BBC News (World)

India looks on nervously as Trump wields tariff threat

Last week India further slashed import duties on motorcycles, cutting tariffs on heavyweight bikes with engines above 1,600cc from 50% to 30% and smaller ones from 50% to 40%.

A pre-emptive move designed to further smoothen the entry of Harley Davidsons into India – and, Delhi hopes, ward off any threat of tariffs. US motorcycle exports to India were worth $3m last year. read more

What we know so far about Washington DC plane crash

A passenger plane carrying 64 passengers and crew has crashed into a river in Washington DC after it collided in mid-air with a US Army helicopter.

Eighteen bodies have been pulled from the Potomac River so far, where search and rescue teams are scouring the waters in freezing temperatures, according to a police official who spoke to the BBC's broadcast partner, CBS News.

Authorities are investigating, and the nearby Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has grounded all flights. read more

US judge temporarily blocks Trump's freeze on federal grants and loans

A US judge temporarily halted President Donald Trump's order to freeze hundreds of billions of dollars in federal grants and loans, minutes before it was set to come into effect on Tuesday.

Judge Loren AliKhan's order to pause the plan until next Monday at 17:00 EST (22:00 GMT) came in response to a lawsuit filed earlier in the day by a group of organisations representing grant recipients.

The lawsuit claims the White House's temporary freezing of already approved funding violates the law. read more

Nvidia shares sink as Chinese AI app spooks markets

US tech giant Nvidia lost over a sixth of its value after the surging popularity of a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) app spooked investors in the US and Europe.

DeepSeek, a Chinese AI chatbot reportedly made at a fraction of the cost of its rivals, launched last week but has already become the most downloaded free app in the US.

AI chip giant Nvidia and other tech firms connected to AI, including Microsoft and Google, saw their values tumble on Monday in the wake of DeepSeek's sudden rise. read more

India investigates 17 'mysterious' deaths in same village

Officials are investigating the "mysterious" deaths of 17 people - most of them children - in the same village in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir.

The deaths, including those of 12 children, have occurred in the remote village of Badhal in Jammu's Rajouri district since 7 December.

The victims initially displayed symptoms similar to food poisoning but suddenly lost consciousness, health officials said. read more

Trump pardons Silk Road dark web market creator Ross Ulbricht

US President Donald Trump says he has signed a full and unconditional pardon for Ross Ulbricht, who operated Silk Road, the dark web marketplace where illegal drugs were sold.

Ulbricht was convicted in 2015 in New York in a narcotics and money-laundering conspiracy and sentenced to life in prison.

Trump championed Ulbricht's cause, joining libertarians who said the conviction was an example of government overreach. On Tuesday, he said he had called Ulbricht's mother to inform her that he had granted a pardon to her son. read more

Eight Palestinians killed as Israeli forces launch major operation in Jenin

At least eight Palestinians have been killed and 35 injured by Israeli security forces during a major operation in Jenin in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry says.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military, police and Shin Bet security service had launched an "extensive and significant" operation to "defeat terrorism" in Jenin, which is seen as a stronghold of Palestinian armed groups.

Palestinian media said Israeli forces moved into Jenin and its refugee camp following several drone strikes. read more

Who has joined Trump's top team?

The new team entrusted with delivering Donald Trump's agenda is taking shape, with several contentious hires in his proposed administration.

Ahead of his return to the White House on 20 January 2025, Trump named Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host and military veteran, as his pick for defence secretary. And he wants Robert F Kennedy Jr to be health secretary.

Marco Rubio will be the next secretary of state. And billionaire supporter Elon Musk will play a role in cost-cutting.

Here is a closer look at the posts he has named replacements for, and the names in the mix for the top jobs yet to be filled. read more

Biden issues pre-emptive pardons for Fauci and Jan 6 riot committee

Joe Biden has pre-emptively pardoned Covid response chief Anthony Fauci and the members of the 6 January riot investigation to prevent what he called "unjustified... politically motivated prosecutions".

The outgoing US president said: "Our nation owes these public servants a debt of gratitude for their tireless commitment."

Trump, who will be inaugurated on Monday, regularly clashed with Dr Fauci during the pandemic and has suggested he would take action against those who tried to hold him accountable for the 6 January Capitol riot. read more

Trump launches cryptocurrency with price rocketing

US President-elect Donald Trump has launched his own cryptocurrency, which quickly soared in market capitalisation to several billion dollars.

