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Carlee Russell: Alabama woman who faked kidnapping charged
Hoover Police Department By Madeline Halpert BBC News, New York An Alabama woman who admitted to faking her own kidnapping has been charged over the hoax. Carlee Russell, 25, faces two misdemeanours: one of false reporting to law enforcement and another of falsely reporting an incident. The nursing student called police on 13 July claiming…
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Stolen dog Twiglet back home with elated owner
Twiglet the dachshund has been safely returned home after being stolen by a burglar who broke into her owner’s property. Jo Vindis spoke to the BBC, saying she was elated that her pet had been found. Security camera footage showed the animal being captured a man holding a hammer. Police shared the video online and…
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The other American women’s team at World Cup
Getty Images By Joel Guinto in Singapore & Holly Honderich in Washington BBC News One of the shocks of the women’s World Cup was Philippines beating co-hosts New Zealand this week. It was a victory forged thousands of miles away, where most of the triumphant team were born. Sarina Bolden, who made history by scoring…
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Vietnam jails 50 in mass bribery trial over Covid-19 flights
Getty Images By Nadeem Shad BBC News A court in Vietnam has jailed 54 people, including several high-ranking officials and a former minister, in one of the country’s largest ever bribery and corruption cases. Judges said the accused had extorted money from people taking repatriation flights during the Covid-19 pandemic. One former minister was sentenced…
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Niger military coup: What you need to know
AFP By Robert Plummer BBC News Niger’s democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum has been overthrown by the very people who were supposed to protect and uphold his office – the presidential guards who stood watch outside his palace. President Bazoum was the first elected leader to succeed another in Niger since independence in 1960. Now…
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Ukraine moves Christmas Day in snub to Russia
EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock By Jaroslav Lukiv BBC News Ukraine has moved its official Christmas Day state holiday from 7 January to 25 December, the latest move aimed at distancing itself from Russia. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed into law a parliamentary bill that aimed to “abandon the Russian heritage of imposing Christmas celebrations”. In recent years, Kyiv has…
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How Sinéad O’Connor changed Ireland
Agf/Shutterstock The huge outpouring in the Irish Republic since the death of Sinead O’Connor reflects a late realisation that she helped the country confront its own trauma, writes Una Mullally. Underneath the oversized photographs of the Irish rock and roll Wall of Fame at a vigil this week in Dublin’s Temple Bar, her image stood…
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Kenya cyber-attack: Why is eCitizen down?
Getty Images By Peter Mwai & Anita Nkonge BBC News, Nairobi Kenya’s government has been fighting off a huge cyber-attack that has affected services on a key government online platform for almost a week. The attack has also affected some private companies, although the extent is not yet clear. There are still questions over who…
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Florida woman jailed for stealing from Holocaust survivor in romance scam
US Justice Department By Madeline Halpert BBC News, New York A Florida woman who defrauded an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor of his life savings in a romance scam was sentenced to four years in prison. Prosecutors said Peaches Stergo, 36, siphoned over $2.8m (£2.1m) between 2017 and late 2021 and used the money to live a…
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Tom Jones’ singing prompted neighbour complaint
Imagine finding Sir Tom Jones in your neighbour’s kitchen. That was the reality for the person living in the flat above the Stereophonics’ Kelly Jones. Kelly Jones told the Zoe Ball Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2 that the singing legend once came back to his flat after a Jools Holland show. His upstairs neighbour…