作者： root

Thwarted attack on UFC fight is another reason to build White House ballroom, Trump DOJ argues

2026-06-17T18:44:33.468Z / CNN

• Trump’s Justice Department is citing a thwarted attack on a UFC fight at the White House as justification for the White House ballroom project.
• Officials say the planned ballroom would shield the grounds from drones and bullets with sophisticated security features atop the structure.
• Critics argue Trump is using recent violence to justify a project that requires congressional approval he has not obtained.

AI-generated summary was reviewed by a CNN editor.

As federal courts have looked skeptically at President Donald Trump’s assertion that he can construct a massive new ballroom at the White House without approval from lawmakers, he’s increasingly pointed to alleged attempts to harm him as a reason why the project should continue apace.

The latest iteration of that argument came late Tuesday when a top political appointee at the Justice Department said a thwarted possible attack on the outdoor UFC fight held at the White House last weekend “demonstrates the compelling need” for the nearly 90,000-square foot event space.

The ballroom’s “mass and height will shield the White House grounds from attack, and give the Secret Service the visibility needed to identify attackers,” Brett Shumate, the head of DOJ’s civil division, told a federal appeals court in a brief letter.

“It will protect the president and guests at major events that are currently held in ‘plastic tents that cannot even protect highly esteemed guests from inclement weather, let alone high caliber bullets or kamikaze drones,’ – exactly the attack that this Sunday’s would-be assassins plotted to launch,” he wrote, referring to temporary structures that have historically been used for large events held on the White House’s South Lawn.

The missive represents the department’s latest bid to use violence in Washington, DC, to buttress its arguments in defense of the project. Earlier this year, a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and a separate shooting incident near the White House were invoked by the administration as it sought to keep courts in the nation’s capital from frustrating work on the ballroom.

A three-judge panel at the DC Circuit Court of Appeals is poised to decide in coming weeks whether Trump is unlawfully constructing the ballroom, as a lower court in DC concluded this spring. During oral arguments before the panel earlier this month, the two judges who appeared ready to rule against Trump showed no interest in his national security arguments and instead focused largely on whether the law permitted the president to unilaterally carry out the project.

Critics have pointed to the fact that the planned ballroom would not be a substitute for the kinds of recent events where there was a threat to Trump’s life and those of the people around him.

After a suspected gunman showed up to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner – where Trump and a host of other executive branch officials were present – at a hotel in DC in late April, DOJ pointed to the incident in a bid to get US District Judge Richard Leon to undo his ruling that would have halted construction on the ballroom.

They later raised an incident near the White House last month as they reupped that request. In that case, Secret Service officers shot and killed a person who the agency said approached a security checkpoint just outside the White House complex and fired at them.

“When completed, this highly knitted, integrated, and unified project, which is a singular and vital national security facility, will provide a ‘SAFE HAVEN’ from attackers,” Justice Department lawyers wrote on May 24.

Leon, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, has yet to respond to the administration’s ask.

Outside observers pointed out earlier this year that the annual press gala is a private event that’s never held at the White House and that a new ballroom wouldn’t change that reality. Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez noted at the time that Trump’s decision to demolish the East Wing to make room for the ballroom happened long before the incident.

“The idea that they are now trying to change the rationale for this in retrospect doesn’t quite add up,” she told CNN’s Manu Raju in April. “And in fact, the White House long had facilities for hosting, which also included the East Wing.”

For its part, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which is waging the legal challenge to the ballroom project, has pushed back strongly on Trump’s arguments.

The group noted earlier this spring that it takes the president’s safety seriously and that its case wasn’t focused on whether there should be a new ballroom built at the White House, but rather whether Trump could proceed with such a massive change to the presidential residence without congressional approval.

“What Saturday’s awful event does not change is that the Constitution and multiple federal statutes require Congress to authorize construction of a ballroom on White House grounds, and that Congress has not done so,” attorneys for the trust told the Justice Department following the incident at the Correspondents’ Dinner.

https://www.cnn.com/
Inside the alleged plot to attack the White House UFC event

2:22 • Source: CNN

Inside the alleged plot to attack the White House UFC event

2:22

Leon, too, wasn’t persuaded earlier this year that the entire project needed to continue for national security reasons.

He clarified in April that his ruling halting the project excluded work on a highly sophisticated bunker being built under the ballroom, rejecting the White House’s claim that both the underground and above-ground portion of the structure “advances critical national-security objectives as an integrated whole.”

But the DC Circuit put that decision on hold, permitting work to continue for now.

Sunday’s UFC event took place outdoors at a large, temporary event space built on the White House grounds that included a towering, open-air “claw” structure in which the fights unfolded. Officials have said around 100,000 people were expected to gather near the White House for the event, which was held on Trump’s 80th birthday as part of programming for the United States’ 250th anniversary. The event also featured a festival for fans on the Ellipse.

Officials said on Tuesday that multiple people who they claim discussed plans to attack the event were charged in connection with the alleged plot. Authorities say the planned attack allegedly included the use of drones and a gunman. The plans were detected last week, officials said, and Trump still attended the event.

