BBC News (World)

Ohio votes to enshrine abortion rights in state constitution

Ohio voted to enshrine abortion rights in its constitution on Tuesday, marking a major victory for pro-choice campaigners in the state.

The BBC's US partner CBS News projected a decisive victory for the amendment.

Early returns showed almost 58% of voters in the conservative-leaning state had backed it.

Its projected success is likely to bolster Democrats' hopes that abortion rights remain a winning issue ahead of elections in 2024. read more

Donald Trump clashes repeatedly with judge during New York testimony

Former US President Donald Trump clashed repeatedly with a judge while testifying in New York at a civil fraud trial that threatens his property empire.

An exasperated Judge Arthur Engoron told Mr Trump the hearing in Manhattan was not a political rally.

New York's attorney general is seeking a $250m (£202m) fine and severe restrictions on the family business.

Judge Engoron has already ruled the Trump Organization committed fraud. read more

Hamburg Airport hostage drama is over, police say

A hostage situation at Hamburg Airport involving a young child has ended after 18 hours, according to local police.

The man drove through a security barrier and on to the airport tarmac on Saturday night with his four-year-old daughter in the car and parked under a plane.

He eventually gave himself up to the authorities "without resistance", according to police, and was arrested.

"The child appears to be unharmed," they wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

The incident caused the disruption of several flights in and out of the airport. Efforts are now under way to resume operations. read more

Moussa Dadis Camara: Guinea ex-ruler sprung from jail by armed men

Guinea's former military ruler, Moussa Dadis Camara, has been sprung from prison by armed men, the country's justice minister says.

The group stormed a jail in the capital, Conakry, early on Saturday morning - freeing Capt Camara and three others. One has since been found.

The fugitives are currently on trial for their alleged roles in deaths of more than 150 people in a 2009 protest.

The country's borders have been closed as the authorities hunt for them. read more

Nepal earthquake: More than 100 killed in remote western Nepal

More than 100 people have been killed after an earthquake struck remote western Nepal on Friday.

Security forces have been deployed to help rescue efforts in the rugged districts of Jajarkot and West Rukum, 500km (310 miles) west of Kathmandu.

Strong tremors were felt far away in the Nepalese capital and in cities in neighbouring India, including Delhi.

The army spokesman said more than 100 people had been injured. Jajarkot's hospital is packed with the wounded.

Three more tremors were felt within an hour of the quake, and many people have spent the rest of the night in the open because of fear of further quakes and damage to their houses. read more

'Crypto King' Sam Bankman-Fried guilty of FTX fraud

Sam Bankman-Fried, who once ran one of the world's biggest cryptocurrency exchanges, has been found guilty of fraud and money laundering at the end of a month-long trial in New York.

The jury delivered its verdict after just a few hours of deliberations.

It concludes a stunning fall from grace for the 31-year-old former billionaire and one of the most public faces of the crypto industry.

Bankman-Fried was arrested last year after his firm, FTX, went bankrupt.

He now faces decades in prison. read more

Arvind Kejriwal: Delhi chief minister to be questioned in corruption case

Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi's chief minister and leader of the governing Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), is set to be questioned by India's financial crimes agency.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is investigating an alleged fraud case related to a now-scrapped liquor sale policy in the state.

AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh have been arrested in the case.

AAP has denied the allegations against its leaders and accused the federal government of political vendetta. read more

Uganda court fines US couple $28,000 for child cruelty

A US couple has been fined ($28,000; £23,000) by a Ugandan court after they pleaded guilty to child cruelty and "inhumane treatment" of their 10-year-old foster child.

Nicholas and Mackenzie Spencer accepted the charges under a deal which saw far more serious charges dropped.

They had been charged with child trafficking and torture, for which they could have faced life in prison.

The pair made the boy sleep on a wooden platform and fed him cold food. read more

Bolivia severs diplomatic ties with Israel over Gaza war

Bolivia has cut diplomatic ties with Israel over what it describes as "aggressive and disproportionate" military actions in Gaza.

Deputy Foreign Minister Freddy Mamani said Bolivia called for a ceasefire and would be supplying the blockaded Gaza Strip with aid.

It is the first Latin American country to cut ties with Israel over the war.

The presidents of Colombia and Brazil have also both criticised the actions of Israel in Gaza.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro called for Israel's ambassador to leave the country before stepping back the comments. read more

Israel Gaza: US rejects global calls for ceasefire

The US has rejected global calls for a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, arguing it is not the "right answer right now".

National Security spokesperson John Kirby made the comments on Monday, suggesting instead "pauses" to allow aid to be delivered inside Gaza.

Currently, supplies of food, water, fuel and medicines for Gaza's 2.2 million residents are dangerously low.

But Israel has vowed there will be no ceasefire until Hamas is dismantled. read more

Matthew Perry cause of death inconclusive pending toxicology tests

The cause of Matthew Perry's death is unknown and has been "deferred" pending further investigation.

