Author: BBC

At least 25 people have been killed and others abducted by gunmen in Nigeria’s northwestern Katsina state, authorities say.Dozens of gunmen on motorbikes stormed Yargoje in Kankara late on Sunday, the state commissioner for security affairs, Nasiru Babangida Mu’azu, told BBC Hausa.Attacks by armed gangs – referred to locally as bandits – in north-west and central Nigeria have become almost routine, with authorities seemingly powerless to stop them, despite claims by the government and security forces that they are working to end the widespread insecurity.Residents told the BBC that dozens of gunmen on motorbikes rode into the community, shooting indiscriminately…

Fast-fashion brand PrettyLittleThing (PLT) is facing a customer backlash after becoming the latest retailer to scrap its free returns policy.UK customers must now pay £1.99 to return clothes, with the cost deducted from their refund.Shoppers have posted screenshots on social media showing their PLT apps being deleted from their phones, with many saying they would return fewer items if the brand’s sizing was more consistent.High Street giants such as Zara, Uniqlo and Next already charge for online returns.Analysts have said that retailers are facing cost pressures which mean they need to introduce these charges or put prices up.PLT declined to…

For Doctor Who head writer Russell T Davies, watching the series in the mid-1980s paralleled his feelings about his own sexuality. “Being gay was ‘the love that dare not speak its name’ and Doctor Who shared that feature as well by that time,” he says. “It was a cheap, old, mad science fiction show. You couldn’t say you fancied anyone, and who couldn’t say that you loved Doctor Who.”“Before that, when I was a child, everyone loved Doctor Who,” the gay writer and creator of shows including It’s a Sin and Queer as Folk tells the BBC in an interview…

At least 38 people from the Horn of Africa have died after their boat capsized off the coast of Yemen, local officials say.Survivors have told rescuers that the vessel, which was carrying around 250 people, sank due to strong winds. The search continues for nearly 100 people who are still missing.Local authorities in Rudum, east of Aden, said that those on board were migrants, mostly from Ethiopia, who use Yemen as a transit point to reach Gulf states.Hadi Al-Khurma, the director of Rudum district, told Reuters news agency the boat sank before it reached the shores.”Fishermen and residents managed to…

Barclays bank branches in England and Scotland have been covered in red paint and had windows smashed as part of protests by a pro-Palestine group.Up to 20 buildings have been targeted, according to the group Palestine Action.It said the protests were carried out to “demand the bank divests from Israel’s weapons trade and fossil fuels”.A spokesperson for Barclays said: “While we support the right to protest, we ask that campaigners do so in a way which respects our customers, colleagues and property.”In Bristol, the windows of a city centre branch of Barclays Bank were smashed and red graffiti sprayed over…

2 days agoBy Rosie Mercer, BBC NewsBBCLost Boys and Fairies follows Gabriel (left) and Andy (right) on their journey to adopt a childA same-sex couple who adopted a child five years ago have said the BBC’s new drama Lost Boys and Fairies had them both “in tears”.The three-part series, inspired by real experiences and filmed in Wales, follows the story of a gay couple who adopt a son.It has received widespread acclaim from TV critics and viewers on social media for its frank portrayal of the adoption process from an LGBT perspective.Mike, 45, said watching each episode had brought back “a lot…

Singapore Airlines has offered to pay compensation to those who were injured on a London to Singapore flight that encountered severe turbulence.In a social media post, the airline said it was offering to pay $10,000 (£7,800) to those who sustained minor injuries.For passengers with more serious injuries, the airline is offering “an advance payment of $25,000 to address their immediate needs” and further discussions to meet “their specific circumstances”.One British passenger died and dozens more were injured when flight SQ 321 encountered turbulence over Myanmar and was diverted to Thailand last May.Early investigations showed that the plane accelerated rapidly up…

The head of the US Senate Finance Committee has expanded an investigation into BMW after the car maker was found to have imported vehicles into America that contained banned Chinese parts.In a letter to BMW North America, Senator Ron Wyden, asked the firm for more details about its supply chain, including whether it had now stopped importing banned components.BMW Group did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Last month, BMW said it had “taken steps to halt the importation of affected products”.It came after a two-year long investigation by Senator Wyden’s staff revealed at least 8,000 BMW Mini…

This Country star Daisy May Cooper has called staff at Gloucester’s delivery suite “superstars” after her new baby arrived early.In a video posted to Instagram, Ms Cooper was taken in a wheelchair to see her baby Benji, who was born on Thursday and is in a specialist NICU unit.She said she could not thank the delivery team enough: “The way you looked after us through such a scary time was above and beyond.””Welcome to the world little Benji, ya nutter,” she added.It is the actress and writer’s third child – she has two with her ex-husband.In the video, she said…

Jurors in the Hunter Biden gun case have begun deliberating, and must now decide the fate of the US president’s son.The 54-year-old is accused of lying about his drug use on a federal form while buying a weapon in 2018, and of illegally possessing a firearm while he was allegedly a drug user.For days, prosecutors presented evidence to suggest that Mr Biden was in the throes of addiction when he purchased the gun in Delaware.His defence team say he was in recovery and therefore not a drug user at the time.Mr Biden, who did not testify, denies the three related…