The planned ballroom, Trump’s attorneys told the appeals court on Tuesday, “will support a highly sophisticated drone port and sniper nests atop the ballroom that would destroy any effort to launch such an attack” in the future.

CNN’s Holmes Lybrand, Hannah Rabinowitz and Kaanita Iyer contributed to this report.

Blanche taps longtime prosecutor to coordinate human trafficking and child exploitation cases

June 17, 2026 / 1:41 PM EDT / CBS News

Washington— Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Wednesday appointed Alessandra Serano, a longtime federal prosecutor, to serve as the Justice Department’s national coordinator on human trafficking and child exploitation cases.

Serano has worked in various roles at the Justice Department on and off since 2003, including as a prosecutor in the Southern District of California, the Virgin Islands and, most recently, the Eastern District of Virginia.

She has been serving as a senior counsel to the deputy attorney general, and recently completed a temporary assignment with the Senate Judiciary Committee.

As national coordinator, Serano will be responsible for overseeing efforts across the Justice Department and other federal agencies to investigate and prosecute human trafficking and child exploitation crimes.

The role also entails working with the Office of Justice Programs, which awards grant money to victims services organizations that work directly to assist crime victims and local law enforcement.

“Ending human trafficking and the exploitation of children has been and remains one of the highest priorities of the Department of Justice,” Acting Attorney General Blanche said in a statement.

“With today’s appointment of Ali Serano, we are sending a clear and unmistakable message to predators: we are coming for you,” he added.

Human trafficking and child exploitation cases are prosecuted out of the Justice Department’s 93 U.S. Attorney’s Offices. There are also two separate offices in the Criminal Division that handle human trafficking and child exploitation cases, particularly if they span across multiple districts.

Her role will combine oversight of both areas, and be based in the deputy attorney general’s office, effectively elevating the role to a higher level of leadership within the department.

Her appointment comes after the Justice Department announced last week it is investigating the whereabouts of some 300,000 unaccompanied minors — some of whom they fear have been sold into labor or sex trafficking.

DOJ and Department of Homeland Security officials said that they are focused on so-called “super sponsors” who sign up to act as sponsors for three or more unrelated children who enter the U.S. alone. Some of the unaccompanied children end up being trafficked for labor or sex, they said.

In an interview with CBS News, Serano said the Justice Department’s efforts to track down the missing children will be a priority for the administration as part of its broader mission to combat human trafficking.

“I’m not saying that all of these kids have been trafficked, but I wouldn’t doubt that many of them are. And one kid trafficked is one too many,” she said.

In 120 days, Serano will be tasked with helping to submit a report updating the DOJ’s strategy for combatting child exploitation and human trafficking.

Serano said the Justice Department is seeing a number of trends related to both trafficking and child exploitation cases.

One trend involves “financially motivated sextortion,” she said. The schemes involve a predator pretending to be a teenager online and tricking victims into sending illicit photos of themselves. The predators then threaten to distribute the photos unless the victims send them money.

Another trend involves nihilistic violent extremist groups, such as one known as “764,” in which the group members coerce children to harm themselves or engage in other heinous acts.

In one case in the Middle District of Florida on Monday, a member of 764 pleaded guilty to distributing and possessing child sexual abuse materials, after prosecutors said he caused a minor girl to cut herself and use her blood to write messages. He also distributed gore and sexually explicit images of children.

On Tuesday, meanwhile, a judge sentenced a Maryland man also associated with the 764 group to 30 years in prison for sexually exploiting at least 10 minor females and urging them in some cases to cut themselves with razors and use their own blood to write on the wall.

Serano added that the Justice Department is also seeing more cases involving artificial intelligence-generated images of children being sexually exploited.

Reporter’s Notebook: Capitol Hill’s legislative clock is ticking ahead of the midterms

Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins blaming Democrats for lack of cooperation

June 17, 2026 12:43pm EDT / Fox News

By Chad Pergram Fox News

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6398493888112

Trump calls for SAVE America Act to be linked to FISA bill

Fox News chief congressional correspondent Chad Pergram details President Donald Trump’s controversial demand to link the extension of the FISA anti-terror surveillance law with voter ID legislation, the SAVE America Act. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., expresses doubt about the feasibility of this linkage, while Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., criticizes Trump’s move as ‘deeply reckless.’

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We’re deep enough into the season to have a sense of how the year is going for various clubs and players.

We see which players are most expendable by the trade deadline. And we get an early line on what to anticipate this fall.

Could sub-.500 clubs like the Texas Rangers or The Athletics (now playing in Sacramento) make the postseason? Did the Baltimore Orioles get what they paid for when they signed Pete Alonso from the New York Mets? Will the Detroit Tigers deal back-to-back Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal to the Atlanta Braves or Cleveland Guardians?

All becomes clearer as we approach the All-Star Break in less than a month.

