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Hello, I'm David Harper with the BBC News.
The rap music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs has been denied bail following his conviction for prostitution-related offences. The decision means he will have to remain in jail until the date of his sentencing in October. Sean "Diddy" Combs was cleared of more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. A lawyer from his defense team, Teny Geragos, said they were celebrating a victory. "Sean Combs has not sexually assaulted anybody. I've been saying this for months and today that was proven true. The media got it wrong about Sean Combs every single day for nearly two years. He has not sexually assaulted anybody, certainly hasn't sex trafficked anybody and the jury found that today." In denying bail, the New York judge observed that there was ample evidence he'd committed violent acts and could be a danger to the public if released. Republican leaders in the U.S. Congress have delayed a vote on President Trump's tax and immigration bill as they scramble to overcome objections from members of their own party. The "big beautiful bill," as it's known, was passed by the Senate on Tuesday. But some Republicans in the House of Representatives are unhappy it could add trillions to the national debt while cutting health care. Democrats are united in opposition. Democrat Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz is one of them. "We're continuing to do everything we can to shine a white hot spotlight on the horrific provisions of this abominable bill. They are kicking in this bill 17 million people off of their health care, both through cuts to Medicaid as well as the ending of tax credits in the Affordable Care Act that make Affordable Care Act policies affordable." President Trump wants the bill approved before Independence Day on the 4th of July. U.N. officials say armed gangs have further tightened their grip on Haiti despite the efforts of police and a Kenya-led international force. Their Assistant Secretary General for the Americas Miroslav Jenča said Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, was "paralyzed and isolated." He described a surge in human rights violations, including sexual violence. He added there was also allegations of people being trafficked for their internal organs. With more, here's Will Grant. The Haitian government and security forces have struggled to even remotely wrestle back control of the capital Port-au-Prince from the powerful drug gangs who have the city in their grip. Even the U.N.-backed deployment of hundreds of Kenyan police officers has failed to make any significant progress in improving the security situation. Now one of the top U.N. officials for the Americas has set out the extent of the problem in stark language to the Security Council. Miroslav Jenča, the Assistant Secretary for the Americas, warned that Haiti faces the real possibility of the total collapse of the state presence in the capital unless the international community acted decisively. Will Grant reporting. This is the latest world news from the BBC. A federal judge has blocked President Trump's efforts to prevent people seeking asylum in the United States. Judge Randolph Moss ruled that Mr. Trump exceeded his constitutional powers when he signed an emergency order on his first day in office to deport migrants without allowing them to apply for asylum. He said the president could not override federal immigration laws by creating an alternative system. The Colombian Navy says it has for the first time seized a drone submarine built for smuggling drugs. It said the vessel was empty and being tested off Colombia's Caribbean coast. The Navy said the narco-sub had the capacity to carry one and a half tons of cocaine and was equipped with a Starlink satellite antenna for remote control. Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer has strongly backed his finance minister, saying Rachel Reeves will hold the job "for a very long time to come." Speaking to the BBC, he described her tearful appearance in Parliament on Wednesday as a personal matter for her and unrelated to this week's rebellion by government party MPs over welfare cuts. Chris Mason reports. Looking down from the press gallery of the House of Commons this lunchtime, we could all see the tears rolling down the chancellor's cheeks. The Conservative leader seized upon it to frame her questions about her future, the Prime Minister and his team keen to emphasize the strength of their relationship and desire for it to long continue. Multiple colleagues and allies of Rachel Reeves in Parliament are blaming an altercation with the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, for her tearful appearance, while also pointing to a separate personal issue. The Speaker's office have not commented. The World Health Organization is urging countries to significantly raise the price of tobacco, alcohol and sugary drinks to reduce chronic disease. It proposes an increase of at least 50 percent over the next decade. It says consumption is fueling heart disease, cancer and diabetes. The organization cited a recent report suggesting a one-time price hike could prevent 50 million premature deaths. BBC News. |