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BBC News with Chris Barrow.
The U.S. Central Command says it's destroyed five Iranian oil tankers after an American warship was targeted. It said the U.S. had successfully evaded the attempted Iranian attacks and that there were no American casualties. Iranian media says Tehran has struck a U.S.-based in eastern Jordan. The Jordanian army said its air defense systems had taken down a number of missiles fired from Iran. Jiji Ahn reports. CENTCOM says the Iranian Revolutionary Guards targeted a U.S. warship twice with ballistic missiles over the past two days. It added that the American vessel had successfully evaded both attacks and continued patrolling regional waters. Speaking in Colombia, the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would not allow attacks on its forces to go unanswered. The latest strikes add to a continuing cycle of escalation between Washington and Tehran, with maritime traffic in the critically important Strait of Hormuz remaining severely affected. The U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said that Washington would enter a new phase of cooperation with Colombia that would be even stronger than before. Speaking to reporters after meeting President Abelardo de la Espriella, Mr. Rubio said the two countries now had an opportunity to restore their natural relations. Britain, France, Canada and nine other European countries have imposed sanctions on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank banning goods produced there. Leaders called it a "turning point" to protect the two-state solution. The U.K. foreign secretary accused what he called "settler terrorists" of "ethnic cleansing." Our Middle East correspondent Lucy Williamson reports. The new U.K. position triggered a swift response from Israel. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar listed the countermeasures Israel was taking including closing the British consulate in Jerusalem and for the British government in London, a barrage of outrage and accusation. He said Israelis stood behind their government in settling the occupied West Bank and in blocking a Palestinian state. U.K. sanctions have previously targeted settler violence. These new measures target Israeli settlements themselves as a violation of international law. Fourteen men accused of involvement in the worst ever migrant boat disaster in the English Channel have gone on trial in France. At least 30 people including a seven-year-old girl died five years ago when their overloaded dinghy deflated as it crossed from France to Britain. Joanna Kean reports. One by one the migrants entered the sea trying to lessen the weight on board but in the cold conditions they drowned. Twenty-seven bodies were found, four people were confirmed missing. The defendants who are mainly Afghan nationals are charged with manslaughter and facilitating illegal immigration as part of an organized criminal group. Most of them have denied the charges. Two are still on the run and will be tried in their absence. World news from the BBC. In the latest escalation of the U.S.-Canada trade war, the White House has announced it's banning imports of most Canadian alcoholic drinks as well as some motor vehicles and dairy products from the end of September. It follows 50 percent U.S. tariffs imposed last month after most Canadian provinces pulled American alcoholic drinks from shelves. Canada's own retaliatory dollar-for-dollar tariffs on U.S. goods took effect on Tuesday. The U.S. Supreme Court has declined the state of Missouri's bid to use a new Republican drawn congressional district map in November's midterm elections, backing an earlier ruling by the state's highest court. Last year, Missouri's governing Republicans announced changes to the map hoping to gain an extra seat by weakening a Democratic district in Kansas City. The Gambian president has pledged to boost power supplies by October following violent protests over the country's electricity crisis. On Monday night, police used tear gas on demonstrators in the capital, Banjul and other cities after they set fires, blocked traffic and called for President Adama Barrow to step down. Speaking on television Mr. Barrow pleaded for peace. "The peace of this country and the name we have earned before the war took years of sacrifice and resources to build. We can lose it in one night if we do not act with caution." The energy shortage is expected to be a major campaign issue ahead of December's election where President Barrow is seeking a third term. A professional golf league heavily backed by Saudi Arabia has filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States. The league known as Live Golf says the move was intended to preserve its business after the Saudis withdrew their multi-billion dollar support in April. The series triggered major controversy when it launched five years ago. That's the latest BBC News. |