Author: BBC

A huge fire broke out at an ammunition depot in Chad, causing major explosions that lit up the sky for about half an hour overnight.Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah said the blaze happened at a military depot in the Goudji area of the capital, N’Djamena.He told French media the cause of the fire was accidental and while the death toll had yet to be established, there were “fewer deaths” than had been feared.Video footage showed blasts lighting up the night sky, with witnesses saying they could be heard miles away.The weapons depot in Goudji is the country’s main arsenal and is…

20 hours agoBy Charlotte Edwards, BBC Business ReporterReutersDave Calhoun, chief executive of Boeing, will face US lawmakers on TuesdayBoeing’s chief executive Dave Calhoun will tell US lawmakers on Tuesday that he understands concerns about its safety culture after a mid-air emergency in January raised alarm.In prepared remarks ahead of the US Senate sub-committee hearing, he said: “Our culture is far from perfect, but we are taking action and making progress. We understand the gravity.”The company has been in the spotlight since an unused door fell off a brand new 737 Max plane during a flight operated by Alaska Airlines, leaving a gaping…

Charlie Jones/BBCChloe Ward became homeless after years of drinking but has now turned her life aroundA third of 11-year-olds in England have drunk alcohol, a recent study by the World Health Organization found.Chloe Ward had her first drink at that age and alcohol dominated her life for the next decade.She was kicked out of home in Royston, Hertfordshire and ended up living in a car.Two years ago, the now 23-year-old moved to Emmaus Norfolk and Waveney, a former convent where she lives and works with 30 other people who were also previously homeless.Here, in her own words, she explains her…

A central London cinema has cancelled a private screening of a film which was entirely written using artificial intelligence (AI) following a public backlash.The Prince Charles Cinema in Soho was due to host the world premiere of The Last Screenwriter, which was created by ChatGPT, on Sunday.However, when concerns were raised by people about “the use of AI in place of a writer”, the cinema announced that the screening had been axed.In a statement shared on Instagram, it said the response by its customers “speaks to a wider issue within the industry”.Created by Peter Luisi, the movie has been marketed…

The baseball world has saluted the achievements of Willie Mays, widely considered one of the sport’s best ever players, after his death at age 93.Mays was twice declared the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) and won the World Series with the New York Giants in 1954.His famous catch during the championship remains one of the most iconic plays ever seen in America’s so-called “national pastime”.In addition to his on-field achievements, Mays embodied an attitude of “just keep playing and having fun”, one former player told the BBC.Nicknamed the “Say Hey Kid”, the centre fielder had been baseball’s oldest living Hall…

Just nowBy Tom Espiner, BBC business reporter • Faisal Islam, Economics editor, @faisalislamGetty ImagesInflation has hit the Bank of England’s target for the first time in almost three years.Prices rose at 2% in the year to May, down from 2.3% the month before, official figures show.The economy is a key talking point in the run-up to the general election on 4 July, with all of the main parties battling over how they would keep the cost of living under control.The Conservatives said their “difficult decisions” were paying off, but Labour said pressures on family finances were “still acute”.It comes ahead of a Bank of England decision…

Chip-maker Nvidia became the world’s most valuable company after its share price climbed to an all-time high on Tuesday.It is now worth $3.34tn (£2.63tn), with the price having nearly doubled since the start of this year.The stock ended the trading day at nearly $136, up 3.5%, making it more valuable than fellow tech giant Microsoft. It overtook Apple earlier this month.The American company’s meteoric rise has been fuelled by its dominance of the market in the chips needed for artificial intelligence (AI), which is currently experiencing explosive growth.Many investors believe its earnings can grow even more, which has caused its…

1 day agoBy Alastair Fee, Health Correspondent, BBC SouthBBCDanielle Harding said the implant had been life changingA woman who suffered the debilitating effects of severe acid reflux has described a new implant as “amazing” and “life changing”. Danielle Harding, 30, could not eat without enduring severe coughing and pain because of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD).She was one of the first patients in the UK to receive the implant of a silicone ball into her upper stomach wall.University Hospital Southampton said there was “excitement” about the early results of the procedure.GORD occurs when contents from the stomach flow back into the oesophagus -…

7 hours agoBy Sophie van Brugen, Culture reporterV&ANaomi Campbell with some of the outfits from the V&A exhibition: Naomi in fashion, this year’s big summer show at the V&AWhen the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) dedicates an entire show to one person, particularly one whose career is still very much ongoing, it’s usually a sign that A-list stardust is incoming.This time it’s the turn of supermodel Naomi Campbell, a woman whose work and life has been in the headlines since she burst on to the fashion scene in the 80s at the tender age of 16.The south Londoner now follows in the…

South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa is due to be sworn in for a second term in office as president.Lawmakers re-elected him to stay on as president last week following a deal between his African National Congress (ANC) to form a coalition government with long-time rival Democratic Alliance (DA) and other parties.The ANC, which has governed since the end of apartheid in 1994, lost its majority for the first time after the 29 May election produced no outright winner.Many heads of states and dignitaries from around the world are expected to attend the inauguration ceremony being held in the capital, Pretoria.The presidency…