BBC News (World)

2022-11-01 16:00:02 Itaewon crush: First emergency call came hours before crush

The first call to police from Itaewon came at 18:34 local time - several hours before the deadly crush took place.

The caller to South Korea's 112 emergency number said they were on the main street to Itaewon and an alley next to the Hamilton hotel was becoming dangerously crowded.

"That alley is really dangerous right now people going up and down, so people can't come down, but people keep coming up, it's gonna be crushed. I barely made it to get out but it's too crowded. I think you should control it," the caller said.

The police officer asked if the caller meant that people weren't flowing well, that "they get crushed and fall, and then there's going to be a big accident?"

Yes, the caller responded - "this is so chilling right now". read more Open / Comment

2022-10-31 18:01:49 Ukraine war: Power and water supply hit across Ukraine in 'massive' Russian missile strikes

Ukraine says power and water supply across the country has been badly hit after Russia launched more than 50 missiles targeting critical facilities.

In the capital Kyiv, 80% of residents were without water, and about 350,000 apartments had no electricity, Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said.

In the north-eastern city of Kharkiv, energy facilities were struck.

Russia said its long-range high-precision weaponry targeted Ukraine's military command and energy systems.

The country's defence ministry added that all "designated objects were hit".

The strikes come after Russia blamed Ukraine for a drone attack on its Black Sea Fleet in the annexed Crimea. read more Open / Comment

2022-10-31 10:00:15 Brazil election: Lula makes stunning comeback

Brazil has taken a turn to the left as former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva beat far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro in the presidential election.

After a divisive campaign which saw two bitter rivals on opposite sides of the political spectrum go head to head, Lula won 50.9% of the votes.

It was enough to beat Jair Bolsonaro, whose supporters had been confident of victory.

But the division which this election has highlighted is unlikely to vanish.

It is a stunning comeback for a politician who could not run in the last presidential election in 2018 because he was in jail and banned from standing for office. read more Open / Comment

2022-10-30 17:02:07 South Korea mourns after Halloween crush kills 153

- 153 people have died in a crush in South Korea's capital, Seoul
- Another 133 were injured, Yonhap news agency reports
- Twenty foreign nationals are among the dead, the government says
- The jam of people developed as huge crowds gathered in Itaewon - a popular nightlife area - for Halloween
- Most victims were teenagers and adults in their 20s, the fire service says
- Reports say the crush began in a narrow alley when people in a crowd fell over
- It was the first outdoor no-mask -Halloween event since the pandemic

read more Open / Comment

2022-10-29 10:00:45 Ukraine war: Kyiv set for longer power cuts after air strikes

The Ukrainian authorities have warned people in the capital Kyiv to expect longer power cuts, lasting more than four hours, because of Russian attacks on energy infrastructure.

Rolling blackouts are hitting not only Kyiv but also central regions of Ukraine, including the city of Dnipro.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said about four million people were affected but "shelling will not break us".

This month Russia launched dozens of missiles and Iranian-made drones.

Ukraine's energy infrastructure is being pounded by the air attacks - Mr Zelensky says about a third of the country's electric power stations have been destroyed. read more Open / Comment

2022-10-28 09:01:40 Elon Musk completes $44bn Twitter takeover

The world's richest man, Elon Musk, has completed his $44bn (£38.1bn) takeover of Twitter, according to US media and an investor in the firm.

He tweeted "the bird is freed," in an apparent reference to the deal closing.

A number of top executives, including the boss, Parag Agrawal, have reportedly been fired.

It brings to a close a saga that saw Twitter go to court to hold the billionaire to the terms of a takeover deal that he had tried to escape.

Twitter has not yet confirmed the takeover, but an early investor in the company told the BBC that the deal had been completed. read more Open / Comment

2022-10-27 15:01:13 Iran protests rage as thousands defy security forces

- Protests raged overnight in Iran as thousands turned out to mark 40 days since the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini
- She died in police custody on 16 September, sparking a wave of unrest
- Young women have since burned their headscarves and confronted security forces in a movement that shows little sign of abating
- Wednesday's marches were some of the largest seen since the protests began
Police are reported to have fired on protesters in Saqqez, Amini's home city
- Mourners marching to her grave chanted "woman, life, freedom" and "death to the dictator"
- Amini was arrested by Iran's notorious morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab "improperly"

read more Open / Comment

2022-10-27 09:00:24 Ukraine war: Russian tactics on eastern front 'crazy', says Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russian commanders of "craziness" in their efforts to capture the eastern town of Bakhmut.

The town - which sits in the Donetsk region and had a pre-war population of 70,000 - has been the centre of Russian attacks for months.

Despite a looming Ukrainian advance on the key city of Kherson, Mr Zelensky said the attacks continued in force.

Taking the town would be a symbolic victory for Russia.

"This is where the craziness of the Russian command is most evident," Mr Zelensky said in his nightly address from Kyiv. "Day after day, for months, they are driving people to their deaths there, concentrating the highest level of artillery strikes." read more Open / Comment

2022-10-26 17:02:14 Putin watches first Russian nuclear drill since invasion of Ukraine

Vladimir Putin has overseen annual nuclear exercises by Russia's strategic nuclear forces at a time of heightened tensions with the West over his eight-month-long war in Ukraine.

Ballistic and cruise missiles were launched in the Far East and Arctic, the Kremlin said.

The US was told about the drill under the terms of the New Start arms treaty.

The launches took place as Russia makes unsubstantiated claims that Ukraine is plotting to use a "dirty bomb".

It is an explosive device mixed with radioactive material and the Russian allegations have been widely rejected by Western countries as false. read more Open / Comment

2022-10-26 09:00:43 China accused of illegal police stations in Netherlands

The Chinese government has been accused of establishing at least two undeclared "police stations" in the Netherlands.

Dutch media found evidence that the "overseas service stations", which promise to provide diplomatic services, are being used to try to silence Chinese dissidents in Europe.

A spokesperson for the Dutch foreign ministry said the existence of the unofficial police outposts is illegal.

The Chinese embassy says it is not aware of their existence.

The investigation was sparked by a report entitled Chinese Transnational Policing Gone Wild, by the Spain-based NGO Safeguard Defenders. read more Open / Comment