🇭🇰MP barred from Hong Kong says it was to 'shut me up'
A Liberal Democrat MP barred from entering Hong Kong has told the BBC she believes it was to "shut me up and to silence me".
Wera Hobhouse flew to Hong Kong with her husband on Thursday to visit her son and newborn grandson. However she was detained at the airport, questioned and deported.
The MP for Bath, one of more than 40 parliamentarians of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (Ipac) which criticises Beijing's handling of human rights, said she was given no reason for being refused entry.
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🇵🇪Peru's president avoids impeachment over 'Rolexgate' scandal
A congressional committee in Peru has dismissed an investigation into President Dina Boluarte over allegations she accepted Rolex watches as bribes.
The decision by the subcommittee means Boluarte - whose approval ratings are in single digits - is shielded from impeachment proceedings while in power.
However, she could still potentially face charges when she leaves office next year and loses her presidential immunity.
The corruption inquiry, dubbed "Rolexgate", saw her home raided by police in March 2024, with authorities searching for more than a dozen luxury watches Boluarte had allegedly not declared.
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🇹🇿Tanzania's main opposition party banned from election
Tanzania's main opposition party has been barred from participating in this year's election, days after its leader was charged with treason.
Ramadhani Kailima, director of elections at the Independent National Elections Commission, said that Chadema had failed to sign a code of conduct document that was due on Saturday, meaning the party was disqualified from October's elections.
Last week, Chadema's leader Tundu Lissu was arrested and charged with treason following a rally in southern Tanzania at which he called for electoral reforms.
The CCM party, which has governed Tanzania since 1977, is expected to retain power following the latest developments.
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⚠️Man accused of Mumbai terror attacks remanded in custody
A Pakistan-born Chicago businessman wanted in India for his role in the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai city has been remanded in custody for 18 days.
Tahawwur Rana, a Canadian citizen, landed in Delhi on Thursday. India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) confirmed his extradition had been successful.
Indian authorities accuse 64-year-old Rana of aiding the Mumbai attacks by working with childhood friend David Headley to support Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Pakistani group blamed for the assault.
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🇬🇧UK announces further £450m military support to 🇺🇦Ukraine
The government has announced a further £450m of military support to Kyiv, as the UK and Germany prepare to host a meeting of 50 nations in Brussels.
Defence officials are convening to "pile pressure" on Russian President Vladimir Putin and force him to end his invasion of Ukraine, UK Defence Secretary John Healey said.
"We must step up to deter Russian aggression by continuing to bolster Ukraine's defences," he added.
The package includes funding for hundreds of thousands of drones, anti-tanks mines and and repairs to military vehicles.
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🇺🇸Trump recognises tariff 'transition problems' as US markets fall again
Donald Trump has said there will "always be transition problems" and "difficulty" as markets fell again amid continued uncertainty over the US president's global tariff war.
His statement on Thursday comes hours after the White House said that tariffs on China would reach 145% for some products due to a pre-existing 20% levy imposed on those producing the drug fentanyl.
Despite this, Trump said he was still hoping to secure a deal with China. "I think we'll end up working something out that's very good for both countries. I look forward to it," he said.
Meanwhile, markets continued to face a turbulent time on Thursday, following Trump's 10% tariff announcement for all countries except China.
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🇺🇸US stocks make historic gains after Trump pauses some tariffs
US shares have rocketed after US President Donald Trump said he would suspend steep tariffs on goods from most countries, and instead impose a 10% import tax rate.
The White House said it was backing off on higher levies for trade partners that had agreed to negotiate, although Trump said he would raise tariffs on goods from China even further, to at least 125% "effective immediately".
The S&P 500 soared 9.5% in the biggest one-day rally since 2008, following days of turmoil sparked by the tariffs.
Trump's decision came less than 24 hours after the latest round of tariffs had come into force, hitting key trade partners, such as Vietnam, which saw its imports facing a new levy of 46%.
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🇨🇳China calls for world to unite against Trump's 'trade tyranny'
China has called for the world to unite against Trump's tariffs as the country's exporters reel from crippling new US levies that have risen to 104%.
