Here are today’s top stories.
EU gives Britain a Brexit delay and warns: ‘Do not waste this time’
The European Union has forced Britain to accept a six-month delay to the intractable Brexit process, with an option to leave earlier if the UK Parliament can agree a deal, at a tense summit of divided European leaders in Brussels.
Japanese F-35 fighter crashes into the Pacific
A Japanese F-35 fighter crashed into the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, raising questions about reliability and security of the most expensive weapons system ever made.
Sudan’s armed forces to make ‘statement’ as anti-government protestors celebrate
Sudanese activists have circulated a statement from a purported Military Transitional Council announcing the removal of the country’s President Omar Al-Bashir from power.
Xiaomi’s founder got a nearly $1 billion bonus and is donating it all to charity
The founder and CEO of Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi is receiving a huge bonus for a year in which the company went public. And he’s donating all of it to charity.
That image of a black hole you saw everywhere today? Thank this grad student for making it possible
The effort wouldn’t have succeeded without Katie Bouman, who developed a crucial algorithm and helped devise imaging methods.
A pilot had to divert a red-eye flight because a passenger tried — twice — to light a cigarette
An Alaska Airlines flight from San Francisco to Philadelphia was forced to divert, all thanks to a belligerent passenger who tried twice to light up inside the cabin.
Netanyahu set for fifth term as Israel’s leader as rival concedes defeat
Benjamin Netanyahu was on course to secure a record fifth term as Israeli Prime Minister after his main election rival conceded defeat on Wednesday evening.
Dwyane Wade: ‘You did us proud,’ Obama tells NBA star
Wade’s social activism to advance past final game Wednesday.
Algeria sets July election after protests
Algeria will hold presidential elections on 4 July, interim leader Abdelkader Bensalah has announced. It comes after a wave of protests led long-term President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, 82, to resign last week. Demonstrations continued on Wednesday, with more expected. The temporary appointment of Mr Bensalah, speaker of the Algerian parliament’s upper house, has frustrated some protesters who hoped for more radical change.
S Korea abortion ban ‘unconstitutional’
South Korea’s ban on abortion has been ruled unconstitutional in a historic court decision. The country’s constitutional court ordered that the law must be revised by the end of 2020. Under the 1953 ban, women who procured abortions could be fined and imprisoned, except in cases of rape, incest or risk to their health.
Millions of Indians start casting votes
Being a poll booth official in India is not an easy job! They have a lot on their plate, from setting up booths to sorting through seemingly endless electoral rolls. Here are some election officials in the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir busy checking the electronic voting machines before polling began.
‘Hero’ digs road by hand for villagers
A man in Kenya has told the BBC he decided to dig a road by hand through thick bush to nearby shops to spare the suffering of his fellow villagers. Using a hoe, spade and axe, Nicholas Muchami has so far cleared 1.5km (one mile) in six days – and has a short way to go to complete the road.
The introvert’s guide to networking
Networking, used as a verb, sounds a bit like a contact sport – something akin to excruciating speed-dating with business cards. However delightful your immediate circle of friends and family may be, people you already know can’t always (or even usually) help you find a great new job or other opportunity.
Cape Town’s inspiring medical marvel
Dawn was breaking on 3 December 1967, an otherwise unremarkable day in apartheid South Africa. But in operating theatre 2A, deep in the bowels of Cape Town’s Groote Schuur Hospital, history was being made. Around 06:00, with Professor Christiaan Neethling Barnard watching anxiously from behind his surgical mask, the heart of Denise Darvall lurched unsteadily back to life, slowly finding its rhythm.
What’s actually going on in that cryptic black hole photo?
“We have now seen the unseeable.” These are the words spoken by astrophysicist Avery Broderick on Wednesday morning, one of some 200 scientists of the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration who captured humanity’s first image of a black hole – a zone of space so gravitationally powerful that whatever light falls in can’t possibly escape.
First image of a black hole captured by astronomers
A remarkable image of a massive black hole in the Messier 87 galaxy was captured by astronomers.
Oprah and Prince Harry are making a mental health documentary series for Apple
Entertainment royalty and literal British royalty have come together to make television for Apple. That’s right, Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry teamed up to create a multi-part documentary series focused on mental health for Apple TV+, the company’s new streaming service.
Chris Hemsworth wants to be the next James Bond
In a new interview, Thor actor Chris Hemsworth admitted he is interested in playing the legendary British spy. Daniel Craig is currently set to return for the 25th installation in the James Bond movie series. The actor has confirmed it will be the last time he portrays Bond.
Apple removes song that referenced Tiananmen Square Massacre from China’s Apple Music
Music streaming services like Apple Music and Spotify are great – you pay a monthly fee and get access to virtually unlimited music – until songs suddenly disappear.
Annoyed bird seemingly asks Alexa to turn off music
While Frank Sinatra’s ‘New York, New York’ plays, a bird seemingly asks Alexa to turn it off.
Elon Musk is taunting Jeff Bezos with cat emoji now
One day, you might be telling your grandson that the great satellite broadband race of the 21st century began with a cat emoji. On Wednesday, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk called Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos a “copycat” (with the “cat” bit supplanted with a cat emoji) on Twitter, pointing to news of Amazon planning to launch a satellite-powered broadband service.
