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Hello, this is the BBC News with Fiona MacDonald.
Donald Trump has warned that unless Russia and Ukraine agree quickly to end their conflict, the United States will abandon its peace efforts. He did not specify a deadline. From Washington, here's John Sudworth. What we don't know is, firstly, whether this is simply a threat to be taken seriously or whether it's a negotiating tactic. And secondly, if it is a very serious threat, what he means by giving it a pass. Is this America threatening simply to withdraw from the peace negotiations or is it wider than that? Is this a threat to walk away entirely and stop military support for Ukraine? President Trump was asked that directly at the press conference in the White House and refused to be drawn. The former president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Joseph Kabila, has returned to the country, arriving in the rebel-controlled eastern city of Goma. Reports say Mr. Kabila, who has been based in Zimbabwe and South Africa since 2023, passed through Rwanda's capital, Kigali. His presence is likely to raise tensions with the current president, Félix Tshisekedi. A U.S.[S] senator has given more details about his meeting with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an immigrant who was wrongly deported last month to a jail in El Salvador. Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat, says Mr. Ábrego Garcia appeared to be OK. Jake Kwon reports from Washington. Kilmar Ábrego Garcia has become a symbol of Mr. Trump's immigration policy. Chris Van Hollen flew to El Salvador on Wednesday to attempt a visit and to raise the profile of the case. The senator was initially turned away from the maximum security prison where he had been held. Instead, Mr. Ábrego Garcia was brought to the hotel where the senator was staying. He told the senator he was being kept in a cell with 25 other inmates. The Salvadoran leader, Nayib Bukele, mocked the meeting on social media, saying Mr. Ábrego Garcia will be kept in the country. Thousands of people have gathered in the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, to protest about a deadly U.S. strike that's reported to have killed at least 80 people. In retaliation for the attack on the Red Sea port, the Houthis said they'd fired missiles at two U.S. aircraft carriers and an Israeli military site. This man was injured in the airstrike on Sana'a. He described how he tried to escape the explosions. "We all ran, strike after strike, one after the other. One after the other, the world turned to fire. We got out and every time they struck, we looked for cover, tried to take shelter. We left when we saw the checkpoint outside and the place we were in at the beginning had been hit too, so no one could leave." The U.S. military said that its strike was meant to restrict supplies and funds for the Iranian-backed group. You're listening to the latest world news from the BBC in London. The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah movement, Naim Qassem, has said that the group will not let anyone disarm it. He insisted this would leave Hezbollah in a weak position, which would allow Israel to take control of Lebanon. Mr. Qassem's comments follow U.S. pressure on Beirut to compel the Iranian-backed movement to hand over its weapons following November's cease-fire with Israel. Russians hoping to spend their holidays on the Black Sea have been warned that some of the most popular beaches remain hazardous because of an oil spill late last year. A consumer watchdog said samples from the sand and water at Anapa failed to meet official health standards. Police in Ecuador say at least 11 people have been killed during an attack by gunmen at a cockfighting ring. Video of the attack in the coastal province of Manabi shows armed men [ord...] entering the ring as inspectors dive under seats for cover. Local media say the attackers were members of a gang called Los Lobos. Beijing is hosting a half-marathon on Saturday in which humanoid robots will compete alongside human runners. The organizers say it's the first event of its kind, bringing together nearly 20 teams from across China. This report from ???. The competition organizers are managing expectations, saying the goal is for the robots to complete the distance without critical errors, not necessarily to finish first. The teams from Chinese universities and businesses have spent months preparing their robots. They'll be allowed technical stops to change batteries or make adjustments. The 21-kilometer course includes slopes, turns and uneven surfaces. Some of the robots will be wearing shock-absorbing shoes. The race had been planned to take place last week but was delayed due to strong winds, presumably amid concern that some robots might topple over. BBC News. |