Author: BBC

Reality TV star and baking businesswoman Angela Simmons has apologised for taking a purse shaped like a gun to an award ceremony.Simmons, the daughter of Run-DMC star Rev Run, posed with the green gun-shaped sequinned clutch at the BET Awards on Sunday.”When I chose the purse, I believed it was cute and unique, and made a poor decision in using it as an accessory to amplify my beauty,” she wrote to her eight million Instagram followers. “I deeply regret that this item, which symbolizes a gun, was inappropriate and insensitive, especially given my personal and community experiences with gun violence.”Simmons,…

By the signing of a royal decree, the new right-wing Dutch government has become a reality.Defying analysts’ expectations, it swept to power on a crescendo of discontent that has boosted anti-immigration parties across the continent.High cost of living, environmental issues, and a perceived failure to manage the asylum system were some of the key issues ahead of the November 2023 election.After months of political wrangling, an agreement was reached for the new Dutch government to be led by a surprise pick – the former head of the Dutch intelligence service, Dick Schoof.Mr Schoof was the fifth person approached to preside…

Tesla sales, hit by a significant slump earlier this year, may be showing signs of revival.Elon Musk’s electric car-maker delivered nearly 444,000 vehicles in the three months ended 30 June, up more than 14% from the prior quarter. That was far more than most analysts had expected – though still down nearly 5% from the same period in 2023.Tesla has been navigating a slowdown in demand, as high borrowing costs weigh on buyers and competition increases. It has been slashing prices to try to win back buyers and this spring announced plans to sack more than 10% of its workforce…

An Atlanta judge has put rapper Young Thug’s trial on racketeering charges on hold indefinitely after his lawyers asked the judge to recuse himself over misconduct allegations.The lawyers said Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville held an “improper” meeting on 10 June when he met privately with prosecutors and a key witness.Defence attorneys have alleged that Judge Glanville sought to pressure the witness into testifying and they pressed him to recuse himself, motions which the judge had denied.Judge Glanville announced from the bench on Monday that he would release the private meeting’s transcript and send the recusal motions to…

More than 50 people have been killed in a crush at a religious gathering in northern India, officials have said.The incident took place at a satsang (a Hindu religious event) in Hathras district in Uttar Pradesh state.”A figure of nearly 50-60 deaths has been reported to me by doctors,” district magistrate of Hathras Ashish Kumar said.The victims, including a large number of women and some children, are still being identified.Survivors have described how the disaster unfolded as they tried to leave the event in Mughalgarhi village.”When the sermon finished, everyone started running out,” a woman named only as Shakuntala told…

5 hours agoBy Harrison Jones, BBC News BBCThe highest debt known to the Student Loan Company now stands at more than £250,000Almost 1.8 million people are now in at least £50,000 of UK student debt, data obtained by BBC News reveals.More than 61,000 have balances of above £100,000, figures from the Student Loans Company (SLC) also show, while another 50 people each owe upwards of £200,000.The statistics were released after a Freedom of Information (FOI) request for the number of loan holders with above average debts who are eligible to start repayments.The SLC previously said the average balance for loan holders in…

29 minutes agoBy Steven McIntosh, Entertainment reporterFrank Cottrell-Boyce: Being Children’s Laureate is like ‘being the next Doctor Who’Novelist and screenwriter Frank Cottrell-Boyce has been announced as the new children’s laureate.He will take on the role, which involves championing reading and children’s books, from this year until 2026. Cottrell-Boyce said he was “so proud” to be the new children’s laureate, adding: “Writing and reading has transformed my life.”He takes over from Joseph Coelho, known for his Luna Loves picture books and Fairy Tales Gone Bad, who has held the position for the last two years.Other previous incumbents of the role include Julia Donaldson,…

12 minutes agoBy Basillioh Rukanga, BBC News, NairobiReutersClouds of tear gas can be see in downtown Nairobi Kenyan police have fired tear gas in the capital, Nairobi, to disperse anti-government protests. In the city centre many businesses have remained closed. Demonstrators have also taken to the streets of other cities including Mombasa and Kisumu.Human rights groups say since the protests against a controversial finance bill began two weeks ago 39 people have been killed by security forces.President William Ruto has since dropped the proposed tax increases – but the demonstrations have morphed into calls for him to resign and anger over police…

1 hour agoBy Nikki Fox & Laura Devlin, BBC News, BedfordshireFamily handout Amelia Butlin took her own life in her first year at universityThe family and friends of a student who took her own life have called on the next government to prioritise mental health support for young people in schools, colleges and universities.Amelia Butlin, 19, from Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, was a bubbly, outgoing and popular teenager who was in her first year at university, with lots of friends and a family who loved her.She had ADHD and struggled with anxiety and depression, and after the pandemic had found it difficult to…

The mother of rescued Israeli hostage Noa Argamani has died, three weeks after her daughter was freed in a dramatic raid after being held for eight months by Hamas in Gaza.Liora Argamani, who was born in China, had suffered from brain cancer. She was 61.Liora released a video in December, pleading with Hamas to release her daughter, saying: “I don’t know how long I have left. I wish for the chance to see my Noa at home.”Noa was rescued on 8 June, when Israeli commandos raided an apartment where she was being held in Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.…