Two Russian men have gone on trial in Angola accused of running a covert influence campaign to stir anti-government unrest and interfere in next year’s presidential vote.Igor Ratchin and Lev Lakshtanov were arrested in August and face 11 charges between them, including terrorism, espionage and influence peddling.Angolan prosecutors say the pair worked with a wider network that grew out of...

Matt Brittin, a former senior executive at Google, has been named the BBC's next director general.He succeeds Tim Davie, who stepped down following controversy over a Panorama edit that sparked widespread criticism.Brittin led Google's activities across Europe, the Middle East and Africa before leaving the company in 2025 after an 18-year tenure. BBC chairman Samir Shah argued the corporation...

Five women who say they were abused by Jeffrey Epstein met on camera for the first time in a BBC Newsnight session to share how the crimes still shape their lives.One of them, Joanna Harrison, said she had kept silent for years but was forced into the open when US government files were published with insufficient redactions.That disclosure stripped her of anonymity and pushed her to speak. The...

President Donald Trump said there were "very strong talks" with Iran and hinted at a chance for a full halt to hostilities, but Tehran quickly denied any formal negotiations and described the claims as misleading.What exists so far are tentative, low‑level contacts rather than a clear breakthrough.Officials familiar with past discussions say exchanges between Iranian foreign minister Abbas...

Russian forces launched an unprecedented daytime drone assault across western Ukraine on Tuesday, hitting multiple cities and damaging a historic monument.Local officials in Lviv said the 16th-century Bernardine monastery, a UNESCO-listed landmark, sustained damage.Video shared by authorities shows flames spreading through the roof of a nearby residential building. The drone wave also struck...

A huge overnight attack by Russian forces has left at least five people dead and caused damage across 11 regions of Ukraine.Authorities said a drone strike on an electric train in Kharkiv killed a 61-year-old woman.Other fatalities were reported in Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and the Poltava region, where residential buildings and a hotel were hit. Zaporizhzhia was severely affected, with six drones...

France's Socialist incumbents held onto the country's four biggest cities — Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Lille — in local elections that offered a boost to established parties ahead of next year's presidential contest.The results suggested a retreat from political extremes in many urban centres, even as the far left and far right made selective advances in other areas.Parties across the...

An early-morning blast on a residential street in Bucha, just outside Kyiv, left two police officers with limb injuries after a second explosion detonated as officers responded to the scene.Authorities have described the incident as an act of terrorism and say a 21-year-old local has been detained in connection with the two blasts.He has been formally charged with terrorism. Police say the...

Two Russian men are set to stand trial in Angola, accused of running a covert campaign to sow dissent, spread false information and interfere in next year’s presidential vote.Igor Ratchin and Lev Lakshtanov were detained in August and face 11 counts including terrorism, espionage and illicit influence.Angolan prosecutors say their activities were part of a wider operation tied to a network that...

A major trade agreement signed this week will send more Australian beef to Europe by removing most export tariffs and easing market access.The pact, negotiated over about eight years, is valued at roughly A$10 billion and was finalised on Tuesday.Nearly all EU duties on a range of Australian farm products will be eliminated, covering wine, fruit and vegetables, olive oil, seafood, most dairy, and...