Author: BBC

A UN-backed assessment says almost half a million Palestinians across Gaza are still facing “catastrophic levels” of hunger and that a “high risk” of famine persists as long as the Israel-Hamas war continues and humanitarian access is restricted.However, the report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) says the available evidence does not indicate a famine is currently occurring in the north of the Palestinian territory.The previous assessment in March had projected that one was imminent in the area.The amount of food and other aid allowed into the north has increased since then, and nutrition, water, sanitation and health…

More than 100,000 former and current Royal Mail staff will this week be asked to sell their shares to a Czech billionaire.On Wednesday morning, Daniel Kretinsky’s investment group, which wants to buy Royal Mail’s parent company, will publish its formal offer online and send it by post.After which, Mr Kretinsky can then formally start lobbying investors to accept the offer.He needs the approval of shareholders of three quarters of the parent company, but this task will be made easier because he already owns 27.5% of it.Big asset managers including Blackrock, UBS, Vanguard and Schroders own most of the other 72.5%…

4 hours agoBy Holly Honderich, Senior reporter, BBC WorldReutersNetflix is to re-examine the impact of the high-profile, televised defamation case between actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard in a new docu-series released overnight on Tuesday.For six weeks in 2022, the court in the US state of Virginia heard the tawdry details of Depp and Heard’s volatile relationship, and its ultimate, unhappy end.Depp sued his ex-wife for defamation over an opinion article she wrote for the Washington Post, alleging she was a domestic abuse victim, though it did not mention him by name. Heard counter-sued.Jurors awarded Depp – who denied abusing Heard -…

41 minutes agoBy Stewart Maclean, BBC News, NairobiEPAAfter a day of protest, turmoil and bloodshed, Kenyan President William Ruto addressed the nation with a message of sadness and strength.Saying “legitimate” protests against his policies had been “hijacked by a group of organised criminals,” he warned his government would use all means at its disposal to prevent a repeat of the violence – “at whatever cost”.”Today events mark a critical point on how we respond to threats to our peace,” he said. “We will ensure a situation of this nature does not recur again.”The president’s message was an attempt to seize back control…

HSBC has joined two other major lenders in reducing mortgage rates following hints of a summer base rate cut by the Bank of England.Barclays cut the cost of its fixed-rate home loans for new deals on Tuesday, following an earlier move by NatWest.HSBC’s cuts will come into effect on Wednesday, with brokers expecting more mortgage companies to follow suit. However, these reductions are small in the wider context. Borrowers still face relatively high costs, with many paying significantly more in monthly repayments when current cheaper deals expire. Average mortgage rates had been creeping up, driven by a lack of fresh…

During the hot weather, it can be easy to overheat. Environmental temperatures of 40C (104F) can make it difficult to keep the body at its ideal 37C.The advice – be sensible and slow down to stay cool.While heat exhaustion is not usually serious, as long as you can cool yourself down, heatstroke is a medical emergency. Here is what to look for and what to do.

2 hours agoBy Mark Savage, Music CorrespondentGetty ImagesThe singer and rapper was best known for the hit single ButterflyShifty Shellshock, the frontman of rap-rock band Crazy Town, has died aged 49.The musician was best known for the 2001 single Butterfly, which was a US number one hit, and reached number three in the UK.Born Seth Binzer, he founded Crazy Town in 1995, and later enjoyed success with DJ Paul Oakenfold on the club track Starry Eyed Surprise.However, he struggled with addiction throughout his life, addressing his condition on reality shows such as Celebrity Rehab and its follow-up, Sober House.He was found dead…

A judge partially lifted a gag order on Donald Trump in his hush-money case in New York, where he was found guilty of falsifying business records last month. Trump is now allowed to make public comments about witnesses in the case and speak generally about jurors in his trial, Justice Juan Merchan wrote in a ruling on Tuesday. The former president still is barred from speaking publicly about court staff, prosecutors and their families. The identities of the jurors – kept secret due to the high-profile nature of the trial – also will remain protected, Justice Merchan said. Trump has…

The owner of Vauxhall, Citroën and Peugeot has warned it may halt UK production unless the government does more to boost demand for electric vehicles (EV).Maria Grazia Davino, the boss of Stellantis, the current government approach to the banning of petrol and diesel cars risked hurting its UK business.She said a decision about whether to close Stellantis’s plants in Luton and at Ellesmere Port near Liverpool could come in “less than a year”. “Stellantis UK does not stop, but Stellantis production in the UK could stop,” she told reporters at an industry conference on Tuesday.Stellantis owns several other well-known car…

A massive factory fire that began after several lithium batteries exploded has killed at least 22 people in South Korea.The blaze broke out on Monday morning at the Aricell plant in Hwaseong city, about 45km (28 miles) south of the capital Seoul. Local television footage showed large smoke clouds and small explosions going off as firefighters sought to put out the fire. A part of the roof had collapsed.South Korea is a leading producer of lithium batteries, which are used in many items from electric vehicles to laptops.Fire official Kim Jin-young said 18 Chinese, one Laotian and two South Korean…