BBC

BBC A five-year-old law banning professionally assisted suicide has been rejected as unconstitutional by Germany’s top court. The court backed complaints by a group of terminally ill patients and doctors who challenged the law that made “commercial promotion of assisted suicide” a criminal offence. Assisted dying had been legal. But the law change prompted terminally […]

BBC A military funeral is being held in Egypt for former President Hosni Mubarak, who died on Tuesday aged 91. A few dozen supporters gathered outside the Field Marshal Tantawi mosque in eastern Cairo, where the ceremony is taking place. Mubarak’s body will then be transported to his family grave. The government has declared three […]

BBC Media playback is unsupported on your device Two US students accused of murdering a police officer are due to appear in court on Wednesday. Mario Cerciello Rega, 35, was stabbed to death last July as he investigated a drug deal gone wrong in central Rome. Californian students Finnegan Lee Elder and Gabriel Christian Natale-Hjorth […]

BBC Since December, there has been a huge escalation in violence in Syria’s Idlib province. A million people have been displaced by a Syrian government offensive on the opposition’s last stronghold. The director of the Syria Civil Defence, whose first responders are widely known as the White Helmets, is in the UK to ask for […]

BBC The UN has made an appeal for more funds to tackle the unprecedented invasions of locusts threatening crops in parts of Africa and Asia. So what’s needed and do affected countries have the resources to cope? Getty Images The upsurge is threatening … food security in a region that is already seriously food insecure. […]

BBC Hong Kong will hand out cash to adult permanent residents, to help boost spending and ease financial burden. As part of the annual budget, $10,000 Hong Kong dollars ($1,280; £985) was announced for about seven million people over the age of 18. The territory’s economy has been battered by months of violent political unrest, […]

BBC Virgin Galactic has released more tickets for flights into space as demand doubles. The company launched its One Small Step qualification programme on Wednesday which requires a $1,000 (£769) deposit. Sir Richard Branson’s space firm said it had already received almost 8,000 registrations for its next trip. The new tranche of tickets comes as […]

BBC Media playback is unsupported on your device Rioting and unrest continued in Delhi for the third night in a row, with reports of Muslim homes and shops being targeted by violent mobs. Eighteen people have been killed so far in the deadliest violence the Indian capital has seen in decades. The clashes first broke […]

BBC Three baboons have stunned onlookers in Sydney, Australia, after escaping from their cage inside a hospital. The primates, bred for medical research, had been transferred to the Royal Prince Alfred (RPA) Hospital so one could have a vasectomy. After making their way outside, the baboons were later captured in a nearby building.

BBC The race is on to succeed Angela Merkel, by becoming leader of Germany’s centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU) and potentially chancellor. She will not run again in Germany’s next general election, due by October 2021. It is the end of an era: Mrs Merkel has been steering Germany and shaping EU policy since 2005. Now […]

BBC As the number of coronavirus cases in South Korea keeps on rising, attention is turning to how its impoverished neighbour might cope with an outbreak of its own. North Korea is seen as highly vulnerable to infectious diseases, and its healthcare system ill-equipped to deal with them. So far, the country claims to have […]

BBC It took years for Sandya Ekneligoda to get a real investigation into the disappearance of her husband, a political cartoonist in Sri Lanka. But when a new president was elected by a large majority last November and a key officer investigating the case transferred, she realised things would change. The BBC’s Anbarasan Ethirajan reports […]

BBC A campaign is underway in Paris to ban heaters due to concerns about their electricity use. Since the smoking ban, there has been a mass move to outdoor heating of these terraces with gas and electricity-fired radiators, which pollute the atmosphere and expend huge amounts of energy. Previous attempts to ban heaters in the […]

BBC Tomato prices in Kenya have skyrocketed in recent weeks, with some parts of the country paying up to seven times more. The price rises follow months of heavy rains across East Africa. But could climate change be contributing to the problem? The BBC’s Mercy Juma reports from the farmlands of Kenya. Produced by Gladys […]

BBC “I wish someone would tell me what Kotex is.” So said a bemused young American man at a dinner party in the 1920s. Nobody would, of course. Kotex was a code word – an arcane reference to something meant to be a secret. Kotex was – and remains – one of the US’s most […]

BBC Media playback is unsupported on your device It was in the wake of a terrible skiing accident that Susanne Najafi embarked on her path as a serial entrepreneur. While racing down the slopes of a Swedish ski resort in 2009, she fell and broke her neck. “I was trying to get up, but I’m […]

