News Turbo

Rachel Looker BBC News, Washington Getty Images Betsy Arakawa, wife of Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman, died from a respiratory illness linked to hantavirus, a rare disease transmitted by infected rodents, officials have confirmed. Health experts warn that hantavirus can cause flu-like symptoms after exposure to rodent droppings, and in severe cases, it may develop into … Read more

Two women were gang-raped and a man was killed in an attack near a popular Unesco World Heritage site in southern India, according to police. The two women – an Israeli tourist and an Indian homestay operator – were stargazing with three male tourists near a lake in Hampi, Karnataka, when they were attacked by … Read more

Reuters Russian missiles destroyed residential buildings in Dobropillya in Donetsk region At least 25 people have died in Ukraine in the latest wave of Russian strikes, Ukrainian officials say, as the conflict shows no sign of easing. One attack on Donetsk Region killed least 11 people and wounded 40, including six children, local officials said … Read more

The head of Myanmar’s military government has said the country will hold a national election in December 2025 or January 2026. General Min Aung Hlaing said the elections would be “free and fair” – adding that 53 political parties had already submitted their lists to participate. It would be the first vote since his military … Read more

Leading EU nations have said they support an Arab-backed plan for the reconstruction of Gaza that would cost $53 billion (£41 billion) and avoid displacing Palestinians from the territory. The plan, drawn up by Egypt and endorsed by Arab leaders, has been rejected by Israel and by US President Donald Trump, who presented his own … Read more

South Korea’s impeached president has been released from detention after a court in Seoul overturned his arrest on technical grounds. Yoon Suk Yeol walked free on Saturday to cheers from his supporters – but still faces trial on insurrection charges after his failed attempt to impose martial law in December. He was arrested in January … Read more

More than 80 Afghan women who fled the Taliban to pursue higher education in Oman now face imminent deportation back to Afghanistan, following the Trump administration’s sweeping freeze on foreign aid programmes. Funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), their scholarships were abruptly terminated after a funding freeze ordered by President Donald Trump … Read more

People affected by leprosy in Nigeria should be able to get hold of vital drugs to treat the disease for the first time in a year from this weekend, the World Health Organization has said. The country, which reports more than 2,000 new cases a year ran out of supplies partly because drugs were held … Read more

Imran Qureshi BBC Hindi, Bengaluru BBC The family of Thomas Gabriel Perera told the BBC he was the victim of a job scam The family of an Indian man who was shot dead while illegally crossing into Israel say he was a victim of a job scam. Thomas Gabriel Perera was killed by Jordanian security … Read more

Hundreds of thousands of homes are without power as Storm Alfred brings strong winds and heavy rains to Australia’s central east coast. Initially called Cyclone Alfred, the weather front was downgraded to a tropical low with winds set to reach up to 85km/h, less strong than first forecast. The BBC’s Katy Watson reports from the … Read more