Author: BBC

2 hours agoBy Andrew Rogers, BBC NewsbeatGetty ImagesThe International Olympics Committee has run test events including various esportsThe Olympic Esports Games will put gaming “at the same level as the Winter and Summer Olympics”, according to the boss of one of the world’s biggest teams.This week the International Olympics Committee announced a 12-year partnership with Saudi Arabia to stage the standalone event.The Kingdom recently hosted the Esports World Cup, with some fans, players and commentators boycotting the event in protest over its human rights record.Alban Dechelotte, CEO of G2 Esports, tells BBC Newsbeat the esports version of the Olympics will aim for…

The judge who has been overseeing the long-running racketeering trial against Young Thug has been removed.The Atlanta rapper’s charges were put on hold earlier this month after lawyers for him and co-defendant Deamonte Kendrick asked for the judge to be recused over misconduct allegations.Their lawyers accused Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville of holding an “improper” meeting on 10 June when he met privately with prosecutors and a key witness.Glanville maintained that the meeting was proper and argued that no one gained a tactical advantage as a result but while Judge Rachel Krause did not fault him for holding…

6 minutes agoBy Hayley Mortimer, BBC File on 4BBCAn ex-police officer who claims to save children from human traffickers has faked stories to raise money for his charity, the BBC has discovered.Adam Whittington, founder of Project Rescue Children (PRC) says he has helped more than 700 children in countries including Uganda, Kenya and The Gambia.But BBC File on 4 has found that some of these children have never been trafficked, and that funds raised – sometimes with the help of celebrity supporters – have not always reached children in need.PRC has described our allegations that it does not support children as being…

Disney has confirmed it is investigating an apparent leak of internal messages by a hacking group, which claims it is “protecting artists’ rights”.The group, Nullbulge, said it had gained access to thousands of communications from Disney employees and had downloaded “every file possible”.It is not clear how commercially sensitive the information is for the media and theme park giant, but it is reported to include messages about upcoming projects the firm is working on. “Disney is investigating this matter,” a company spokesperson told the BBC in an email.Nullbulge’s website says the group targets anyone it believes is harming the creative…

TV star Zara McDermott has said she was involved in incidents in the Strictly Come Dancing training room that she now finds “incredibly distressing” to watch back, following the news that her dance partner Graziano Di Prima has left the show.On Saturday, the BBC confirmed that Di Prima was “no longer a part of the line-up of professional dancers for the upcoming series”.He said he “deeply regrets” the events leading up to his departure and acknowledged that his “intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime”.Now, former Love Island star and documentary maker McDermott has posted…

Questions have swirled about how police officers and agents tasked with securing Donald Trump’s rally allowed the gunman to get as close as he did.Thomas Matthew Crooks was able to access the roof of a building near the outdoor event at Butler County fairgrounds, Pennsylvania, from where he shot at Trump 130m (430ft) away.The US Secret Service has said that it had assigned local police to provide cover for that building.One crowd member was killed and two others were critically injured. Trump was wounded in the ear.Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said that his agency had relied on local police…

Four soldiers have been killed in a gunfight with suspected militants in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir.The incident occurred on Monday night when security forces were carrying out a search operation in the forests of Doda district in Jammu.The gunfight began when militants allegedly hiding in the forests opened fire, reports said.Kashmir has seen an armed insurgency against Indian rule since 1989 which has claimed thousands of lives, but violence has reduced in recent years.However, the relatively peaceful Jammu region has seen increasing violence in recent months. At least eight attacks have been reported in the region since June.Last month, nine…

7 minutes agoBy Mike Wendling, BBC News, at the Republican convention in Milwaukee’U S A! We love Trump!’ – chants ring out at conventionWith a bandage strapped over one ear, Donald Trump made a triumphant return to the public eye on Monday evening at the Republican National Convention, receiving a rapturous welcome from thousands of supporters two days after an attempt on his life.The former president entered into the convention arena in Milwaukee with a fist raised and to the strains of a live performance of “God Bless the USA”.He then slowly walked through cheering crowds of delegates – some with tears…

Russian antivirus giant Kaspersky Labs has told BBC News that it is leaving the US after the Biden administration banned sales and distribution of the firm’s software.Kaspersky said it had made the “sad and difficult decision” to leave “as business opportunities in the country are no longer viable”.It comes after Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said last month that Moscow’s influence over the company posed a significant risk to US infrastructure and services. Kaspersky, which had been operating in the US for two decades, has denied the allegations.”Starting from July 20, 2024 Kaspersky will gradually wind down its US operations and…

Four people have been killed in a shooting near a mosque in Oman’s capital Muscat, the country’s police say.In a brief statement, they say “a number” of people were also injured in al-Wadi al-Kabir area.Officers responded to the incident, and an investigation is now under way, Tuesday’s statement said.The police provided no further details, but some reports suggest that at least one gunman opened fire with an assault rifle.”All security measures have been put in place to deal with the situation, and procedures for collecting evidence are being completed as part of the investigation,” the police statement said. Such violence…