Author: BBC

A former Ukrainian nationalist MP has died after being shot on the street in the western city of Lviv.Iryna Farion caused controversy in 2023 by suggesting that “true patriots” of Ukraine should not speak Russian under any circumstances.The 60-year-old linguistic professor’s killing on Friday is being investigated and police say it may have been a targeted attack.Her attacker has not been identified. Police say a power outage affected CCTV in the area.Lviv Regional Governor Maksym Kozytskyi said on Telegram that Ms Farion died in hospital after the shooting.Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said “this was not a spontaneous killing” and police…

3 hours agoBy Nicola Bryan, BBC NewsSignature EntertainmentUnicorns is a cross-cultural love story set in a secretive and glamorous underground worldA love story between a white, heterosexual, working-class mechanic and a South Asian Muslim drag queen is shining a light on an underground LGBTQ+ subculture.Feature film Unicorns takes the viewer to the heart of the highly secretive so-called “gaysian” scene – an amalgamation of the words gay and Asian – and introduces its glamorous drag queens. “A lot of the queens are closeted and only have a certain number of hours on a weekend where they can actually be themselves, a lot…

40 minutes agoBy Anbarasan Ethirajan, South Asia Regional EditorGetty ImagesBangladeshi students set fire to the country’s state broadcaster on ThursdayBangladesh is in turmoil.Street protests are not new to this South Asian nation of 170 million people – but the intensity of the demonstrations of the past week has been described as the worst in living memory.Thousands of university students have been agitating for weeks against a quota system for government jobs.A third of public sector jobs are reserved for the relatives of veterans from the country’s war for independence from Pakistan in 1971.The students are arguing that the system is discriminatory, and…

8 hours agoBy Gordon Corera, BBC News Aspen Security ForumCondoleezza RiceAmerica’s national security community made its annual pilgrimage to the mountains of Aspen in Colorado this week for a gathering notable for a looming feeling of anxiety.One reason is that the world is more dangerous and contested than in previous years with war in Ukraine and the Middle East as well as tensions in Asia. But the issues discussed at the Aspen Security Forum also were overshadowed by political events that may define much of what happens next.With Donald Trump accepting the US presidential nomination during the Republican National Convention in Wisconsin…

7 hours agoBy Holly Honderich & Nadine Yousif, BBC News, TorontoToronto Star via Getty ImagesCindy Wray, who has worked at the LCBO for 13 years, hands out treats on the picket lineLast week, Ontario Premier Doug Ford posted a video online with a message for his Canadian province.It seemed like a typical innocuous political advertisement – Mr Ford sporting a casual black polo shirt and a blue apron, standing at a barbecue grilling burgers, cans of beer at hand.“It’s summertime in Ontario,” the premier said, beaming into the camera.Instead, the video was a shot across the bow, with the premier launching an…

Disruption to flights is expected to continue across the UK after massive outages hit computer systems globally on Friday. Airports have said their systems are working again but that journeys could still be affected by delays and cancellations into the weekend.A number of airports have said passengers should continue to check for potential disruption affecting their flights before they travel. The outages came on one of the busiest days of the year, with many schools in England and Wales having broken up for summer this week. GPs, pharmacies, banks, payment systems, and train services were also affected. The problems were…

At least 40 migrants have died after the boat they were travelling in caught fire off the northern coast of Haiti, a United Nations agency says. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) says 41 others were rescued by the Haitian Coast Guard.The vessel was travelling from Cap-Haitien to the Turks and Caicos Islands, more than 220km (137 miles) away, the IOM said.The exact cause of the fire is not yet clear, but a local official told Reuters that people on the boat were lighting candles in a ritual to ask for safe passage, leading gasoline-filled drums to catch fire.The injured…

A selection of striking news photographs taken around the world this week.Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump was rushed off stage during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, after a gunman opened fire from a nearby building. The Republican candidate for president dropped to the ground and was seen with blood on the side of his face.Evan Vucci/APAs the stage was swarmed by Secret Service agents, Trump held up his fist and mouthed the words “fight, fight, fight” to supporters as he was rushed off stage, bleeding from his ear.Chen Jimin/China News Service/Getty ImagesA panda cub is measured at the Guangzhou…

3 hours agoBy Wedaeli Chibelushi & Habtom Weldeyowhannes, BBC News & BBC TigrinyaAFPTo his fans, he’s the “African king” – an international star and the first black African to win a Tour de France stage.Biniam Girmay did that not only once but three times this year at road cycling’s premier event. Barring an accident, the 24-year-old looks set to win the green jersey on Sunday – a prize awarded to the best sprinter over the gruelling three-week competition. But Girmay’s journey to the top has been riddled with obstacles – he has battled culture shocks, Europe’s visa procedures and the loneliness of…

2 hours agoBy Noor Nanji & Sophie van Brugen, Culture reportersGetty ImagesRihanoff said the new measures were “better now than never”Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Kristina Rihanoff has welcomed the BBC’s decision to give stars chaperones during rehearsals, after complaints about two fellow dancers on the show.Speaking to BBC News, she said she thought celebrities would now “be feeling a little bit more comfortable” to sign up to the show.Rehearsals were often “frustrating” and “pressurised,” she said, adding that celebrities would feel “at ease that there will be somebody watching and observing the situations”.Strictly has been hit by a string of damaging…