The ‘hero’ ship keeping Africa online
The BBC joins a mission aboard the Léon Thévenin to repair an undersea fibre optic cable.
New Zealand’s top diplomat tells China sudden live-fire drills represent ‘failure’ in relationship
Winston Peters says he told Chinese counterpart Wang Yi not enough warning was given about recent navy exercises that forced planes to divert
New Zealand’s foreign minister said he had raised concerns over China’s recent live-fire drills in the Tasman Sea during meetings with Chinese leaders on Wednesday.
The issue was a lack of notice given to New Zealand over the military exercises off its coast, Winston Peters told reporters in Beijing after meetings with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and vice premier Han Zheng.
Continue reading...Real Madrid win marred by more racism directed towards Vinicius Junior
Real Madrid beat Real Sociedad 1-0 in their Copa del Rey semifinal first-leg tie, but match marred by racist abuse.
Leaked recordings challenge Greek account of deadly shipwreck
Hundreds are thought to have died when the Adriana sank in international waters two years ago.
A Deadly Unidentified Disease Has Emerged in the DRC – WIRED
- A Deadly Unidentified Disease Has Emerged in the DRC WIRED
- Mystery Disease Linked to Bats Kills Scores in Congo The Wall Street Journal
- Unknown Deadly Illness Strikes Western Congo The New York Times
- ‘Unknown disease’ that can kill within days leaves 53 dead in Congo The Washington Post
- Mystery illness in Congo kills more than 50 people, including children who ate a bat CBS News
Only 5% of UK medical school entrants are working class, data shows
Sutton Trust says underrepresentation of poorer students is ‘outrageous’ but number has doubled in 10 years to 2022
Students from working class backgrounds still only make up 5% of entrants to medical schools across the UK, a proportion that has doubled over the past decade, analysis has found.
The research, conducted by the Sutton Trust and University College London (UCL), looked at almost 94,000 applicants to UK medical schools between 2012 and 2022, which represent almost half of all UK medical applicants.
Continue reading...Watch: Behind the scenes at the Oscars red carpet rollout
The Academy Awards will take place on 2 March, with Conan O'Brien expected to host.
Pamela Anderson on missing out on Oscars, ditching makeup and ‘innocence’ of Baywatch
The actress's career has enjoyed a recent resurgence thanks to a role in the film The Last Showgirl.
The global democracy index: how did countries perform in 2024? – The Economist
- The global democracy index: how did countries perform in 2024? The Economist
- Europe maintains fragile democratic stability amid global drop, study Euronews
- Paks 2024 democracy ranking drops to 2.84 amid poll violence, political chaos: Economic Intelligence Unit report The Tribune India
- Taiwan ranks 12th in 2024 democracy index, leads in Asia Focus Taiwan
- Report: Only 6.6% of the world lives under full democracy The New Voice of Ukraine
Trump nixes Venezuelan oil concessions granted by predecessor Joe Biden
Trump took harsh stance towards Venezuela during first term but has shown interest in collaboration in recent months.
Nvidia beats Wall Street expectations in first earnings after DeepSeek’s AI debut
Investors were eyeing the firm for signs of slowing demand after revelation high-end chips not necessary, but found few
Nvidia surpassed investor expectations for the fourth quarter of 2024 with a 78% jump in revenue year over year.
The company reported $39.3bn in revenue, beating analyst projections of $38.25bn. It also reported $0.89 in earnings a share on Wednesday, beating expectations of $0.84.
Continue reading...What we know about US-Ukraine minerals deal
The White House said the deal, which would give the US access to mineral deposits, was not signed on Friday.
Newsom orders parole board to assess public risk if Menendez brothers freed
California governor’s intervention could offer avenue of freedom for siblings jailed over 1989 LA killing of parents
The California governor has ordered the state parole board to examine whether the Menendez brothers would pose a risk to the public if they are released from prison – which could offer an avenue to freedom for the siblings who have been behind bars for almost three decades.
Attorneys for Erik, 54, and Lyle, 57, reported on Wednesday that the board will complete a “comprehensive risk assessment” to determine if the brothers have in fact been rehabilitated since the 1989 killing of their parents.
Continue reading...It’s Jekyll and Hyde, says son of French surgeon accused of abusing 299 patients
Relatives of Joël Le Scouarnec, who allegedly sexually assaulted young patients, tell court of split personality
Members of a French surgeon’s family have described discovering the “Jekyll and Hyde” character of the man accused of raping or sexually assaulting 299 young patients while they were sedated or recovering from operations.
At his trial in the city of Vannes in Brittany, relatives of Joël Le Scouarnec spoke of his split personality.
In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453. In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and adult survivors can contact Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helplines International
Continue reading...Pokémon boss believes series can last another 50 to 100 years
CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara speaks to the BBC about the future of the world's most valuable media franchise.
‘I need help’: Freed from Myanmar’s scam centres, thousands are now stranded
The camps are unsanitary, food barely sufficient, and many of those being held are in poor health.
Romania’s far-right candidate, championed by Vance and Musk, detained by police – The Washington Post
- Romania’s far-right candidate, championed by Vance and Musk, detained by police The Washington Post
- Romanian far-right presidential frontrunner taken into custody after JD Vance's rebuke of European elections Fox News
- Romania launches criminal inquiry against far-right presidential frontrunner Reuters
- Far-right Romanian politician who led canceled presidential vote is questioned by prosecutors ABC News
- Romanian prosecutors charge Georgescu in unexpected criminal case Euronews
Did Iron Age ‘begin’ in India? Tamil Nadu dig sparks debate
Tamil Nadu’s iron artefacts may predate Turkey's Anatolia, reshaping early Iron Age history.
Ukraine needs US security guarantee to deter Putin – PM – BBC.com
- Ukraine needs US security guarantee to deter Putin - PM BBC.com
- UK’s Starmer to Meet Trump With a Boost on Defense and Pleas for Ukraine The New York Times
- Starmer to press Trump on security guarantees in critical Ukraine talks The Guardian
- Trump has been flirting with Putin. Can Keir Starmer woo him back to the West? CNN
- Sir Keir Starmer insists he trusts Donald Trump ahead of Washington summit Sky News
Russia could reinvade Ukraine without US security guarantees, Starmer warns
UK prime minister faces major diplomatic effort to get president on board after he said no plans for US ‘backstop’
Keir Starmer has warned that Vladimir Putin could invade Ukraine again unless the US provides security guarantees as he arrived for critical talks with Donald Trump at the most precarious moment for European stability in decades.
With the future of Ukrainian security hanging in the balance, he urged the president to commit a US backstop to a British and French-led peacekeeping force, saying it was the only way to avoid Russia plunging Europe back into war.
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