Author Archives: OP King

Image copyrightAFPImage captionBoko Haram’s insurgency has displaced more than two million people and left 20,000 dead The Islamist militant group Boko Haram has released 13 people who were kidnapped in north-eastern Nigeria last year, the government says. They include 10 women seized during an attack on a police convoy and three lecturers from Maiduguri takenContinue reading “Boko Haram releases 13 hostages to Nigerian government”

Image captionArtwork: The way ‘Oumuamua tumbles suggests it was involved in a collision The space interloper ‘Oumuamua is spinning chaotically and will carry on doing so for more than a billion years. That is the conclusion of new Belfast research that has examined in detail the light bouncing off the cigar-shaped asteroid from outside ourContinue reading “‘Oumuamua: ‘space cigar’s’ tumble hints at violent past”

Image copyrightAFPImage captionThe lawyer was a pro-democracy activist, a critic of Pakistan’s security establishment, and a women’s rights defender Prominent Pakistani human rights activist and lawyer Asma Jahangir has died at the age of 66. She reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest and was taken to hospital, where she later died. The pro-democracy activist championed women’sContinue reading “Asma Jahangir: Pakistan human rights champion dies”

Image copyrightHANDOUTImage captionEgypt’s ministry of defence released pictures of its armoured vehicles on the road to North Sinai Egypt says it has killed 16 Islamist militants in an operation in Sinai in the north-east of the country. Dozens of targets including weapons dumps, motorbikes and cars were also destroyed, a statement from the military says.Continue reading “Egypt army says it killed 16 jihadists in Sinai”

Media captionThe story of the jet, why it was in Syria, and how it was shot down Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu says his country will defend itself “against any attack” after carrying out what appear to be its largest strikes on sites in Syria in decades. Israel launched raids against Iranian targets after saying itContinue reading “Israel warns Iran after launching major raids in Syria”

Image copyrightREUTERSImage captionSwedish bookseller Gui Minhai, who is detained in China, gave a video interview in which he condemned Stockholm. It’s not clear if he was speaking under duress. State media in China have accused Sweden of a movie-style plot to spirit away detained bookseller Gui Minhai, who has Swedish citizenship. The Hong Kong-based businessmanContinue reading “Gui Minhai: Chinese press attacks Sweden over bookseller”

Image copyrightEPAImage captionThe missing plane was An-148 like the one in this archive picture A Russian airliner carrying 71 passengers and crew has crashed after vanishing from radar screens as it left a Moscow airport for the Urals, media say. The Saratov Airlines An-148 regional jet was en route to the city of Orsk whenContinue reading “Russian jet ‘crashes’ after Moscow take-off”

Media captionTest shows fire danger of paraffin-based creams Hundreds of fire deaths may be linked to the use of skin creams containing paraffin, a senior firefighter warns. If people use the creams regularly but do not often change clothes or bedding, paraffin residue can soak into the fabric and act as an accelerant when itContinue reading “Warning hundreds of fire deaths may be linked to skin creams”

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionThe accident happened at the West Rim of the Grand Canyon A tourist helicopter has crashed in the Grand Canyon in the US state of Arizona, killing three people and injuring at least four. The aircraft suffered “substantial damage”, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Authority said. It was in the GrandContinue reading “Grand Canyon helicopter crash kills three”

Image copyrightPAImage captionMr Jóhannsson was described by film critic Mark Kermode as a “great innovator” Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, who won a Golden Globe for his score to the film The Theory of Everything, has died aged 48, his manager says. Mr Jóhannsson was found dead at his apartment in Berlin. The cause of deathContinue reading “Jóhann Jóhannsson: Award-winning Icelandic composer dies aged 48”