By Michelle Roberts Health editor, BBC News online Coronavirus pandemic UK coronavirus infections have risen slightly in the last week, with an estimated 119,000 people – up from 110,000 – now positive for the virus. The Office for National Statistics figures, up to 12 June, suggest one in every 540 people is infected. The more infectious […]
Coronavirus pandemic The EU has lost a legal battle in Brussels to force Anglo-Swedish drug maker AstraZeneca to supply 120m doses of Covid-19 vaccine by the end of June. It went to court last month after the company delayed shipment of the vital vaccines, having originally committed to supply 300m doses by the same […]
Italy’s public broadcaster Rai has faced strong criticism for airing leaked CCTV footage of a fatal cable car crash that killed 14 people. The cabin is seen nearing its final stop before suddenly rearing up, then speeding back down the mountain and crashing to the ground. The prosecutor in the case spoke of “the absolute […]
US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are meeting for their first, highly-anticipated summit. The talks in Geneva, Switzerland, come at a time when both sides describe relations as being at rock bottom. Discussions are set to include arms control and US allegations of Russian cyber-attacks. No major breakthroughs are expected but […]
Ryanair Belarus flight diversion The pilot of a flight that was diverted to Belarus, allowing the arrest of an opposition journalist, had been warned that a bomb would detonate if it continued to Lithuania, according to Ryanair’s boss. Michael O’Leary said the pilot tried to seek advice from the airline, but was given false […]
Nato leaders meeting for a summit in Brussels have warned of the military threat posed by China, saying its behaviour is a “systemic challenge”. China, they said, was rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal, was “opaque” about its military modernisation and was co-operating militarily with Russia. Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg warned China was “coming closer” to […]
Ryanair Belarus flight diversion Authorities in Belarus have paraded the detained opposition blogger Roman Protasevich at a news conference in Minsk, where they gave their version of the Ryanair plane diversion of 23 May. A BBC reporter who was initially at the media briefing says Mr Protasevich, 26, was clearly appearing under duress. An […]
Switzerland’s policy on fighting climate change has been thrown into doubt after voters rejected key measures in a popular vote. A referendum saw voters narrowly reject the government’s plans for a car fuel levy and a tax on air tickets. The measures were designed to help Switzerland meet targets under the Paris Agreement on climate […]
Europe migrant crisis A Greek court has sentenced four young Afghan asylum seekers to 10 years in jail each after they were charged with starting fires that destroyed Europe’s largest migrant camp last year. Defence lawyers said the men, who denied the accusations, were found guilty of intentional arson. The defence described the trial as […]
Srebrenica massacre Former Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic has lost his appeal against a 2017 conviction for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The UN court upheld the life sentence for his role in the killing of around 8,000 Bosnian Muslim (Bosniak) men and boys in Srebrenica in 1995. The massacre, in an enclave […]
