World famous New York skyline obscured by snow

Published 14 minutes ago Share close panel Share page Copy link About sharing Image source, Reuters By Gem O’Reilly BBC News A self-proclaimed Apostolic prophet who kept more than 250 children on his property has been arrested in Zimbabwe. Police said that Ishmael Chokurongerwa, 56, led a sect with more than 1,000 members in Harare. The children were undocumented and allegedly used as cheap labour. Unregistered graves, believed to be of infants, were also found. Police said that they arrested Ishmael and seven other members for “criminal activities” and the…

Published 32 minutes ago Share close panel Share page Copy link About sharing Image source, Europol By Sean Seddon BBC News Police say they have “dismantled” one of the most active smuggling gangs operating in the English Channel. Nineteen people were arrested in Germany following a year-long investigation by German, French and Belgian police. Dozens of inflatable small boats, engines and life vests were found during raids at 28 locations. Europol said the smuggling gang was capable of sending eight vessels to the UK every day. Among those arrested were…

Published 1 hour ago Share close panel Share page Copy link About sharing Image source, June Sharpe An abstract photograph by June Sharpe has won this year’s International Garden Photographer of the Year competition. “The layered branches of this conifer reminded me of the dancing cranes often featured in Japanese woodcuts,” said Sharpe. “Now, more than ever, it is vitally important to connect with nature and highlight the beauty and fragility of our planet’s ecosystems.” In post-processing, Sharpe enhanced what she describes as a “sense of the ‘birds’ dancing in…

Published 3 hours ago Share close panel Share page Copy link About sharing Image source, Getty Images By Kelly Ng BBC News One of Taiwan’s last diplomatic allies has cut ties with the island in favour of Beijing, just days after a new president was voted in in Taipei. Nauru, a tiny Micronesian island, was just one of 12 countries that kept diplomatic ties with Taipei. But in recent years, Beijing – which insists Taiwan is part of China – has been poaching its diplomatic allies. Taiwan suggests this latest…

Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has been banned from football for four years for a doping offence. France international Pogba, 30, was randomly tested after Juventus’ first match of the season on 20 August. BBC Sport has been told Pogba is likely to appeal against Italy’s national anti-doping tribunal’s (Nado) decision. The failed drugs test was confirmed by Nado in a second sample in October, and the anti-doping prosecutor’s office had requested a four-year suspension. Juventus told the BBC they received notification from the anti-doping tribunal on Thursday morning. The ruling…

Published 1 hour ago Share close panel Share page Copy link About sharing Image source, Getty Images By Sarah Rainsford Eastern Europe correspondent, Warsaw Outside Poland’s main evening news studio there’s a row of police stationed for protection. The entire building of public broadcaster TVP is surrounded by metal barriers and more police officers, shivering in the snow. There is a battle over control of the airwaves here that is dramatic in itself. But it’s also part of a much broader power struggle that began when elections last autumn ended…