Brazilian mining dam ‘at risk of collapse’
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media captionBrazil’s mining dams: A disaster waiting to happen?Brazil’s mining firm Vale has warned that another dam is at risk of bursting months after the collapse of a similar structure killed more than 230 people.The dam in the south-eastern city of Barão de Cocais could burst next week…
Internet legend Grumpy Cat dies
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The owners of Tardar Sauce confirmed she died on Tuesday Grumpy Cat, the feline famous on the internet for her permanent scowl, has died aged seven, her owners say. A statement says she died on Tuesday following complications from a recent urinary tract infection. The cat from Arizona had…
Trump ‘does not want war with Iran’
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Tensions have risen between Iran under President Hassan Rouhani and the US under President Donald Trump US President Donald Trump has said he does not want a war with Iran amid rising tensions between the two countries, according to senior officials.In a meeting on Wednesday the president told aides he…
Poland to double jail terms for paedophiles
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Convicted paedophiles could face a maximum of 30 years in prison Poland has announced plans to double jail terms for paedophiles after a documentary on priest sex abuse sparked outrage in the country. Convicted paedophiles could now face a maximum sentence of 30 years. In the most serious cases,…
‘Our girls are being killed senselessly’
Femicide – the killing of a female, on account of her gender – is a global issue. Activists in Kenya say there has been a spike in violence recently, with 40 women reported to have been killed this year alone. BBC Africa has visited the county of Busia in western Kenya which has been the…
Keyhole surgery repairs baby spine in womb
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media captionSherrie Sharp says her son Jaxson is a miracleIn a UK first, doctors have used keyhole surgery to repair the spine of a baby with spina bifida while it was still inside the womb.Surgeons at King’s College Hospital say the procedure is not a cure, but could…
Colorado rubbish row officer resigns
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media captionColorado police confront man picking up trash on his lawnA police officer in Colorado has resigned after confronting a black student picking up rubbish outside his shared accommodation.John Smyly questioned and followed Naropa University student Zayd Atkinson near his home in Boulder. “I don’t have a weapon!…
Facebook bans fake accounts targeting Africa
Image copyright Getty Images Facebook has removed hundreds of social media accounts and banned an Israeli firm due to “co-ordinated inauthentic behaviour” mainly targeting Africa.The fake accounts often posted on political news, including on elections in various countries, the firm said.Facebook has faced rising criticism for failing to stamp out misinformation on its platform.It launched…
Boeing completes 737 Max software upgrade
Image copyright Getty Images Boeing has completed development of a software update for its 737 Max plane which was grounded following two fatal crashes within five months.The US firm announced that it had flown the 737 Max with the updated software on 207 flights.It added it would provide data to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)…
Taiwan legalises same-sex marriage
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Same-sex marriage supporters stood outside the parliament as the bill was debated Taiwan’s parliament has become the first in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage following a vote on Friday.In 2017, the island’s constitutional court ruled that same-sex couples had the right to legally marry.Parliament was given a two-year deadline and…
Beating burnout: How to hustle smart
Everyone seems to be talking about millennial burnout but how do you avoid it? Alvin, 22, juggles his business, a job, and university. He’s so busy that he runs between meetings to save time. He knows this isn’t healthy and has burnt out once before.Can Alvin change his ways, learn to hustle smart, and still…
Trump vows ‘merit-based’ immigration rules
Image copyright AFP Image caption Currently many migrants coming legally into the US have family ties there US President Donald Trump has outlined plans for a new US immigration system designed to favour younger, better educated, English-speaking workers.In an address at the White House, he proposed moving away from the current system that favours applicants…
Cross-party Brexit talks set to close
Image copyright EPA/Getty Images Brexit talks between the Conservatives and Labour are about to close without an agreement, the BBC has learned.Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn will now move to a second phase, aimed at agreeing on a process for Parliamentary votes designed to find a consensus.It comes after Mrs May promised to set a…
Gay in Belarus: ‘How are we different?’
