The latest five minute news bulletin from BBC World Service.Oleh BBC World Service

British lawyer Simone White has become the fifth tourist to die in a suspected mass poisoning in Laos, following the deaths of an Australian woman, American woman and two Danish women. A number of people taken to hospital following the incident in the tourist town of Vang Vieng. News reports and testimonies on social media from other tourists have …

Fevzi Turkalp, the Gadget Detective, joins Salma El-Wardany on BBC Radio London to discuss the astonishing rate at which people are joining Bluesky, a social media platform alternative to Elon Musk's X/Twitter, especially since the recent US presidential election and changes to how the service is run. Created by Jack Dorsey, who formally owned Twit…

Vladimir Putin says Russia hit Ukraine with a new intermediate-range ballistic missile, days after Kyiv used Western-supplied weapons to strike inside Russia. The Russian president says the strike was in response to Ukraine's "use of American and British long-range weaponry". It's still unclear exactly what was damaged in the attack, which Ukraine …

Former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz has withdrawn his name from consideration to become attorney general after days of debate over whether to release a report on sexual misconduct allegations against him.On X, formerly Twitter, the 42-year-old said that the controversy over his potential nomination "was unfairly becoming a distraction" to the wor…

A US official has disputed Kyiv's claim that Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at Ukraine, reports the BBC's US partner CBS News. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine was attacked with a "new Russian rocket" and suggests it has the "characteristics" of an ICBM. Russia has refused to comment - instead it cla…

Ukraine has fired UK-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles at targets within Russia for the first time, the BBC understands. It comes just days after US-supplied longer-range Army Tactical Missile System (Atacms) missiles also struck targets inside Russia. Former senior British officer and assault helicopter pilot Mikey Kay explains how these lates…

Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) have issued arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister and former defence minister, as well as Hamas's military commander. A statement said a pre-trial chamber had rejected Israel’s challenges to the court’s jurisdiction and issued warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant. A warrant was also…

Dozens of people are reported to have been killed in overnight Israeli air strikes in northern Gaza. Paramedics and Hamas-affiliated media said at least 66 were killed, including women and children, when several houses sheltering displaced people were hit near Kamal Adwan hospital in the town of Beit Lahia. One unverified video showed more than 20 …

High-tech equipment made by a UK firm worth $2.1m (£1.6m) has been sold to companies in Russia connected to the military, customs documents seen by BBC News suggest. The documents indicate the British-made camera lenses were shipped by a company registered in Kyrgyzstan, apparently run by swimwear model Valeria Baigascina. The UK manufacturer, Beck…

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said damage to two undersea cables in the Baltic Sea looks like an act of sabotage. A 1,170km (730-mile) telecommunications cable between Finland and Germany was severed in the early hours of Monday, while a 218km internet link between Lithuania and Sweden's Gotland Island stopped working on Sunday. The incid…

Ukraine has fired UK-supplied long-range Storm Shadow missiles at targets within Russia for the first time, the BBC understands. The UK government is not commenting on the reports but the defence secretary said "Ukraine’s action on the battlefield speaks for itself". It comes just days after US-supplied longer-range Army Tactical Missile System (At…

Vice-President-elect JD Vance is shoring up Senate support for Donald Trump's cabinet picks as he brings attorney general nominee Matt Gaetz along on a visit to the Capitol. The nomination has caused controversy among Republicans and Democrats, as the House Ethics Committee is expected to meet amid a debate over whether it should release a report o…

Harvesting olives is an age-old ritual and also an economic necessity for many Palestinians, but, according to the UN, it is increasingly precarious. Farmers across the West Bank - internationally regarded as Palestinian land occupied by Israel - face heightened risks, like organised attacks by Israeli settlers seeking to sabotage the olive harvest…

YouTuber and social media personality Logan Paul is facing fresh questions over his cryptocurrency dealings, with ongoing concerns he may have profited from misleading fans.The BBC has seen new evidence suggesting he promoted investments without revealing he had a financial interest in them.The influence of Paul - whose YouTube channel has more tha…

US President Joe Biden has agreed to supply Ukraine with anti-personnel land mines, a US official told the BBC. The official, who was speaking on condition of anonymity, said such mines would be delivered soon, and Washington expected that they would be used in Ukraine's territory. It is thought the move is an attempt to slow Russian troops who hav…

Vladimir Putin has signed a decree lowering the threshold for Russia's use of nuclear weapons. It follows a US decision to allow Ukraine to carry out long-range missile strikes on Russia using American weapons. Ukraine has carried out its first such attack, with Russia confirming that US ATACMS missiles have hit its Bryansk region.Russia’s revised …

