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Syrian Druze protesters condemn Assad at mass rally
About 2,000 anti-government protesters have rallied in southern Syria and torn down a portrait of President Bashar al-Assad in a city square. It was the latest protest to grip the city of Suweida. Anger at the government erupted there three weeks ago when fuel subsidies were removed, deepening widespread economic hardship. The authorities have not…
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Elusive Ernie: China’s new chatbot has a censorship problem
By Stephen McDonell China correspondent “Let’s talk about something else.” That is a frequent response you get from China’s newest sensation, Ernie, if you ask it “difficult” questions. The chatbot, launched by search engine giant Baidu, deflects anything deemed too sensitive. Ernie, touted as Baidu’s answer to ChatGPT, was introduced with great fanfare in recent…
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Scott McAfee: the young judge on Trump’s Georgia case
At just 34 years old and only six months into his tenure, Judge Scott McAfee has found himself presiding over the trial of a former US president. The Georgia election interference prosecution of Donald Trump and 18 alleged co-conspirators is by far the most legally – and logistically – complex out of four blockbuster cases…
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Pennsylvania prison guard fired over Danelo Cavalcante escape
The Pennsylvania prison guard who was on duty when a convicted murderer escaped has been fired. The guard apparently did not notice Danelo Cavalcante, 34, “crab walking” between two walls to escape the facility on 31 August. The unidentified officer, who had worked at Chester County State Prison for 18 years, was fired on Thursday, according…
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Gabon should have an election in two years, says PM
By Dearbail Jordan BBC News Gabon’s new prime minister has told the BBC that the country should hold fresh elections within the next two years, following a military coup last week. The junta which overthrew President Ali Bongo has promised a free and fair election, but not set out a timetable. However, Raymond Ndong Sima…
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Father meets his late daughter’s heart recipient
Katherine Schroeder-Herrmann finally received a heart transplant last year after more than 20 surgeries over the course of her life. Cameras followed her when she met the parents of her heart donor, Darrell Conner’s daughter Desiree Burge. She died unexpectedly and of natural causes and her heart was transplanted to Katherine. Desiree was able to…
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British man fighting in Ukraine found dead in water
By Vinnie O’Dowd BBC News A British man who went to fight for the International Legion in Ukraine was found dead in a body of water with his hands bound behind his back. Jordan Chadwick, 31, from Burnley in Lancashire, served as a Scots guard in the British Army from 2011 to 2015. His mother…
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‘Bear cam’ viewers save stranded hiker in Alaska
By Chloe Kim BBC News A lost hiker was saved in an Alaskan national park this week thanks to the vigilant viewers who were watching a bear cam livestream. Talking to the camera on Dumpling Mountain, the hiker appeared to say “lost” and “help me”. Park rangers at Katmai National Park were alerted to the…
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Nancy Pelosi: Democrat and ex-Speaker, 83, to seek re-election
By Matt Murphy BBC News Nancy Pelosi, the former Speaker of the US House of Representatives, says she will seek re-election next November. Mrs Pelosi, 83, was first elected to her San Francisco district in 1987, before serving two terms as speaker between 2007-2011 and 2019-2023. She led House Democrats for two decades before standing…
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The juror who backed Trump and other Georgia grand jury takeaways
By Anthony Zurcher North America correspondent @awzurcher We already knew that Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants have been charged with trying to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia – on Friday, we learned how close many more of the former president’s allies came to being prosecuted too. A new report on the Georgia grand jury…