Nikita and Radyion are a gay couple from Belarus. It is hard for them to express their feeling anywhere but online as there are very few openly gay people in the country. Although same sex relationships are not illegal in Belarus, the country remains one of the most homophobic in Europe according to the International…
French doctor charged with 17 poisonings
Image copyright AFP Image caption Frédéric Péchier has already been charged with poisoning seven others, but denies any wrongdoing A criminal investigation has been launched against a French doctor over the poisoning of 17 people in France.Frédéric Péchier, an anaesthesiologist, has already been investigated for seven other cases of poisoning, in total leading to nine…
Chelsea Manning ordered back to jail
Image copyright AFP Image caption Chelsea Manning told the judge she would “rather starve” than testify US former intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning has been ordered back to prison after again refusing to testify before an inquiry into Wikileaks.Manning, 31, was remanded in custody for contempt of court after refusing to give evidence to a grand…
Chinese-born architect I M Pei dies at 102
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption I M Pei was the man behind many iconic buildings around the world I M Pei, the architect behind buildings including the glass pyramid outside the Louvre in Paris, has died aged 102.Tributes have been pouring in, remembering him for a lifetime of designing iconic structures worldwide.Pei was born…
Ultra-processed foods ‘make you eat more’
Image copyright Getty Images Ultra-processed foods lead people to eat more and put on weight, the first trial to assess their impact suggests. Volunteers had every morsel of food they ate monitored for a month. And when given ultra-processed food, they ate 500 calories a day more than when they were given unprocessed meals.The US…
Game of Thrones petition demands remake
Image copyright Sky Atlantic Image caption Kit Harington plays Jon Snow in the hit TV series Winter has finally come for Game of Thrones – and its last series is getting a chilly reception.A petition calling on its makers, HBO, to redo season eight has been signed by more than 500,000 disgruntled fans.The latest series…
Pentagon ‘wanted to pay Taliban expenses’
Image copyright AFP/Getty Images Image caption The Taliban now control more territory in Afghanistan than at any point since 2001 The Trump administration wanted to reimburse the Taliban for their expenses attending recent peace talks, according to a congressional aide. The Pentagon’s request earlier this year was to cover costs like food and lodging, a…
Five memories of Bob Hawke
Former Australian prime minister and Labor Party leader Bob Hawke, who dominated the country’s politics in the 1980s, has died at the age of 89.The charismatic politician, renowned for his love of beer and cricket, served from 1983 to 1991 and is credited with modernising the economy.He was the centre-left Labor Party’s longest-serving PM, achieving…
Police asked teen: ‘Were you turned on?’
Image copyright Getty Images Canadian politicians have condemned an “appalling” police interrogation of a teenager who reported an alleged sexual assault. Videos obtained by aboriginal television network APTN show a police officer asking the girl whether she “was at all turned on” by the incident. The news organisation did not identify the teenager, who is…
May agrees timetable to choose new PM
Image copyright Getty Images Theresa May has promised to set a timetable for the election of her successor after the next Brexit vote in the first week of June. The agreement follows a meeting between the prime minister and senior Tory MPs who are demanding a date for her departure from Downing Street.If she loses…
Russian bots rigged Voice Kids talent show result
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Mikella’s mother Alsou (R), from Azerbaijan, is a successful pop star The result of a popular Russian TV talent show – The Voice Kids – has been cancelled after thousands of fraudulent votes were found to have handed victory to a millionaire’s young daughter.There were complaints after singer Mikella…
‘Abortion is not OK’: Alabama reacts to bill
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China threatens US over Huawei sanctions
