Michael Jackson biopic smashes box office record

Universal Jaafar Jackson, wearing white and holding a microphone, performing as Michael Jackson in the musical biopic Michael Universal
Jaafar Jackson, the King of Pop's nephew, was praised for his portrayal of the singer in Michael

The new musical film about Michael Jackson has stormed the worldwide box office, scoring the highest opening weekend ever for a biopic.

The singer's nephew Jaafar Jackson portrays him in Michael, which has taken $217m (£160m) globally since it opened on Wednesday.

Queen musical Bohemian Rhapsody, which launched with $124m (£91m) in

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At least 42 killed in Chad after water well dispute escalates

Getty Images A herder wearing a turban and light gown with his back to the camera at a water well, along with several camels and donkeys Getty Images
There are frequently disputes over access to water in Chad

At least 42 people have been killed and 10 injured in fighting between rival ethnic groups in eastern Chad in a conflict that began as a dispute over a water well, officials say.

The conflict in Wadi Fira province, initially between two families, is said to have escalated into a cycle of reprisal attacks that spread over a wide area, with villages burned down.

Chadian authorities said on Sunday that a delegation led by deputy Prime

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Trump says King will be 'very safe' during US visit after security talks

Yui Mok / PA Archive President Trump and King Charles laugh and talk sitting at the table at the banquet while the president was on a trip to the UK in September. Yui Mok / PA Archive
Trump and the King were pictured interacting amicably at many points in Trump's state visit to the UK in September

Donald Trump has said King Charles III will "be very safe" during his state visit to the US, which is due to begin later on Monday.

Further security talks took place between the White House and Buckingham Palace after a gunman gained access to an event attended by Trump in Washington DC on Saturday.

Asked about the security implications for the royal visit, the US president told

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Remembering Raghu Rai: The photographer who showed India to itself

South China Morning Post via Getty Images Raghu Rai, Photographer of exhibition South China Morning Post via Getty Images
For more than five decades, Raghu Rai photographed the country with rare intimacy and clarity

Rich tributes continue to pour in for Raghu Rai, India's most celebrated photojournalist, following his death at the age of 83.

Rai spent more than five decades documenting the country, capturing moments from political power to everyday life with striking clarity.

From the aftermath of the gas tragedy in central India's Bhopal to the years of militancy in northern India's Punjab,

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The Chinese sports brand taking on Nike and Adidas

Getty Images Freestyle skier Eileen Gu posing for photos in front of the Anta logo on a wall, holding a mini figurine of herself Getty Images
Chinese sportswear brand Anta counts Olympic freestyle skier Eileen Gu among its brand ambassadors

China's economy was just starting to open up in the late 1980s when a determined high school dropout made his way to Beijing with 600 pairs of shoes.

Ding Shizhong had them made in a relative's factory and now he was going to sell them. The money he earned paid for his first workshop where he began making footwear for other companies.

The 17-year-old was one

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Another vessel seized off Somali coast as threat level increased

AFP via Getty Images Armed gunmen stand on a rocky base next to the shore in Somalia AFP via Getty Images

Maritime authorities are warning of an increased threat to ships off the coast of Somalia after a cargo ship became the latest vessel to be seized in a suspected act of piracy.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) raised the threat level in the area to "substantial" as it reported "unauthorised persons" seized the vessel and re-directed it to Somalia's territorial waters on Sunday.

At least four vessels have been targeted in suspected piracy incidents in the last week including


Kim Jong Un opens memorial for N Korean soldiers killed in Ukraine war

KCNA via Reuters Wide shot showing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaking to soldiers wearing military uniforms as he stands on a monument in Pyongyang for Russian soldiers who died in the Ukraine war KCNA via Reuters
Kim Jong Un opened the memorial accompanied by Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov have unveiled a memorial in Pyongyang for North Koreans who have died fighting in the Ukraine war.

Military jets flew overhead and white balloons were released into the air as Kim and Belousov unveiled a statue and opened a memorial museum.

It is not known how many North Korean soldiers are fighting against Ukraine, but South Korean intelligence estimates that at least to help Russia recapture

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French teen who licked vending machine straw faces jail in Singapore

Getty Images Plastic straws in various colours Getty Images
Maximilien had uploaded a video of himself licking a straw and putting it back into the machine (file picture)

A French teenager who allegedly licked a straw from an orange juice vending machine and put it back into its dispenser has been charged with committing mischief and being a public nuisance in Singapore.

Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, 18, had posted on Instagram a video of himself performing the act, according to local reports. The video was later widely circulated.

The company that owns the vending machine

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Oil prices rise as US-Iran peace talks stall

Getty Images An attendant at a petrol station refills a motorbike with fuel Getty Images

Oil prices have risen after plans for a second round of peace talks between the US and Iran stalled again.

Brent, the global benchmark, rose by around 2% to $109.33 (£80.72) a barrel, while US-traded crude also increased by 2% at $96.78.

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Washington had cancelled plans to send a team to Pakistan for negotiations with their Iranian counterparts.

Global energy supplies have


Ukraine's drone commander has Russian oil, troops and morale in his sights

BBC joins drone team at secret location in Ukraine

"We're like a red rag to the enemy. Because we're taking the war to their territory so that they feel it too," the Ukrainian soldier says, as his unit scramble to assemble long-range drones for launch at Russia.

Ukraine has been intensifying its deep strikes like this for several weeks, targeting oil export facilities, in particular, like never before.

Now, in a rare interview, the commander of all Ukraine's unmanned systems

BBC/Moose Campbell A long-range drone is launched in eastern Ukraine
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