The same is true in Congress. But the schedule is a little more advanced on Capitol Hill compared to the baseball calendar. Yes, Major League Baseball would play a potential Game 7 of the World Series on Oct. 31. Election Day for the midterms is Nov. 3.

DEMOCRATS FACE DAUNTING CONGRESSIONAL BASEBALL GAME STREAK AS EX-MLB GREAT EYES GOP ROSTER SPOT

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are questioning whether Congress should have a role in approving any agreement with Iran.(Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

However, the Capitol Hill timeframe is more truncated than the baseball slate.

In some respects, Congress is already past its legislative equivalent of the Dog Days of August. In fact, both the House and Senate will likely be out of session for all but a day – if that – in August. They’ll be back in September and then out again until after the midterm.

That is, unless there’s another lengthy government shutdown. And that’s a distinct possibility.

The government’s fiscal year expires at 11:59:59 p.m. ET on Sept. 30. Yes, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle want to rush home in the fall to campaign before the midterms. But last year’s record 43-day comprehensive government shutdown may just be a legislative amuse bouche of what we’re in for this year.

Plus, if Democrats again go to the mat over healthcare or the lack of guardrails for ICE and Border Patrol – despite Republicans just funding those agencies for the rest of the Trump presidency earlier this month – they may view a government shutdown and bogging down everything in Washington as the equivalent of campaigning.

The Senate is meeting this week. The House is out. Chatter started ricocheting around the Capitol this week that the House might consider sending everyone home until September at the end of the next work period. The official calendar has the House meeting through July 2. After adopting the One Big Beautiful Bill last summer, the House left for its August recess a day early in mid-July. One could see the House conceivably cutting town a bit early this year too.

That said, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., wants to advance a few spending bills across the floor before the recess. The House has already approved two of the 12 bills: one for military construction and veterans programs. The other for agriculture.

The House is poised to approve the Energy and Water spending bill next week as well as one for national security initiatives.

CONGRESS FLEES TOWN AS HEALTH CARE PREMIUMS SET TO EXPLODE FOR MILLIONS OF AMERICANS IN JANUARY

Rep. Tom Cole is running for his 12th term in Congress in Oklahoma.(Getty Images)

Republicans would like to approve the annual defense funding measure soon. That bill consumes well over half of all discretionary spending (money which Congress allocates each year). The GOP may need to follow suit from last year where the House passed the defense plan with only Republican votes. But if the House greenlights the Pentagon’s bill, it will have approved around 80 percent of all spending for the next fiscal year.

However, the Senate is another question. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, canceled planned sessions to craft multiple spending bills over the past few weeks. She’s blamed Democrats for lack of cooperation.

That said, control of the Senate may hinge on Maine as Collins faces embattled Democratic nominee Graham Platner this fall. Platner lugs around more baggage than a skycap at Dulles International Airport. But Democrats are sticking with Platner. Democrats are in no mood to cede any ground to Collins or present her with any easy “wins” ahead of the fall.

BATTLEGROUND REPUBLICANS HOLD THE LINE AS JOHNSON PRESSURES DEMS ON SHUTDOWN

Graham Platner addresses the crowd at his watch party after winning the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate at a YMCA in Blue Hill, Maine, on June 9, 2026. Platner will face Republican Sen. Susan Collins in the election for the seat.(Matthew Symons for Fox News Digital)

While the House appropriations process may limp along, it’s all but paralyzed in the Senate. This is where a congressional contagion could spread from the Senate to the House. Some House lawmakers may question why they should stick around to tackle any bills if they’re on a road to oblivion in the Senate. Pressure will ramp up on both sides of the aisle to let everyone go home early rather than engage in an academic exercise.

And let’s fast-forward to fall and the funding deadline. The sides simply are not getting along at all. There’s no incentive for Democrats to help if both the House and Senate are in play this fall. President Trump demonstrated no incentive to negotiate during last year’s government shutdown. It could be worse this time around. That’s why a shutdown may be in the cards.

The question is whether lawmakers stay in Washington for the month of October and try to figure things out when they’d rather be in their districts and states campaigning. Remember, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., kept the House out for most of the autumn shutdown last year.

MORNING GLORY: WILL THE HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS DESERT PRESIDENT TRUMP AND TRIGGER A MASSIVE TAX HIKE?

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson answers questions during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on June 3, 2026.(Win McNamee/Getty Images)

And then there is the biggest possible bill of all: “Reconciliation 3.0.”

No one really knows exactly what Republicans would stash in a massive package, ala last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill. President Trump is adamant that they add $350 billion in additional military spending on top of the Pentagon’s annual budget measure – mostly to cover the war in Iran. This would also restock munitions exhausted overseas.

Some Republicans believe they should address health care. Yet there’s still no bona fide health care proposal from the Trump Administration. There will be tax cuts. Maybe lower the cost of living. Of course, President Trump also wants the SAVE America Act tacked on to this bill. It requires proof of citizenship to vote. But the president just insisted that congressional Republicans latch the SAVE America Act to a bill to renew FISA.

