Author: BBC

Burkina Faso’s military junta has announced a ban on homosexual acts, making it the latest African state to crack down on same-sex relations despite strong opposition from Western powers. Homosexuality was frowned upon in the socially conservative West African state, but it was never outlawed. Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala said the junta’s cabinet had now approved legislation to make it a punishable offence, but he did not give further details. The military seized power in Burkina Faso in 2022, and has pivoted towards Russia after drastically reducing ties with former colonial power, France. Homosexual acts were decriminalised in Russia…

2 hours agoBy Sophia Seth, BBC NewsBBCLaxmi Thapa was held in police custody before medical checks showed she had not harmed her baby The mother of a six-month-old baby said she was treated “like a criminal” after her son’s birthmarks were mistaken for bruising.Laxmi Thapa’s son was born with blue spot – blue-grey markings common on babies with brown or black skin.After being referred to hospital in Basingstoke she was arrested when medical staff and police followed procedures for suspected child abuse.Campaigners have called for better awareness of the condition and said misdiagnosis can be “devastating” for wrongly accused families. Laxmi ThapaLaxmi…

Kenya’s under-fire President William Ruto has dismissed with “immediate effect” all his ministers and the attorney-general, following the recent deadly protests that led to the withdrawal of an unpopular tax bill.The president said the move came after “reflection, listening to Kenyans, and after holistic appraisal of my cabinet”.He has said he will now consult widely in order to set up a broad-based government.The dissolution of his cabinet does not affect the deputy president, who can’t legally be fired, and the prime cabinet secretary who is also the foreign affairs minister.He has not indicated when he will name a new government.In…

Price rises in the US cooled in June, building hopes that the world’s largest economy is moving on from the bout of high inflation that hit after the pandemic.Prices rose 3% over the 12 months to June, as lower petrol prices helped to deliver the slowest price inflation in a year, the Labor Department said. It marked the third month in a row that inflation has fallen, easing financial pressures on households and potentially clearing the way for the US central bank to cut interest rates as soon as September. The Federal Reserve’s key lending rate has stood at more…

Getty ImagesNine babies have died from whooping cough since November 2023, with cases continuing to rise, the UK Health Security Agency says. Its latest figures for England show 2,591 confirmed cases in May, with a total of 7,599 since January.Experts worry this is a bumper year for the bacterial infection, which can be particularly harmful for young babies. They are urging pregnant women and children to ensure they are up-to-date with vaccines.The last peak was in 2016, when there were some 5,945 cases.Whooping cough – also known as the 100-day cough and by its medical name, pertussis – is a…

Long-range US missiles are to be deployed periodically in Germany from 2026 for the first time since the Cold War, in a decision announced at Nato’s 75th anniversary summit.The Tomahawk cruise, SM-6 and hypersonic missiles have a significantly longer range than existing missiles, the US and Germany said in a joint statement.Such missiles would have been banned under a 1988 treaty between the US and former Soviet Union, but the pact fell apart five years ago.Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow would react with a “military reponse to the new threat”.”This is a just a link in the…

5 hours agoBy Aileen Moynagh & Marie-Louise Connolly, BBC News NI health team Getty ImagesA small number of biomedical scientists are being investigated following fitness to practise concerns relating to cervical screening in the Southern Trust, BBC News NI understands.In October 2023, it emerged smear tests of more than 17,000 women in the trust would be re-checked in a major review.It is understood that some of the women affected have since referred the matter to the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), which investigates concerns about the practice of a professional on its register.In a statement, the HCPC said it does not…

2 hours agoBy Ian Youngs, Culture reporterChris PhelpsThe Killers at the end of their gig, with drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr wearing an England shirtDestiny was calling England’s footballers in the Euro 2024 semi-final – but thousands of fans with tickets to see The Killers at London’s O2 arena on Wednesday thought they would have to miss the match.However, the US rock band had a solution – they delighted the crowd by showing the climax of the game on the big screen.And as the arena erupted at the final whistle, the band ramped up the celebrations further by immediately launching into their euphoric…

A woman who went swimming in Japan has been rescued after being swept 80km (50 miles) away from the beach she was on with her friend.The Chinese national in her 20s, who was wearing a rubber ring, spent 36 hours in the water before being spotted by a cargo ship off a peninsula south of Tokyo.A smaller vessel nearby was alerted and two of its crew jumped into the sea to rescue her, the AFP news agency reports.Coast Guard helicopters then took the woman, who was dehydrated but conscious, to hospital, according to the Kyodo news agency. Police were alerted…

Just nowBy Tom Espiner, Business reporter, BBC NewsGetty ImagesA proposed average 21% hike in bills in England and Wales won’t be enough to address problems including sewage leaks, water firms have warned.The firms are in a standoff with regulator Ofwat over proposed bill rises.Ofwat has said it wants firms to limit rises to an average of £19 per year until 2030.But water companies hit back saying the regulator had “got this wrong” and warned the bill rises wouldn’t be enough to “deal with the water shortages we know are coming”.Although the proposed average rise will put more pressure on households, it is…