Getty Images By Steve Swann BBC News The leaders of a global wildlife trafficking gang have been convicted after a four-year investigation and a trial in Nigeria. They pleaded guilty last month to smuggling the scales of endangered African pangolins. These “top-of-the-pyramid” traffickers were responsible for half the illegal trade in pangolin scales. This is…

North Korea has said US soldier Travis King crossed into its territory last month because of “inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination” in the army. The 23-year-old private dashed across the border from South Korea on 18 July while on a guided tour. Private 2nd Class (PV2) King “expressed his willingness to seek refuge” in the…

He was once known as “America’s mayor” for his leading role helping New York City in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks. Now Rudy Giuliani has been indicted alongside Donald Trump for his alleged role interfering in the 2020 presidential election. The BBC’s Anthony Zurcher explains what the charges are, and how the former…

Canadian Armed Forces By Nadine Yousif BBC News, Toronto Michel Labine, a long-time resident of Fort Smith in Canada’s Northwest Territories, has often been the one fighting wildfires or helping evacuees in his hometown. But last weekend, the 63-year-old found himself for the first time on the other side, forced to flee as a nearby…

Getty Images By Chloe Kim BBC News, New York Harrison Ford’s legendary Indiana Jones character may fear snakes, but the actor now has a real reptile named after him. A new found species of snake in Peru has been named Tachymenoides harrisonfordi to honour the actor’s environmental advocacy. Ford, who is the vice chair of…

Thanks to a global gastronomic push for sustainably sourced local ingredients, “piure” has become a star ingredient in some of Chile’s highest gastronomic establishments. At first sight, the piure (also known as the pyura chilensis) is not the most appetising seafood. While served all along the coast of Chile, its strong, iodine taste paired with…

Getty Images By Trisha Husada, Quin Pasaribu and Kelly Ng in Jakarta and Singapore Multiple doctors have advised Farah Noorfirman to leave her hometown Jakarta for her health’s sake. The 22-year-old asthmatic often wears a mask and carries an inhaler, but the air quality in the city is not helping. The Indonesian capital, which has…

Getty Images By Soutik Biswas India correspondent Last week, India’s ruling government unveiled three new bills in parliament, stating that they would usher in a “significant transformation in our criminal justice system”. The bills are crafted to abolish and replace a trio of criminal laws. The Indian Penal Code and the Indian Evidence Act are…

It’s not a product – it’s a lifestyle. Some brands, products and people reach a level of fandom others only dream of. The recipe is savvy marketing and a little serendipity. Director Greta Gerwig’s Barbie film has surpassed the $1bn (£790bn) mark at the global box office. Yet fans aren’t just lining up for tickets,…

EPA By Anthony Zurcher North America correspondent Running for president of the US is an arduous task even in the best of times. Seeking the White House while facing multiple indictments and the prospect of multiple civil and criminal trials is an almost unimaginable task. That, however, is the reality that Donald Trump currently confronts.…