BBC Several European countries have announced their first coronavirus cases, with all appearing to be linked to the growing outbreak in Italy. Austria, Croatia and Switzerland all reported cases involving people who had recently been to Italy, as did Algeria in North Africa. Italy has in recent days become Europe’s worst-affected country, with more than […]

BBC Police bodycam footage released on 25 February has captured the moment a visibly distressed child was arrested at her school in Orlando, Florida in September 2019. The six-year-old girl was restrained with zip ties and escorted to a waiting police car after misbehaving in class. Lawyers for her family at Smith and Eulo Law […]

BBC US President Donald Trump expected 10 million people to welcome him in India on his first state visit. It didn’t happen, but everything else seems have gone according to the script. The optics of the trip were crucial both for him and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr Trump wanted to show people in […]

BBC At least 20 civilians, including nine children, were killed in Syrian army strikes in the Idlib region on Tuesday, a Syrian human rights monitor said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said schools and hospitals were among the targets. Regime forces have been fighting a fierce offensive to seize Idlib, the last major territory […]

BBC Miriam Haley, one of two main accusers in Harvey Weinstein’s trial says she feels ‘huge relief’ at his conviction. Her powerful testimony helped lead to him being found guilty in New York City of third-degree rape and a first-degree criminal sexual act. She told CBS This Morning: “It feels like we’re making progress.” Her […]

BBC Saudi Arabia is to launch a female football league, two years after women were first allowed into stadiums in the Gulf kingdom. The league will play its matches in the capital, Riyadh, and two other cities. The creation of the league is the latest of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s reforms in Saudi Arabia, […]

BBC Democrat Beto O’Rourke lost his Senate bid in 2018, but his failed campaign led to a major overhaul of the criminal justice system in the Texas’s largest city, writes The Marshall Project’s Keri Blakinger. The candidacy of O’Rourke, a young and charismatic congressman, energised Democratic voters in this deep red state and added momentum […]

BBC Greta Thunberg has met Malala Yousafzai during a visit to Oxford University. The climate change campaigner, 17, made the trip to Lady Margaret Hall where she met the human rights campaigner, 22, on Tuesday. Ms Thunberg recently joined a school strike in Bristol. Ms Yousafzai is studying politics, philosophy, and economics at the university. […]

BBC Desmond ‘Etika’ Amofah was known for his love of Nintendo games. When the YouTuber died last year, aged 29, it sent shockwaves through the gaming community, with the term ‘Joyconboyz’ trending worldwide. The phrase, coined by Etika in reference to the Nintendo Switch controllers known as Joy-Cons, trended again on Tuesday, but this time […]

BBC Senator Bernie Sanders is under attack from rival US Democrats as he cements his position as a frontrunner to take on Donald Trump in November’s election. Seven candidates will debate in South Carolina on Tuesday, just days before the state becomes the fourth to vote on the party’s nominee. Several have launched fresh attack […]

BBC Abattoirs in Kenya will be banned from slaughtering donkeys from next month, the agriculture minister has said. The East African nation legalised trade in donkey meat and hide in 2012 to meet growing demand in China. Minister Peter Munya said the decision had been a mistake as it had caused the donkey population to […]

BBC Media playback is unsupported on your device Ministers from the EU have approved their mandate for post-Brexit trade talks with the UK. The document – approved by the EU General Affairs Council on Tuesday – will be the basis for the negotiations, to be carried out by Michel Barnier. It says that EU standards […]

BBC Media playback is unsupported on your device Residents of two Greek islands have clashed with riot police as authorities pushed ahead with plans to build new migrant camps. Demonstrators on Lesbos and Chios tried to block equipment bound for construction sites on the islands. Footage from Lesbos shows police firing tear gas while protesters […]

BBC Iran’s president has urged people not to panic as it struggles to contain an outbreak of the new coronavirus disease. Hassan Rouhani expressed confidence that the country would overcome the crisis, which has left at least 16 dead. Iran has reported 95 confirmed Covid-19 cases since last week, but the actual number is thought […]

BBC Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak – ousted by the military in 2011 – has died in hospital in Cairo aged 91. Mubarak spent three decades in office before a popular uprising swept Egypt. He was found guilty of complicity in the killing of protesters during the revolution. That conviction was overturned and he was […]

BBC Plácido Domingo has apologised for “causing hurt” to several women who have accused him of sexual harassment. The opera star resigned as general manager of the Los Angeles Opera after several allegations were made. A total of 20 women have now accused Domingo of harassment and inappropriate behaviour. He denies all the claims. “I […]

