Foreign
US state bans medical treatment for transgender children
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The Texas Supreme Court has backed a law that stops doctors from giving medical treatment to children who feel their gender is different from the one they were born with.
This treatment includes puberty blockers, hormones and other medicines that help transgender children feel more comfortable in their bodies, Reuters reported on Friday.
The Texas law took effect on September 1, 2023, after Republican Governor Greg Abbott signed it in June 2023.
The law prohibits doctors from performing gender transition procedures or treating gender dysphoria in individuals under 18 years old.
Opponents of the law, including parents, doctors, and advocacy groups, took legal action to stop it from being enforced. A judge agreed with them, issuing an injunction and ruling that the law likely went against the Texas Constitution.
On Friday, the Texas Supreme Court overturned the earlier decision, declaring the law constitutional and allowing it to stand
In the majority opinion, Justice Rebeca Huddle stated that although parents have a significant right to make decisions about their children’s healthcare without government intrusion, this right is not absolute.
She stated that the legislature has the authority to regulate medical practices, including in cases where parents’ decisions may conflict with the state’s interests.
She said the legislature made a “permissible, rational policy choice to limit the types of available medical procedures for children, particularly in light of the relative nascency of both gender dysphoria and its various modes of treatment.”
This means that doctors in Texas are no longer allowed to give medical treatment to transgender children.
The US Supreme Court has agreed to review a similar law in Tennessee, which bans gender-affirming care for minors.
This move comes as Republican-led states increasingly focus on passing laws related to transgender rights, making this a highly watched and significant case.
Foreign
Trump Signs Executive Order Renaming Lake Ontario To ‘Lake America’
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario as “Lake America” for official US federal use, in the latest escalation of his dispute with Canada.
Trump signed the order on Thursday at the White House, saying the change was effective immediately. The order directs the US Department of the Interior to update federal geographic records and naming systems.
Trump justified the move by accusing Canada of treating the United States unfairly in trade and defence. He said Canada had been “ripping us off” in trade and criticised Ottawa over its relationship with Washington.
However, the order does not require Canada or international organisations to adopt the new name. Lake Ontario is shared by the US state of New York and Canada’s province of Ontario, with more than half of its surface area lying in Canadian territory.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford dismissed the move, saying the lake would continue to be known as Lake Ontario by Canadians and much of the rest of the world.
The renaming comes amid a rapidly worsening US-Canada trade dispute. Washington recently imposed 50 per cent tariffs on about $20 billion worth of Canadian goods, while Canada responded with retaliatory tariffs of its own on hundreds of US products.
The latest move echoes Trump’s decision in January 2025 to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” for US federal purposes.
Trump also suggested that further geographic name changes could be considered, joking that after a gulf and a lake, the United States might eventually rename the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government had not immediately issued a formal response to the latest order.
The controversy has added another symbolic dimension to already strained relations between the two neighbouring countries, as both sides continue to impose tariffs and seek to protect their economies.
Foreign
US Secret Service Reacts To Iran’s Alleged Threat To Trump’s Son Life
The United States Secret Service has confirmed that it is aware of a video broadcast by Iranian state media that appears to threaten the life of Barron Trump, the youngest son of US President Donald Trump.
The nearly three-minute video, aired by the state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), opens with an English-language graphic asking: “Where to kill Barron Trump?!” It then displays stylised graphics identifying places where Barron is publicly known to spend time, including Trump Tower in New York.
The video ends with a narrator referring to people being “eagerly waiting to receive our $10 million reward.”
Secret Service spokesperson Nate Herring confirmed that the agency was investigating the video as a potential threat against one of its protectees.
“The US Secret Service is aware of the video and investigates anything that can be perceived as a threat toward our protectees,” Secret Service spokesperson Nate Herring told CNN in a statement. “Out of concern for operational security, we do not discuss matters of protective intelligence.”
The apparent targeting of Barron marks a new development in a broader pattern of threats directed at Trump and members of his family by hard-line Iranian media.
Iranian media outlets have previously published material threatening President Trump and his family, while first lady Melania Trump has also been the subject of threats. However, the video appears to be the first public instance in which Barron has been specifically singled out.
