Plus: Russell Brand latest, and how concerns over Boris Johnson were raised with Buckingham Palace
| | | | | | | Five American citizens held in Iran are expected to be released shortly – we have the latest. We’ll also bring you updates on the claims against comedian Russell Brand. And scroll down for detailed analysis of just how far Ukraine has broken down Russia’s defensive lines. |
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| | | | Top of the agenda | | US-Iran prisoner swap | | | | The group is thought to include, from left, Siamak Namazi, Morad Tahbaz and Emad Shargi. Credit: Reuters/FreetheNamazis/NedaSharghi |
| | They have been told many times they would be freed but it appears five Americans jailed in Iran's notorious Evin prison will soon finally be on their way home. The four men and one woman, who also hold Iranian passports, were widely seen as hostages - used by Iran as bargaining chips. Their release is part of a deal mediated by the Gulf state of Qatar. The group reportedly includes Siamak Namazi, 51, businessman Emad Shargi, 59, and environmentalist Morad Tahbaz, 67. Five Iranians imprisoned in US jails have also been released. US President Joe Biden has long been urged to bring home the Americans. However, the deal, which unfreezes $6bn (£4.8bn) Iran had earned from selling oil to South Korea, is being condemned by leading US Republicans and Iranian activists. They say it will encourage what they see as hostage taking. | | | | |
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| | | | | | World headlines | | • | Russell Brand: UK broadcasters the BBC and Channel 4 are urgently looking into claims raised in reports accusing the comedian and actor of rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse. Brand denies the allegations and says his relationships were "always consensual". Our live page has the latest. | | • | Libya flood: With the UN saying more than 10,000 people are still missing and 11,300 confirmed dead after the collapse of two dams, our correspondent Anna Foster - who has revealed the devastation in Derna - hears from those identifying bodies left unrecognisable. | | • | Boris Johnson: UK government officials were so concerned about the former prime minister's conduct in office they raised the matter with Buckingham Palace. The BBC's Laura Kuenssberg has been told officials even discussed suggesting the late Queen raise the concerns with Mr Johnson. | | • | Train crash: A former police officer who locked a handcuffed woman in a patrol car that was then hit by a freight train has avoided jail. Jordan Steinke, 29, was sentenced to 30 months on supervised probation over the incident in the US state of Colorado. | | • | Anti-immigrant activists: Operation Dudula is notorious in South Africa for raiding businesses run by foreign nationals and forcing shops to close. BBC Africa Eye gained rare access to members of the movement. Ayanda Charlie, in Johannesburg, and Tamasin Ford, in London, have the full story. |
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| | AT THE SCENE | Amizmiz, Morocco | | Scars, rubble and spirit to rebuild | | In one town outside Marrakech, the recent earthquake has left buildings so unsafe almost the entire population is living in tents. But people retain faith in Moroccan solidarity and hospitality. | | | | James Copnall, BBC Newsday |
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| | The earthquake just over a week ago maimed a six-century-old mosque in one Amizmiz's oldest neighbourhoods, taking a bite out of the pinky brown minaret. A nearby row of shops appeared untouched - until I saw the vertical scar, as if a giant axeman had tried to cut two shops apart, nearly succeeding. The entrails of a nearby building were on show. "You should see the really bad ones round the corner," said Abdi, man outside the mosque. He was right. Those houses didn't really exist, though you could see the remains of a television jutting out of the rubble. |
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| | | | Beyond the headlines | | Ukraine's assault on the 'dragon's teeth' | | | | Ukrainian forces are facing the world's most formidable layered defences. Credit: BBC |
| | Ukraine's generals say they have "broken through" Russia's first line of defence in the south. Our security correspondent Frank Gardner and BBC Verify assess how far Ukrainian forces have really progressed, and show the lines of defences they face. | | | | |
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| | | | Something different | | Like Scalextric | | Driving on roads that can charge electric cars. | | |
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| | | | And finally... | | It's hard to imagine the pain of losing a child. But the parents of Kitt Blake, who died aged 30, in 2020, have drawn comfort from being able to listen to his heartbeat three years on. They had agreed for four of Kitt's organs to be donated and recently met the recipient of his heart to hear how his life had been transformed. Read about their emotional reaction. |
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| | | | | | Football Extra Newsletter | | Get all the latest news, insights and gossip from the Premier League. | | |
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