Author: BBC

The chief financial officer of The Epoch Times news outlet has been arrested over his alleged involvement in a massive money-laundering scheme. Federal prosecutors allege that Bill Guan, 61, participated in a global plot to launder at least $67m (£52m) of illegal cash to benefit himself and The Epoch Times.According to the indictment, Mr Guan led the outlet’s “Make Money Online” team, which used cryptocurrency to purchase tens of millions worth of crime proceeds. Mr Guan has not yet entered a plea. If convicted, he could spend more than 30 years in prison. The Epoch Times did not reply to…

27 minutes agoYasmin Rufo,BBC News , @YasminRufoChannel 4Dionne Brown plays Queenie, a 25-year-old journalist from south London going through a breakup Creating a Bridget Jones-esque character is nothing new.In hundreds of books, films and TV series you will find chaotic, boy-obsessed millennial women all in pursuit of the same goal: finding their one true love. But one of those characters that has managed to cut through is Queenie.Dubbed as “the black Bridget Jones” by the book’s author Candice Carty-Williams, Queenie is a 25-year-old British-Jamaican woman from Brixton, south London.As well as navigating the usual trials and tribulations of a single…

Floods caused by heavy rain in southern Germany have claimed at least four lives.The victims include three people found in flooded basements on Monday. On Sunday a firefighter died while trying to rescue trapped residents.Thousands of people in the states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg have fled their homes since torrential rains began on Friday.German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who visited affected areas, said the flooding was a reminder of critical environmental challenges.”We cannot neglect the task of halting man-made climate change,” he said on Monday.In Schorndorf, east of Stuttgart in Baden-Württemberg, the bodies of a man and a woman were found…

The number of visas available to migrants would be reduced each year under a new Conservative government, the prime minister has promised.For the first time, MPs would get a vote on annual government proposals aimed at regularly reducing numbers, which would be based on recommendations from the expert Migration Advisory Committee (MAC).Although no figures were suggested for a possible cap, Rishi Sunak said his was the only party willing to take “bold action to reduce immigration” if elected on July 4.Labour’s Yvette Cooper, shadow home secretary, pointed to net migration trebling and accused the Tories of “rehashing failed announcements”.Mr Sunak…

For the leaders of both Hamas and Israel, ending the war in Gaza has become a deadly game of survival.The terms on which the war finally ends could largely determine their political future and their grip on power. For Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, even his physical survival.It’s partly why previous negotiations have failed. It’s also why the question of how to permanently end the fighting has been put off to the last stages of the plan outlined by US President Joe Biden on Friday.That transition between talks on a limited hostage-for-prisoner deal to discussions about a permanent ceasefire would, Mr…

Israel’s military says it has established the deaths of four more people abducted by Hamas on 7 October.It says the four were killed while together during an Israeli operation in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, adding that their bodies were still being held by the militants.The men were named as British-Israeli Nadav Popplewell, 51, Chaim Peri, 79, Yoram Metzger, 80, and Amiram Cooper, 85.IDF spokesman Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said intelligence gathered in recent weeks had led to the assessment.”We assess that the four of them were killed while together in the area of Khan Younis during our operation there…

47 minutes agoIan Youngs,Culture reporterSidemen/YouTubeKSI is one of the seven members of the SidemenYouTube superstars the Sidemen have launched their own reality show, locking 10 influencers in a house for a week to battle for a prize worth up to £1m.The first episode of Inside racked up more than four million views on YouTube within 24 hours, after being released on Sunday.The contestants include Love Island’s Chloe Burrows, Made In Chelsea star Liv Bentley and YouTuber Joe Weller.Inside is the Sidemen’s own spin on successful reality TV formats like Big Brother, and will provide competition for Love Island, which is…

AFPPalestinians who have returned to Jabalia refugee camp since the Israeli withdrawal say homes and infrastructure have been destroyedPalestinians who have returned to Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza in recent days have expressed shock at the level of destruction following a three-week Israeli military operation there against Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups.One displaced man who was among the more than 60,000 people who fled the intense battles and bombardment in the camp and its surrounding area last month said he had witnessed “horrifying scenes”.“Even the sand beneath our feet is scorched; it’s unbearable to walk on,” he told…

BBCWriter Daf James says his bilingual drama about a same-sex couple adopting feels like a “massive triumph”When Daf James and his husband adopted two young children, he found the experience so profound he “couldn’t not write about it”.”It felt very dramatic, it felt insane, it felt beautiful, extraordinary, remarkable… it was such a complex well of emotions,” he said.The result is three-part BBC One drama Lost Boys and Fairies.The fictional tale inspired by his real-life experience is billed as a tender, glittering story of “queer” club performer Gabriel and his partner Andy’s journey to adoption.Kirsten McTernan Daf James is a…

Grass wildfires have burned over 14,000 acres (57sq-km) near San Francisco in California. At least two firefighters were injured in the region’s first major wildfire of the season. A significant portion of the fire has been contained. Officials say this is a “reality check” for the upcoming fire season. Source link