consumed several blocks and was well underway. Crowds gathered behind a security barricade, a few climbing a scaffolding and straining their necks to see the spectacle along with the world's media. Hugh! Hugh! Ethan! An impressive list of celebrities were spotted, including Ed Sheeran, Hugh Grant, Benson Boone, Gigi Hadid, and several Kansas City chief NFL players. The guest arrivals have taken well over an hour at this point.

14:16Black SUVs, black tinted windows going through checkpoints with people very smartly dressed in simple black gowns or tuxes checking their names against a guest list. and then they go into a covered white canopy tent. And in this pen that I'm in that has been barricaded specifically for fans coming down, well, we have met some of the most ultimate Swifties. I hear you say you have a tattoo. I do, right here. 47-year-old Janelle Snugas is visiting New York from Louisville, Kentucky. Describe this tattoo to me. So it has little elements of different albums of Taylor's. So we've got like reputation, torture poets, department.

14:54We have TV for Taylor's version, of course. 13's her lucky number. This is a very intricate tattoo. Thank you. Definitely a tribute to Taylor Swift. You say people have been following her because it's been about heartbreak, breakups. I mean, this is her happy ending, her love story, isn't it? It really is. Yes, it's her happy ending, and we've all been there through all of it. The historic heat wave didn't stop Laura Heap and her young daughter, Catherine, from Indianapolis, being here. I've been a fan since I was like nine or eight, maybe. and I went to her Aeros tour and I've just been a really big fan since then.

15:27I actually took her to reputation when she was four. It was a fun thing for us to connect with because it's like me, we're obviously a wide span of age, but it's been fun for us to connect over something that we both enjoy a lot. It's a huge moment in her life, so I thought, you know, why not swing by? Plastic surgeon Krishna Vyas lives nearby and couldn't help his curiosity. She's the most played artist in my operating room, So I guess I could be a Swiftie. I mean, why is she the most played artist? Does it help relax people or what? I think she has the most versatility. She's a very talented artist, of course.

16:01You know, basically when patients go to sleep, some of them ask for Taylor Swift. And then, of course, you know, there's the light, soft music. And then there's also something that really gets people energized as well. It's no surprise, perhaps, that the occasion also drew out Joanne Gregoli, an event designer with the company Elegant Occasions, to take a peek. So they're going to have to drain every single aspect of that arena, including bathrooms, hallways, you know, all of the places where you get food. They have to cover that all. To make it not look like an arena. Exactly. So I can't wait to see what, if they ever show it.

16:35I hope they do what they do to it and how it was transformed. I think she is, you know, we want to be with Juliet, right? So. Love story. Love story. Exactly. And this is why everyone's here. Well, it's a love story. She said yes. And here we are. That's exactly right. A happy ending for her. Nedda Torfik with that report from New York. Still to come in this podcast. If everything does go according to plan, then this 20-year-old mission will get another 10 years of life. NASA launches a daring space rescue mission to save its Swift satellite telescope from falling out of orbit.

17:20This is the Global News Podcast. The United Nations says the world must act now to prevent a human rights catastrophe that is on the edge of unfolding in the Sudanese city of El Obeid. The civil war which began in 2023 between the army and the paramilitary rapid support forces has already killed tens of thousands and displaced more than 12 million people. Included in that was the brutal takeover and siege of the city of El Fasher last year by the RSF, which Amnesty International says included murder, forcible transfer, imprisonment, torture, rape and sexual slavery. And now the RSF has surrounded the city of El Obeid.

18:03The UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk says history cannot repeat itself. I fear exactly the same that happened last year with El Fasher. we issued a very stark warning. A month later, the massacre happened. Over 6 ,000 people killed within a couple of days. I mean, women being raped en masse. We had abductions, we had disappearances, we had extra-traditional killings. I mean, it was a horror. Now, we may see the same thing happen again in El Obedin Kordofan, in another part of Sudan, if the world doesn't react immediately and strongly. It's clearly a terrifying moment for the civilians in El Obeid.

18:46The city was originally home to half a million people and is now thought to have many more who'd fled from the spread of violence around the country. The BBC has managed to get through to one Sudanese aid worker inside the city who we're not naming to protect his identity. There is more than 800 ,000 displaced people that are living in Moscow, Japan, at the moment. and living in a miserable situation and there's no fish and life supplies, there's no electricity, there's no clean state water. The drones attack the fuel station, drones attack the water supply station and people are poor. They want to move to another safe place.

19:30How can they move? The people are really tired. They are really tired. They are really exhausted. Across the country, the war is in its fourth year and the UN calls it the world's largest humanitarian crisis. And as our global affairs reporter Richard Kagoi explains, there's currently no end in sight. Several diplomatic efforts to end Sudan's war have failed. Both the army and the paramilitary rapid support forces have announced ceasefires, but none has lasted. Instead, the fighting has effectively split the country in two. The army controls much of the north and east, including Khartoum and the Red Sea coast.

