Author: BBC

Wildfires are once again ravaging the Arctic Circle, the EU’s climate change monitor – Copernicus – is reporting.It is the third time in the past five years that high intensity fires have swept across the region.In a statement released on Thursday, Copernicus reported higher air temperatures and drier conditions in Sakha, Russia, which are rendering the ideal conditions for wildfires once there is a spark.Scientists are concerned that smoke from the flames will hinder the ability of the Arctic ice to reflect solar radiation – which would mean both the land and sea absorb more heat. The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring…

The US Supreme Court has struck down a part of the bankruptcy deal for Purdue Pharma that would have shielded members of the Sackler family from future lawsuits over their role in fuelling the opioid crisis.The Sacklers, who owned and operated the Oxycontin-maker for decades, had agreed to pay $6bn (£4.7bn) toward a wider settlement in exchange for sweeping protections against civil claims related to the addictive opioid.But the nation’s top court ruled that granting such protections to those who did not themselves declare bankruptcy was not authorised under bankruptcy law.It is a victory for the US government, which had…

4 hours agoBy Lewis Adams, BBC News, at Chelmsford Crown CourtGetty ImagesPictures of TV presenter Holly Willoughby were posted in an online group called “Abduct Lovers”, a jury at Chelmsford Crown Court heardAn undercover police officer feared there was an “imminent threat” to Holly Willoughby after pictures of the TV presenter were posted in an online group called “Abduct Lovers”, a court has heard.Gavin Plumb, 37, from Harlow, Essex, is accused of using the messaging app Kik to find others to help him abduct, rape and murder Ms Willoughby.The officer – who is based in the US and gave his evidence by…

European leaders are due to announce their choices for the top jobs at the EU’s helm at a two-day summit in Brussels, with current Commission president Ursula von der Leyen set to be nominated for a second mandate.The summit is also being attended by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, who thanked EU leaders for opening membership negotiations with his country earlier this week. Other topics on the agenda include security and defence, with leaders from Poland and the Baltics asking the EU for funds to build a defence line along their border with Russia.Earlier this week, it transpired that six EU…

A Fujitsu software expert who helped build the Horizon system has said he felt pressurised by the Post Office over evidence he gave in the 2010 prosecution of sub-postmistress Seema Misra.Gareth Jenkins said the Post Office “clearly” wanted him to say that “everything was perfect, and I don’t think I actually said that”.However, in an email discussing the case at the time, he said Mrs Misra had “jumped on the bandwagon” in blaming Horizon for shortfalls in accounts.Mrs Misra told the BBC that this was an example of a culture that went “right through the Post Office… [that] Horizon is…

One person in England has died linked to the ongoing E. coli outbreak, the UK Health Security Agency has said.The person died in May and had underlying health conditions, the agency said.It follows a recent outbreak which has seen 275 confirmed cases of E. coli (STEC) O145 across the UK, as of 25 June. Data from 249 cases shows 49% were admitted to hospital.The outbreak is thought to be caused by some supermarket sandwiches containing salad leaves. Several food manufacturers have issued recalls for some of their products as a precautionary measure.E. coli are a diverse group of bacteria that…

2 hours agoBy Maisie Lillywhite and PA media, BBC News, West of EnglandBBCThe dragonfly will light up late-night festivities at Glastonbury FestivalGlastonbury’s new “fire-belching, mind-blowing” dragonfly has been unveiled at the world-famous festival. The incendiary insect, is replacing Arcadia’s spider, which some fans have been “grieving” the loss of.Arcadia’s arachnid was a key destination for late-night dance music at Worthy Farm for more than a decade, and first appeared at the Somerset festival in 2007.Festival organisers said on their website: “The transformation of the first dragonfly marks the dawn of a new season.”The Dragonfly, which was lit up on Wednesday night for…

Kenyan police have fired tear gas to disperse groups of protesters who have started gathering in the capital, Nairobi. There has been heavy deployment of security forces, including the military, and roads are blocked around key buildings in the capital ahead of the protests.This comes two days after 22 people reportedly lost their lives in protests against tax hikes, which saw part of parliament set alight.The next day, President William Ruto bowed to pressure and said he would withdraw the finance bill containing the unpopular tax proposals.The demonstrators had vowed to gather again in the city centre to mourn those…

Just nowBy Charlotte Edwards, BBC Business ReporterShutterstockAbout three million households are set to see their mortgage payments rise in the next two years, the Bank of England has said.The Bank’s latest Financial Stability Report also said about 400,000 mortgage holders are facing some “very large” payment increases.Renters remain under pressure from the higher cost of living and higher interest rates, the report found.However, the Bank said that overall risks to the UK financial system were broadly unchanged, and businesses and households remain resilient.The Bank found that about one third of mortgage holders, more than three million, in the UK are still paying…

ReutersOutbreaks in DR Congo have affected children as well as adultsHow common is mpox?Mpox disease is caused by the monkeypox virus, a member of the same family of viruses as smallpox, although it is much less severe.The virus was originally transmitted from animals to humans, and is more common in countries close to tropical rainforests.In these regions, there are thousands of cases and hundreds of deaths from the disease every year – with children under the age of 15 worst affected.There are two main strains of the virus known to exist. The milder one caused a global outbreak in 2022…