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Hello this is the BBC News with Fiona McDonald.
Democrats from a U.S. congressional committee have published an image of a body letter purportedly sent by President Trump to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The letter contained suggestive remarks typed within the outline of a woman's naked body. Sarah Smith reports from Washington. Mr. Trump has completely denied having anything to do with this letter, calling it a "fake" and saying those are "not my words." A top White House official has posted online recent pictures of Donald Trump's signature saying it's not the same as the one on the birthday letter. The White House press secretary says that proves the story is false. This ongoing saga over whether the Trump administration will publish all the information they hold on Jeffrey Epstein is distracting and damaging for the president, who's just been dragged back into the center of the story. The family of the media mogul Rupert Murdoch has reached a settlement that cements his son Lachlan's control of the business empire that includes Fox News and the Wall Street Journal. With more details Peter Bowes in Los Angeles. The family dispute stemmed from Rupert Murdoch's attempt to install his elder son Lachlan as his successor. He shares his father's political views. A court in Nevada had previously blocked his effort but under the agreement Lachlan Murdoch will secure control of the sprawling media empire which includes The Times, Fox News and the Wall Street Journal. Prudence MacLeod, Elizabeth Murdoch and James Murdoch, Lachlan's siblings, will receive just over a billion dollars each for their shares in the business. In effect the deal maintains the company's conservative stance at the highest level. The French government has lost a vote of confidence in Parliament and the Prime Minister François Bayrou will resign in the morning. He'd wanted to cut public spending to tackle national debt but MPs voted against him by almost two to one. This report from Hugh Schofield in Paris. Prime minister under President Macron for just nine months, François Bayrou has stage-managed his departure in as dramatic as possible a fashion. In this emergency debate at the National Assembly, he wanted to put on record his dire warnings about the state of the country's debt. "Ladies and gentlemen, it may be in your power to overturn this government but it is not in your power to efface reality and the weight of our debt already unbearable will become only heavier." Sadly for him, though, the warnings appear to have made little difference. The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told residents of Gaza City to leave now. He said Israeli forces were organizing and assembling to enter Gaza City for what he called "ground maneuvers." Last week Israel had said it had established control over 40 percent of the city. His warning came after gunmen in Jerusalem killed at least six people. BBC News. Syrian media say Israel has carried out airstrikes in the central and western parts of the country. Attacks have been reported near Homs and Palmyra as well as on the coastal city of Latakia. The targets are thought to be military bases. There's been no word on casualties. Israel has not commented. A freight train has slammed into a double-decker bus in Mexico, killing 10 people and injuring at least 40 others. The crash happened in the industrial town of Atlacamulco, northwest of Mexico City. Mexico's Civil Defense Agency says rescuers are still working at the site while state prosecutors have launched an investigation. More details from Will Grant in Mexico. Most were making their way to work so it does coincide with the fact that it was this commuter moment in Mexico City right at the sort of sharp end of rush hour. We know that the train company Canadian Pacific Kansas City have offered their condolences but they also pointed out that drivers in Mexico should heed stop signs, basically putting the emphasis on the fact that people must stop at stop signs at train tracks and heed road sides more generally. The Colombian government says 45 soldiers who'd been abducted on Sunday in a guerrilla-controlled zone have been freed. The soldiers were seized during military operations in the Cauca region of southwestern Colombia which is a major center for cocaine production. The center-left Labour Party of the Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre has won Norway's general election. With the count almost complete, it's taken 28% of the vote. Mr. Gahr Støre is expected to serve another term with the support of other left-wing parties. The right-wing anti-immigrant Progress Party came in second overall after a surge in support. The campaign was unusually polarized. BBC News. |