Here are today’s biggest headlines.
Russian plane crash-lands outside Moscow after striking flock of gulls
A Russian passenger jet flew into a flock of birds then crash-landed in a cornfield just outside a Moscow airport Thursday, according to Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency.
Seized Iranian tanker Grace 1 to be released despite US plea
Gibraltar’s Supreme Court on Thursday approved the immediate release of Grace 1, an Iranian oil tanker seized off the country’s coast last month, despite 11th-hour efforts by the United States to block it.
Report: Epstein autopsy finds broken bones in his neck
An autopsy performed on Jeffrey Epstein showed he “sustained multiple breaks in his neck bones,” the Washington Post reported Wednesday.
Israel considers barring Democratic congresswomen from visiting
Israel is considering barring two Democratic congresswomen — Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar — from an upcoming visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories because of their support for a boycott against Israel, according to an Israeli government official.
The suspect in the Philadelphia standoff has been identified as Maurice Hill
A man who police say shot at officers during a standoff that lasted nearly eight hours in Philadelphia has been identified as Maurice Hill, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross told CNN.
Promoter defends Joshua-Ruiz fight in Saudi Arabia
Muhammad Ali’s fights against George Foreman — “the Rumble in the Jungle” — and Joe Frazier — the “Thrilla in Manila” — helped establish boxing’s heavyweight division in the global public’s consciousness.
Man dies after taco-eating contest at California baseball game
A man died Tuesday night after participating in a taco eating competition at a minor league baseball game. The competition took place last night at Chukchansi Park in Fresno, California, during a game between the Fresno Grizzlies and Memphis Redbirds.
The Japanese Air Force One is up for sale for $28 million
(CNN) – It’s not every day you go shopping for a VIP jumbo jet, but one unique offering is attracting attention online. A Boeing 747-400 which has flown 14 Japanese prime ministers and the country’s emperor around the world is up for sale, according to a listing on aviation trade publication Controller.
A surfer in Hawaii survives after a shark bites a chunk out of his surfboard
On Sunday evening, Max Keliikipi was driving home from work when he saw the waves at Makaha Beach on Oahu, Hawaii.
Snapchat creators earn serious money from making AR filters
Many Snapchat creators are finding ways to earn tens of thousands of dollars by creating sponsored AR filters for brands, including Nike and Fanta, and selling merchandise such as t-shirts.
Africa Live: Nigeria’s president moves to block food imports
That’s all from BBC Africa Live for today, we will now leave you with an automated service until Thursday morning. A reminder of today’s wise words: When a woman enters into marriage she takes her mother with her. An Akan proverb sent by Edmund Ofei, Cape Coast, Ghana.
LGBT group sues YouTube, claiming discrimination
A group of YouTube video-makers is suing it and parent company Google, claiming both discriminate against LGBT-themed videos and their creators. The group claims YouTube restricts advertising on LGBT videos and limits their reach and discoverability. But YouTube said sexual orientation and gender identity played no role in deciding whether videos could earn ad revenue or appear in search results.
Neymar: Paris St-Germain reject Barcelona & Real Madrid bids for Brazil forward
Barcelona and Real Madrid have made unsuccessful offers for Paris St-Germain forward Neymar, says BBC Radio 5 Live’s Guillem Balague. Neymar’s former club Barcelona are believed to have offered 100m euros (£92.4m) plus Philippe Coutinho. Ivan Rakitic was also discussed with the French club as part of the deal for the 27-year-old Brazil international.
How medieval monks are revealing our universe’s mysteries – BBC Reel
How analysis of texts from the early medieval period can help us understand comets – and our universe.
China to take ‘countermeasures’ against US tariffs
While the better-than-expected retail sales figures will have brought some joy, Karen Johnson, head of retail & wholesale at Barclays Corporate Banking warns that retailers are unlikely to get carried away, as the threat of Brexit is still “looming”. “Online continued to thrive, with sales now accounting for a fifth of the total retail spend.
Tinder and Bumble try keg-standing their way to success
The wholesome, all-American tradition of drunken Texas fraternity parties just got even more American: they’re now part of a corporate marketing ploy! A new report from The Houston Chronicle lays bare a genius if somewhat troubling user acquisition scheme by dating apps Bumble and Tinder.
Facebook let contractors listen to audio recordings from users
Facebook was listening. Sort of. It turns out the company that only recently made a performative pivot toward privacy was paying contractors to listen to and transcribe users’ conversations, according to Bloomberg . Notably, the contractors reportedly did not know how Facebook obtained the audio and weren’t informed as to why it needed to be transcribed.
British Airways will give you VR for in-flight entertainment
Commercial virtual reality has, so far, mostly manifested itself in the living rooms of people with lots of disposable income. But British Airways is hopping on a VR bandwagon that could actually be pretty useful. The UK airline announced Wednesday that it would start offering VR headsets in a trial capacity to select passengers in flights.
Twitter wants you to follow ‘interests’, instead of just people
Twitter just unveiled yet another experiment it’s hoping will help make its service a more welcoming place: the ability to follow topics the same way you might follow individual accounts.