From April 2026, inherited agricultural assets in the UK worth more than £1m, which were previously exempt, will be liable to the inheritance tax at 20% - half the usual rate.Among those marching in Whitehall was TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson, who said "it's the end" for farmers, as he called for the government to change its mind.The prime minister …

Gisèle Pelicot has denounced the mass rape case of 51 men as a "trial of cowardice" on her final day of evidence. Pelicot, who has attended the mass rape trial from its start in September, was questioned by defence lawyers after the last defendant in the case, Philippe L, left the dock. She has waived her right to anonymity so the entire trial can …

New York prosecutors have vowed to oppose President-elect Donald Trump’s effort to overturn his criminal conviction, but they expressed a willingness to wait to sentence him until he completes his upcoming presidential term. Prosecutors urged the judge who is considering Trump's sentence after his guilty verdict to consider options other than dismi…

Turkish air strikes in drought-struck north-east Syria have cut off access to electricity and water for more than a million people, in what experts say may be a violation of international law. Turkey carried out more than 100 attacks between October 2019 and January 2024 on oil fields, gas facilities and power stations in the Kurdish-held Autonomou…

Ukraine has said it will "never submit" to Russia as it marks 1,000 days since the Kremlin launched a full-scale invasion of the country. "Ukraine will never submit to the occupiers, and the Russian military will be punished for violating international law," the foreign ministry said on Tuesday. It comes as eight people, including a child, were kil…

1,000 days into the war in Ukraine – and just two months before his presidency ends - Joe Biden has given the green light for Ukraine to fire US-supplied long range missiles into Russian territory. The US has forbid the use of ATACM ballistic missiles inside the country – until now. The change in policy reportedly comes in response to the recent ar…

A Hong Kong court has sentenced key pro-democracy leaders to years in jail for subversion, following a controversial national security trial.Benny Tai and Joshua Wong were among the so-called Hong Kong 47 group of activists and lawmakers involved in a plan to pick opposition candidates for local elections. Tai received 10 years while Wong received …

The mother of 24-year-old Harshita Brella, whose body was found in the boot of a car in London, has told the BBC: “I just want justice for my daughter”.An international manhunt is underway for Ms Brella’s husband, Pankaj Lamba, who has been named by British police as the prime suspect. Detectives believe he has fled the country. The couple had been…

It appears that North Korean troops will enter combat against Ukraine in the coming days, says US defence secretary Lloyd Austin. The US will allow Ukraine to use the missiles to hold onto the small chunk of Russian territory it occupies in Kursk, reportingly making the decision after the Kremlin allowed North Korean troops to fight there. There is…

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has met China's President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit, and emphasised the importance of a "strong UK-China relationship" for both countries. The meeting was the first time a UK prime minister has met the Chinese president in person since 2018, following a recent souring in relations. The PM signalled a desire for gre…

Afghans are the second largest group of migrants coming to the UK illegally in small boats. The UN says they are among the top asylum seekers in the world. With a third of the country’s people struggling to eat, and the Taliban government banning women from work and education, thousands of Afghans are trying to flee the country every day. But leavi…

Donald Trump has vowed to overturn guidance on the safe development of artificial intelligence (AI). Trump’s promise echoes his party’s platform, which says that the executive order “hinders AI innovation”. Outside the US, the Vatican and Microsoft have released a digital recreation of St. Peter’s Basilica created with AI. Finally: should we be kin…

The parents of a British teenager who took his own life after becoming a victim of sextortion have made a direct appeal to criminals in Nigeria to stop "terrorising" the vulnerable. Murray Dowey, from Dunblane, was only 16 when he ended his life last year. It is thought he had been tricked by criminals in West Africa into sending intimate pictures …

President Joe Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to strike inside Russia with long-range missiles supplied by the US has sparked a furious response in Russia. On Monday, President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists that “if such a decision has been taken it means a whole new spiral of tension and a whole new situation with reg…

Air pollution in India's capital Delhi has soared to extremely severe levels, choking residents and engulfing the city in thick smog. Authorities have announced further restrictions of construction activities and vehicle movements in the city to combat worsening air quality. According to measurements by Swiss air quality group IQAir, Delhi has surp…

Hezbollah's media chief Mohammed Afif has been killed in an Israeli strike in central Beirut, the Lebanese militant group has confirmed.A strike hit the headquarters of the Baath political party in the densely populated Ras al-Naba neighbourhood on Sunday, according to Lebanon's state-run National News Agency.Afif, one of the few remaining public f…

US President Joe Biden has given the green light for Ukraine to use long-range missiles supplied by America to strike Russia, officials say. The move marks a major change in policy for Washington which had refused for months to agree to Kyiv's requests for authorisation to use the ATACMS missiles outside its own borders. Ukraine's President Volodym…