Either way, the SAVE America Act wouldn’t pass muster with special Senate budget rules. And Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said repeatedly he would not fire the Senate’s budget umpire, Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough.

IT NEVER ENDS: GOP MOVES TO FUND BORDER, DEMOCRATS BLAST TRUMP SPENDING

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during a Senate Republicans press conference at the U.S. Capitol on June 2, 2026, flanked by Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.(Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc)

Vulnerable Republicans would love to have another policy bill to campaign on this fall. But there’s lots of skepticism. And any decision to dismiss lawmakers from Capitol Hill early would serve as a signal that there’s no way they can pass “Reconciliation 3.0.”

In Major League Baseball, we usually know by late July or early August if even an average team has an outside shot at the playoffs. The trade deadline is Aug. 3 – although some clubs may try to stock up or unload well before then.

Teams and players on the wrong side of the ledger will play out the string through the end of the season. Then pack up for the hot stove league.

Congress is similar. Members elected to the 119th Congress are in office until 11:59:59 p.m. ET on Jan. 3, 2027. Some are just running out the string.

Yogi Berra famously declared that “the future ain’t what it used to be.”

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In baseball, there were high expectations this season for the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds and Houston Astros. The season isn’t even to its mid-point. But the future isn’t panning out for these clubs.

The same is true on Capitol Hill. We’ll know soon if the future is what “it used to be,” here too.

Chad Pergram currently serves as Chief Congressional Correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC). He joined the network in September 2007 and is based out of Washington, D.C.

Read the 14 points of the agreement between Iran and the U.S.

June 17, 2026 3:29 PM EDT / CBS News

By Anne Bryson

Washington— Senior U.S. officials on Wednesday dictated the 14 points of the memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran, reading the text of the agreement to reporters on a phone call. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Iran has not officially released the memorandum.

Key points of the deal include:

• Both sides agreed to “the immediate and permanent end to military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.”
• Iran can begin exporting oil as soon as the MOU is signed.
• Iran “will make arrangements using its best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge for 60 days only from the Persian Gulf to the Sea of Oman and vice versa.”
• The U.S. and regional partners will develop a reconstruction plan for Iran worth at least $300 billion.
• Iran affirms that it “shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons.”
• The two sides “have agreed to resolve the disposition of stockpiled enriched material.”
• U.S. sanctions on Iran will be lifted on schedule as a part of a final deal, linked to nuclear compliance.
• There will be 60 days to sign a final agreement, which the two sides can agree to extend.

“If it doesn’t get done in 60 days, that’s all right. We go back to bombing,” President Trump said at the G7 in France Wednesday. “I don’t want to do that, because it’s so good, but we might have to, because we’re never going to let them have a nuclear weapon.”

The paragraphs of agreement below were transcribed from the official reading them aloud. CBS News has not seen the document directly:

1. The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran and their allies in the current war, by signing this MOU, declare the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon, and undertake from now on not to initiate any war or any military operation against each other, and to refrain from the threat or use of force against each other, and ensuring the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon. The final deal will confirm the permanent termination of the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon and other provisions of this paragraph.
2. The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran undertake to respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and to refrain from interfering in each other’s internal affairs.
3. The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran commit to negotiating and achieving the final deal in maximum 60 days, extendable with mutual consent.
4. Immediately upon the signing of this MOU, the United States of America will begin the removal of its naval blockade and any disturbances or impediments against the Islamic Republic of Iran, and will fully end the naval blockade within 30 days. During this period, the traffic of vessels will be in proportion to the numbers of pre-war traffic being restored by the Islamic Republic of Iran. The United States of America further undertakes to remove its forces from the proximity of the Islamic Republic of Iran within 30 days after the final deal.
5. Upon the signing of this MOU, Islamic Republic of Iran will make arrangements using its best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge for 60 days only from the Persian Gulf to the Sea of Oman and vice versa. The traffic of commercial vessels will immediately start and considering the need for removing the technical and military obstacles and demining by the Islamic Republic of Iran will be instated within 30 days. The Islamic Republic of Iran will conduct dialogue with the sultanate of Oman to define the future administration and maritime services in the Strait of Hormuz in discussion with other Persian Gulf states in line with the applicable international law and the sovereign rights of coastal states of the Strait of Hormuz.
6. The United States of America undertakes with regional partners to develop a definitive mutually agreed plan with at least USD $300 billion for the reconstruction and economic development of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The mechanism for the implementation of this plan will be finalized as part of the final deal within 60 days. All required licenses, waivers and permissions needed for the relevant financial transactions will be granted by the United States of America.
7. The United States of America undertakes to terminate all types of sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the United Nations Security Council resolutions, IAEA Board of Governors resolutions, and all unilateral U.S. sanctions, primary and secondary, in an agreed-upon schedule as part of the final deal. The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America acknowledge the critical importance of the sanctions termination issue above mentioned, and express their intentions to immediately address these issues in the negotiations in order to achieve mutual agreement on them.
8. The Islamic Republic of Iran reaffirms that it shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons. The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran have agreed to resolve the disposition of stockpiled enriched material, pursuant to a mechanism that will be mutually agreed upon in accordance with the schedule mentioned in paragraph seven, with the minimum methodology to be down-blending on site under the supervision of the IAEA. The two parties also agreed to discuss the issue of enrichment and other mutually agreed matters related to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear needs, based on a satisfactory framework being agreed upon in the final deal. The final deal will confirm the provisions of this paragraph. The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran acknowledge the critical importance of the nuclear issues above mentioned, and express their intention to immediately address these issues in the negotiations in order to achieve mutual agreement on them.
9. Pending the final deal, the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran agree to maintain the status quo. The Islamic Republic of Iran will maintain the current status quo of its nuclear program, and the United States of America will not impose any new sanctions, and will not deploy additional forces in the region.
10. The United States of America undertakes that immediately upon the signing of this MOU, and until the termination of sanctions, the U.S. Department of Treasury will issue waivers for the export of Iranian crude oil, petroleum products and derivatives, and all associated services, including banking transactions, insurances, transportation, etc.
11. The United States of America undertakes to make fully available for use the frozen or restricted funds and assets of the Islamic Republic of Iran upon the implementation of this MOU. The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran will mutually agree on the procedures related to the release of these funds during the negotiations. Such funds, whether retained in the original account or transferred, shall be made fully usable for payment to any ultimate beneficiary designated by the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The United States of America undertakes to issue all necessary licenses and authorizations accordingly.
12. The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran agree that an executive mechanism will be established to monitor the successful implementation of this MOU and the future compliance of the final deal.
13. After signing this MOU and subject to the beginning of the implementation of paragraphs 1, 4, 5, 10, and 11 of this MOU, and the continuing implementation of these measures, the United States of America and Islamic Republic of Iran will start negotiations regarding the final deal exclusively on the other paragraphs.
14. The final deal will be endorsed by a binding UNSC resolution.