His release of the meme coin, $Trump, comes as he prepares to take office on Monday as 47th president of the US.

The venture was co-ordinated by CIC Digital LLC - an affiliate of the Trump Organization - which has previously sold Trump-branded shoes and fragrances. read more

Israel's cabinet approves Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal

Israel's government has approved the new Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas, paving the way for it to take effect on Sunday.

The decision came after hours of discussions that continued late into the night. Two far-right ministers voted against the deal.

The security cabinet earlier recommended ratifying the agreement, saying it "supports the achievement of the objectives of the war", according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office. read more

Netanyahu says hostage deal now agreed

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says a "deal to release the hostages" has been agreed.

Netanyahu had delayed a cabinet vote to approve the Gaza ceasefire deal, due on Thursday, accusing Hamas of seeking last-minute changes to the agreement.

On Friday morning, the prime minister's office said he had been informed by the negotiating team that agreements on the deal had been reached. read more

Dozens killed as Israeli strikes continue ahead of Gaza ceasefire

Israeli air strikes are continuing in Gaza ahead of the ceasefire agreement and hostage deal with Hamas, which comes into effect on Sunday, subject to the Israeli cabinet's approval.

The strikes killed 73 people overnight, following the announcement of the deal, Gaza's Hamas-run civil defence agency reported.

Victims include 12 people who were living in a residential block in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood of Gaza City, the health ministry said. read more

S Korea impeached president arrested after investigators scale walls

Yoon Suk Yeol has become South Korea's first sitting president to be arrested after investigators scaled barricades and cut through barbed wire to take him into custody.

Yoon, 64, is being investigated on charges of insurrection for a failed martial law order on 3 December that plunged the country into turmoil.

He has also been impeached by parliament and suspended - but will only be removed from office if the Constitutional Court upholds the impeachment. read more

AfD embraces mass deportation of migrants as German election nears

Germany's far right is in a buoyant mood.

On Saturday, while its conference was under way in the eastern town of Riesa, in Saxony, Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) laid out ambitions to close Germany's borders, resume buying Russian gas and, in effect, dismantle the EU.

German media reported that party's agreed manifesto includes plans to quit the Paris climate deal, exit the Euro currency and create a new confederation of states. read more

Biden and Netanyahu discuss Gaza ceasefire talks as momentum builds

US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have spoken by phone - Biden's final week in office - as momentum builds towards a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal.

Israel and Hamas are understood to be making progress but uncertainty remains over key aspects of the potential agreement.

The White House said Biden discussed the "fundamentally changed regional circumstances" following Israel's ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon, the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, and the weakening of Iran's power in the region. read more

Trump threats cast ominous shadow over icy fjords of Greenland

With Donald Trump about to become president of the United States, his refusal to rule out taking Greenland by force is reverberating through conversations across the island.

"He's welcome to come visit for sure," says the skipper of the converted fishing boat taking us east. Conscious that he needs to do business with people of all political hues, he asked not to be named, but used a phrase I hear repeatedly here.

"Greenland belongs to Greenlanders. So, Trump can visit but that's it." read more

US announces $25m reward for arrest of Venezuela's Maduro

The US has announced an increased $25m (£20.4m) reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on the day he was sworn in for a third six-year term in office.

The inauguration ceremony was overshadowed by recrimination from the international community and Venezuelan opposition leaders.

Rewards have also been offered for information leading to the arrest and or conviction of Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello. A new reward of up to $15m for Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino has also been offered. read more

Israeli settlers in West Bank see Trump win as chance to go further

On a clear day, the skyscrapers of Tel Aviv are visible from the hill above Karnei Shomron, an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank.

"I do feel different from Tel Aviv," said Sondra Baras, who has lived in Karnei Shomron for almost 40 years. "I'm living in a place where my ancestors lived thousands of years ago. I do not live in occupied territory; I live in Biblical Judea and Samaria." read more

'Where do I go?' Chaos on Hollywood streets as people flee flames

Much of the heart of Hollywood is blanketed in thick smoke. You can barely see the tops of the towering palm trees that line streets here.

It is utter chaos on the streets near the fire. People are using sweatshirts to cover their faces so they can breathe. Many are carrying bags and suitcases looking for a place to go.

Some are wearing pyjamas, clearly taken by surprise. read more