A federal law enforcement source told CNN that the video forms part of a wider campaign of material from Iran targeting Trump and his family. According to the source, some of the videos have included details about movements and suggestions for killing members of the president’s family.
The security response to such threats involves continuously changing and adjusting protective arrangements, based on information gathered by the Secret Service, other US agencies, police authorities and foreign governments.
IRIB, which broadcast the video, is regarded as aligned with hard-liners within Iran’s regime, while its head is directly appointed by Iran’s supreme leader.
Trump has previously spoken publicly about threats against his life from Iran.
“I’m on whatever list… so far, I guess I’ve been a bit lucky, but maybe that doesn’t last very long. These are evil, sick people.”
He made the comments in July at the NATO summit in Turkey, before secretly leaving the country aboard an alternate military aircraft.
The departure was part of an elaborate security operation reportedly triggered by an Iranian threat. Trump boarded the aircraft while concealed inside a catering truck after officials determined that travelling on either version of Air Force One could expose him to an unacceptable level of danger.
A person familiar with the matter told CNN that the threat involved a shoulder-fired missile and was considered specific enough for officials to fear that Trump’s life would be at enormous risk if he travelled on either version of Air Force One.
Foreign
18 Killed In UK E-bike, E-scooter Battery Fires
At least 18 people have died and nearly 700 have been injured in fires involving e-bikes, e-scooters and their batteries across the United Kingdom, according to new data obtained by BBC Verify.
More than 2,000 fires linked to the vehicles or their batteries were recorded by fire and rescue services between 2019 and 2025. The number of incidents increased every year, with almost half occurring in homes or garages.
Battery-related fires rose sharply from 32 incidents in 2019 to 605 in 2025.
The London Fire Brigade said it was increasingly concerned about the fire risks posed by some e-bikes and e-scooters, particularly those that have been modified or bought second-hand.
Assistant Commissioner Pam Oparaocha said many of the fires attended by the brigade involved second-hand vehicles or bikes modified with parts bought online. She urged consumers to be careful about where they purchase e-bikes and e-scooters.
Experts say lithium-ion batteries, which power most of the vehicles, can store large amounts of energy in a small space. However, faulty, damaged or overcharged batteries can release that energy rapidly, producing flames and burning projectiles.
Dr Simon Jones of the University of Warwick said such fires could spread through a room within seconds, potentially blocking escape routes. He also warned that burning batteries can release toxic fumes that pose a serious health risk.
The danger was highlighted by the experience of 24-year-old Jahmell Campbell, whose e-scooter caught fire at his grandmother’s home in London.
Campbell said the vehicle suddenly burst into flames near the front door, leaving the family unable to escape normally. He jumped from a window, while his father helped his grandmother escape through the same route.
His grandmother suffered minor injuries, while the flat, where she had lived for more than 20 years, was destroyed.
Several deaths have also been linked to fires involving e-bike batteries.
Eight-year-old Luke Albiston-O’Donnell from Birkenhead died in 2024 after inhaling toxic fumes from a house fire caused by an e-bike battery that was charging.
In another case, 28-year-old Mohsin Janjua from Bradford died in 2023 after a fire involving an e-bike conversion kit purchased online from China. Investigators concluded that a catastrophic battery failure was more likely than not to have caused the fire.
Coroners have issued at least five reports since 2023 warning about the dangers of lithium-ion batteries used in e-bikes and e-scooters and calling for improvements to public safety.
The Bicycle Association said the growing availability of cheap and unsafe products online was undermining efforts by legitimate retailers to provide safe e-bikes.
Steve Garidis of the association said illegal and unsafe products sold through online marketplaces could put unsuspecting consumers at risk.
The UK government has warned that batteries can become a serious fire hazard if they fail to meet safety standards, are damaged, modified or used with incompatible chargers.
Its “Buy Safe, Be Safe” campaign advises consumers to check for recognised UKCE or CE safety markings when purchasing e-bikes and e-scooters.
The government also said it was strengthening the responsibilities of online marketplaces and working with local authorities to identify and remove unsafe products from sale.
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