Secular News

The Commonwealth Games men's mile is infused with intrigue and history - and as the event returns in Glasgow it looks set for a compelling final.

The Chinese military held joint naval and air drills near Scarborough Shoal, a disputed reef in the South China Sea, on Saturday. The training exercise came after Beijing hit out at the Philippines for an “illegal” attempt to extend its seabed rights off the coast of Palawan and map out its claims to the reef. “This is a necessary action taken in light of the current situation in the South China Sea and in response to the acts of certain countries within the region that have undermined regional...

When a powerful earthquake jolted southern ⁠Japan this week, rattling ⁠homes and knocking out water and ⁠electricity, Tomoko Takaoka bundled up her beloved fluffy dogs and went in search of a safe place to stay. Unable to reach her parents, the 31-year-old factory worker turned to a nearby evacuation centre only to discover that Ku the chihuahua and Sheri the chihuahua-poodle mix were not welcome. Faced with the choice of sheltering without them or staying together, she chose the latter,...

Settler violence against Palestinians is on the rise in the West Bank, as settlements and outposts expand.

Settler violence against Palestinians is on the rise in the West Bank, as settlements and outposts expand.

BBC Verify has spoken to experts and analysed satellite imagery to piece together what we know about the site, and the potential impact of a US strike.

BBC Verify has spoken to experts and analysed satellite imagery to piece together what we know about the site, and the potential impact of a US strike.

BBC Verify has spoken to experts and analysed satellite imagery to piece together what we know about the site, and the potential impact of a US strike.

High in the eastern Himalayas, where yak caravans once carried silk and salt between empires, a border crossing closed by suspicion six years ago is stirring back to life. The Nathu La Pass, a remote border trading post connecting India’s Sikkim state with China’s Tibet region at 4,310 metres (14,140 feet) above sea level, reopened to commerce on Saturday for the first time since 2020. For the roughly 600 registered traders in Sikkim who used to depend on this ancient route, the reopening means...

Changing the smoking culture on the city’s construction sites will “take time”, Hong Kong’s labour commissioner has said as authorities completed 1,200 site inspections and issued 36 fixed-penalty notices in the first two weeks of a smoking ban at such locations. Commissioner for Labour Sam Hui Chark-shum said on Saturday that Labour Department officials also issued nine improvement notices to contractors and would consider whether to prosecute two cases. “This shows that there are still workers...

US President Donald Trump's decision to step back from his earlier pledge to allow Ukraine to manufacture Patriot missile interceptors has prompted renewed debate in Washington over the future direction of US military support for Kyiv.

The attack comes as Moscow escalates deadly ballistic missile attacks on the Ukrainian capital.