Image copyright AFP Image caption Huawei denies that its products post a security threat to foreign nations China has threatened to retaliate against US sanctions seen as an attempt to restrict international trade by the Chinese technology giant Huawei. Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said Beijing opposed countries imposing unilateral sanctions on Chinese companies and…
Missouri passes anti-abortion bill
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Pro-choice and anti-abortion activists protest outside the US Supreme Court Missouri lawmakers have passed a controversial bill which would outlaw nearly all abortions at eight weeks of pregnancy in the US state.The bill was approved by Missouri’s Republican-led Senate by 24 votes to 10 on Thursday morning. Missouri’s House…
Tide of plastic flip-flops engulfs island
Image copyright Silke Stuckenbrock Close to a million plastic shoes, mainly flip flops are among the torrent of debris washed up on an “unspoilt paradise” in the Indian Ocean. Scientists estimated that the beaches of Australia’s Cocos (Keeling) Islands are strewn with around 414 million pieces of plastic pollution.They believe some 93% of it lies…
Strangled US woman’s baby ‘cut from body’
Image copyright Getty Images A pregnant teenager has been found dead in Chicago three weeks after her baby was cut from her body, police say.Marlen Ochoa-Lopez, 19, was found strangled behind a house where she is alleged to have been lured to collect free baby clothes on 23 April. The baby boy, who is in…
Belgian ex-king faces fine if refuses DNA test
Image copyright AFP Image caption Belgian artist Delphine Boël alleges King Albert II is her father A Belgian appeals court has ruled that former King Albert II is to be fined €5,000 (£4,370) a day if he refuses to undergo a DNA test.In February, he refused to undergo such a test in a case aimed…
International cyber-crime gang busted
Image copyright Getty Images An international crime gang which used malware to steal $100m (£77m) from more than 40,000 victims has been dismantled.A complex police operation conducted investigations in the US, Bulgaria, Germany, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.The gang infected computers with GozNym malware, which captured online banking details to access bank accounts.The gang was put…
Koons work breaks record for living artist
Image copyright AFP/Getty Image caption Jeff Koons’ Rabbit was sold as part of Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Art auction in New York A sculpture by US pop artist Jeff Koons has sold for $91.1m (£71m), breaking the record price for a work by a living artist.Christie’s in New York sold Rabbit – a 41in (104cm)…
The rapes haunting a place that shuns the 21st Century
Image caption Mennonite women in Colonia Oriente, Bolivia In Manitoba, an insular Mennonite colony in Bolivia whose residents eschew modernity, nine men were rounded up in 2009. Later, they were convicted of the rape and sexual assault of 151 women and girls – including small children – within this small Christian community. So why are…
New York Mayor de Blasio to run in 2020
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Polls suggest New Yorkers are not pleased about Mayor Bill de Blasio’s decision to run New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced his run for the presidency, the latest Democrat to enter the race.In a video released on Thursday, Mr de Blasio said it was “time we put working…
EU fines banks €1bn for currency rigging
Image copyright PA Five banks have been fined €1.07bn (£935m) by the European Commission after traders clubbed together to rig the foreign exchange market.Four banks in the “Banana Split” cartel – Barclays, RBS, Citigroup and JP Morgan – were fined €811m in all.Three banks in the “Essex Express” cartel – Barclays and RBS again, plus…
Australia’s former PM Bob Hawke dies at 89
Image copyright AFP Former Australian prime minister and Labor Party leader Bob Hawke, who dominated the country’s politics in the 1980s, has died at the age of 89.The charismatic politician led the country from 1983 to 1991 and is credited with reforms that modernised the economy.He remains the longest-serving prime minister of Australia’s centre-left Labor…
Radioactive US school shut down
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption A closed nuclear plant is located next to the school A US middle school has closed for the remainder of the school year after authorities found it was contaminated with radioactive chemicals.Officials say a nearby air monitor detected enriched uranium and neptunium-237 at Zahn’s Corner Middle School in Piketon,…
