Author: BBC

1 day agoThomas Mackintosh,BBC NewsGetty ImagesThe-Dream has written songs for Rihanna, Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Justin Bieber, and Kanye WestGrammy award-winning producer and songwriter The-Dream has been accused of rape and sexual battery, according to a lawsuit filed in Los AngelesThe 47-year-old, born Terius Gesteelde-Diamant, was named as the defendant in a lawsuit filed on Tuesday by a former protégé, Chanaaz Mangroe, who performed as Channii Monroe.According to the lawsuit, Ms Mangroe says Mr Gesteelde-Diamant repeatedly forced her to have sex, throttled her and on one occasion filmed an intimate encounter and then threatened to show it to other people.Mr…

Andreas SOLARO/AFPSpain’s Pedro Sánchez joined Italian centre-left leader Elly Schlein in Rome ahead of the campaign“The very soul of Europe is at risk,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warned fellow European centre-left politicians who had gathered in Rome ahead of a difficult EU election campaign.At stake was how to halt the seemingly unstoppable rise of right-wing and far-right parties in the European Parliament vote, which starts on Thursday in the Netherlands and continues across all 27 EU member states until Sunday.Only four EU member states have centre-left or left-wing parties in government and recent performances at the ballot box have…

40 minutes agoEmma Jones, BBC Talking Movies,ReporterNetflixHit Man director Richard Linklater (centre), on set with stars Adria Arjona (left) and Glen Powell (right)Adult stories in Hollywood movies are “out of fashion” according to five-time Oscar nominee Richard Linklater.Linklater is the Texas-based filmmaker behind hits including 2003’s School of Rock and 2014’s Boyhood, as well as a trilogy of love stories starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, known as the Before series. He says it was a struggle to get the “traditional” film studios interested in his latest project, Hit Man, despite strong critical and audience reaction when the film premiered…

1 hour agoBasillioh Rukanga,BBC News, NairobiDaily NationMary Njambi Koikai, better known as Jahmby Koikai, dedicated most of her short life to telling her fellow Kenyans about the debilitating condition of endometriosis, which led to her death this week aged just 38.As a popular radio host and reggae DJ, she had the perfect platform.Bravely, she shared her struggles, often calling those in authority to account, demanding better healthcare for women, especially those struggling with the menstrual disorder.“People really identified with her suffering, with her pain,” fellow activist Doris Murimi told the BBC.From the tender age of 13, she experienced a regular…

2 hours agoChristine Ro,Technology reporterGetty ImagesAI may one day mean that animals are not required for medical testingFrom animal lovers to laboratory technicians, no-one enjoys subjecting animals to scientific testing.It is instead done to help ensure that drugs and other substances are safe for eventual human use.Researchers have long sought non-animal alternatives. Artificial intelligence (AI) systems are now accelerating this work.One application of AI in this field is simple but said to be proving effective – using it to trawl through all the existing and available global animal testing results to prevent the need for unnecessary new tests.This is useful…

Getty ImagesBaldwin is well known for his role as Jack Donaghy on the NBC sitcom 30 RockActor Alec Baldwin and his wife, Hilaria Baldwin, are set to star in their own reality TV show about their family.The couple, who have seven children all under the age of 10, said The Baldwins will air on US cable network TLC in 2025.The family shared the announcement on Instagram with a teaser video, captioned: “We’ve got an exciting announcement to share!”However, the decision to do the show has been criticised due to Alec Baldwin’s forthcoming trial.The actor is set to stand trial in…

24 minutes agoKatya Adler,BBC Europe EditorMarianne BaisneeSurviving D-Day veterans, including Steve Melnikoff, have been the star attraction in Normandy this weekIt’s impossible not to be swept away by the warmth and energy in the stone-clad villages up and down the Normandy coastline this 80th anniversary of D-Day.British, US and Canadian flags flutter from garden gates and lampposts as far as the eye can see. Music from the 1940s drifts through village squares, while country lanes roar with column-upon-column of World War Two-era military jeeps.Driving them are laughing, waving men and women from all over Europe. Germans, Dutch, Belgians and Brits…

60 minutes agoMariko Oi,Business reporterGetty ImagesNommunication has traditionally played an important role in Japanese businessesFor thousands of years, alcohol has been used as a social lubricant. In Japan, it is known as nommunication – a combination of the Japanese word for drink, nomu, and communication.The idea is that drinking alcohol creates a more relaxed environment.Businesses have even tackled difficult issues in pubs, rather than conference rooms.The late former chairman of then-bankrupt Japan Airlines, Kazuo Inamori, explained in 2012 how he used beer to get his employees to open up.But there is now a whole new generation that chooses not to…

Ros DoweyMurray Dowey took his own life aged 16The mother of a teenager who ended his life after becoming the victim of a sextortion gang on Instagram says Meta has failed to hand over vital data which could assist the investigation into his death.Murray Dowey, from Dunblane, was 16 when he died last December.Murray’s mother, Ros Dowey, told BBC News that Meta, which owns Instagram, had not yet provided the information from Murray’s account despite a request from Police Scotland and a court order. Meta said its thoughts were with the family and that it was co-operating with the relevant…

Kanye West says he will counter-sue his former assistant, after she filed court documents accusing him of sexual harassment and breach of contract.In her lawsuit, Lauren Pisciotta alleged the star sent her vulgar texts and performed sex acts while on the phone with her.West’s legal representative has now called those accusations “baseless” and accused Pisciotta of engaging in “blackmail and extortion” after the star rejected her sexual advances.”In response to these baseless allegations, Ye will be filing a lawsuit against Ms. Pisciotta,” they added, using the rapper’s current preferred name.Pisciotta is believed to have worked for West from 2021 to…