BBC Major outbreaks of the new coronavirus have suddenly been detected in both Italy and Iran in the past few days. Meanwhile, cases in South Korea have surged making it one of the worst-affected countries. The new coronavirus is no longer a problem just in China, with a small number of exported cases. It has […]

BBC India and the US have signed defence, energy and telecoms deals but failed to reach a much-talked about trade accord. President Donald Trump hailed a “very productive visit” but said he would keep working with Indian PM Narendra Modi for “a comprehensive trade deal”. The US is one of India’s biggest trade partners. The […]

BBC Media playback is unsupported on your device In an era of online ordering and borderless travel, Tino has had to revert to hand-delivering items across a checkpoint – within his own country. He parks beside the police cars blocking a road to Codogno, the epicentre of Italy’s coronavirus outbreak. And across the ad hoc […]

BBC A hotel in Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands has been locked down after a visiting Italian doctor tested positive for coronavirus. Up to 1,000 guests at the H10 Costa Adeje Palace Hotel have been told to stay in their rooms as medical tests are carried out, Spanish media report. The doctor is reportedly from […]

BBC Two Turkish soldiers have been killed in Libya, the first casualties the nation has reported since it sent troops to the oil-rich state. “We have two martyrs in Libya,” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, without giving further details. Last month, Turkey sent soldiers and Syrian fighters to Libya to bolster the UN-backed government in […]

BBC Several people have died and dozens injured after fresh protests over a controversial new citizenship law turned violent in the Indian capital, Delhi. Vehicles and buildings were also targeted in the clashes in three Muslim-majority neighbourhoods in the north-east of the city. The violence in the area has seen protesters firmly split along religious […]

BBC Media playback is unsupported on your device The worst-hit countries are intensifying their efforts to contain the deadly coronavirus as the number of cases globally surpassed 80,000. In South Korea, officials want to check 250,000 members of a sect identified as a hotbed for spreading the virus. In China, where more than 2,600 people […]

BBC Media playback is unsupported on your device Accusers of Harvey Weinstein have welcomed the guilty verdicts in the rape and sexual assault case against the former Hollywood mogul. Actress Rose McGowan told the BBC “this is a great day”, while others said the ruling brought hope to victims that their voices would be heard. […]

BBC Shares in Japan fell sharply early Tuesday morning as investors worried about the spread of the coronavirus. The slump followed a global stock market plunge on Monday with Wall Street and London suffering big drops. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index dropped 4.5% when it re-opened following a public holiday, but has since regained some ground. […]

BBC There is growing opposition in Hungary to the government’s modified national curriculum, which aims to instil a spirit of national pride in school pupils. Critics – including many schools and teachers’ organisations – draw parallels with the Communist period, when the governing party imposed its own ideology. Szilard Demeter is a key figure in […]

BBC Former film producer Harvey Weinstein has been found guilty of charges of third-degree rape and a criminal sexual act in the first degree. He was acquitted of the most serious charges against him – of predatory sexual assault and first-degree rape. Accusations against Weinstein helped build the #MeToo campaign against sexual assault and harassment. […]

BBC The race is on to find out how the deadly coronavirus jumped from animals to humans. Helen Briggs looks at how scientists are trying to trace the source of the outbreak. Somewhere in China, a bat flits across the sky, leaving a trace of coronavirus in its droppings, which fall to the forest floor. […]

BBC You might not know it, but if you wear a hearing aid, you are likely to be part of the 3D printing revolution. Almost all hearing aids nowadays are produced using the technique. Also known as additive manufacturing, 3D printing involves building up layers of material – plastic, metal or resin – and bonding […]

BBC The authorities in Brazil say 147 people have been murdered in the north-eastern state of Ceará in the first five days of a military police strike. The homicide rate is five times higher than usual, despite the deployment of the army to patrol the streets. The violence has led to the cancellation of carnival […]

BBC A competition to decipher a 230-year-old message on a rock on the coast of Brittany has found that a tragic death was at the heart of the inscription. The village of Plougastel launched a competition to decipher the mysterious message after local experts were unable to make sense of it. Two winners split the […]

BBC The Canadian government has put forward a bill to make medically-assisted death available to people who are not terminally ill. The bill opens the door to allowing Canadians with degenerative illnesses like cerebral palsy to seek medically-assisted death. Health minister Patty Hajdu said the proposal would protect vulnerable people while giving Canadians autonomy. It […]

BBC A public memorial service was held at the Staples Centre for NBA star Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, 13, who were killed in a helicopter crash on January 26. His widow Vanessa Bryant spoke candidly to the crowd of 20,000 people about her loss. Beyonce and Alicia Keys performed and fans, with and […]

BBC The first day of President Trump’s visit to India saw him welcomed by a huge crowd in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad city, and struggling with pronunciations of some Indian words. But why does the trip matter to the US president and his host, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi?