大力发展倡议经济 印尼部长特乌库：新一代创造者将塑造亚洲未来

2026年6月17日 23:06 / 联合早报

王英慧雅加达报道

印尼创意经济部副秘书（数码与科技创意）尼尔（左）星期三（6月17日）在第五届东南亚讲堂上，与《联合早报》雅加达特派员蓝云舟（右）展开对话。 （Tech in Asia）

面对当前的国际竞争，印度尼西亚正力推创意经济作为国家的增长引擎，印尼资深官员相信，全亚洲都在见证新一代的创造者与创业家的崛起，他们的创意点子和才华将日益塑造本区域的经济未来。

印尼创意经济部长特乌库（Teuku Riefky Harsya）星期三（6月13日）在雅加达举行的第五届东南亚讲堂上发表主旨演讲时说，东南亚位处主要经济和科技强国之间，“但我们的未来不应被选边站队所定义，而应通过增强自身能力来成就。对印尼而言，其中一项能力就是创意经济 。”

特乌库指出，今时今日，国家面对的挑战已不再只是如何参与全球经济，而需要在经济成就日益取决于创意点子、创新、技术与人才的环境下，保持竞争力、适应能力，并体现价值。

特乌库所领导的印尼创意经济部，主要负责推动创意产业发展，促进文化与数码内容产业转化为经济价值的政府部门。

印尼创意经济去年的国内产值增长了6.86%，吸引到投资达103亿美元（约132亿新元），从业人员超过2700万人。特乌库说，其中57％是Z世代和千禧一代，显示印尼创意经济是由与数据联通、具备全球视野的年轻一代开拓者、革新者和创业家所驱动。

他相信，凭着数据经济的发展、丰富多样的文化与年轻的人口，亚洲有潜力成为强大的全球创意引擎，而这场转型正在发生。亚洲新一代创造者、创新者和创业家正在崛起，“我们的责任是确保这一代人拥有能让他们将创意，转化为可持续经济价值的生态环境和机会。”

他指出，在数码内容、游戏、电影、动漫、音乐、设计、创新科技、人才、流动性和知识产权发展的领域，亚洲国家身有深化合作的显著机会。

创意经济部长特乌库在发表主旨演讲前接受媒体采访。特乌库在主旨演讲中说，投资创意经济就是投资印尼的人民、思想以及未来。（Tech in Asia）

他介绍，印尼政府也在制定AI政策框架，来确保AI的使用符合道德，包容，并以人为核心。

同时，印尼正着力保护知识产权（IP），推动把知识产权视为经济资产，使之能更广泛地被金融机构接受，作为融资的凭证。为此，特乌库领导的部门，正与监管机构、银行和行业伙伴，合作发展“知识产权评估体系”。

印尼创意经济部副常任秘书（数码与科技创意）尼尔（Muhammad Neil） 在与《联合早报》雅加达特派员蓝云舟的对话中则提到，在当前地缘政治环境下，“东南亚是时候崛起了”，尤其是在数据与创意产业领域方面。