"Global unity can triumph over trade tyranny," declared an editorial in the state-run newspaper China Daily, noting Beijing's collaborations with Japan, South Korea and other Asian economies. A separate piece called for the European Union to work with it to "uphold free trade and multilateralism".
Beijing "firmly opposes and will never accept such hegemonic and bullying practices," foregin ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters on Wednesday.
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🇺🇸US court orders White House to restore access for AP journalists
A US judge has ordered the Trump administration to restore the Associated Press's access to presidential events after the White House blocked the news agency in a dispute over the term "Gulf of America".
District Judge Trevor McFadden on Tuesday said the administration's restriction on AP journalists was "contrary to the First Amendment", which guarantees freedom of speech.
The dispute arose when the AP refused to adopt the administration's renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America" in its coverage, following an executive order by President Donald Trump.
The ban has meant that the AP has been unable to access press events at the White House as well as Air Force One.
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💵Global stocks slide as Trump tariffs hit markets
Stocks around the world sank on Thursday as questions about how businesses and households will swallow the cost of new, sweeping tariffs in the US raised concerns about economic downturn.
In the US, the S&P 500, which tracks 500 of the biggest American firms, opened more than 3% lower, and losses accelerated over the morning, with big consumer names such as Nike and Apple among the hardest hit.
The UK's FTSE 100 share index fell 1.5% and other European markets also dropped, echoing falls seen earlier in Asia.
While stocks fell, the price of gold, which is seen as a safer asset in times of turbulence, touched a record high.
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🇬🇧Harry hopes watchdog will uncover 'truth' in charity row
The Duke of Sussex says he hopes the Charity Commission will "unveil the truth" as the watchdog announced an investigation into the bitter dispute surrounding the Sentebale charity he co-founded.
"What has transpired over the last week has been heartbreaking to witness, especially when such blatant lies hurt those who have invested decades in this shared goal," said Prince Harry.
The watchdog said it had opened a case to examine "concerns raised" about Sentebale, following claims made by its head Sophie Chandauka.
Ms Chandauka told the BBC she welcomed the move by the commission, which comes after she said she had "blown the whistle" on issues including bullying and harassment.
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🇿🇼Zimbabwe shuts down amid calls for protests
A national protest meant to pressure Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa to resign turned into a shutdown as citizens opted to stay away rather than take to the streets amid a heavy security presence.
Only a handful of protesters took part in the planned march, spearheaded by a group of disgruntled war veterans who have accused Mnangagwa of corruption and wanting to cling on to power, and they were dispersed by the police.
Following the reports of a low turnout, protest leader Blessed Geza urged Zimbabweans "not to be cowards" in a post on X.
Mnangagwa became president in 2017 following a coup against long-time leader Robert Mugabe and is currently serving his second and final term.
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🇫🇷Marine Le Pen found guilty in EU funding embezzlement case
France's Marine Le Pen has been found guilty of misappropriating European funds to finance her far-right National Rally (RN) party, in a case which could lead to her being barred from standing in the 2027 presidential election.
The judge has not yet said what the sentence will be.
Prosecutors last year said Le Pen's punishment should be not just a €300,000 (£250,000) fine and prison term, but also ineligibility from running for public office for five years.
Crucially, he said the ineligibility should kick in straightaway – and not be suspended pending the appeal that Marine Le Pen is expected to file if convicted.
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🇬🇳Guinea's ex-military ruler pardoned over stadium massacre
Guinea's ruling junta has pardoned former military leader Moussa Dadis Camara, less than a year into a 20-year sentence for crimes against humanity linked to one of the country's worst massacres.
A decree read on state TV said the pardon had been granted for health reasons.
In 2009, troops under his command opened fire during a rally calling for a return to civilian rule, killing more than 150 people. Scores of women were also raped.
Camara seized power when long-time President Lansana Conté died in 2008. He fled following an assassination attempt not long after the massacre, but returned in 2022 to face justice, insisting he was innocent.
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🇺🇸Columbia University president steps down amid Trump's crackdown
Columbia University's interim president has resigned her role just one week after the Ivy League university agreed to change several policies to satisfy demands from the Trump administration.
Katrina Armstrong had led the university since August, after the previous president resigned over her handling of protests against Israel's military operation in Gaza.
Columbia has drawn ire from Donald Trump, who claims that it and other schools have tolerated antisemitism and the harassment of Jewish students.
