Author: BBC

24 minutes agoBy Lucy Williamson & Rushdi Aboualouf, BBC Middle East correspondent & Gaza correspondentReutersA man sits inside a building damaged by Israeli strikes conducted during an operation to rescue four hostages held in Nuseirat refugee camp last monthThe man in the video is beside himself, a mask of anguish radiating through his bloodied face.“I am an academic doctor,” he says, “I had a good life, but we have a filthy [Hamas] leadership. They got used to our bloodshed, may God curse them! They are scum!”The video – unthinkable before the Gaza war – was filmed outside a hospital, inundated with hundreds…

In September 2023, Simon Boas was diagnosed with throat cancer. Aged just 46, he was told the disease was terminal, and that it would ultimately take his life. Over the following year, he knitted together his reflections on life into a book – A Beginner’s Guide to Dying. The book is set to hit the shelves in October. It will be a posthumous publication.In what he expects to be one of his final interviews, Simon spoke to Emma Barnett on the Today Programme, offering his reflections on life and death as he moved into hospice care. My pain is under…

US reality TV star Kris Jenner has spoken emotionally about plans to have her ovaries removed.In scenes during reality show, The Kardashians, the US media personality and businesswoman revealed she was set to have the procedure after doctors found a cyst and a tumour.While on holiday in Aspen, Colorado with partner Corey Gamble, Jenner broke the news to her daughters, Kendall, Kim and Khloé Kardashian.”I wanted to tell you guys something because I hadn’t told you yet, but I went to the doctor and I had my scan,” she said.”And this just makes me really emotional, but… they found a…

1 hour agoBy Anbarasan Ethirajan, BBC News, Hathras • Toby Luckhurst, BBC News, LondonReutersRelatives are mourning the deaths of more than 120 people in the crushThe preacher who led an overcrowded gathering in India where more than 120 people were crushed to death on Tuesday has denied blame, and pledged to co-operate with the police investigation.A lawyer for the self-styled guru known as Bhole Baba told the BBC the crush occurred “due to some anti-social elements”, and blamed a “criminal conspiracy hatched against” his client.Bhole Baba – whose real name is Narayan Sakar Vishwa Hari – will fully co-operate with the investigation, his lawyer AP…

27 minutes agoBy João da Silva, Business reporterGetty ImagesMG owner SAIC is one the car makers hardest hit by the new tariffsThe European Union has raised tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, as Brussels takes action to protect the bloc’s motor industry.The new tariffs on individual manufactures range from 17.4% to 37.6%, which is on top of a 10% duty that was already in place for all electric cars imported from China.This could raise the price of EVs across the EU, making them less affordable for European consumers.The move is also a major blow for Beijing, which is already in a trade war…

Tracy-Ann Oberman is returning to EastEnders as Chrissie Watts – after almost two decades.Chrissie Watts was last seen in the show in December 2005, when she went to jail for murdering her husband “Dirty Den” Watts, played by the late Leslie Grantham.Chrissie made plenty of enemies during her 18 months on Albert Square, mainly Den’s adopted daughter, Sharon, played by longstanding cast member Letita Dean.Since her time on the soap, Oberman has featured in shows such as Doctor Who and After Life, and as Auntie Val in Friday Night Dinner.Oberman is also an experienced theatre actor, and most recently starred…

42 minutes agoBy Alex Smith, BBC NewsGetty ImagesA flash flood warning remains in place after heavy rains hit the islandPeople in Jamaica are assessing the damage after Hurricane Beryl hit the southern coast of the Caribbean island.The category four storm – one of the most powerful to ever hit the country – brought winds of up to 130mph (215km/h) to Jamaica’s south coast.Overnight Prime Minister Andrew Holness extended an island-wide curfew to 06:00 local time (11:00 GMT) on Thursday, with a flash flood warning also in effect.Beryl has now weakened to a category three storm, and is rolling towards the Yucatan Peninsula…

4 hours agoBy Huw Thomas, Business Correspondent, Huw ThomasConstruction Photography/AvalonThe last molten iron will be tapped from Blast Furnace 5 this weekLoud noises and large plumes of steam will be visible above the Port Talbot steelworks as one of its historic furnaces is closed down by Friday.Blast Furnace 5 (BF5) had been operating since 1959, but will shut as part of Tata Steel UK’s restructure.Port Talbot’s other furnace will end production of liquid iron in September ahead of the construction of a greener electric arc furnace next year.Nearby residents have been warned about the sights and sounds connected to the cooling of…

4 hours agoBy Frankie McCamley, BBC LondonHBOFans of shows such as House of the Dragon want the elaborate jewellery for themselvesBinge-worthy TV and Hollywood films are bringing extra sparkle to the tills of independent London jewellers.Fans of shows such as House of the Dragon, True Blood and Damsel have been lusting after replicas of jewellery worn by their favourite characters.Some designers are seeing big returns from their unique creations being featured on the big screen.The boost in sales and commissions has been welcome after what one designer described as a “gruelling” few years.The lucky charm is set to continue, after London and…

22 minutes agoBy Tiffanie Turnbull, BBC News, SydneyLone Pine Koala Sanctuary/Getty ImagesTaylor Swift and Pope John Paul II holding Lone Pine koalasFor what seems like time immemorial, giving a fluffy little koala a cuddle has been an Australian rite of passage for visiting celebrities, tourists and locals alike.And for many of them, a wildlife park in a leafy pocket of Queensland has been the place making dreams come true.The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary has entertained everyone from pop giant Taylor Swift to Russian President Vladimir Putin.But as of this month, the small zoo – a Brisbane icon which bills itself as the…