News

Allegations. Resignations. Police complaints. These words have been dominating headlines and shaking up a bustling film industry in the southern Indian state of Kerala since last week. The state has been witnessing a flurry of sexual abuse allegations against some top male stars since a landmark report that looked into problems faced by women in […]

Telegram boss and founder Pavel Durov has been placed under formal investigation in France as part of a probe into organised crime on the messaging app, Paris prosecutors say. Mr Durov, 39, has not been remanded in custody, but placed under judicial supervision, and has to pay a €5m (£4.2m; $5.6m) deposit. The Russian-born billionaire, […]

Afghanistan’s Taliban government has banned mixed martial arts (MMA), saying it is incompatibile with Islamic law. An official from the Taliban’s sports authority, speaking to local broadcaster TOLOnews on Tuesday, said that MMA was too violent and posed a risk of death. The order was passed down by Afghanistan’s morality police in the Taliban’s Ministry […]

South African billionaire Johann Rupert has overtaken Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote as Africa’s richest person, according to the latest data from the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Mr Rupert controls Richemont, one of the world’s largest luxury goods firms, which owns brands like Cartier and Montblanc. His net worth has surged by $1.9bn to $14.3bn, placing him […]

A Ugandan man allegedly found with 24 human skulls may have been using them for human sacrifice and could face life in prison, the police have told the BBC. Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango said the suspect, Ddamulira Godfrey, would be charged under the Prevention and Prohibition of Human Sacrifice Act. Animal remains and skins were […]

A vessel suspected by the Namibian authorities to be carrying military cargo intended for Israeli use in the ongoing war in Gaza has been blocked from docking in the southern African country. Namibian Justice Minister Yvonne Dausab told state media the ship was stopped because it had “explosive material destined for Israel”. The MV Kathrin, […]

Nigeria has received 10,000 doses of a vaccine to combat mpox, making it the first African country to receive a batch amid the current outbreak of disease that used to be called monkeypox. The country began the process to secure the vaccines well before it was declared a global health emergency by the World Health […]

Police units around the world have joined forces in a series of covert operations targeting one of West Africa’s most feared criminal networks – Black Axe. Operation Jackal III saw officers in body armour carry out raids in 21 countries between April and July 2024. The mission, co-ordinated by global policing agency Interpol, led to […]

Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg says he regrets bowing to what he calls pressure from the Biden administration to “censor” content on Facebook and Instagram during the coronavirus pandemic. In a letter sent to a US House committee chair, he said some material – including humour and satire – was taken down in 2021 under pressure […]

US soldier Travis King, who fled from South to North Korea before being returned home, will plead guilty to desertion and other charges, his lawyer has said. The army filed 14 charges against Mr King for the illegal crossing in July 2023. He plans to enter a guilty plea to five charges, including desertion and […]