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UK police free suspect in ex-MP Ann Widdecombe murder investigation

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 14:25:14 +0000

The former government minister is believed to have been attacked on Wednesday, a full day before her body was discovered.

A man who was arrested on suspicion of murdering former British government minister Ann Widdecombe has been released and is no longer part of the investigation, police said.

This comes as detectives revealed the killing took place a day before Widdecombe’s body was found at her home in rural southwest England on Thursday.

Nigeria school kidnappings: 'Relief' as 44 abducted children and teachers freed

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 14:19:34 +0000

Nigeria's military says it has freed all 44 pupils and teachers who were abducted two months ago from schools in the southern state of Oyo, and arrested some of their captors.

A local teachers' union has told the BBC of its "relief" - but families say the ordeal has been harrowing and they are still waiting to be reunited with their loved ones.

The military said that several soldiers died in the rescue mission.

Trump administration subpoenas New York Times journalists over new Air Force One reporting

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 14:17:45 +0000

The Trump administration has issued subpoenas to several New York Times journalists after the newspaper reported on security concerns with the president’s new plane, according to the outlet.

The Times said its journalists were subpoenaed on Friday by the US justice department to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan five days later, marking the latest effort by the Trump White House to compel testimony from journalists under the threat of penalty. Agents delivered some of the subpoenas to the Times reporters at their homes, the paper added.

Landmark US housing legislation becomes law despite Trump protest

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 13:35:09 +0000

President Donald Trump allowed landmark housing legislation to become law overnight on Friday without his signature.

He had earlier refused to sign it in protest over Congress's failure to pass voter ID legislation but did not veto the housing bill.

Experts have said the legislation marks the most comprehensive action from Congress on lowering house costs for renters and homebuyers in the 21st Century. Americans have been frustrated with housing costs.

Yamal unconcerned by lack of goals, shares endearing moment with brother

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 02:26:40 +0000

Spanish star has scored just one goal in the World Cup, where he’s been sharing celebrations with his little brother.

Despite not scoring a goal in Spain’s quarterfinal win over Belgium, Lamine Yamal was named the player of the match for his contributions and capped off the win by sharing a touching moment with his little brother during the post-match celebrations in Los Angeles.

Pitbull fans set Guinness World Record at BST Hyde Park show

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 23:01:39 +0000

Image source, PA Media

Image caption,

Pitbull hailed the experience as a 'blessing' and an 'honour'

ByNaomi Clarke

BBC Newsbeat

Updated 11 July 2026 00:01 BST

Pitbull and his legion of fans have set the Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people wearing bald caps at his headline BST Hyde Park show.

Apple files lawsuit accusing ChatGPT maker OpenAI of stealing trade secrets

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 23:00:11 +0000

The complaint alleges a coordinated effort by two former Apple employees and OpenAI to steal confidential information.

Apple has sued OpenAI and two former employees, alleging misappropriation of its trade secrets as the artificial intelligence company seeks to build its own hardware for ChatGPT, a major rupture in a partnership between the iPhone maker and the AI giant.

The complaint, filed in a California federal court on Friday, alleges a coordinated effort to steal Apple’s confidential information, including product designs, manufacturing processes and supply chain strategies.

Man charged with Bedfordshire murder of his wife and daughters after arrest in South Africa

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 22:42:01 +0000

A man has been charged with murdering his wife and two young daughters after being arrested in South Africa following an international manhunt.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it had authorised three counts of murder against Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, 45, after he was arrested on Friday in Kensington, a suburb of Johannesburg.

Tshuma’s wife, Nothabo Zandile Tshuma, 42, who was known as Zandile, and the couple’s daughters, Natalie, 15, and Nala, five, were found dead at their home in Great Denham, near Bedford, on Monday after concerns were raised that the family had not been seen for several days.

Under Lula, Amazon deforestation falls to lowest level in a decade

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 22:36:18 +0000

The figures come months before Brazil’s presidential election, with Lula promising to end illegal deforestation by 2030.

Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest has fallen to its lowest level in a decade during the first half of 2026, according to official government figures.

Friday’s statistics mark a milestone in President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s efforts to curb the destruction of the world’s largest rainforest.

Newspaper headlines: 'Widdecombe murder inquiry' and 'Strike Norse'

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 22:32:59 +0000

The death of Ann Widdecombe, and the subsequent murder investigation launched by the police, is on the front pages of all the morning papers.

The Times, external says it understands that detectives are looking at whether Widdecombe was killed after hearing an intruder at her property and going to investigate.

The Sun, external says it believes an image of the alleged murderer was caught on CCTV cameras which were installed at her house in Dartmoor, where she had lived since 2008.

‘Death sentence’: Trump’s EPA to open habitats of endangered species to logging and mining

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 22:23:14 +0000

The Trump administration repealed a crucial part of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) on Friday, finalizing a new rule that will open habitats of imperiled wildlife to development, logging, mining and other uses.

For the last 50 years, the landmark environmental law included a broader understanding of the word “harm”, which ensured that not just the plants and animals themselves were protected but also the places that are critical to their survival. The inclusion of habitat in the “harm” definition was upheld by the supreme court in 1995, which ruled in support of old-growth forest protections relied on by endangered spotted owls.

Canada’s Bill C-36 tackles AI privacy. Is it enough?

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 22:12:38 +0000

Vancouver, Canada: In an era of artificial intelligence, deepfakes and data-driven decision-making, Canada is moving to revise its privacy laws through Bill C-36, the Protecting Privacy and Consumer Data Act.

