BBC News Briefing

29 April, 2025

Alexandra Binley

Hello. In an exclusive interview, Canadian PM Mark Carney tells the BBC that the US should "respect" his country. From California, we report on how the increasing threat of wildfires is pushing up insurance premiums so much, that some residents are being forced out of their homes. And finally, dramatic footage from the US captures the moment a powerboat becomes airborne before flipping over several times.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Canada will deal with Trump 'on our terms', Carney tells BBC

Mark Carney, Canada prime minister, speaking to the BBC in Ottawa as the polls close in the Canadian election. He is wearing a blue suit jacket with a blue shirt.

Carney also said there was a "win-win possibility" for his country if it could secure a deal with the US. Credit: BBC

Canada will enter trade and security talks with the US on "our terms", newly-elected Prime Minister Mark Carney has said. Following an election set against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump's tariffs and musings about making Canada the 51st state, Carney said that he would only pay his southern neighbour a visit when there is a "serious discussion to be had". In an exclusive interview, the former top banker told BBC economics editor Faisal Islam that his country deserves and expects "respect" from the US. Faisal writes that Carney "now sits at the centre of an alternative pole of global economic thinking: Everything but Trump."

What else Carney said

GET UP TO SPEED

A smiling Jeff Bezos is bald and wearing a black tuxedo. He is standing in front of a blue background

Bezos 'solved problem' over tariff price plan - Trump

The online giant angered the White House over reports it was planning to detail the price impact of tariffs to its customers.

What happened >

A police car sits in the middle of a road and a police officer walks ahead of it. There is police cordon tape across the street

Three people killed after shooting in Sweden

The shooting took place at a hair salon in the city of Uppsala. The shooter, who fled on a scooter, is still on the run, reports say.

Read more >

A woman uses her mobile phone torch inside a store during a power outage/ She is wearing dark colours and has long brown hair which is tied up in a ponytail

Unanswered questions remain over power cut

It's still not known what caused the huge outage which plunged Spain and Portugal into darkness.

What we know so far >

Meghan and long wavy dark brown hair and she is laughing. She is wearing a cream-coloured vest and is in a kitchen of the same colour.

Meghan uses 'HRH' title but denies breaking rules

The Sussexes still hold HRH titles but there was an agreement they wouldn't use them after stepping down as working royals.

More on this >

AT THE SCENE

San Francisco Bay Area, California

Wildfire threat pricing Californians out of their homes

A firefighter drags a hose towards a burning house in the Altadena area of Los Angeles, while another firefighter looks on

Some thirty people were killed in the deadly LA wildfires. Credit: Getty Images

From Our Own Correspondent: Since the catastrophic LA fires in January, wildfires have dominated conversations in the San Francisco Bay Area, and alerts have intensified. Against this backdrop, another crisis is unfolding. Hundreds of thousands of homeowners across California are being served non-renewal notices by their insurance companies, and many are no longer issuing policies in the state at all, citing the risk of wildfire as too great. And if you're lucky enough to get a policy, the prices are astronomical— rising for some by nearly 1,000% in the last eight years alone.

Amy Steadman, BBC News

Sara has lived in her home just above Muir Woods redwood forest for 11 years. But her ability to stay is under threat. She’s been dropped by her insurer twice, each time being told it’s because of her proximity to the redwoods. She finally found an alternative policy for $11,000 but "had to employ an expensive broker, have inspections, remove shrubbery and spend days doing endless paperwork - it was relentless".

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But beyond the fear of fire, beyond the stress of securing and keeping insurance, there’s an even bigger threat looming. "If we pay these astronomical premiums, do the insurers even have enough money to cover us all if the worst happens?" Sara asks. "And if not, will the Trump government provide federal help?" She says it's a risk she can't afford to take and has decided to return to the UK. The irony that the beauty that first drew her to the Bay Area, is now forcing her to leave - isn’t lost on her.

Listen to more

Climate change: Scientists say the fires that engulfed Los Angeles were made 35% more likely due to global warming.

Wildfires worsening: As the risk factors increase, is it still safe to live in areas prone to these disasters - and can fireproofing ever work?

Watch: As the wildfires blazed through Los Angeles, some of the city's super rich paid for private fire engines to protect their homes.

A snow-covered Mount Everest can be seen against a blue sky.

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SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Rushing up Everest

Plans to summit the peak with the help of xenon gas have been met with concerns.