Leader of Eta Basque rebels arrested in France
Image copyright EPA Image caption Josu Ternera has done time in French and Spanish jails The political leader of the Basque separatist group Eta has been arrested in the French Alps after 17 years on the run, officials say.In a joint French-Spanish police operation, Josu Ternera – whose real name is José Antonio Urrutikoetxea -…
Philippines recalls Canada envoy over waste
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Illegal rubbish dumping has become a big problem in the Philippines The Philippines has recalled its ambassador to Canada in an escalating row over the disposal of waste wrongly labelled as recyclable. The Philippines’ foreign secretary said Canada missed a May 15 deadline to retrieve rubbish shipped out in…
Alarm over severe drought in North Korea
Image copyright WFP Image caption North Koreans have been told to protect farm fields after crops were affected with record lows in rainfall North Korea has said it is suffering its worst drought in 37 years and called on its citizens to “battle” against the crop damage caused by it. It comes after the UN…
Trump pardons disgraced mogul Conrad Black
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Conrad Black, who became Lord Black of Crossharbour, was known for his extravagant lifestyle US President Donald Trump has signed a full pardon for former media mogul Conrad Black.Black, 74, was convicted of fraud and obstructing justice in 2007 and jailed for more than three years in the US.A White…
Fashion houses to only hire models over 18
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Gucci, pictured at Milan Fashion Week in February, is one of the brands owned by Kering Fashion company Kering has announced that it will no longer use models who are under the age of 18.The French luxury group owns several major fashion houses, including Gucci, Saint Laurent and Alexander…
Man killed by crossbow led ‘medieval cult’
Image copyright AFP Image caption The hotel is in a popular hiking location near Passau in Bavaria The man killed in a crossbow murder-suicide pact in Germany is believed to have led a cultish group devoted to medieval folklore and treated the women around him like slaves, reports say. The bodies of Torsten W and…
Candidates spar on TV for top EU job
Image copyright AFP The candidates to take over from Jean-Claude Juncker as President of the European Commission have clashed in a televised debate broadcast across the EU.It was part of the spitzenkandidat – or “lead candidate” – process, where contenders for the role are put forward by the pan-European groups of like-minded political parties in…
Niger soldiers ambushed and killed
Militants have killed 17 Nigerien soldiers in an ambush near the border with Mali, Niger government spokesman has told the BBC. Eleven soldiers are missing after the attack near the western village of Tongo Tongo, Abdourahaman Zakariyyah said.Militants killed four US soldiers at the same place in 2017. Niger and other countries in the Sahel…
Sudan talks stall ‘over protest roadblocks’
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Barricades have been set up across the capital, Khartoum, but the military says they hinder negotiations Sudan’s military rulers have suspended talks on moving towards civilian government until protesters clear roadblocks in the capital Khartoum, opposition leaders say.An opposition alliance said the Transitional Military Council (TMC) was demanding barricades be…
Trump declares emergency over IT threats
Met museum to shun Sackler family money
Image copyright Spencer Platt/Getty Images Image caption The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced it will stop accepting gifts from the Sackler family, linked to OxyContin New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art said on Wednesday that it will shun gifts from the US Sackler family, made rich by the production of opioids. The billionaire family…
Window cleaners rescued from swinging lift
Two window cleaners have been rescued from a metal basket which was swinging out of control near the top of a 50-storey building in Oklahoma.Reports said the crane at the Devon Tower was unstable and the incident took place in high winds.The basket smashed several windows before emergency responders stabilised the crane and lowered it…