Announced in June, Bill C-36 is Canada’s first major overhaul of private-sector privacy legislation in more than 25 years. The bill explicitly recognises privacy as a fundamental right and also aims to give children’s personal information stronger protections, enhance deletion rights and require greater transparency where automated systems make significant decisions about people.

Graham Platner officially withdraws candidacy for US Senate in Maine

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 21:56:19 +0000

Graham Platner, the Democratic nominee for US Senate in Maine, officially withdrew his candidacy on Friday afternoon, ending a campaign laden with scandals.

Maine’s secretary of state confirmed Platner had filed the paperwork to remove his name from the November ballot, two days after Platner publicly said he planned to exit the race.

In a letter shared on social media outlining the populist ideals that underlined his meteoric rise to the national political stage and drew widespread support in the state, Platner called for the movement built under his name to continue. He expressed gratitude to those who supported him, and called for “a new kind of politics”.

Mikel Merino strikes late again to tee up huge last-four clash with France

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 21:39:56 +0000

Mikel Merino comes off the bench to break Belgian hearts after slip from sub keeper Senne Lammens.

Mikel Merino scored in the 88th minute from a rebound yielded by backup Belgium goalkeeper Senne Lammens, and Spain advanced to the World Cup semifinals with a 2-1 victory.

Merino was the late hero for the second straight match for Spain, who advanced to face tournament favourite France in the semifinals on Tuesday in Dallas.

Man arrested as part of murder investigation into death of Ann Widdecombe

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 21:38:20 +0000

A 26-year-old man is being held on suspicion of murder following the death of former MP and government minister Ann Widdecombe.

On Friday, Devon and Cornwall Police said the man, a white British national, was arrested at an address in Newton Abbot, Devon, and was in custody.

The body of the 78-year-old former Conservative minister and Reform UK spokesperson was found by police with serious injuries at her home in Haytor, a rural village on Dartmoor in Devon, at about 11:40 BST on Thursday.

Uragasaurus kalasinensis: New dinosaur discovered in Thailand

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 21:30:57 +0000

Palaeontologists in Thailand say they have discovered a new species of dinosaur from fossils found in Kalasin Province in the country's north-east.

The plant-eating dinosaur, named Uragasaurus kalasinensis, is thought to have lived about 150 million years ago.

It had an unusually long neck and measured up to 20m (66ft) - roughly the length of a cricket pitch.

Dr Apirut Nilpanapan from Thailand's Mahasarakham University, the study's lead author, told BBC Thai that the specimen was part of a large fossil collection from a site first identified in 2008, when a local man found fragments resembling serpent scales.

John Fetterman joins forces with Republican counterpart in Senate for fundraising committee

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 21:17:44 +0000

The Democratic senator John Fetterman, who has faced mounting political challenges, is joining forces with the Republican senator Dave McCormick to launch a new joint fundraising committee, a move that is likely to fuel additional questions about Fetterman’s increasingly rightward lurch.

Pennsylvania’s two US senators have established a shared fundraising committee that will collect donations benefiting both of their campaigns in an unusual bipartisan arrangement.

Federal Election Commission records filed on Monday show the creation of Common Ground PA. The filing identifies the leadership Pacs and principal campaign committees for both Fetterman and McCormick as participants in the joint committee. Politico first reported the formation of the fundraising committee this week.

Indian cricket board to review T20 team’s ‘bad phase’ after England defeats

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 18:23:52 +0000

India slumped to a nine-wicket defeat in the fourth T20 against England, following a 2-0 series whitewash in Ireland.

India’s cricket board will review the T20 team’s performance after a dismal run that saw the world champions lose successive series in Ireland and England, a top official said.

India slumped to a nine-wicket defeat in the fourth T20 against England on Thursday, handing the hosts an unassailable 3-0 lead with one match remaining after the opener was washed out.

Prince Harry, Meghan and children Archie and Lilibet visit King Charles and Queen Camilla

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 18:06:44 +0000

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, along with their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, have visited King Charles and Queen Camilla.

Buckingham Palace confirmed on Friday evening that the King and Queen hosted the family at Highgrove House earlier in the afternoon.

The Palace described the meeting at the King's private home in Gloucestershire as a "private family occasion".

It is the first time the King has seen his grandchildren Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, in person in more than four years.

Hospital workers wounded in Israeli drone attack on Gaza’s Kamal Adwan

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 18:01:25 +0000

Palestinian Health Ministry describes attack as part of Israel’s ‘systematic targeting of health facilities’.

Published On 10 Jul 2026

An Israeli drone attack on a hospital in northern Gaza injured staff members, despite a “ceasefire” being in place, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

The attack on Friday was at Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya. At least three people were hurt in the courtyard and three others nearby, medical sources said.

Police arrest man on suspicion of Ann Widdecombe’s murder

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:50:50 +0000

A man is being held on suspicion of the murder of the former MP Ann Widdecombe as political leaders across the spectrum express shock and horror at her alleged killing.

Widdecombe’s body was found with “serious injuries” by the ambulance service at her home in Haytor, Devon, at 11.40am on Thursday, Devon and Cornwall police said.

Earlier on Friday, the force said it was seeking a white male in connection with the death but later confirmed a 26-year-old white British national had been arrested at an address in Newton Abbot, less than 10 miles from Widdecombe’s home. He remained in police custody while inquiries continued.