Author: BBC

1 hour agoBy David Gritten, BBC NewsReutersHuman Rights Watch says Hamas and other armed groups committed a widespread and systematic attack directed against civilians on 7 OctoberHamas and at least four other Palestinian armed groups committed numerous war crimes and crimes against humanity against civilians during the 7 October attack on southern Israel, the campaign group Human Rights Watch says.A new report accuses the hundreds of gunmen who breached the Gaza border fence of violations including deliberate and indiscriminate attacks on civilians, wilful killing of persons in custody, sexual and gender-based violence, hostage-taking, mutilation of bodies and looting.It also found the killing…

The King’s Speech seeks to fix some of the plumbing, wiring and foundations of the economy to “get Britain building”.It will take well into next year before we see any impact on economic growth from these plans.In fact, the primary piece of legislation announced by His Majesty is to promote “economic stability”. This is noteworthy. Stability is not something that normally needs legislating for, but something which would be taken for granted in the UK.The plans outlined include a lot of fiddly changes to how the government makes big decisions on planning, infrastructure, housing and transport. The bottom line is…

2 hours agoBy Ian Youngs, Culture reporter, BBC NewsGetty ImagesAndress said her performance “was not me”Country singer Ingrid Andress has apologised and admitted being drunk while performing a much-derided rendition of the US national anthem, at a baseball stadium.Andress’s erratic performance of The Star-Spangled Banner was widely shared after Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby, in Texas, on Monday.”I was drunk last night,” wrote Andress, who has previously received four Grammy Award nominations.”I’m checking myself into a facility today to get the help I need. That was not me last night. I apologize to MLB, all the fans, and this country I…

14 minutes agoBy Chris Ewokor & Ifiokabasi Ettang, BBC News, JosCourtesy of Chidera Onovo’s familyJotted down on paper, this playful story about a lazy lion is now a memento of a young life lost.Chidera Onovo, 15, was a caring boy who loved to draw and was his mother’s unabashed favourite.”He saved up his lunch money to buy biscuits to share with his siblings,” Blessing Onovo recalls. “And he was always the one who noticed my moods and would ask: ‘Mummy are you fine?’.”Last Friday morning Chidera went to secondary school with his younger sister Chisom but only one of them would return.Official…

UK-based banking giant HSBC has announced that 50-year-old Georges Elhedery will be its next chief executive.It comes after current CEO Noel Quinn unexpectedly announced in April that he was retiring from the bank.Mr Elhedery joined HSBC in 2005 and is currently the firm’s finance chief. He is expected to take up his new role from 2 September.”[Mr Elhedery] is an exceptional leader and banker who cares passionately about the Bank, our customers, and our people,” HSBC’s chairman Sir Mark Tucker said in a statement.“I am deeply honoured by the trust placed in me to lead this great institution into the…

Stormzy and Maya Jama have announced they have split up.The rapper and Love Island presenter shared a joint statement on Instagram, saying they had been trying to make their relationship work since they got back together last year. “We tried, and it didn’t work, and that’s okay,” they said.The post started: “We’ve been laughing whilst drafting this because we never, ever, in a million years thought we’d be the couple announcing a breakup.”But for the sake of clarity and, more importantly, to allow us the space and grace that’s needed for us both to be able to navigate this next…

A search operation is under way to locate 16 missing crew members, 13 of whom are Indian, after an oil tanker capsized off the coast of Oman.An Indian official told the BBC that the foreign ministry was coordinating the operation with Oman’s maritime authorities.Oman officials said late on Monday that the oil tanker – Prestige Falcon – had capsized 25 nautical miles southeast of its Ras Madrakah peninsula.Three of the 16 missing crew members are Sri Lankan.The Comoros-flagged vessel was on its way to the port of Aden in Yemen when it capsized.Officials from Oman’s Maritime Security Centre told Reuters…

The GMB has narrowly lost its historic bid for union recognition at the Amazon warehouse in Coventry. Some 49.5% of workers balloted voted in favour, while 50.5% voted against. The union needed a majority to vote in favour.If the GMB had won it would have been the first time Amazon recognised a union in the UK. The online giant would have been forced to negotiate with workers on issues such as pay and conditions.In a statement, Amazon said it placed “enormous value on engaging directly” with staff.”We look forward to continuing on that path with our team in Coventry,” it…

43 minutes agoBy Mark Savage, Music correspondentGetty ImagesAdele’s Las Vegas residency will reach its 100th and final show in NovemberAdele has revealed she plans to take an extended break from music after her current run of concerts.”My tank is quite empty at the minute,” the star told German broadcaster ZDF ahead of a 10-date residency in Munich.”I don’t have any plans for new music at all,” she said. “I want a big break after all this and I think I want to do other creative things just for a little while.“You know, I don’t even sing at home at all. How strange…

Fourteen high school students in Tokyo were rushed to hospital after eating “super spicy” potato chips on Tuesday, police said. Around 30 students ate the crisps after one of them brought them to school, local media reported. Soon, some of them started complaining of nausea and acute pain around their mouth, prompting emergency calls to the fire department and police.The 13 girls and one boy who were taken to hospital were conscious and reportedly had minor symptoms.The company that makes the snack, Isoyama Corp, put out a statement, apologising for “any inconvenience” to customers, and wished the students a swift…