Alabama passes bill banning abortion
Alabama has become the latest US state to move to restrict abortions by passing a bill to outlaw the procedure in almost all cases.The law includes a ban on abortion in cases of rape or incest.Supporters say they expect the law to be blocked in court, but hope that the appeals process will bring it…
Chinese rover ‘confirms’ Moon crater theory
Image copyright CLEP Image caption The Chang’e-4 rover has been exploring Von Kármán crater since January this year The Chinese Chang’e-4 rover may have confirmed a longstanding idea about the origin of a vast crater on the Moon’s far side.The rover’s landing site lies within a vast impact depression created by an asteroid strike billions…
Choco Leibniz heir sparks Nazi controversy
Image copyright AFP Image caption Verena Bahlsen is an heir to the Bahlsen biscuit empire A German biscuit heiress has sparked outrage by saying the company “did nothing wrong” in its use of forced labour during Nazi rule.Verena Bahlsen, 25, was responding to an earlier controversy when she made the comment about forced workers.Bahlsen, which…
Tech giants pledge to limit terror content
Image copyright EPA Image caption New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron have launched the “Christchurch Call” Five global technology companies have pledged to limit terrorist material online. Facebook, Amazon, Google, Twitter and Microsoft will develop shared tools to detect and remove terrorist or extremist content among other measures. The pledge was…
China’s Xi urges openness amid trade war
Image copyright EPA Image caption Xi Jinping is set to meet Donald Trump at the G20 gathering in Japan next month Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for openness between countries and denounced racial supremacy as “stupid” amid rising trade tensions with the US.The remarks on Wednesday were made in Mr Xi’s first public address…
Trump-branded properties ‘underperforming’
Image copyright Getty Images US President Donald Trump’s Miami golf resort and Manhattan skyscraper, jewels in the crown of his property empire, are in decline, say US media.The Trump National Doral Miami has reported a steep drop in income since 2015, according to the Washington Post.Since 2015 net operating income dropped by 69%, the paper…
What to do if you see an Instagram post about suicide
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Experts say reporting the post – or contacting the poster, if you know them, could help Malaysian police say a 16-year-old girl killed herself earlier this week, after she asked her Instagram followers whether she should live or die.The Malaysian teenager had hosted a poll on her Instagram story,…
Pilots ‘raised Boeing safety fears’ in 2018
Image copyright Getty Images American Airlines pilots confronted Boeing about potential safety issues in its 737 Max planes in a meeting last November, US media are reporting.They urged swift action after the first deadly 737 Max crash off Indonesia in October, according to audio obtained by CBS and the New York Times. Boeing reportedly resisted…
US pulls ‘non-emergency staff’ from Iraq
Image copyright EPA Image caption Iraq’s prime minister said it had not observed “movements that constitute a threat to any side” The US state department has ordered the departure of “non-emergency employees” from Iraq, amid rising tensions between the US and Iraq’s neighbour Iran.Staff at the embassy in Baghdad and the consulate in Irbil must…
Ferrari worth millions stolen on test drive
Image copyright Polizei Dusseldorf Image caption The car – seen here in a police-supplied photo – is likely worth more than €2m (£1.7m) An opportunistic car “collector” used a test drive to make off with a Ferrari worth €2m (£1.7m; $2.2m).The suspect had expressed interest in buying a 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO, police in the…
Inside the school for transgender children
A school believed to be the first in the world predominantly for transgender children and their siblings opened in Chile last year.It is named after the Mexican transgender politician Amaranta Gómez Regalado, and caters for children aged between 6 and 17.Many of the students dropped out of their previous schools once they began to transition.They…
Is exhibiting tragic migrant ship distasteful or art?
