Kidnapped Nigerian retired general dies in captivity

AFP via Getty Images A head and shoulders image of Rabe Abubakar wearing a military uniform. AFP via Getty Images
Retired Maj Gen Rabe Abubakar, pictured here in 2009, was spokesman for the army a decade ago

A retired Nigerian army general who had been kidnapped by gunmen in the country's north-west has died while being held captive, the military has said.

No group has said it was behind the kidnappings.

The abduction and death of Abubakar highlights the continuing security challenges facing parts of north-west Nigeria, where criminal gangs known locally as "bandits" frequently carry out kidnappings for

Continue reading...

Woman seriously injured in shark attack at Sydney beach

Reuters Police officers speak to people following a shark attack at Coogee Beach in Sydney, Australia. Photo: 13 June 2026 Reuters
The incident happened at Coogee Beach in Sydney

A woman has been seriously injured after being bitten by a shark at a beach in Sydney, police have said.

New South Wales Police said emergency services were called to Coogee Beach in the east of the city on Saturday morning.

The woman, 35, was "pulled from the water by members of the public who commenced first aid", police said, and suffered "serious arm and leg injuries".

She was then airlifted to hospital by helicopter. Several beaches


Trump's name being removed from Kennedy Center after judge order

Watch: Timelapse video shows scaffholding being erected as workers prepare to remove Trump's name

US President Donald Trump's name has been taken down from the front of the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, after a judge ordered its removal.

The performance arts venue said in a court filing it had now fully complied with the ruling and that Trump's name no longer appeared on its building, website or other materials.

The president's name had been added to the venue unlawfully, a federal judge found last month

AFP via Getty Images people gathered in front of Kennedy Center building, one holding an American flag and another holding a sign that says
Continue reading...

The costs and challenges facing the 2026 World Cup

The World Cup officially kicked off this week - but alongside the football, there are questions around heat, cost, the environmental impact and travel restrictions.

Married at First Sight Australia stars not told partners had drug and violence convictions

BBC A newlywed couple are seen looking out to sea on a beach, with a photo of the Australian flag in the background. BBC

Married at First Sight Australia stars say the show left them feeling unsafe and unprotected because their on-screen partners had criminal pasts which they were not told about, a BBC investigation can reveal.

It comes after the British version of the show, known to many as MAFS UK, was plunged into crisis after BBC Panorama reported rape allegations from two women contestants - allegations the men involved have denied.

One woman from last year's Australian series says she was not told the man she had been matched with had a

Continue reading...

US kills leader of Venezuela's Tren de Aragua gang in airstrike, Trump says

Truth Social A screengrab from a video purportedly showing the strike that was shared on social media. Truth Social
Trump posted footage of what appears to be the airstrike, showing a green building with a nearby shed being blown up

The US military has killed the leader of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua in an airstrike, President Donald Trump has announced.

"At my direction, the United States Southern Command delivered a swift and lethal kinetic strike to successfully execute Niño Guerrero," Trump wrote on social media.

Niño Guerrero, whose full name is Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, was the longtime leader

Continue reading...

Anthropic suspends new AI tools over US government security concerns

NurPhoto via Getty Images Claude Fable Anthropic logo. NurPhoto via Getty Images

Anthropic has suspended its powerful new AI model after US authorities raised security concerns just days following its public release.

"The net effect of this order is that we must abruptly disable Fable 5 and Mythos 5 for all our customers to ensure compliance," the company wrote.

Anthropic and the Trump administration are involved in a separate ongoing lawsuit over an order to stop government agencies using the company's AI tools. The BBC has approached the US Department of Commerce for comment.

Claude Fable 5 is a


Warner Bros $111bn sale to Paramount approved by US justice department

Getty Images a photo showing WB's logo and Paramount's logo Getty Images

Paramount Skydance's $111bn (£82.8bn) acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery has been approved by the US Department of Justice.

The approval marks a key development in the merger that will reshape media, allowing the takeover bid of the Hollywood studio, which owns CNN and HBO, to continue.

The pending sale has been filled with contention, from Paramount's battle with Netflix over the company to scrutiny over industry consolidation and worries about politics. David Ellison, the leader


David Hockney depicted a 'peaceful, gay paradise' when homosexuality was a crime

AFP via Getty Images An employee poses alongside artworks entitled 'We Two Boys Together Clinging, 1961' (L), 'The Most Beautiful Boy in the World, 1961' (C), and 'Tea Painting in an Illusionistic Style, 1961', by British artist David Hockney, during a photocall to promote a retrospective of Hockney's work, at the Tate Britain in London on February 6, 2017. AFP via Getty Images
David Hockney's We Two Boys Together Clinging was shown at a retrospective of the artist's work at the Tate Britain in 2017

One of David Hockney's early paintings depicts a couple wrapped in an embrace.

Painted in 1961, this picture may sound like it captures a relatively traditional romantic scene.

But at the time, it was a radical piece of work. That is because the couple in the painting are both men, and in 1961

Continue reading...

Niagara Falls: Is there a better spot to watch a World Cup game?

Football fans gathered at a FIFA World Cup watch party at Niagara Falls for the Canadian and USA teams' opening matches.