More than 140 travellers and crew members who were onboard a flight hit by severe turbulence landed in Singapore on a relief flight earlier this morning. Passengers onboard SQ321 which was heading from London to Singapore, recounted scenes of “absolute terror”, with one passenger saying he saw a woman with an “awful gash on her […]

Thousands of Iranians have gathered on the streets of Tabriz to mourn President Ebrahim Raisi after he was killed in a helicopter crash. Mourners followed a funeral procession through the city in north-west Iran while waving Iranian flags and portraits of the late president. Raisi and seven others were killed when a helicopter they were […]

Conspiracy theories have sprung to life Iran declares five days of mourning  Vice-President Mohammad Mokhber named successor Iranian State media yesterday confirmed the death of the country’s President, Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash in a mountainous area of north-western Iran, along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. They were killed after the helicopter they were […]

A helicopter carrying the Iranian president has been involved in an accident, state media is reporting. State media says President Ebrahim Raisi was on board a helicopter that experienced a hard landing on Sunday.  It was also said to be carrying Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian. The Interior Minister said rescuers were still trying to […]

The Democratic Republic of Congo army says it has quashed an attempted coup against President Felix Tshikedi in the capital Kinshasa, involving Congolese and foreign fighters. DR Congo army spokesperson Brig Gen Sylavin Ekenge said on the state-run broadcaster RTNC TV that several suspects have been detained and the “situation is now under control”. His […]

A British diplomat has been given a week to leave Russia in an escalation of a diplomatic spat over spying. The Russian foreign ministry said in a statement the removal of Capt Adrian Coghill was in response to “unfriendly anti-Russian actions” from Britain. On 8 May the Russian defence attache was expelled from London for […]

Tensions – and voices – rose on Thursday as Donald Trump’s lawyer hit back against prosecutors, accusing their star witness repeatedly of lying. On the most tense day yet of cross-examination, Michael Cohen, Mr Trump’s former fixer, described talking to the former president directly about a hush-money payment to an adult-film star. But attorney Todd […]

One of Europe’s most notorious people-smugglers has been arrested in Iraq following a BBC investigation. Barzan Majeed was arrested in Iraqi Kurdistan on Sunday morning, a senior government official said. For several years, he and his gang were heavily involved in the people-smuggling trade –

Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to replace his long-standing ally Sergei Shoigu as defence minister, the Kremlin has announced. The 68-year-old has been in the role since 2012 and is to be appointed the head of Russia’s Security Council. Papers published by the upper chamber of the Russian parliament said  Shoigu will be replaced […]

Israel’s government has moved to shut down the operations of the Al Jazeera television network in the country, branding it a mouthpiece for Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the cabinet agreed to the closure while the war in Gaza is ongoing. Police raided the Qatari broadcaster’s office at the Ambassador hotel in Jerusalem on […]

Looted artefacts from the Asante kingdom are finally on display in Ghana, 150 years after British colonisers took them. Ghanaians flocked to the Manhyia Palace Museum in Kumasi, the capital of Asante region, to welcome the 32 items home. “This is a day for Asante. A day for the Black African continent. The spirit we […]

The Pentagon says it will “rush” Patriot air defence missiles and artillery ammunition to Ukraine as part of its new military aid package. The US will utilise $6bn (£4.8bn) for this purpose, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin revealed on Friday. Patriot air defence batteries are not included. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Patriots were “urgently” needed […]

The House of Representatives has finally approved billions of dollars in new US military aid for Ukraine as it struggles to resist Russia’s invasion. The much-delayed measure had vocal opponents in Congress and it took a fragile bipartisan deal to get the $61bn (£49bn) package through. Now the focus shifts from “whether” to “when” lethal […]

Ukraine s prime minister has told the BBC there will be a ÂThird World War if Ukraine loses its conflict with Russia, as he urged the US Congress to pass a long-stalled foreign aid bill.

As Beijing increases its repression of ethnic minorities in China to establish Han domination, the Chinese Communist Party is also devising numerous ways to ensure that the overseas media cannot expose this ongoing violation of human rights behind the bamboo curtain. The Chinese media is highly censored. To project the false image of China as […]

On 19 April, Indians will begin choosing a new parliament for the next five years, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks a third consecutive term. Opinion polls put his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies ahead. They are up against the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (India), which groups more than two dozen opposition […]

Denmark’s historic old stock exchange building in the centre of Copenhagen has been engulfed by fire. The 17th Century Børsen is one of the city’s oldest buildings and onlookers gasped as its iconic spire collapsed in the flames. Everyone inside the building was able to leave and people rushed to rescue some of its historic […]

Donald Trump’s unprecedented criminal trial has begun with half of a group of potential jurors ruled out within minutes on impartiality grounds. Mr Trump denies falsifying business records to conceal a hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. Sixty of 96 potential jurors were quick to say in the New York court that they could […]

Somali pirates have released a Bangladesh-flagged vessel and its 23-member crew after a ransom was reportedly paid. The MV Abdullah was carrying coal from Mozambique to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) when it was hijacked off Somalia’s coast about a month ago. The pirates alleged that they received $5m (£4m), but there is no independent […]

US President Joe Biden says he expects Iran to attack Israel “sooner than later”, as fears grow of Iranian retaliation over an air strike that killed top commanders early this month. Israel has not admitted attacking an Iranian consulate in Syria but is widely believed to have been behind it. US officials have told CBS […]