Image copyright Barca Nostra If the purpose of art is to elicit a strong reaction then exhibiting a shipwreck at one of the world’s biggest art exhibitions has passed the test.But has it overstepped the boundaries of taste?Critics have hit out at the use of the hull of the ship, in which hundreds of migrants…
The Jeremy Kyle Show axed by ITV
Image copyright Shutterstock Image caption About one million people watched The Jeremy Kyle Show every day The Jeremy Kyle Show has been axed by ITV after the death of a guest who took part in the programme.Steven Dymond was found dead on 9 May a week after filming the show, during which he took a…
Trapped US farmer cuts off his own leg
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The interior of the auger is shaped like a screw and twists to pull up grain A Nebraska farmer has sawed off his own leg with a pen knife after becoming trapped in farming equipment. Kurt Kaser, 63, was moving grain from one silo to another when he was…
Facebook Live curbed after NZ attack
Image copyright Islamic State propaganda video Image caption Last year Islamic State propaganda was at its lowest levels online since 2015, Theresa May is expected to say Facebook has announced curbs on its streaming feature ahead of an online extremism summit in Paris, called after the Christchurch mosque attacks.The tech giant said there would be…
Record money for Monet at US auction
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Claude Monet completed the painting in 1890 A painting by Claude Monet has been bought for $110.7m (£85.7m), a new world record for a work by the French artist.Monet completed the oil painting in 1890 as part of his Meules (Haystacks) series, depicting rural life near his home in the…
Trump says Fed could help in trade war
Image copyright Getty Images US President Donald Trump has suggested the Federal Reserve could support the US in its simmering trade battle with China. The trade dispute between the world’s two largest economies escalated this week with tariff hikes on both sides.In a post on Twitter, Mr Trump said China would move to stimulate its…
Huawei willing to sign ‘no-spy’ agreements
Image copyright Getty Images Huawei is “willing to sign no-spy agreements with governments” including the UK, its chairman Liang Hua said.It follows concerns from some countries that China could use products made by the telecoms firm for surveillance.The Chinese company has denied that its work poses any risks of espionage or sabotage.Huawei has also said…
Sudan military agrees to three-year transition
Image copyright AFP Image caption Protesters’ demands for full civilian government have remained undimmed Sudan’s military leaders have announced an agreement with the opposition alliance for a three-year transition period to a civilian administration.The Transitional Military Council (TMC) said the alliance would have two-thirds of the seats on a legislative council.Sudan has been ruled by…
Cannes fires opening shot at ‘ignorant’ world leaders
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Alejandro González Iñárritu and jury member Elle Fanning took part in the opening ceremony The Cannes Film Festival has got off to a hard-hitting start with its jury president accusing world leaders of ruling with “rage and anger and lies”.Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu said prevailing rhetoric around immigration…
Australia qualify for Eurovision 2019
Image copyright EPA Image caption Miller-Heidke (centre) wrote Zero Gravity with her husband Keir Nuttall Australia will take part in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest for the fifth year running after making it through this year’s first semi-final.Singer Kate Miller-Heidke qualified with Zero Gravity, a pop-opera combo she performed in Tel Aviv while…
Trying to grow food in the Arctic
Meet the man growing vegetables in the most northerly human settlement on Earth. The Arctic town of Longyearbyen is a hostile natural environment for plants, with no daylight for 3 months each year. Residents rely on air freight for much of their produce, and Ben Vidmar wants to make it more sustainable. Can he make…
San Francisco bans facial recognition in US first
Image copyright Reuters Image caption High-definition cameras “map” faces in a crowd and compare them to existing images Legislators in San Francisco have voted to ban the use of facial recognition, the first US city to do so.The emerging technology will not be allowed to be used by local agencies, such as the city’s transport…
Russian activists storm site of new church
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Protesters toppled the fence in Yekaterinburg, while chanting “We want a square” About 2,000 people have protested against a church being built on a park square in Yekaterinburg in Russia.Tuesday was the second day of protests in what is a long-standing conflict over the planned church.Activists say building St…
More Venezuelan lawmakers accused of treason
