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One of Vietnam's best-known climate activists has been sentenced to three years in prison over tax evasion. Hoang Thi Minh Hong is the fifth Vietnamese activist to be jailed over the charge. Campaigners say it is part of a state-authorised move to silence criticism of the country's climate policies. Hoang Thi Minh Hong was convicted on Thursday in Ho Chin Minh City in a trial that last just three hours. She was also fined $4,100 (£3,380). Human rights groups say this was a preordained outcome to a politically-driven case. They point out that activists have been treated more

Donald Trump "repeatedly" misrepresented his wealth by hundreds of millions of dollars to banks and insurers, a New York judge has ruled. The decision resolves the key claim made by New York's attorney general in her civil lawsuit against the former president. "The documents here clearly contain fraudulent valuations that defendants used in business," the judge wrote. It is a major blow for Mr Trump before the case goes to trial next Monday. An attorney for Mr Trump called the judge's decision "a miscarriage of justice" in a statement on Tuesday evening. Attorney Gener

The US is "in a space race with China to go back to the moon", says Nasa chief Bill Nelson. In a BBC interview, Mr Nelson says he wants to make sure "we get there first". His comments revive memories of the 1960s and 1970s, when Nasa was in a space race with the Soviet Union. But half a century later, Nasa is employing private companies to do much more of the work. Mr Nelson says they are crucial because it allows for the huge costs to be shared, and for Nasa to draw on "the creativity of entrepreneurs in the private sector". วิธีเล่นบาคาร่า

Given the dramatic developments in Canada, where PM Trudeau has said there is credible evidence to suggest India was involved in the killing of a Canadian Sikh, it is unsurprising that rumours now swirl around the deaths of other Sikh activists around the world, including in the UK. Avtar Singh Khanda, 35, was well known for his support of the creation of a breakaway Sikh homeland, Khalistan. He died from a sudden illness in Birmingham in June, and some of those close to him insinuate there was foul play involved. West Midlands Police say they thoroughly reviewed the case and th

People living with long Covid after being admitted to hospital are more likely to show some damage to major organs, according to a new study. MRI scans revealed patients were three times more likely to have some abnormalities in multiple organs such as the lungs, brain and kidneys. Researchers believe there is a link with the severity of the illness. It is hoped the UK study will help in the development of more effective treatments for long Covid. The study, published in Lancet Respiratory Medicine, looked at 259 patients who fell so ill with the virus that they were admitt

Hong Kong police are investigating allegations of fraud against cryptocurrency trading platform JPEX after investors complained of HK$1.3bn ($166m; £134m) in losses. Eleven people, including popular influencers, were arrested this week after complaints filed by 2,000 people. The case could be one of Hong Kong's biggest fraud cases, local media say. It also tests new financial regulations as Hong Kong positions itself as a global hub for virtual assets. Bitcoin to blockchain: What key crypto words mean Last week, Hong Kong's Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) revea

India has urged its citizens travelling to or living in Canada to "exercise utmost caution". The advisory comes a day after tensions escalated between the countries with each expelling a diplomat from the other side. Canada said it was investigating "credible allegations" linking the Indian state with the killing of a Sikh separatist leader. India strongly denied this, calling the allegations "absurd". Analysts say relations between the countries, which have been strained for months, are now at an all-time low. How India-Canada ties descended into a public feud Wh

As Australia edged into spring in 2019, former fire brigade chief Greg Mullins warned the country was disastrously primed to burn. Over and over, he begged to be heard. In letters, phone calls, press conferences and countless interviews, he painted an apocalyptic picture of the summer ahead. But his pleas fell on deaf ears, and his premonitions would come true. Over the coming months, Mr Mullins watched on as 24 million hectares was torched - an area the size of the UK. Almost 2,500 homes burned down, and 480 people died in the flames and smoke. Now a worrying combination o

A prominent Sikh leader was brazenly murdered this summer outside a temple in British Columbia (BC), Canada. The death has outraged his supporters and intensified global tensions between Sikh separatists and the Indian government. On a mid-June evening in the busy parking lot of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in the city of Surrey, Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead in his truck by two masked gunmen. Months later, the unsolved killing continues to reverberate, in Canada and across borders. Hundreds of Sikh separatists took to the streets in Toronto, along with a handful others in citie

A Gold Coast man who filmed himself taking his pet snake for a surf has been fined by Australian wildlife authorities. Higor Fiuza and his bredli carpet python Shiva became local celebrities earlier this month after video of them catching waves went viral. But their short-lived fame also tipped off wildlife protection officers. They say the man endangered Shiva and breached his permit to keep the snake by taking her out in public. Queensland's Department of Environment and Science says it began investigating the surfing duo after Mr Fiuza appeared in local media, and this w

A Bangladesh court has sentenced two prominent human rights activists to two years in jail, in what critics say is part of a crackdown ahead of elections. Adilur Rahman Khan and Nasiruddin Elan from rights group Odhikar always denied decade-old charges that they published a report with false information. But prosecutors said their report on security force killings in 2013 "undermined" the country's image. The two were convicted on Thursday in Dhaka after a 10-year judicial process. Dozens of international human rights groups have called for the two men's immediate release,

Taiwan has told billionaire Elon Musk it is "not for sale" after he said the island was a part of China. "Listen up, Taiwan is not part of the PRC [People's Republic of China] & certainly not for sale!," foreign minister Joseph Wu said on Mr Musk's X. At a business summit this week, Mr Musk compared Taiwan to Hawaii, calling it an "integral part" of China. Beijing claims self-governed Taiwan and tensions between the two have ratcheted up over the past year. Just this week, China conducted air and naval drills around Taiwan, in what has become a routine show of military

An investigation is under way over a bodycam footage that appears to show a Seattle police officer laughing about a woman fatally struck by a patrol car. Officer Daniel Auderer was responding to an incident where Jaahnavi Kandula, 23, was killed near her university. In the video, the officer is heard suggesting the Indian student's life had "limited value" and the city should "just write a cheque". The officer has said his comments were taken out of context. Ms Kandula, a graduate student at the Northeastern University, was hit and killed by a police car while crossing the

Australia's highest court has rejected a bid by Qantas to overturn a ruling that it illegally outsourced 1,700 jobs during the pandemic. The court unanimously upheld that the carrier had unlawfully laid off staff at 10 airports in November 2020. The ruling found that Qantas breached Australia's Fair Work Act, which protects employee rights. Qantas apologised for the outsourcing, but maintained it was a necessary financial measure during Covid. The airline fired baggage handlers and cleaners at airports across Australia at a time when the nation had closed its borders and bu

In the tiny village of Algou, high in the Atlas Mountains, screams came from under the rubble in the terrifying moments after the earthquake. But as the hours passed and with no specialist rescue teams appearing to assist the desperate efforts of the villagers, the screams turned to silence. Three days on, the Spanish firefighters who were the first professional teams to reach the devastated community hoped time had not run out. As they briskly picked their way through caved-in streets and collapsed archways their experience told them there was, however, no hope. The grim r