Anne Okumu & Brian Khisa BBC News, Gaborone Lesego Chombo/Instagram Lesego Chombo’s enthusiasm for life is as infectious as her achievements are impressive: she has won the Miss Botswana 2022 and Miss World Africa 2024 crowns, is a working lawyer, has set up her own charitable foundation – and made history in November, becoming Botswana’s...
André Rhoden-Paul BBC News BBC Armed police descended on suspects across the country on Saturday Searches are continuing at a number of addresses after five men were arrested on Saturday over an alleged terror plot in the UK. Home Office minister Dan Jarvis said hundreds of officers were carrying out forensic investigations and collecting evidence...
Paul Seddon Political reporter Getty Images Restricting winter fuel payments dented Labour’s support at last week’s local elections, the health secretary has acknowledged. Wes Streeting told the BBC many voters “aren’t happy” with the move, adding it had “come up on the doorstep” during campaigning. But he insisted the move would help the government invest...
Gareth Lewis Political editor, BBC Wales News Getty Images First Minister Eluned Morgan will “call out” UK government welfare cuts but will stop short of demanding they be scrapped In her speech, which marks a year until polling day, Morgan will bill next year’s Senedd election as a “battle for the future of Wales”. She...
Hugh Schofield Paris correspondent Reuters France’s former interior minister has apologised for the first time for the 2022 fiasco at the Stade de France which saw Liverpool football supporters wrongly blamed for a riot. Gérald Darmanin admitted that security arrangements for the Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid were wrong, and that his...
Leader of the House of Commons Lucy Powell has sought to clarify comment in which she appeared to describe grooming gangs as a “dog whistle” issue, after facing a backlash from political opponents. During a heated debate on BBC Radio 4’s Any Questions on Friday, commentator and Reform UK member Tim Montgomerie asked Powell if...
Laura Kuenssberg Presenter, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg•@bbclaurak BBC In the first week of 2025, Nigel Farage told me his ultimate goal was to become prime minister. It stuck in my mind that he chose to add: “I’m not joking.” Nobody in the two traditional main parties finds his stunning success this week funny. “Farage is...
A court in Tunisia has sentenced former Prime Minister Ali Laarayedh to 34 years in prison on a raft of terrorism charges. He is the latest high-profile critic of the president to be jailed as campaigners slam “sham trials” in the country. The 69-year-old is a prominent critic of President Kais Saied and leader of...
Brazil’s Social Security Minister, Carlos Lupi, has resigned nine days after police unveiled a major corruption scandal which defrauded pensioners of $1.1bn (£829m). Federal police allege that over the past decade, the National Social Security Institute (INSS) made unauthorised deductions from payments made to millions of pensioners. The money was allegedly paid to several associations...
Tom Geoghegan and James FitzGerald BBC News Watch: Liberal Party wins – how Canada’s election night unfolded Mark Carney will return to the Canadian parliament with a strengthened mandate, after his Liberal Party triumphed in a snap election that he called soon after becoming prime minister. Although one of his most pressing tasks is to...
Namibia’s agriculture minister has been sacked after being accused of raping a 16-year-old girl five years ago. Mac-Albert Hengari was arrested on Saturday after allegedly attempting to bribe the victim, now 21, to withdraw the case against him, the police say. Hengari, 59, who has denied any wrongdoing, appeared in court on Monday and was...
Germany’s defence minister has warned Ukraine not to agree to a deal which involves sweeping territorial concessions in return for a ceasefire with Russia. Boris Pistorius said Ukraine “should not go as far as the latest proposal by the American president”, which he said would amount to a “capitulation”. US President Donald Trump said this...
Government minister Lucy Powell’s X account has been hacked to promote a scam “House of Commons” cryptocurrency. A string of now deleted posts on the House of Commons leader’s account described the “$HCC” coin as “a community-driven digital currency bringing people’s power to the blockchain”. The MP’s office confirmed her account was hacked on Tuesday...
The rail minister has admitted using his mobile phone while driving a vintage double-decker bus through London at rush hour. Lord Peter Hendy was behind the wheel of the old Routemaster for a charity event when he was spotted texting a friend, as first reported by the Sunday Times. A spokesperson for Lord Hendy said:...
A “commercial solution” for British Steel is “within reach” according to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy as the government considers nationalising the Chinese-owned business. Nandy told the BBC that British Steel – which employs 2,700 people – will “continue to be an important part of our economy for years to come” and an agreement over its...