Trump has already threatened to withhold some $400m (£309m) in federal funding for the school as his administration continues to target those involved in campus protests with deportation.
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🇧🇩🇬🇧Bangladesh issues arrest warrant for British MP Tulip Siddiq
Bangladeshi authorities have issued an arrest warrant for the British MP and former Labour minister Tulip Siddiq.
The country's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has been investigating allegations Siddiq illegally received land as part of its wider probe of the regime of her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, who was deposed as prime minister in August.
The Hampstead and Highgate MP, who quit as economic secretary to the Treasury in January, was named in the arrest warrant alongside more than 50 others.
Lawyers acting for Siddiq denied the charges, which they said were "politically motivated".
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🇷🇸Thousands attend pro-government rally in Serbia after months of unrest
Tens of thousands of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's supporters have held a rally in Belgrade following months of unrest across the country.
A monitoring organisation said around 55,000 people had gathered in front of the National Assembly. Despite some Vucic followers travelling from neighbouring countries, attendance was significantly lower than last month's huge anti-government protest.
There have been regular demonstrations in Serbia since November when the collapse of a railway station canopy in the city of Novi Sad killed 15 people, triggering widespread public anger.
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🇷🇺🇬🇧Ambassador does not deny Russian attempts to track UK subs
Russia's ambassador to the UK has not denied allegations that Russian sensors have been hidden in seas around Great Britain in an attempt to track UK nuclear submarines.
Andrei Kelin said that while he did not deny Russia was attempting to track British submarines, he rejected the idea that such activities presented a threat to the UK.
"I am not going to deny it, but I wonder whether we really have an interest in following all the British submarine with very old outdated nuclear warheads... all these threats are extremely exaggerated," he said.
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🇦🇷General strike hits transport in Argentina
A general strike against public spending cuts in Argentina has severely disrupted transport.
All domestic flights have been cancelled, while trains and metro services have been suspended in Buenos Aires and other parts of the country.
Many shops remained closed in the capital but bus drivers continued to work. Airlines said international flights would go ahead as planned, with only a few delays.
It is the third general strike called by Argentina's powerful unions since President Javier Milei took office at the end of 2023.
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🇹🇿Tanzania's opposition leader charged with treason
Tanzania's opposition leader Tundu Lissu has been charged with treason a day after he was arrested following a rally he held in the south of the country.
The charge is connected to his nationwide campaign pushing for electoral reform under the slogan "No Reforms, No Election".
The country is due to go to the polls in October when Lissu is expected to challenge President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
When Samia first came to power in 2021, after the death of her predecessor John Magufuli, she was praised for reversing some of his more authoritarian tendencies. But she has since been criticised after some opposition members have been targeted with arrests and abductions.
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🇦🇺Australia declines China's offer to 'join hands' on Trump tariffs
Australia has swiftly turned down China's offer to "join hands" against Donald Trump's tariffs, as Washington escalates its trade war with Beijing.
The White House recently imposed an import tax of 10% on Australian goods, but for China - Australia's biggest trading partner - raised tariffs to 125%.
China's ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian argued joint resistance is "the only way" to stop the "hegemonic and bullying behaviour of the US", appealing for Canberra's cooperation in an opinion piece on Thursday.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, however, said Australians would "speak for ourselves", while the country's defence minister said the nation would not be "holding China's hand".
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🇩🇪Germany is back, says Merz, after sealing government deal
Germany's conservatives under Friedrich Merz have reached a deal with the Social Democrats to govern Europe's biggest economy, five months after the previous government collapsed.
Merz, 69, said their agreement sent "a strong and clear signal" to Germans and the EU that they would get "a strong government capable of action".
Germany was already in recession before it was buffeted by economic turbulence, caused by US President Donald Trump's trade tariffs.
"The key message to Donald Trump is Germany is back on track," said the chancellor-in-waiting, promising to fulfil defence commitments and revive economic competitiveness.
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🇮🇳India cuts rates as Trump's tariffs put growth at risk
India's central bank has cut interest rates by 0.25% amid a spate of downgrades to growth following Donald Trump's tariff announcements.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) reduced repo rates from 6.25% to 6%, a second cut since February when rates were brought down after nearly five years.
