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BBC News with David Harper.
The search for survivors of Wednesday's catastrophic floods has continued overnight in northern Nepal and Tibet as fears grow of another disaster. Officials say a new lake upstream formed by debris blocking a river could spill over. Tommaso Della Longa is from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. "We already took precaution for the teams but also for the communities we are serving. So, of course, now the first priority is to find people alive but also to put people alive in safety, so in places that are higher. And then of course looking at emergency shelters, relief items, whatever is needed, at least 10,000 families lost everything in a couple of seconds." Nearly 400 people are confirmed to have died in Nepal but more than 800 remain missing, more than half of them foreign tourists and pilgrims. Syria's President Ahmad al-Sharaa has appointed the leader of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces as a presidential adviser. It comes days after Mazloum Abdi announced the dissolution of his Kurdish forces under an integration deal with Damascus. The SDF had been backed by the U.S. and played a key role in the defeat of the Islamic State group. President Trump has issued an executive order renaming Lake Ontario, which borders both the United States and Canada, as "Lake America." The U.S. president had repeatedly threatened the measure in posts on social media amid an escalating trade row. Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney reaffirmed that Canadians would continue to call the body of water Lake Ontario now and always. Manitoba province Premier Wab Kinew mocked the suggested name change. "You know, when like a rock band is really over the hill and you see them like in a casino playing some song from like 50 years ago? I think that's the part of Donald Trump's presidency we're at now. Like he thought he had a real hit, a real golden oldie with the Gulf of Mexico and he's trying to bring back that. He's trying to play the hits for his base. But I think everybody here thinks it's a little sad and it's not his best work." Police in Zambia say the opposition leader who came second in this month's disputed presidential election has been detained over allegations of treason. It's after President Hakainde Hichilema put pressure on the United Nations in Lusaka to hand him over. The BBC's Waihiga Mwaura reports. Brian Mundubile and his running mate Makebi Zulu have handed themselves over to police for questioning over alleged threats to national security. The development comes amid growing political tensions following Zambia's disputed presidential election earlier this month. President Hakainde Hichilema was declared the winner of that election with about 60 percent of the vote. But Mundubile has rejected the result and said he would challenge it. The opposition has also accused authorities of using security agencies to put pressure on its leaders, allegations the government has rejected. Waihiga Mwaura reporting. World news from the BBC. The U.S. immigration enforcement agency ICE has signed a multi-million dollar deal to buy 6,000 gloves that can deliver electric shocks. The device is a normal patrol glove, but once an officer activates its electrical mode, it can deliver up to 380 volts when making contact with the person's skin. ICE argues the gloves would reduce the reliance on physical force including the use of firearms. Civil rights groups have expressed alarm. A group of 100 tech firms including Microsoft and Google are calling on countries and organizations to strengthen their cyber defenses against artificial intelligence, warning attacks will become more widespread and sophisticated in a matter of months. Here's our technology editor Zoe Kleinman. Last month, a group of AI products being tested by OpenAI were able to set up secret message boards to communicate with each other, resulting in a successful attack on a rival company "Hugging Face." It's said to be the world's first AI-enabled cyberattack. The companies urge governments, organizations, cybersecurity professionals and other AI firms to work together to prioritize cyber defense and test their systems against the abilities of the current most powerful artificial intelligence models. The letter specifically mentions hospitals and water utilities as being at risk. Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu has set up a committee to reform the country's football following what he described as repeated failures to qualify for major tournaments. It follows the resignation of the head of Nigeria's football governing body on Thursday over corruption allegations. People living near the childhood home of David Bowie have objected to plans to turn it into a tourist attraction. The Heritage of London Trust has applied to the local council to restore the small terraced house, adding a visitor center in the garden. But neighbors have raised concerns ranging from the number of visitors to the additional traffic. A decision is expected next month. And that's the latest BBC News. |