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Lawmakers were prevented from entering the National Assembly Venezuela’s Supreme Court has accused four opposition members of parliament of treason and conspiracy, days after making similar accusations against 10 other lawmakers.They all supported opposition leader Juan Guaidó in a failed effort to spark a military rebellion against President Nicolás…
Alabama to vote on bill banning abortion
Image copyright Reuters Image caption The Alabama state legislature Alabama lawmakers are expected to vote on a bill to outlaw abortion outright in the state, which would become the strictest such law in the US if passed.The state Senate began debating the measure on Tuesday, and must decide whether to allow exemptions for cases of…
Brexit bill to be introduced in early June
Image copyright EPA A bill implementing the Brexit deal will be introduced in the first week of June, the government has confirmed.Downing Street said this was “imperative” if the UK was to leave the EU before MPs’ summer recess.The government also said talks with Labour would continue on Wednesday in an attempt to agree a…
Dictator’s daughter barred from presidency
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Zury Ríos is the daughter of Efraín Ríos Montt, who seized power in a coup in 1982 The constitutional court of Guatemala has barred Zury Ríos, the daughter of ex-military ruler Efraín Ríos Montt, from running for the presidency. Ms Ríos was one of the frontrunners ahead of elections…
Why the WhatsApp spies may have eyes on Iran
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Young Israeli soldiers take a selfie Time to join some dots.The WhatsApp hack, “sabotaged” oil tankers, the push in the US to proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood and “plans” to deploy American troops to the Gulf are all strands of the same story. At its heart is the struggle between…
Outrage as troops fire on Sudan protesters
Clashes have erupted on the streets of Sudan’s capital, Khartoum between security forces and protesters.At least six people were killed and dozens injured. The protesters blamed the military for opening fire on them, but the army – which until now has avoided using live ammunition – blamed it on what they called “unidentified elements”.Video producer:…
US does not seek war with Iran – Pompeo
Image copyright EPA Image caption Mr Pompeo (left) and Mr Lavrov held talks in the Russian city of Sochi US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said the United States does not seek a war with Iran, amid rapidly growing tensions between the two countries.Speaking in Russia, Mr Pompeo said the US was looking for…
Merkel’s plane dented by fan in van
Image copyright Alamy Image caption The incident took place on Monday at Dortmund Airport A German airport worker accidentally crashed a van into Chancellor Angela Merkel’s plane, forcing her to delay her return to Berlin. The woman was driving at Dortmund Airport when she stopped to take a picture of Ms Merkel’s aircraft. But she…
Avoiding dementia – vitamins ‘no help’
2 hours agoImage source, Getty ImagesThe World Health Organization (WHO) has launched its first ever guidelines on how people can help avoid getting dementia. It looked at the evidence of what works and what doesn’t for lowering risk. Things to avoid include smoking and drinking too much alcohol. While eating a healthy diet is beneficial,…
Sri Lanka curfew extended after riots
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Heavily-armed police ride past the Jumha Mosque, one of those attacked by rioters Sri Lanka has imposed a nationwide curfew for the second night in a row after a wave of anti-Muslim violence in the wake of the Easter bombings.A Muslim man was stabbed to death while rioters torched…
US ‘blames Iran’ for damaged tankers
Image copyright Reuters Image caption UAE Navy boats have been pictured next to Al Marzoqah, a Saudi Arabian tanker which was reportedly “sabotaged” US investigators believe Iran or groups it supports used explosives to damage four ships off the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Sunday, media reports say.Military experts were reportedly sent to investigate the…
Seven die in clashes at Sudan protest
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Protesters have been demanding that the army hand over power to civilians At least five Sudanese protesters and a member of the security forces have died in clashes in the capital, Khartoum.They were killed in gunfire at a sit-in outside military HQ where demonstrators are demanding full civilian government.…
Deadly seaplane collision in Alaska
Image copyright AFP Image caption Both planes were carrying tourists from the Royal Princess cruise ship – seen here in California last month Two seaplanes carrying tourists from the same cruise ship have collided in south-eastern Alaska, with at least four people dead and two missing.One plane was carrying 11 people when it hit the…
