Why GTA 6 will launch without a disc - and what it means for gamers

The GTA franchise is one of the biggest and most profitable entertainment properties in history.

GTA V has sold nearly 230 million copies, and the launch of its successor is expected to be such a major economic event that Bank of America has weighed in on its price .

Despite this, Rockstar's announcement has prompted some independent retailers to refuse to stock the code-in-a-box version.

VGP, an online retailer with a physical store in Toronto, said while it had "tremendous respect" for


Hit South African show gets the world talking about polygamy and cheating

One of Netflix's hottest and sassiest new dramas has not only South Africa but the world talking about marriage, betrayal, revenge and the contentious issue of polygamy - the practice of having more than one spouse at the same time.

The Polygamist, a 22-episode Zulu-language series, is about the tangled love life of wealthy Johannesburg businessman Jonasi Gomora.

It begins at the fictional tycoon's funeral where we learn that his widow Joyce, a social media influencer wearing a striking white outfit, is not


The first non-stop London to Sydney flight is coming - with challenges

On a stage at the Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, the chief executive of Australian airline Qantas declares: "The tyranny of distance has finally been conquered".

Vanessa Hudson was in the French city last week to announce the world's first 20-plus hour flight route.

The airline first flew what it named the Kangaroo route between London and Sydney in 1947. At the time, it was an odyssey spanning seven stops and four days.

Those stops have been gradually reduced, with Qantas now stopping


They quit the West for Russia's traditional values, but it wasn't what they expected

Following their move to Russia, Leo's family became one of the most visible examples of Western migration.

Russian state media filmed their asylum ceremony and Leo publicly thanked President Putin for welcoming them. At the time, Leo believed he was helping to pioneer what he calls "an unprecedented piece of immigration legislation".

But the reality proved more difficult than he'd anticipated.

Within weeks of arriving, Leo says they were defrauded of 5 million roubles – about £52,000 ($66


Meloni and Trump: A very public fall-out that is proving very hard to fix

Last Wednesday, Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte told Fox News that around 500 US aircraft had taken off from American bases in Italy in support of "Operation Epic Fury", the codename for the US-Israeli campaign against Iran. It was part of what he described as broader European support running into thousands of flights across the continent.

Rome did not take it well.

Italy's defence ministry called Rutte's account "fallacious" and "totally misleading", insisting it had only ever authorised technical and


Watch: BBC reports from La Guaira, one of Venezuela's worst-hit areas

BBC reporter Vanessa Silva visited the state of La Guaira in Venezuela, one of the areas worst affected by the twin earthquakes that rocked the country on Wednesday.

Natacha Díaz, a mother almost voiceless, told the BBC that her two daughters, aged 22 and 23, are trapped in a small shopping centre where they worked as manicurists. She cried as she showed a photo of them on her mobile phone.

"I just want them back with me. They are all I have", Natacha said


US conducts strikes on Iran after attack on cargo ship

The US military has conducted strikes on Iranian targets after President Donald Trump accused Iran of a "foolish violation" of its truce following an attack on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz.

No casualties were reported when the ship was struck by a one-way attack drone on Thursday, an incident that prompted a planned evacuation of thousands of sailors stuck in the region.

In response, US Central Command said on Friday it had struck missile and drone storage facilities and coastal radar positions. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard


Venezuela earthquakes kill 920 people as families desperate for news

One case that boosted morale across Venezuela is the rescue in La Guaira of three young siblings , who emerged from the rubble covered in dust and debris, footage broadcast on state television showed.

"Come here, my child, come here," a man says to the first child as he emerges alive from a gap between chunks of concrete.

A girl then comes out, as the man asks her: "Are you siblings?", to which she replies: "Yes, there are three of us."


Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement after US-brokered talks

Israel and Lebanon have signed a framework agreement in Washington after days of negotiations brokered by the US.

The deal, details of which remain unclear, is something of a victory for the Trump administration, which is itself embroiled in complex negotiations with Iran following the extension of a ceasefire between the two.

Iran - Hezbollah's primary foreign backer - has repeatedly called for Lebanon to form part of any negotiations with the US.

The agreement "begins to put in place a framework for lasting peace and security," US Secretary


Watch: Lightning strikes seen across UK

Lightning strikes lit up the sky across the UK during the early hours of Friday as thunderstorms were triggered by the intense heat.

Social media footage showed the flashes over Edinburgh Castle, Bristol and Manchester, while parts of Northern Ireland and Wales were also hit.

The heat is expected to ease off over the weekend, with a yellow warning for thunderstorms issued for Scotland and parts of northern England.

In pictures: Lightning strikes light up sky after hottest day