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Artist paints Taylor Swift on giant Halloween pumpkin
Ohio-based Jeanette Paras has made a model of Taylor Swift using a giant pumpkin. It’s called the ‘Taylor Swiftkin’. It took ten hours to paint and weighs 399lb (181kg). Paras has been making celebrity models out of pumpkins for Halloween for the past 30 years.
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Taylor Swift’s 1989: Why has she re-recorded it and what’s new on Taylor’s Version?
By Paul Glynn & Mark Savage BBC News Entertainment Taylor Swift fans rushed to hear her newly re-recorded version of 1989 – the biggest-selling album of her career – after it was released overnight. The demand for “Taylor’s version” of the 2014 album caused technical problems on some streaming services, Swifties reported on social media.…
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Ugandan anger at plan to name road after slain tourists
By Gloria Aradi BBC News A decision by Uganda’s government to name a road after two foreign tourists killed earlier this month has triggered outrage in the country. British citizen David Barlow and his South African wife Emmaretia Geyer were shot dead on their honeymoon. Police said the attackers also burned their car in the…
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Why Li Keqiang’s death is dangerous for Xi Jinping
By Stephen McDonell China correspondent The death of a leader in China can usher in big changes, it did after Mao Zedong, or can lead to political upheaval, like it did when grieving for Hu Yaobang morphed into the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. For this reason, the passing of former premier Li Keqiang has already…
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All baa myself: Is this Britain’s loneliest sheep?
A sheep spotted at the foot of steep cliffs on the shores of a Scottish firth has been dubbed Britain’s loneliest sheep. Jill Turner, from Brora, said she first came across the ewe while kayaking along the Moray Firth’s east Highland coast. She believes she has seen the same sheep again, with a very overgrown…
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Twins separated by surgeons meet up at hospital party
Six sets of twins who were born conjoined have gathered at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in London, where they were treated. The families got together to share stories about their experiences and stories about how they went on to lead healthy lives. The first successful operation separating conjoined twins at GOSH took place in…
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US strikes Syria bases used by Iran-linked groups
By James Gregory BBC News The US has carried out air strikes against two weapons and ammunition storage facilities in eastern Syria used by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said the strikes were in response to recent attacks on US bases in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed militia groups. The US strikes…
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South Korea court upholds ban on gay sex in the military
By Joel Guinto BBC News South Korea’s constitutional court has upheld a law banning same-sex relations in the military, in what activists have called a setback for LGBT rights. The court said same-sex relationships could harm troops’ combat-readiness and undermine discipline. Same-sex intercourse between civilians however, is not a crime. Military service is compulsory in…
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Ghana power crisis: Limited gas supply triggers nationwide power outage
By Wycliffe Muia BBC News Most parts of Ghana have been plunged into darkness due to a lack of gas to power machinery used to generate electricity in the country. Power distribution firm Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) says the situation has caused “a supply gap of 550MW at peak time” at Tema power plant,…
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Africa’s week in pictures: 20-26 October 2023
A selection of the best photos from the African continent and beyond. Images subject to copyright Around the BBC Focus on Africa podcasts The Comb podcasts