High inside the Arctic circle, the archipelago of Svalbard is one of the fastest warming places on Earth.Yet for most of its history, it has depended on coal for energy and jobs.How has it been taking steps towards clear energy?Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1rbfUogFor more news, analysis and features visit: www.bbc.com/news #Svalbard #ClimateChange…

A VO2 max test is one of the best ways to measure your overall fitness.It may also be the best single measure for your life expectancy. Here's how new technology can work it out - in just three minutes.Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1rbfUogFor more news, analysis and features visit: www.bbc.com/news #WearableTech #VO2Max #BBCNews…

"I am profoundly disturbed to find these days my identity is being stolen by others and greatly object to them using is to say whatever they wish." That's how broadcaster and biologist Sir David Attenborough has reacted after the BBC played him clips of his voice being mimicked by Artificial Intelligence. Dr Jennifer Williams, a researcher of AI au…

A "massive combined strike" on Ukraine's energy infrastructure was carried out overnight by Russia, President Zelensky has said. At least seven people have been killed and many were injured - including children - following the strikes on Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Lviv and Odesa regions. Ukraine’s largest private energy company says the attacks…

Joe Biden has sat down with China's President Xi Jinping for the last time as US president. The two acknowledged "ups and downs" in relations over Biden's four years in office during a summit in Peru. Meanwhile, Presdient-elect Donald Trump has named more people for his cabinet ahead of his inauguration in January, but faces a tough process to get …

Relatives of civil-rights activist Malcolm X are suing US law enforcement agencies for complicity in his assassination 60 years ago. They claim the FBI, CIA and the New York Police Department were all aware of a plot to assassinate him but did nothing to stop it, seeking $100m in damaged. Three men were convicted of his murder, but two were exonera…

Fevzi Turkalp, the Gadget Detective, joins Clive Bull on LBC to discuss the massive surge in users joining the social media platform Bluesky since Trump won the US election. Offering an alternative to Elon Musk's X/Twitter, and Meta's own platform Threads, how will its future fair as more seek a less contentious social media experience? You can fol…

At least 10 babies have died after a fire broke out on the children's ward of a hospital in northern India. 16 other babies are being treated for their injuries with some described as being in a critical condition. Local officials said the blaze in the intensive care unit was possibly caused by an electrical fault in an oxygen concentrator.Subscrib…

YouTuber Jake Paul left a permanent stain on two-time heavyweight champion Mike Tyson's boxing legacy with a points win in front of fans in Texas. The match was also streamed and watched by millions on Netflix. More than £14.1m was recouped from ticket sales alone, with one VIP group package which included a ringside seat and photographs with the f…

Ukrainie's President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Russia's war on his country will end "faster" than it otherwise would have done with Donald Trump's return to the White House. Mr Zelensky didn't say if the US president-elect had made any demands about talks with Russia, but told a Ukrainian radio station that Trump's promise to the US public that h…

You’re watching Path to the Presidency with the BBC’s Caitríona Perry and Sumi Somaskanda. In this episode, the duo are joined by digital reporter Bernd Debusmann Jr to discuss the period of transition for Joe Biden and Donald Trump, as one prepares to leave the White House and the other plans his return. Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1rbfUog For m…

The involvement of Donald Trump’s close-knit family defined his first term in the White House. Eight years later, his circle of advisers appears to have expanded, welcoming a cadre of media personalities and influencers. Who’s in Trump’s orbit now? Which of his family members are raising their profiles, and who is taking a step out of the spotlight…

The left-leaning alliance of Sri Lanka's new leader has secured a landslide victory in the country's snap parliamentary elections. Official results show President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's National People's Power (NPP) coalition scored a two-thirds majority in parliament, with 159 seats. Dissanayake needed a clear majority to deliver on his promis…

The United Nations' COP climate talks are "no longer fit for purpose" and need an urgent overhaul, key experts, including a former UN climate chief, have said.In a letter to the UN, senior figures say countries should not host the talks if they don’t support the phase out of fossil energy. This week the Azerbaijani president told world leaders gath…

South Africa’s government says it won’t help a group of illegal miners inside a closed mine who have been denied access to basic supplies as part of an official strategy against illegal mining. The group has been in a mineshaft in Stilfontein, in the North West province, for about a month. They have refused to cooperate with authorities, as some ar…

Israeli airstrikes have targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut, sending plumes of smoke into the sky and flattening a building near one of the city’s busiest traffic junctions.The strikes followed a warning of imminent attacks issued by the Israeli military on social media.On Thursday, an airstrike on an emergency response centre in the city of Ba…