尼尔以新加坡为例说，创新科技早期研发的声霸卡以及电竞公司雷蛇，都是具有代表性的产品和品牌。而今，印尼方面的巴东饭（Nasi Padang）、印尼东部音乐（Musik Timur）和影视作品也成了印尼的IP，广泛传入马来西亚和新加坡等亚细安国家。

他认为，新加坡和印尼等亚细安国家的文化多样性是项优势，关键在于各国需提升对知识产权的认知，将它作为国家与创作者的重要资产，同时开展合作，更好地整合和推动这些资源的发展。

本次东南亚讲堂由《联合早报》携手科技媒体Tech in Asia，于2026亚洲经济峰会期间呈现。

包容巧固球运动将引入本地三学校 料明年中落实

2026年6月17日 23:32 / 联合早报

律政部长兼内政部第二部长唐振辉（前右一）星期三与来自12个国家的国际巧固球联合会成员，一起体验轮椅巧固球。 （陈渊庄摄）

国际巧固球联合会计划在新加坡的学府和机构推出包容巧固球运动，希望最迟于明年6月引进三所学校。

国际巧固球联合会会长林子轩星期三（6月17日）集合了12个国家联合会成员，在明智中学向媒体推介巧固球和融行动（Unified Tchoukball Movement）。律政部长兼内政部第二部长唐振辉当天也出席这一活动，并坐在运动轮椅上打球，亲身体验参与轮椅巧固球赛。此外，他也宣布正式出任新加坡巧固球总会的顾问。

当天，也是新加坡巧固球总会秘书长的林子轩汇集了26名来自欧洲、泛美、亚洲及非洲大陆的国际巧固球联合会国家代表参与巧固球和融行动。这些国家代表在新加坡逗留期间，将参与一系列工作坊、技术评审和实践训练课程，旨在提升轮椅巧固球（Wheelchair Tchoukball）及和融巧固球的教练标准、裁判培训和参与路径。

轮椅巧固球与和融巧固球的比赛规则不同，但目前联合会还在审核当中。轮椅巧固球旨在让残障人士参与巧固球运动，而和融巧固球是通过让身体健全的人与残障人士一起参与轮椅巧固球，来促进对残障人士的包容和理解。

包容巧固球（Inclusive Tchoukball）正是两者的结合。林子轩希望将这两项运动引进本地校园，提供给不同需求的学生，让那些因残障而无法参与体育课的学生有一项他们能够参与的运动，也让身体健全的学生理解坐轮椅的感觉。他的初步计划是在明年6月前，将包容巧固球引进本地三所学校。

但目前联合会正面临资金上的挑战，一个巧固球赛需要14架轮椅，而这种为运动专门设置的轮椅，一架5000元，如果要长期推行这项运动，学校须购买这些轮椅。这对于学校来说是相当艰巨的。因此，在接下来的四到八年内，林子轩的计划是将这类巧固球带给社区，让更多人能够参与，这样一来才有办法筹集更多的资金。

唐振辉当天是第一次接触和融巧固球，他接受媒体采访时说：“这项运动深化了我对残疾运动员和残障人士的尊重，也让我意识到包容并不是同情，而是通过互动、共同的体验及合作来加深对残障人士的理解。”

意大利退休体育教师发起轮椅巧固球

来自意大利的国际巧固球联合会副会长琪亚拉（Chiara Volonte）正是轮椅巧固球的发起人。她是一名退休的体育教师，在2005年阅读了一本巧固球相关的书后，被当中的“人人都能参与体育”的概念所吸引，萌生了发起轮椅巧固球的想法。

她和团队在米兰的一所医院与运动科患者、物理治疗师以及医生和护士，进行了几轮试验之后，在2008年向意大利巧固球协会提交轮椅巧固球的规则，并在2010年得到批准，正式在意大利推行。

琪亚拉随后提出全球推广设想并获得林子轩支持，两人携手开启了巧固球和融行动。

新加坡是意大利之后，推介轮椅巧固球的第二站。林子轩希望未来能将这项运动推展到更高的赛事舞台，让更多世界各地的人参与。

巧固球和轮椅巧固球规则的异同

普通巧固球的基本玩法是球员于3米半圆的禁区外射球，球反弹出禁区且落场区内得分。但轮椅巧固球的玩法则是球员于2米半圆的禁区外射球，球必须反弹出3米半圆的禁区外才能得分。

琪亚拉解释说，这是因为当人坐在轮椅上，是很难控制轮椅在3米半圆的禁区外扭转方向射球的，因此她和团队就想到多加入一个禁区。

此外，在普通的巧固球赛中，运动员最多能持球三秒，但轮椅巧固球却允许持球五秒。这是考虑到球员须边传球边操控轮椅。其余规则与普通巧固球保持一致。

截至2025年3月，BBC雇有约2万1500名员工。 （路透社）

英国广播公司（BBC）星期三（6月17日）宣布削减550个工作岗位，新闻部门及内容部门也将受影响。

路透社报道，这是BBC新总裁布里廷（Matt Brittin）在未来三年砍掉5亿英镑（约8亿6000万新元）运营成本的一部分。

随着受众群体尤其是年轻群体转向流媒体和其他数码平台，BBC在保持影响力和吸引力面对艰巨挑战。

今年3月，BBC任命谷歌前高管布里廷为新总裁。当时BBC主席萨米尔·沙（Samir Shah）说，BBC需要进行彻底改革，而布里廷说，BBC面临生死存亡的“真正风险”。

