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Mob attacks churches in Pakistan blasphemy row
Thousands of Muslims in Pakistan have set fire to churches and vandalised homes belonging to Christians over claims that two men had desecrated the Quran, police say. The attacks took place in Jaranwala in the province of eastern Punjab. Police said at least four churches had been set on fire, while residents said up to…
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Wagner cements Belarus presence as ‘educational organisation’
Reuters By Robert Greenall BBC News The Russian mercenary group Wagner has been listed as an “educational organisation” in Belarus. Media reports on Wednesday revealed that the group had been registered as a limited company on 4 August. The place of registration corresponds to the area where Wagner troops are believed to be based. Its…
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More than 60 drown after migrant boat sinks off Cape Verde coast
Reuters By Suzanne Leigh BBC News More than 60 people have died after a boat carrying migrants was found off the coast of Cape Verde in West Africa. Thirty-eight people were rescued, including children aged 12 to 16, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said. An estimated 100 people, mostly from Senegal and Sierra Leone,…
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Tenerife wildfires lead to evacuation of villages
EPA By James Gregory BBC News A major wildfire on the Spanish island of Tenerife has led to the evacuation of five villages. The fire has spread some 8 sq km (800 hectares) since it started in a nature reserve on the north-east coast of the island late on Tuesday evening. Local authorities have cut…
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Pakistan: Mob burns churches over blasphemy claims
Reuters By George Wright BBC News Thousands of Muslims in Pakistan have set fire to churches and vandalised homes belonging to Christians over claims that two men had desecrated the Quran, police say. The attacks took place in Jaranwala in the province of eastern Punjab. Police said at least four churches had been set on…
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Watch: The Killers booed for inviting Russian fan on stage
This is the moment fans booed The Killers, after frontman Brandon Flowers invited a Russian member of the audience on stage and called him “my brother”. The backlash from sections of the crowd occurred after Flowers invited the fan to play the drums, towards the end of a concert at the Black Sea Arena, close…
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New DC superhero film Blue Beetle is ‘stale and derivative’
The new Warner Bros’ DC movie should be full of fresh ideas, but it’s “a pale imitation of other, better films”, writes Nicholas Barber. Over the past year, Warner Bros’ DC superhero films seem to have suffered a severe case of Kryptonite poisoning. Black Adam, Shazam! Fury of the Gods and The Flash all crashed…
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Canada excluded as China loosens group travel bans
Getty Images By Nadine Yousif BBC News, Toronto Canada has been left out as China lifted a restrictions on group tours to multiple countries, including the US and the UK. It suggests a deterioration of relations following Canada’s recent accusations that Beijing meddled in its politics. Chinese officials said Canada was excluded over the foreign…
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Bradley Cooper: Leonard Bernstein’s family defend actor over Maestro nose row
Getty Images By Steven McIntosh Entertainment reporter The family of Leonard Bernstein have defended actor Bradley Cooper in a row over his biopic of the late composer. The first trailer for Maestro, which Cooper both directs and stars in, was released earlier this week. It attracted some criticism over the size of Cooper’s nose, which…
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British Museum worker sacked over missing items
PA Media The British Museum in London has sacked a member of staff and police are investigating after treasures were reported “missing, stolen or damaged”. Items including gold, jewellery and gems of semi-precious stones were among those found to be missing, stolen or damaged. The majority of the items were kept in a storeroom, the…