The repo rate is the level at which the central bank lends to commercial banks, influencing borrowing costs.
The RBI also brought down its growth projections for this year from 6.7% to 6.5%. It said India's gross domestic product (GDP) will grow at 6.5% next year as well.
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🇳🇱Dutch vote to ban New Year's fireworks, but not just yet
The Dutch parliament has voted to ban people buying and setting off fireworks, but not until after next New Year's Eve.
A majority of MPs backed a consumer ban but supported a separate motion postponing it because of potentially enormous compensation claims from fireworks suppliers.
Fireworks have been a New Year tradition for decades in the Netherlands, but the scale of injuries and damage on the night has spiralled in recent years.
Last New Year's Eve, two people were killed and 1,162 people needed emergency treatment for a range of injuries including burns and eye damage.
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🇷🇺🇺🇸Russia not on Trump's tariff list
One country that did not feature on Donald Trump's list of tariffs on US trade partners was Russia.
US outlet Axios quoted White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt as saying this was because existing US sanctions on Russia "preclude any meaningful trade" and noting that Cuba, Belarus and North Korea were also not included.
However, nations with even less trade with the US - such as Syria, which exported $11m of products last year according to UN data quoted by Trading Economics - were on the list.
The US imposed large-scale sanctions on Russia after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Trump has generally taken a friendlier approach to Russia since his return to the White House.
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🇺🇸🇮🇪Trump tariffs: Ireland expected to be among hardest hit
Ireland is expected to be one of the most affected countries when President Trump announces a new round of tariffs later this week.
EU goods are expected to face a tariff of about 20% when entering the United States.
Among EU countries, Ireland is the most reliant on the US as an export market.
In 2024, Irish goods exports to the US were worth €73bn (£61bn), almost a third of the country's total exports.
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🇹🇫Shock Le Pen verdict rocks French far right
"Incredible." That was the single word uttered under her breath by Marine Le Pen as she stormed out of a Paris courtroom on Monday morning.
She left the court early – just before hearing that she was barred from running for office for five years after being found guilty of embezzlement of EU funds – almost certainly ruling her out from standing in the 2027 French presidential election.
Without even waiting for the judge to pronounce the full details of the sentence, the head of the National Rally knew that her political goose was cooked.
There would be no reprieve pending appeal. The bar on running for office was real and immediate.
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🇹🇷Protesters return to Istanbul's streets for huge rally
Hundreds of thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators have returned to the streets of Istanbul, Turkey, to show support for the city's jailed mayor.
Ekrem Imamoglu, who is seen as the main rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was arrested on corruption charges last week, sparking mass protests.
He denies the charges and says his arrest was politically motivated.
Saturday's crowds were so large they spilled from the site of the protest into a neighbouring park. The chairman of Imamoglu's Republican People's Party (CHP) addressed demonstrators, reading out a letter from the jailed politician who is being held in solitary confinement.
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🇵🇱Polish presidential candidate ridiculed for donning disguise to promote book
They say writers are their own worst critics - but for the man who could become the next President of Poland, nothing could be further from the truth.
Karol Nawrocki has been widely ridiculed after it emerged that several years ago he donned a disguise to praise his own book on TV.
Written by a mysterious author called Tadeusz Batyr, the book documented the life of a gangster from 1980s communist Poland.
But it has now been revealed that Tadeusz Batyr was a pseudonym created by Nawrocki, a historian and former museum director who is backed by the right-wing Law and Justice party (PiS) in the upcoming presidential election.
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🇮🇪Irish finance minister delivers warning over US tariffs
Ireland's minister for finance is "extremely concerned" about the potential effect proposed US tariffs on pharmaceutical exports could have on Ireland's economy.
Speaking to Irish broadcaster RTÉ, Paschal Donohoe said the Irish government was preparing for "real and significant" difficulties if US President Donald Trump imposes tariffs on drug imports.
Speaking on Thursday, President Trump suggested there would be specific tariffs on pharmaceuticals as the US "doesn't make anything" in terms of drugs and medicines.
Earlier in March he told the Taoiseach (prime minister) Micheál Martin Ireland had the "entire US pharmaceutical industry in its grasp," during his visit to The White House.
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