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Hello, I'm Chris Barrow with the BBC News.
The governing Taliban in Afghanistan has confirmed that it launched what it called "retaliatory operations" attacking Pakistani troops at multiple points of their common border. A later statement from the Taliban Defense Ministry said the operations had ended at midnight local time. Anbarasan Ethirajan has more details. Pakistan has not commented on the latest fighting yet. Tensions have escalated after Kabul accused Islamabad of what it called "unprecedented, violent and heinous act" of bombing a civilian market in Paktika near the border on Thursday. Pakistan has neither confirmed nor denied the allegation. But a military spokesman said they would take necessary measures to safeguard Pakistani lives and properties. The alleged airstrike came a day after 16 Pakistani soldiers were killed by Islamist militants who, Islamabad says, are operating from Afghan soil. A top Hamas official has said that the release of the 48 hostages dead and alive held by the group would begin on Monday morning as part of the Gaza peace process. It comes after President Trump's Middle East envoy told a rally of Israeli hostages' relatives and supporters in Tel Aviv that those hostages were coming home. The American actress Diane Keaton, who starred in some of the most successful Hollywood film films of the 1970s and 80s, has died. She was 79. Ms. Keaton appeared in hits including all three "Godfather" films and "The First Wives Club," as well as Woody Allen's "Manhattan" and "Annie Hall," for which she won an Oscar for best actress. Speaking to the BBC back in 2011, she said her drive for success came from her parents. "You know, the way I see myself is I was an average girl who became an average woman, but my mother gave me and my father as well extraordinary will. I had a dream early on and that dream to, you know, be loved by thousands is kind of neurotic." Officials in the U.S. state of Tennessee have said there are no survivors from Friday's huge blast at a military explosives factory. The state's Emergency Management Agency says 16 people who were missing are now presumed dead. Chris Davis is the county sheriff. "I think the expectation of anyone that was inside that building and anybody that we can probably make the assumption, and I'm not even gonna use the word assumption, I think that we can assume that they are deceased. I can tell you that more than 300 people have been through almost every square inch of this facility and at this time we've recovered no survivors." Two more workers previously counted among the missing have now been located. They were not at the facility at the time of the blast. This is the latest world news from the BBC. At least 60 people have been killed in two separate drone and artillery attacks on a displacement camp in the besieged city of El Fasher in Sudan's North Darfur region. Fighting has intensified between the Rapid Support Forces and the army for control of the area. Anti-government protesters in Madagascar have entered a key square in the capital for the first time since demonstrations began last month. Videos on social media showed some troops from an army unit who have declared support for the youth protests, escorting them to May 13 square, a historic flashpoint for political uprisings. Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have been held across Europe. Dutch police say they arrested more than 300 people calling for a trade and arms embargo on Israel. The protesters had blocked railway lines near the Netherlands' biggest port in Rotterdam. In the Swiss capital Bern, tear gas and water cannon were used to disperse demonstrators who tried to break through barriers near parliament. In London, tens of thousands of protesters, including this man, marched to express skepticism and cautious hope over the ceasefire. "I think the numbers of people out here protesting, I mean the government has got to take action. This ceasefire is one we can't necessarily trust the Israelis for. They lie and they lie. They've committed acts of piracy and our government has done nothing about it and we will continue to protest until the war criminals are actually brought to account." Police in Spain say they found the bodies of 250 dead animals at an illegal breeding farm in the northwestern region of Galicia. Officers said the carcasses were mostly dogs, including nearly 30 chihuahuas and also birds. They were discovered in a filthy warehouse in the village of Meson do Vento. Nearly 200 other animals, including dogs, miniature horses and exotic birds were found in life-threatening conditions. The owner has been arrested. That's the latest BBC news. |