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Schumer relaxes US Senate dress code to allow hoodies
By Lisa Lambert BBC News US senators no longer have to follow a dress code when voting on bills or debating in the senate gallery. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has directed the sergeant at arms to stop enforcing a requirement that lawmakers wear “business attire”. Senators have long dressed more freely in other parts…
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Jennifer Wexton: Virginia Democrat diagnosed with rare neurological illness
By Nadine Yousif BBC News A US lawmaker has been diagnosed with a rare and incurable neurological disorder, forcing her to bow out from seeking re-election in 2024. Democrat House Representative Jennifer Wexton has been diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy, a condition she described as “Parkinson’s on steroids”. She was elected to represent Virginia’s 10th…
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India could be behind killing of Canadian Sikh
By Nadine Yousif BBC News, Toronto Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the Indian government could be behind the fatal shooting of Canadian Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Mr Nijjar was shot dead outside of a Sikh temple on 18 June in British Columbia (BC). Mr Trudeau said Canadian intelligence has identified a credible link between…
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Roger Whittaker: Durham Town folk singer dies at 87
By Helen Bushby Entertainment reporter Folk singer Roger Whittaker, famous for his 1969 hit song Durham Town and expert whistling, has died at the age of 87. His other hits included The Last Farewell and New World in the Morning, and he sold nearly 50 million records around the world, his website said. After starting…
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Ukraine sues EU neighbours over food imports ban
Ukraine has filed lawsuits to the World Trade Organization (WTO) against Slovakia, Poland and Hungary over their bans on food imports from Kyiv. It said such restrictions were a violation of international obligations by Ukraine’s EU neighbours. They say the bans are needed to protect their farmers from cheap imports. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine…
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Who is being freed in the Iran prisoner swap?
Five Americans who had been jailed for years in Iran are flying back home on Monday as a part of a controversial prisoner swap. The deal – mediated by Qatar – was reached when $6bn (£4.8bn) of Iranian funds held in South Korea reached banks in Doha. The Iranian oil money had been frozen as…
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Moment US prisoners freed by Iran change planes in Doha
The BBC’s chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet reports from Doha airport, in Qatar, as five Americans jailed for years in Iran make their way back to the US in a $6bn prisoner swap. The last pieces in a controversial swap mediated by Qatar fell into place when $6bn (£4.8bn) of Iranian funds held in South…
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Russell Brand: Met Police receive report of alleged sexual assault in 2003
By Helen Bushby Entertainment eporter The Metropolitan Police has received a report of an alleged sexual assault in 2003 in the wake of media allegations about Russell Brand. Officers did not name Brand, but said they were in contact with the woman and were “providing her with support”. Over the weekend the comedian and actor…
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Danish artist told to repay museum €67,000 after turning in two blank canvasses
By Alex Smith BBC News A Danish artist has been ordered to return nearly 500,000 kroner (€67,000) to a museum after he supplied it with two blank canvasses for a project he named “Take the Money and Run”. The Kunsten Museum in Aalborg had intended for Jens Haaning to embed the banknotes two pieces of…
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Peru coach crash: 24 dead as bus falls into ravine
By Vanessa Buschschlüter BBC News At least 24 people have been killed and 21 injured in a coach crash in Peru. The inter-city coach was travelling overnight in the Andes mountains between the cities of Huancayo and Huanta when it fell into a 200m-deep (650 ft) ravine. Coach crashes are common in Peru, especially at…