此次新闻部门裁员将包括关闭一些长寿节目、合并不同节目的制作团队以及对资深出镜岗位如主持人和记者等进行重新评估。

截至2025年3月，BBC雇有约2万1500名员工。BBC说，6月17日宣布的改革方案预计将为公司节省约1亿6000万英镑，离5亿英镑的目标还有一段距离。未来几个月内将公布更多节省开支的举措，其中包括在BBC行政部门裁员约700人。

未来三年，BBC预计将裁员1800人至2000人。

称G7峰会成功 马克龙：特朗普承认俄罗斯不愿实现和平

2026年6月17日 23:43 / 联合早报

马克龙说，特朗普与其他出席G7峰会的领导人都承认，俄罗斯并不希望结束与乌克兰的战争，这表明美国在俄乌战争问题上的立场发生了真正的转变。 （路透社）

法国总统马克龙说，七国集团（G7）领导人一致认为，俄乌战争的战场态势已转向有利于乌克兰。

路透社报道，为期三天的七国集团峰会星期三（6月17日）在法国埃维昂闭幕，马克龙在峰会闭幕后的新闻发布会说：“乌克兰正在推进、抵抗，而俄罗斯正在倒退。”

他指出，美国总统特朗普与其他出席峰会的领导人都承认，俄罗斯并不希望结束与乌克兰的战争。

马克龙认为，这表明美国在俄乌战争问题上的立场发生了“真正的转变”。

他也认为，此次七国集团峰会取得成功，此前数月“充斥着分裂、分歧和争执”，而此次峰会是“团结、有意义的讨论、与会领导人真诚合作的时刻”。

马克龙还赞扬七国集团领导人“重新动员”加大对俄罗斯的压力，以促成乌克兰和平进程。

王毅与伊朗外长通电话 吁妥善处理霍尔木兹通航问题

2026年6月17日 23:55 / 联合早报

中国外长王毅（右）5月6日在北京同伊朗外长阿拉格齐举行会谈。 （路透社）

中国外长王毅星期三（6月17日）应约同伊朗外长阿拉格齐通电话，表示中国对美伊达成第一阶段谅解备忘录表示欢迎，和平的曙光已经出现。王毅并呼吁妥善处理霍尔木兹海峡通航问题，稳妥回应国际社会的普遍关切。

为美伊居中斡旋的巴基斯坦总理谢里夫星期一（6月15日）宣布，美国和伊朗已达成协议，同意立即永久停止在所有战线的军事行动，并定于星期五（19日）在瑞士正式签署协议。

美国总统特朗普星期二（16日）在法国出席七国集团（G7）会议期间表示，将在星期五前实现霍尔木兹海峡全面重开。

据中国外交部官网消息，阿拉格齐星期三在与王毅的通话中，通报了伊朗和美国达成第一阶段谅解备忘录有关情况，衷心感谢北京为推动谈判和达成协议发挥的积极作用。

王毅表示，中国对美伊达成第一阶段谅解备忘录表示欢迎。事实证明，武力和强权解决不了问题，对话谈判才是正确的选择。

王毅指出，作为全面战略伙伴，中国始终支持伊朗的合理正当主张，支持伊朗维护自身主权和安全，支持巴基斯坦以及国际社会的斡旋努力，并且一直以自己的方式止战促和。和平的曙光已经出现，下步的关键是各方把承诺真正落到实处，并排除来自各方面的干扰。

王毅强调，霍尔木兹海峡通航问题应得到妥善处理，稳妥回应国际社会的普遍关切。中国支持伊朗同地区国家改善关系，探索共同构建地区安全架构。北京也愿同德黑兰加强沟通协调，在巩固深化中伊关系的同时，为维护和促进地区和平稳定继续作出贡献。

中国官方引述阿拉格齐表示，有关谅解备忘录应得到执行，包括以色列停止对黎巴嫩的军事行动。伊朗始终从战略高度看待对华关系，期待同中国增进彼此互信，深化各领域合作，共同推进两国全面战略伙伴关系。

Her ex racked up $7,000 of credit card debt, crumbling her finances. Now, a new law could require abusers to pay.

June 17, 2026 / 11:25 AM EDT / CBS News

By Cara Tabachnick News Editor

Four years into her second marriage, she didn’t ask questions when her husband asked her to sign on to a credit card in her name. But then the relationship turned abusive, she said. When she left her marriage, she found herself in financial distress, with her credit score tanking hundreds of points after her former husband used the credit card and didn’t make payments.

