Getty Images The top US envoy to Afghanistan is stepping down from his role less than two months after American forces withdrew from the country. Zalmay Khalilzad led the US dialogue with the Taliban, but months of diplomatic talks failed to prevent the militant group from seizing power. The Taliban took control in August after
Getty Images Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has met indigenous leaders two weeks after he took a seaside holiday on a day meant to honour residential schools survivors and victims. His decision to skip formal events on the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was widely panned. The day honours the indigenous children who
STEPHEN HUNTLEY Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced the Queen has agreed Southend will be granted city status following the killing of MP Sir David Amess. Sir David was stabbed to death at Belfairs Methodist Church on Friday. He regularly championed Southend’s case to be a city during his time in Parliament. Mr Johnson told
EPA Police in Norway say the five people who died in an attack last week by a man carrying a bow and arrows were actually killed by a “sharp object”. The suspect, Espen Andersen Brathen, also shot at people with arrows in Kongsberg, close to the capital, Oslo. But investigating officers said at some point
The Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai is urging the Taliban to lift their ban on girls’ education in Afghanistan. The Pakistani activist for female education told BBC World News the current temporary ban might last for years. She said: “It happened a month ago they announced explicitly that boys can go to their schools. So
Getty Images China has denied reports that it tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile earlier this year, insisting instead that it was a routine spacecraft check. The initial report in the Financial Times newspaper prompted concern in Washington, where US intelligence was reportedly caught by surprise. Hypersonic missiles are much faster and more agile than normal
Getty Images Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell has died aged 84 of Covid-19 complications, his family has announced. He was a former top military officer who rose to become the first African-American secretary of state in 2001 under Republican George W Bush. “We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father, grandfather and
From its craggy peaks to its remote moorlands and hidden ravines, Eryri, also known as Snowdonia, has always been a magnet for visitors from across the world. It’s 70 years since it was designated a national park, with a variety of events arranged to mark the occasion. Over the decades, the national park has provided
Getty Images Colin Powell came from a humble background to become the first African-American US secretary of state. A highly decorated army officer, he saw service in Vietnam, an experience that later helped define his own military and political strategies. He became a trusted military adviser to a number of leading US politicians. And, despite
European Pressphoto Agency More MPs have opened up about their own personal safety following the death of their colleague, Sir David Amess, who was stabbed multiple times during a meeting with his constituents in Essex on Friday. Many have spoken of a toxic and increasingly polarised political culture where online trolling has become widespread, ranging
Getty Images Online retail giant Amazon is to offer one-off payments of up to £3,000 in order to attract staff in UK regions where there is high demand for labour. The online retailer is hiring for 20,000 positions across its UK network during the festive season. Fears over worker shortages have already prompted other firms
Ford Mobility and Vivacity Labs are using sensors in cars and on lampposts to track dangerous traffic hotspots with the aim of making roads safer. Drivers taking part in the project have their speed, acceleration, rate and harshness of breaking and steering measured to see how they react along a route. The system also predicts
Getty Images The widower of murdered MP Jo Cox has spoken of his “very physical reaction” to the killing of Sir David Amess. Brendan Cox said he was put back “in that moment five years ago” when he learned his wife had been killed by a right-wing extremist in West Yorkshire. He said he felt
AFP via Getty Images Facebook is planning to hire 10,000 people in the European Union to develop a so-called metaverse. A metaverse is an online world where people can game, work and communicate in a virtual environment, often using VR headsets. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been a leading voice on the concept. The announcement
It’s been a month since the Taliban banned girls from secondary schools in most of Afghanistan. It’s the only country in the world to bar half its population from getting an education. Women, except for those in the public health sector, have not been allowed to return to work yet. The BBC’s Yogita Limaye gained
Hundreds of people have stripped naked by the Dead Sea in Israel to draw attention to its dramatically receding shoreline. The event was part of a live installation by the artist Spencer Tunick, who’s used similar photo-shoots around the world to highlight environmental change. Produced by Tom Bateman, Anastassia Zlatopolskai and Gidi Kleiman.