BBC News

Iran’s foreign minister has claimed that its county’s security forces have brought anti-government protests “under control” following two weeks of unrest across the country.

The US-based rights group HRANA has said nearly 500 protesters have been killed since protests began in late December and thousands more have been detained.

On Sunday night, President Donald Trump warned the US is considering “very strong options” to intervene in the country.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said Tehran does not plan pre-emptive military action, but is fully “prepared” for war if attacked.

Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1rbfUog

For more news, analysis and features visit: www.bbc.com/news

#Iran #US #BBCNews

Ofcom has launched an investigation into Elon Musk's X over concerns its AI tool Grok is being used to create sexualised images.

The UK watchdog said in a statement that there had been "deeply concerning reports" of the chatbot being used to create and share undressed images of people, as well as "sexualised images of children".

X referred the BBC to a statement posted by its Safety account in January, which said: "Anyone using or prompting Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content."

Elon Musk later said the UK government wanted "any excuse for censorship" in response to a post questioning why other AI platforms were not being looked at.

Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1rbfUog

For more news, analysis and features visit: www.bbc.com/news

#X #Grok #BBCNews

Doctors say they have achieved the previously impossible - restoring sight and preventing blindness in people with a rare but dangerous eye condition called hypotony.

Moorfields hospital in London is the world's first dedicated clinic for the disorder and seven out of eight patients given the pioneering treatment have responded to the therapy, a pilot study shows.

One of them - the first-ever - is Nicki Guy, 47, who is sharing her story exclusively with the BBC.

She says the results are incredible: "It's life-changing. It's given me everything back. I can see my child grow up.”

Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1rbfUog

For more news, analysis and features visit: www.bbc.com/news

#UK #Hypotony #BBCNews

In Venezuela, the families of hundreds of political prisoners wait in hope outside the country’s most notorious jail for more news about the government’s promised release of more detainees.

The Venezuelan government announced on Thursday it would release detainees considered political prisoners by human rights groups as a "goodwill gesture". On Saturday, US President Donald Trump thanked the Venezuelan authorities, saying they had "started the process, in a BIG WAY".

The BBC has spoken to the family of one jailed opposition leader, sceptical about whether the release is an indication of a new direction for the government following the removal of Nicolás Maduro.

The son of a jailed Venezuelan opposition leader, Ramón Guanipa, has warned Trump to "not be fooled" by the country's government, amid accusations it has not kept its promise to release a significant number of political prisoners.

BBC Mundo’s Norberto Paredes reports from Caracas.

Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1rbfUog

For more news, analysis and features visit: www.bbc.com/news

#Venezuela #NicolásMaduro #BBCNews

The UK government has paid "substantial" compensation to a man who was tortured by the CIA and remains imprisoned without trial at Guantanamo Bay after almost 20 years, the BBC can reveal.

Abu Zubaydah was the first man subjected to the CIA's "enhanced interrogation” techniques after the 11 September 2001 attacks. It was claimed he was a senior al-Qaeda member. The US government later withdrew the allegation.

MI5 and MI6 passed questions to the CIA for use during Zubaydah's interrogations despite knowing of his extreme mistreatment.

He brought a legal claim against the UK on the basis that its intelligence services were "complicit" in his torture.

Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1rbfUog

For more news, analysis and features visit: www.bbc.com/news

#UK #US #BBCNews

How did South Korea become the world’s second-largest exporter of cosmetics?

The promise of pore-free, glassy, youthful-looking skin has made Korean beauty products a global phenomenon.

Americans spent as much $1.7bn (£1.3bn) on K-beauty in 2024, according to industry estimates, and the US now imports more cosmetics from South Korea than any other country.

Asma Khalid from The Global Story podcast speaks to Elise Hu, the host of TED Daily Talks host and author of 'Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital'.

You can listen to new episodes of The Global Story every day on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts. If you’re in the UK, you can listen on BBC Sounds.

Link: https://bbc.in/4swFEA5

Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1rbfUog

For more news, analysis and features visit: www.bbc.com/news

#BBCNews #kbeauty #koreanskincare

Chapters:

00:00 The South Korean cosmetic boom

01:50 Elise Hu

04:30 What is K-Beauty?

06:50 The commercialisation of K-Beauty products

10:12 The soft power government strategy

14:10 K-Beauty stores in America

16:10 How effective are the products?

President Donald Trump says Iranian leaders have contacted the US to "negotiate", as he considers taking military action in the country in response to the killing of protesters.

Speaking to reporters on board Air Force One, Trump said a meeting was being set up - but added he may have to act before any meeting.

Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed by security forces in Iran since late December.

The US-based Human Rights Activist News Agency says it has verified the deaths of nearly 500 protesters.

Iranian authorities have imposed an internet shutdown since Thursday, making it hard to obtain information from the country.

Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1rbfUog

For more news, analysis and features visit: www.bbc.com/news

#Iran #US #BBCNews

Iran has told President Trump that it will retaliate if attacked, after two weeks of mass protests and warnings from President Trump that the US may intervene.

There’s been an increasingly brutal response from the Iranian regime to the protests, with evidence that hundreds of people have been killed by the security forces. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said more than 500 people had been killed and reported that more than 10,000 people had been arrested.

The protests have spread from the capital Tehran to cities and towns across the country, with open demands for an end to the religious regime led by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The US President Donald Trump has said he plans to “rescue” protesters if the Iranian government killed them.. He has stated on social media that: “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!”. It’s understood that President Trump is preparing to discuss military options with senior advisers.

The Speaker of Iran’s parliament said that would lead to retaliation, suggesting that Israel as well as US bases in the region could be targeted.

Reeta Chakrabarti presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Lyse Doucet.

Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1rbfUog

For more news, analysis and features visit: www.bbc.com/news

#BBCNews

Since Peter Mandelson's sacking as US ambassador over his links to the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, he's remained silent, until now.

She questions him over Trump, Epstein, and what Number 10 really knew. In this episode we go through what the interview was like, what he said, and why he’s saying it now.

Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1rbfUog

For more news, analysis and features visit: www.bbc.com/news

#BBCNews

Lord Mandelson has said he never saw girls at Jeffrey Epstein's properties, and declined to apologise to the late paedophile's victims for maintaining his friendship with the American because he was not "knowledgeable of what he was doing".

Speaking to the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg in his first interview since being sacked as the UK's ambassador to the US over his links to Epstein, he told us that he thought he had been "kept separate" from the sexual side of the late financier's life because he was gay.

He was fired after emails emerged showing supportive messages he had sent to Epstein after the American was convicted for soliciting prostitution from a minor.

The former ambassador said the only people he had seen at Epstein's properties were "middle-aged housekeepers".

He said he would have apologised were he "in any way complicit or culpable" but stressed that was never the case.

Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1rbfUog

For more news, analysis and features visit: www.bbc.com/news

#LordMandelson #JeffreyEpstein #UKPolitics #BBCNews