20:07The RSF now holds almost all of Darfur to the west after seizing El Fasha, the last major army health city in the region. UN investigators and rights group accuse RSF fighters of committing crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing during that campaign last October. Since then, fighting has shifted to North Kodofan State, where the RSF is massing around El Obed, a strategic city linking army health areas in central and eastern Sudan. Aid agencies say continued fighting has cut off humanitarian access, leaving displaced families without food or medical help. The WHO warns the crisis risks disease outbreaks and malnutrition, especially among women and children.

20:48Residents say water prices have doubled and food costs have risen. Analysts believe the RSF is targeting El Obed to tighten its grip on Western Sudan and push closer to Khartoum. Richard Kagoi. For generations, fishing has been a way of life for Palestinians in the tiny coastal strip that is Gaza. But since the war broke out between Hamas and Israel in 2023, around 70 Palestinian fishermen have been shot and killed by the military, with many more detained, according to the Gaza Fishermen's Union. Israel tightened its fishing restrictions on the occupied territory after the October 7th Hamas attack, part of which was launched from the sea.

21:29The attacks on fishermen have continued despite a supposed ceasefire being in place. Israel does not allow international journalists to operate freely in Gaza, but our correspondent John Donison reports from Jerusalem with the help of a local team in Gaza. Standing atop a small skiff, Youssef al-Najjar paddles to the shore, a web of nets at his feet. The best fisherman in Gaza, his friend cries out. At least he was. Youssef is now in hospital, deep scars over his body and heavily wrapped in bandages after he and his boat were shot up by the Israeli Navy.

22:19I tried to escape, but in vain, the 25-year-old tells us, but they kept firing. Shells were landing from above and from the side. Youssef knows he's lucky to be alive. The Fishermen's Union in Gaza says around 70 of its members have been killed at sea by Israel in the last three years. Gunfire off the coast earlier this year. Mobile phone video shows two fishermen on a tiny boat. An Israeli Navy ship opens fire with shelling and then with machine guns.

23:07In a tent for displaced people in southern Gaza, the Alkin family are mourning a father, husband and son. Fishing was our only source of income. It was a livelihood for us and for our children.

23:25And that's been the case for generations of Gazans in the tiny coastal strip. But these days, when food is short, the catch is small. Israel controls the seas and there are strict limits on where Gazans can fish. As he pulls his boat back up onto the beach, our team in Gaza meet Awad al-Sultan, who's been fishing through the night. He tells us he wants to be able to fish freely without fear of being shot or detained, before pulling from his pocket today's meagre catch, a couple of sprats and a few sardines.

24:10The Israeli military says it had to tighten fishing restrictions after the October 7th Hamas attacks, some of which were launched from the sea. The Fishermen's Union says around 130 of its members have been detained in the last three years But despite the danger, still they head out to sea With the sound of Israeli drones overhead, four fishermen are paddling back to port Thank God we are safe, they cry, as they glide towards the beach John Donison. The outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said that his successor will have little choice but to focus, as he has, on foreign affairs. It will, in all likelihood, be Andy Burnham, who is also from the governing Labour Party.

25:07Critics of the Prime Minister have called him Never Hear Keir due to his trips abroad, and some of his MPs have said that if Mr Burnham succeeds him, he should spend less time on diplomacy. But in his first interview since he announced his resignation last month, Keir Starmer said this was just not possible during such a period of global turmoil. If you're Prime Minister and you care what bills are going to be like in any household around the country, you have to care about finding a lasting solution to the situation in Ukraine. You have to care about what happens in the Strait of Hormuz. So this suggestion you can really, in the modern era, simply split up international and domestic, it just doesn't make sense, it isn't true, it isn't right.

25:55Keir Starmer was speaking exclusively to the BBC's political correspondent Henry Zeffman, while Andy Burnham took questions on the social media platform Reddit. So what mood was the Prime Minister in? Here is Henry Zeffman. relaxed I think not D-Mob happy but I do think D-Mob relaxed I think there was palpably a weight that had been lifted a bit off his shoulders but look he was I think at peace with the fact that Labour MPs had decided as he put it to me that he wasn't the man to win the next general election boy he does not agree though and I think that is very clear but he was adamant that he would be a good ex-prime minister he said I'm going to keep my mouth shut and he did basically acknowledge more clearly than ever before that Andy Burnham is going to be his successor.

26:43We did learn some important stuff via Reddit. Andy Burnham saying he won't call a general election as a new prime minister, saying he wants to negotiate returns agreements for failed refugees, including with Taliban-run Afghanistan. So I think we probably can expect that on Instagram and other platforms, I'm sure, before long, that might be the place we have to look for more clarity on this very rapid succession to a new prime minister who hasn't said an awful lot, at least recently, about what he would do in office. Henry Zeffman. NASA has launched a rescue mission to try to save the Swift Observatory space telescope that started sinking after recent solar storms.