Vladimir Putin set to transfer Sergei Shoigu from Russian defence ministry (www.bbc.com)
Excerpts of interest:...
China is still harrassing dissidents who fled in the 1990s. And that is increasingly causing friction with democracies over issues of espionage, surveillance and human rights (www.bbc.com)
Three decades ago, Chinese dissidents were being smuggled out of the country in a secret operation called Yellow Bird - but as one of them tells the BBC, Beijing is still pursuing them....
Protesters march again in Georgia over foreign influence bill, holding Georgian and EU flags, chanting “no to the Russian law” (www.bbc.com)
Tens of thousands of Georgians have taken to the streets of the capital Tbilisi on Saturday evening to protest a controversial “foreign influence” bill backed by the government....
Venezuela may be first nation to lose all its glaciers (www.bbc.com)
Head of PR at China's biggest search engine Baidu apologised after her comments glorifying a work-till-you-drop culture sparked public outcry (www.bbc.com)
In a series of videos posted on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, Qu Jing, said she had no responsibility for employees’ well-being “as I’m not your mother”....
'Neom' project: Forces in Saudi Arabia 'told to kill' to clear land for a futuristic desert city being built by dozens of Western companies, ex-intelligence officer says (www.bbc.com)
Col Rabih Alenezi says he was ordered to evict villagers from a tribe in the Gulf state to make way for The Line, part of the Neom eco-project....
US reveals it paused shipment of bombs for Israel over Rafah concerns (www.bbc.com)
The shipment consisted of 1,800 2,000lb (907kg) bombs and 1,700 500lb bombs, the official told CBS News, the BBC’s media partner in the US....
Al Jazeera office raided as Israel takes channel off air (www.bbc.com)
Bushmills: Man nailed to fence in 'sinister attack' (www.bbc.com)
The man in his 20s was found nailed to a fence, with a nail through each hand, shortly after midnight....
LA police clear pro-Palestinian camp at USC (www.bbc.com)
Police in Los Angeles have cleared out a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Southern California (USC)....
Cicada dual emergence brings chaos to the food chain (www.bbc.com)
When trillions of periodical cicadas emerge in a rare double event, they provide a disruptive feast for other species....
Falklands dispute may last decades - Argentina president (www.bbc.com)
Argentina’s president Javier Milei says he accepts the Falkland Islands are currently “in the hands of the UK"....
Israel-Gaza war: Three soldiers killed in Kerem Shalom rocket attack (www.bbc.com)
North Yorkshire Council to phase out apostrophe use on street signs (www.bbc.com)
Israeli government blocks media outlet Al Jazeera from broadcasting over 'incitement' (www.bbc.com)
Last month, the Israeli parliament passed a law giving the government the power to temporarily close foreign broadcasters considered to be a threat to national security during the war against Hamas....
Bernard Hill: Titanic and Lord of the Rings actor dies (www.bbc.com)
North Korean weapons are killing Ukrainians. The implications are far bigger (www.bbc.com)
On 2 January, a young Ukrainian weapons inspector, Khrystyna Kimachuk, got word that an unusual-looking missile had crashed into a building in the city of Kharkiv. She began calling her contacts in the Ukrainian military, desperate to get her hands on it. Within a week, she had the mangled debris splayed out in front of her at a...
Cubans lured to Russian army by high pay and passports (www.bbc.com)
Russia has likely been recruiting Cuban nationals to fight in its army in Ukraine, research by the BBC has shown....
Israel-Gaza war: Tens of thousands rally for hostage deal as Gaza ceasefire talks continue (www.bbc.com)
Tens of thousands of Israelis rallied late into the night calling for a deal to bring hostages home, ahead of further ceasefire talks....
Bernard Hill, who played Theoden in the LotR movies, has died (www.bbc.com)
Theoden’s redemption arc across the second and third movie was one of the most fascinating side-stories for me, and Bernard Hill portrayed him in all stages brilliantly with range and nuance....
Roman snail dye found in UK for the first time (www.bbc.com)
A rare dye made from snails for the robes of the Roman elite almost 2,000 years ago has been unearthed at a cricket club....
Three arrested and charged over Sikh activist's killing in Canada (www.bbc.com)
Three Indian nationals have been arrested and charged over the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada, which sparked a major diplomatic row between the two countries....
Foreign meddling a 'stain' on Canada's elections, public inquiry report says (www.bbc.com)
Sumatran orangutan in Indonesia has self-medicated using a paste made from plants to heal a large wound on his cheek, say scientists (www.bbc.com)
It is the first time a creature in the wild has been recorded treating an injury with a medicinal plant....
Ron DeSantis bans 'global elite' lab-grown meat (www.bbc.com)
cross-posted from: lemmy.world/post/14977351...
