Getty Images By Parham Ghobadi BBC World Service Former Iranian prisoners of conscience have told the BBC that they were filmed during strip searches in prisons. They also said some detainees were forced to remove their sanitary pad or tampon during their period and squat or squat jump. “They do this to humiliate us,” Mozhgan…

As record heat descends across the world, changing weather stands to shake up work as we know it. Earlier this month, the World Meteorological Organization recorded the hottest week on record. The scorching temperatures have not abated as heat waves continue in Europe, North America, Asia, North Africa and more. As the planet warms, people…

Reuters The head of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, says they will continue to fight in African countries where they are already present. Ever since Mr Prigozhin mounted a failed mutiny in Russia last month and was banished to Belarus, there have been questions over Wagner’s future. “There was no, and there will be…

AFP By Basillioh Rukanga BBC News One winning US lottery ticket was sold for Wednesday night’s Powerball jackpot of $1.08bn (£837m), lottery officials announced. The winning ticket was bought at the Las Palmitas Mini Market in Los Angeles. The Powerball ticket matched all six numbers required to score the jackpot – 7, 10, 11, 13…

Getty Images By Zoe Kleinman Technology editor Apple says it will remove services such as FaceTime and iMessage from the UK rather than weaken security if new proposals are made law and acted upon. The government is seeking to update the Investigatory Powers Act (IPA) 2016. It wants messaging services to clear security features with…

EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock By Paul Glynn Entertainment reporter Film and TV giant NBCUniversal has denied trying to stop striking actors and writers protesting outside its studios by cutting trees that provided shade during blazing temperatures. Treegate, as the row has been dubbed, is a sign of growing tensions between Hollywood studios and artists. Los Angeles city controller…

Reuters By Pumza Fihlani BBC News, Johannesburg South African authorities are concerned there could be a second explosion in Johannesburg’s business district, after one person died and 48 were injured in a large blast on Wednesday. Videos show a main road split wide open from the force of the explosion, with several vehicles blown onto…

Joaquin Sarmiento/Getty Images By Esme Stallard & Justin Rowlatt BBC News Climate and Science A leading British climate scientist has told the BBC he believes the target to limit global warming to 1.5C will be missed. Professor Sir Bob Watson, former head of the UN climate body, told the BBC’s Today programme he was “pessimistic”.…

Getty Images By Sharanya Hrishikesh & Zoya Mateen BBC News, Delhi The emergence of a horrific video that shows two naked women being paraded and molested by a mob in the violence-hit Indian state of Manipur has highlighted who often pays the highest price during conflict. Warning: This article contains details some readers may find…

Reuters By Kelly Ng & Jean Mackenzie in Singapore and Seoul North Korea is not responding to attempts to negotiate the release of a US soldier who fled over its heavily-armed border, Washington says. Private Travis King crossed the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) dividing North and South Korea on Tuesday. The Pentagon had contacted North Korea,…