Markets calm amid hopes for US-China talks
Image copyright Getty Images Global stock markets have steadied amid hopes that the US and China will resume talks next month, following an escalation in their trade war.On Monday, China announced tit-for-tat tariffs on $60bn (£46bn) of US exports, causing stock markets to tumbleBut later US President Donald Trump said he expected to meet China’s…
Cheeky toddler invades football pitch
Two-year-old Pippa decided she wanted to be part of the action at an amateur Australian rules game in Melbourne. She was later reunited with her father. And the final score? St Bernard’s 39 – Old Melburnians 49
German crossbow deaths: Two shot through heart
Image copyright AFP Image caption The hotel is in a popular hiking location near Passau in Bavaria Two German medieval combat enthusiasts killed with crossbows were shot through the heart with arrows and a third fatally through the neck, reports say.The three were found in a hotel room in Bavaria on Saturday, along with three…
Madonna Eurovision performance in doubt
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Madonna’s publicists announced her appearance last month Madonna’s performance at the Eurovision Song Contest has been thrown into doubt by organisers, who say she has yet to sign a contract for the show.Speaking on Monday, Eurovision’s executive supervisor Jon Ola Sand said: “The European Broadcasting Union has never confirmed…
US prosecutor ‘to review Russia inquiry’
Image copyright Reuters Image caption William Barr told Congress he believed “spying did occur” on the Trump campaign US Attorney General William Barr has assigned a senior federal prosecutor to examine the origins of the Russia investigation, media reports say.John Durham, the US attorney in Connecticut, has reportedly been asked to determine whether the collection…
Who loses out in the US-China trade war?
Sadly, we are not studying dragons – NZ PM
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption New Zealand’s PM responded to a letter from an 11-year-old who wants her government to conduct dragon research New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has rejected a “bribe” from an 11-year-old girl who wrote asking her government to conduct dragon research.The girl, identified only as Victoria, wanted to be…
US jury awards $2bn weedkiller damages
Image copyright AFP Image caption Bayer acquired Roundup as part of its takeover of US company Monsanto A jury in California has awarded more than $2bn (£1.5bn) to a couple who said the weedkiller Roundup was responsible for their cancer.It is the third time that the German pharmaceutical group Bayer has been ordered to pay…
Sri Lanka vows ‘maximum force’ against rioters
Image copyright Reuters Image caption This mosque in Kiniyama was one of the places attacked Sri Lanka has partially lifted an overnight curfew imposed nationwide after an upsurge in anti-Muslim violence, three weeks after the deadly Easter Sunday bombings.The curfew in the North-Western province will remain until further notice, police said.Mosques and Muslim-owned shops have…
WhatsApp discovers surveillance attack
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption WhatsApp has 1.5bn users, but it believed the attacks were highly-targeted Hackers were able to remotely install surveillance software on phones and other devices using a major vulnerability in messaging app WhatsApp, it has been confirmed.WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, said the attack targeted a “select number” of…
Surviving in Yemen’s city of snipers
Yemen, one of the Arab world’s poorest countries, has been devastated by a civil war which has been going on since 2015.Taiz, the country’s third largest city, has seen some of the worst fighting. Snipers haunt the streets and open spaces, meaning civilians in the city are constantly at risk of being shot.Taiz is extremely…
Author loses book deal for tweet-shaming
Image copyright Getty Images A US author has lost a book deal after tweet-shaming a Washington DC metro worker for eating on a train.Natasha Tynes posted a picture of the staff member to her Twitter account, and tagged the woman’s employers.Amid an online backlash accusing Ms Tynes of racism, a publisher scrambled to pulp her…
Felicity Huffman pleads guilty to fraud
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Felicity Huffman arrives at court in Boston US actress Felicity Huffman has pleaded guilty to fraudulently conspiring to win a college place for her daughter. In a Boston court, the Desperate Housewives star admitted paying $15,000 (£11,500) to have her daughter’s exam answers secretly corrected in 2017.In a statement last…
Conor McGregor phone smash charges dropped
Prosecutors have dropped charges against Irish fighter Conor McGregor after he was accused of smashing a fan’s phone outside a Miami hotel.The incident happened on 11 March and was captured on CCTV.Read more: Charges dropped against UFC star McGregor