The LA Times and TMZ, which first reported the Friends actor had died, said the star was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his house on Saturday.

Perry's post-mortem examination was inconclusive, while officials await the results of toxicology tests.

There were no obvious signs of trauma, an LA Police spokesperson confirmed to CBS News, the BBC's US partner. read more

Andhra Pradesh: India train crash kills 13 and injures dozens

At least 13 people have died and about 50 are injured after two passenger trains collided in India's southern Andhra Pradesh state on Sunday.

A rescue operation was launched and hundreds of emergency workers were at the site to clear the wreckage.

Officials said a preliminary investigation has found that a "human error" had led to the collision.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences and said he was in touch with the railways minister.

The crash took place in the Vizianagaram district on Sunday evening. read more

Anti-Israel mob storms Dagestan airport in Russia

Israel has urged Russia to protect "all its citizens and all Jews" after a large mob, some shouting antisemitic slogans, stormed a Dagestan airport.

Video footage on social media showed an angry crowd running through the airport in Makhachkala, reportedly seeking people arriving from Tel Aviv.

Some of the crowd ran onto the runway and surrounded aircraft there.

Russia's aviation agency said the situation was under control after authorities had arrived on the scene.

Rosaviatsia added that the airport would be "provisionally closed" until 6 November. read more

Matthew Perry obituary: Friends brought fame but couldn't quell personal demons

While on screen he was making millions laugh on TV's biggest show, Matthew Perry was locked in a painful cycle of addiction, and a battle with demons that stemmed from a damaged childhood.

In 1986, after moving to Los Angeles, Matthew Perry was convinced fame would wash all his problems away.

"I yearned for it more than any other person on the face of the planet," he wrote in his candid memoir last year.

"I needed it. It was the only thing that would fix me. I was certain of it."

Perry would eventually get his wish, becoming one of the six central stars of the most beloved sitcom of the past 30 years. read more

Maine mass shooting suspect found dead

A man suspected of killing 18 people in a shooting in Maine has been found dead after a three-day manhunt, police say.

Robert Card, 40, was found dead from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound, Maine Commissioner of Public Safety Michael Sauschuck said.

The news comes hours after police lifted a stay-at-home order for the normally quiet community.

Among the dead are a grandfather, a talented young bowler, and four deaf locals, ranging in age from 14 to 76. read more

Why Li Keqiang's death is dangerous for Xi Jinping

The death of a leader in China can usher in big changes, it did after Mao Zedong, or can lead to political upheaval, like it did when grieving for Hu Yaobang morphed into the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.

For this reason, the passing of former premier Li Keqiang has already triggered various measures to ensure that stability is maintained.

A crackdown on VPN use is under way to reduce the access of Chinese citizens to the parts of the internet not controlled by the Communist Party.

The Party doesn't want mourning for a popular, liberal, former number two leader to generate wider criticism of the current administration, led by Xi Jinping. read more

Manhunt for Maine shooting suspect enters second day

The manhunt for a US Army reservist suspected of murdering 18 people and injuring 13 others in a mass shooting in Maine has entered its second day.

Police say Robert Card is armed and dangerous and are asking people to shelter inside their homes for safety.

On Thursday night, police converged on a home in Bowdoin, around a 20 minute drive from Lewiston where the shooting happened the night earlier.

Police said they were executing several search warrants. read more

Wael Al-Dahdouh: Al Jazeera reporter's family killed in Gaza strike

The family of an Al Jazeera news reporter has been killed in an Israeli air strike on Gaza, the network has confirmed.

Wael Al-Dahdouh's wife, teenage son and young daughter were all killed at a refugee camp in central Gaza on Wednesday, Al Jazeera said in a statement.

It later reported that his grandson had died as well.

Al Jazeera condemned the killings and Israel's "indiscriminate attack".

According to the news organisation, Al-Dahdouh's family was living in a house at the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza after being displaced from northern Gaza following Israel's warning to residents to move south due to ongoing military action. read more

At least 16 feared dead in mass shootings in US city of Lewiston, Maine

Police in the US city of Lewiston, Maine have warned a gunman is on the loose, with reports that at least 16 people have been killed.

Residents of the city, as well as the nearby town of Lisbon, have been told to shelter in place.

Police named Robert Card, 40, as a person of interest and said he should be considered "armed and dangerous".

The White House said President Joe Biden had been briefed on the situation and would continue to receive updates. read more

Hurricane Otis smashes into Mexico coast

Hurricane Otis has made landfall on the coast of southern Mexico, bringing wind speeds of up to 165mph (270km/h).

It touched down near the popular Acapulco resort just after midnight on Wednesday (06:25 GMT), the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

Authorities have warned of a life-threatening storm surge and the possibility of landslides as heavy rain pelts the area.

The storm has already begun to weaken as it moves inland.

David Hall arrived at the Princess Mundo Imperial resort in Acapulco for a work conference hours before Otis made landfall. He told the BBC that the building had been damaged by the wind and rain. read more