BBC Nigeria’s environment ministry has launched an investigation after a video emerged of an endangered manatee, also known as a sea cow, being dragged along a dusty road by a group of young men. It is not clear when the footage was filmed. The animal has been tied in ropes and can be seen trying […]

BBC A jury has found film producer Harvey Weinstein guilty on two counts of sexual assault. He has been convicted on lesser charges of third-degree rape and a criminal sexual act in the first degree. Speaking after the conviction, District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr described the women who testified in court against Mr Weinstein, 67, […]

BBC Anastasiya Zinchenko, a Ukrainian model, turned down the offer of evacuation from the coronavirus stricken Chinese city of Wuhan aftershe was told her dog Misha couldn’t leave with her. Anastaiya’s story has gained international attention, including a call from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has promised to fly her back to Ukraine with her […]

BBC A 62-year-old former US Marine has broken the world planking record with a time of eight hours, 15 minutes and 15 seconds. George Hood set the record for The Longest Male Abdominal Plank in Chicago, according to Guinness World Records. He surpassed the previous record of eight hours, one minute, set by Mao Weidong […]

BBC As jurors were sworn in for Harvey Weinstein’s trial in New York, the judge told them in no uncertain terms that this case was not intended to be a referendum on the #MeToo movement as a whole. But the trial, which ended in him being convicted of rape and sexual assault, at times felt […]

BBC Former movie producer Harvey Weinstein has been found guilty of two counts in his sexual assault trial. He has been convicted on lesser charges of third-degree rape and a criminal sexual act in the first degree. But Weinstein, 67, has been acquitted of the most serious charges against him – of predatory sexual assault […]

BBC Detained Tanzanian journalist Erick Kabendera has been freed seven months after he was arrested. He had been charged with money laundering, tax evasion and leading organised crime. Mr Kabendera’s release comes after he entered into a plea-bargain agreement with the prosecution. His detention was seen as an example of rising repression against the press […]

BBC President Trump kicked off a visit to India with an address to tens of thousands of people in a cricket stadium in Ahmedabad, in the state of Gujarat. The speech praised India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and highlighted the success of recent policies to improve the country. We looked at some of the claims. […]

BBC Nasa mathematician Katherine Johnson, who helped launch the first American into orbit around the Earth, has died at the age of 101. Nasa, which describes Ms Johnson as one of its “most influential figures”, announced her death on Twitter. “Today, we celebrate her 101 years of life and honor her legacy of excellence that […]

BBC A car has been driven into a crowd at a carnival parade in the German town of Volkmarsen, police have said. At least 10 people are thought to have been injured, local media report. A police spokesman said the driver had been detained. The motive and nature of the incident are as yet unclear. […]

BBC Wikileaks founder Julian Assange’s extradition hearing has opened in a London court. The US says he is guilty of hacking into and publishing US military databases, but he says the case is politically motivated. So, what is extradition and how does it work? What is Julian Assange accused of doing? Assange is accused of […]

BBC Politicians in Prague have denied they are trolling Moscow by renaming a square in memory of Boris Nemtsov – a murdered critic of President Putin. The square houses the Russian embassy. Mr Nemtsov was shot dead on a Moscow bridge in 2015. Prague will also rename a park after Anna Politkovskaya, a Russian journalist […]

BBC There have so far been more than 78,000 cases of the new coronavirus, 77,000 of them in China. The disease, which has spread to 30 countries, has been declared a global health emergency, and about 2,600 people have died. Here are the BBC News Health team’s answers to a range of of readers’ questions […]

BBC Lawyers for Lesotho’s prime minister have told a court that he cannot be charged over the murder of his estranged wife because his position makes him immune from prosecution. PM Thomas Thabane’s then-wife, Lipolelo Thabane, was shot dead in 2017. The case has now been referred to the High Court. His current wife has […]

BBC US President Donald Trump has made what is arguably the “most important” pit stop of his state visit to India – the iconic Taj Mahal. Mr Trump signed the official visitors book at the monument, writing that the “Taj Mahal inspires awe, a timeless testament to the rich and diverse beauty of Indian culture.” […]

BBC Iran’s deputy health minister has denied a claim of a cover-up over the new coronavirus disease, as the number of confirmed deaths there rose to 12. A parliamentarian for Qom, the city at the centre of Iran’s Covid-19 outbreak, accused the authorities of lying about the full extent of the problem. Ahmad Amirabadi-Farahani said […]