“I never used the card that was issued,” Juliette, who asked CBS News not to use her full name for personal safety reasons, said.

But she now had close to $7,000 of debt in her name and no clear way to remove herself from their shared account. The bank wanted the couple to meet in person to dissolve the account, Juliette said, but she had an order of protection against her former husband and didn’t want to be in the same room.

“There was an issue of safety,” she said, adding she couldn’t believe or understand how the bank didn’t have a system in place to assist survivors of domestic abuse.

She said she fled her former husband’s home with her two children to live in a roach-filled apartment in the Bronx. She had no choice, she said, after her credit score fell from around 800 to 460. No other landlord would rent to her.

Juliette has a story similar to thousands of domestic violence survivors — but states are beginning to enact legislation that could help them and other survivors of economic abuse.

Legislation in New York, which was signed into law last year and goes into effect on Wednesday, will make it the eighth state to allow relief from coerced debt for survivors of domestic violence, elder abuse and human trafficking.

Proponents of the law say that relief can be life changing. Opponents say the law can be ripe for abuse. New York’s law was amended after pushback from financial institutions, narrowing the scope of relief. A spokesperson for the American Financial Services Association said the amendment closed the loopholes: “A remedy built for legitimate survivors can’t double as a roadmap for cheats.”

Half of domestic violence survivors are coerced into relatively small debts of up to $20,000, according to the Center for Survivor Agency and Justice, but the impact reverberates across their life.

“The rippling effects of coerced debt are quite vast,” CSAJ Executive Director Erika Sussman told CBS News. Over the two decades that her organization has been advocating for economic rights for survivors, she has seen debt serve as a barrier to housing, employment, or transportation to work — all things needed for physical safety.

“It adds up and compounds over time,” said Sussman.

When money is tight, abuse can start

Like so many other survivors of economic abuse, Juliette brushed aside her growing concerns about her husband’s gambling problems. Instead, she focused on studying for her nursing degree and raising her teen son and college-age daughter in a brand new country. Widowed in Jamaica, she had followed her second husband to the United States six years after they started dating, eager for a new life.

He would routinely place bets of $4,000, Juliette said, but his salary mostly covered his gambling. Then his debts started to outpace his earnings — and violence began, she said.

“Money got tight, and that is when the abuse really started,” Juliette said.

One night, while she was studying for a nursing exam, the couple got into a fight. She said that after her then-husband broke a chair and threatened her, she called the cops and decided to leave.

A police officer gave her the phone number for Her Justice, a New York-based nonprofit that represents victims of violence, and advised her to call if she needed help. Juliette worked with a lawyer there who helped her file for divorce in 2018.

“I’d make arrangements to leave. And that’s where it started,” she said, recounting the difficulties she faced once she was on her own.

The couple had property in common and an outstanding credit card. She and her attorney said her former husband didn’t pay the credit card bills.

Notices of late statements and bills started to arrive, and Juliette said she had no way of really knowing what was happening. “I could not see the transactions, not get prompts on his late payments or get statements with the late payments,” she said.

Juliette said she was embarrassed to turn to her parents in Jamaica for help.

For some, a clear economic path forward

After more than five years of litigation, Juliette and her former husband finalized their divorce in 2023 — and he was deemed responsible for the credit card debt.

Her lawyer said they had tried to negotiate with the bank several times. The bank didn’t have any reasonable systems to remove Juliette from the card, her lawyer said, which they hope the new law can address.

“The bank can and should go after the person who’s rightfully responsible. So we’ve seen this a lot in the divorce. But what’s new here is now, instead of doing it through the divorce, there’s this other remedy that involves the banks directly,” said Susanna Saul, director of legal services for Her Justice.

The New York coerced debt law won’t help Juliette because it will only apply to debt incurred for survivors after the effective date, June 17, but her hope is that sharing her story will raise awareness for others.

Beyond New York, states like California, Texas, and Illinois have enacted similar measures, granting victims a mechanism to contest liabilities directly with banks. This shift allows survivors to bypass traditional court litigation, such as lengthy divorce proceedings, and seek relief by engaging with creditors.

“This is a critical issue and given the absence of protection at the federal level, states have really taken up the charge to protect survivors,” Sussman said.

New York-based survivors will now be able to challenge their debt directly with creditors. If they succeed, the creditor can go after the responsible party.

“So, the debt is not erased, but the survivor’s liability is discharged,” said Rachel Braunstein, policy director for Her Justice.

After getting a Notice of Coerced Debt, the creditor must review the account, mark the debt “disputed” on credit reports and keep the survivor’s contact info confidential. If the bank accepts the notice, the creditor must stop collecting from the survivor.

Experts do share some concern about how banks will manage the requests. The survivors, however, can sue the creditor and also the alleged abuser if they fail to follow the law.

Juliette has now graduated from nursing school. Her daughter graduated from college. Her son joined the military. And slowly, her credit is inching its way back up. Last she checked, she said, it was hovering in the 600s.

“I’m still able to do a lot of things to date, but the report still has it sitting there,” she said.