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BBC News with Roisin Hastie.
The Pentagon has confirmed that the U.S. has weapons deployed in space in what's believed to be the first public acknowledgment of such capabilities. From Washington, Bernd Debusmann reports. The acknowledgment from the Air Force Secretary Troy Meink marked the first time the U.S. acknowledged having weapons in space. Mr. Meink, however, provided no details about the weapon, how it could be employed, its capabilities or when it was put into orbit, saying only that it was necessary to safeguard U.S. forces against "hostile enemy action." He added that unnamed adversaries had already sought to dismantle U.S. systems related to sensing and command and control functions. Senior military leaders have previously said they planned to substantially boost military capabilities in space, citing Russian and Chinese programs developing ways to attack and disrupt U.S. satellites in a future conflict. The Trump administration has said that space-based capabilities and interceptor missiles are a crucial part of its planned Golden Dome defense system to protect the U.S. from missiles and other airborne threats. The United States' Environmental Protection Agency says it's repealing rules that limit greenhouse gas emissions from power plants fueled by coal and gas. It's expected to face immediate legal challenges. His North America correspondent, Ione Wells. Environmental groups say scrapping one of the nation's biggest climate protections will come at a huge cost to Americans' health and the planet. The agency, however, argues it will reduce costs to the industry and help unleash American energy, making it cheaper to produce electricity. Demand for electricity has increased, driven in part by AI data centers and electrification. The agency is also taking steps to prevent future administrations from regulating climate pollution from power plants. The co-founder of the artificial intelligence giant Anthropic has called for AI firms to have a compulsory "kill switch," which can be verified by an independent third party. Jack Clark told the BBC that Anthropic already had the mechanism which can shut down the technology if it gets too dangerous, adding they were also a good idea for governments. "If you don't take any actions today, you are massively increasing the chances of ending up with impossible to control, out of control AI systems. But the whole point is we can take actions. The actions that you can take are simple and they're achievable and Anthropic has already taken one, which is we've agreed that we are going to embed third parties in the next single digit weeks inside our labs so that they can check the work that we're doing." Yemen's Houthi movement says Saudi Arabia has launched renewed airstrikes across the west of the country after the Iran-backed group announced it targeted military bases in the kingdom. The Houthis said the Saudi attacks hit areas including Taiz, al-Jawf and Hodeidah. The group had earlier targeted the King Khalid Air Base in southern Saudi Arabia. BBC News. The health ministry in Gaza has warned that the territory's health system risks paralysis after transport services for medical staff were suspended because of shortages of fuel, lubricants and spare parts. It says doctors and nurses are struggling to reach hospitals. Police in the western Turkish city of Izmir have fired tear gas on demonstrators protesting against the increased targeting of LGBT activists. The rally came a day after police carried out sweeping nationwide raids, arresting dozens of people in a campaign the government said was aimed at promoting traditional family values. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will have their publicly funded security reviewed following their recent move back to the United Kingdom. It's understood that the committee, which oversees royal security, will reconsider Prince Harry and Meghan's level of police protection now that they're full-time residents. It will assess the risks they and their children face in their new home and on the trips they take. And one of the biggest nights in the entertainment industry's calendar is underway in Los Angeles, where a host of [LA list A star] LA list TV stars have gathered for the Primetime Emmy Awards. The total number of trophies awarded this year has been reduced, with some categories merged. Our correspondent David Willis is there. The drama category is dominated by that hospital drama series "The Pitt," remarkably realistic, and it has 25 Emmy nominations, that after just two seasons on the air. We've got nominations as well for people like Sir Gary Oldman, who has been nominated three times for best actor at the Primetime Emmys for his role in "Slow Horses." But that's gonna be a tough one because he's up against Noah Wyle, the star of "The Pitt." BBC News. |