BBC Violent clashes between police and anti-government protesters have overshadowed the opening night of Latin America’s biggest festival in the Chilean resort of Viña del Mar. Masked demonstrators attacked shops and the O’Higgins Hotel, where many of the artists are staying. The local governor denounced their actions as “vandalism”. The clashes are the latest show […]

BBC Former French Prime Minister François Fillon is due in court for his role in a “fake jobs” scandal. He is accused of paying his Welsh wife Penelope hundreds of thousands of euros for work she allegedly never did when she was employed as his parliamentary assistant. Both are scheduled to appear on Monday. They […]

BBC The price of gold has surged to its highest level in seven years as worries about the coronavirus led investors to seek a safe place for their money. Gold prices climbed more than 2% on Monday to levels not seen since February 2013. The price for immediate delivery went as high as $1,678.58 an […]

BBC A drone has captured footage of hundreds of South Koreans queuing for masks in Daegu, one of the epicentres of the coronavirus outbreak in the country. The Emart supermarket in the Chilseong district of the city is offering discounted masks for Daegu residents. South Korea has the largest number of Covid-19 cases outside of […]

BBC Fears are growing that the coronavirus outbreak could become a global pandemic as new cases are reported around the world. Although most infections are in China, other countries including South Korea, Italy and Iran are struggling to contain the virus. A pandemic is declared when an infectious disease threatens different parts of the world […]

BBC The crisis inside the last rebel area in Syria is deepening, with millions of people who have long opposed the regime trapped at the border with Turkey. The UN says it’s the greatest exodus of the war, and warns that there is now no safe shelter in Idlib.

BBC The Malaysian prime minister, 94-year-old Mahathir Mohamad, has submitted his resignation to the king. Mr Mahathir’s resignation comes amid rumours that he may form a new coalition without his promised successor, Anwar Ibrahim. The world’s oldest prime minister came into power in 2018. In a shock victory, he ousted then-prime minister Najib Razak, who […]

BBC US President Donald Trump has arrived in India where is expected to receive a massive public reception at a cricket stadium in the state of Gujarat. Crowds have filled the stadium in Ahmedabad where Mr Trump will address a rally with Indian PM Narendra Modi. Tens of thousands of people have lined the streets […]

BBC North Korea has quarantined 380 foreigners in a bid to stop the coronavirus from breaking out. The foreigners are mostly diplomats stationed in the capital Pyongyang, said news agency Yonhap, quoting the Korean Central Broadcasting Station. Around 200 foreigners had already been confined to their compounds for the past 30 days – but as […]

BBC Mounting debts have hit Chinese companies struggling to pay workers and suppliers amid the coronavirus outbreak. President Xi Xinping said on Sunday that China faces a “big test” to combat the virus. The government has asked banks to offer more credit for an economy stunned as the virus spreads rapidly. But a survey of […]

BBC A vast sandstorm from the Sahara has shrouded Spain’s Canary Islands, disrupting travel plans for tourists flying in and out. Spain’s airport operator Aena cancelled, suspended or diverted all flights to and from the islands on Sunday, citing low visibility. But on Sunday night, Aena said operations had resumed at all airports, except Tenerife […]

BBC India is gearing up to impress the visiting US President Donald Trump on his first official trip to the world’s most populous democracy. Tens of thousands are expected to line the streets to greet him in Ahmedabad city, in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state Gujarat. Mr Trump will inaugurate the world’s largest cricket […]

BBC Major world powers are jostling for political and economic influence in Africa, but what is behind the renewed interest on the continent and what are African countries doing about it? The BBC’s Dickens Olewe reports. In recent years Africans have become used to seeing their leaders accumulate air miles while honouring invitations to attend […]

BBC William Close is the inventor behind the Earth Harp – the world’s longest string instrument which uses architecture and landscapes to create a unique sound. Mr Close, who has performed the giant harp all over the world, says the audiences are often left feeling like they are “inside the instrument” during his performances.

BBC It is estimated that around 50 million couples worldwide experience infertility issues. In many cultures women are held responsible when a couple experiences difficulties to conceive. This social pressure can often lead to women being shunned, their husbands taking additional wives or even result in divorce. Childless women, often seen as a burden, are […]

BBC Fresh questions over Mo Farah’s relationship with his banned former coach Alberto Salazar have been raised in a new BBC Panorama investigation. Documents show Farah repeatedly denied to US Anti-Doping (Usada) investigators he had received injections of the controversial supplement L-carnitine before the 2014 London Marathon. Farah later changed his account to Usada investigators, […]