BBC11:49 AM
California teen wins US spelling bee - but could you compete? Take our quiz
Nine kids have battled it out in the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee finals - can you spell as well as they did?
More in this edition
10 stories
The Guardian11:49 AMWHO chief arrives in DRC promising Ebola outbreak ‘can be stopped’
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus calls for ceasefire, saying no conflict is worth condemning people to death from preventable diseaseThe deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo can be stopped, the head of the World Health Organization has said, as he arrived in the country to support efforts to contain the disease.Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived in Kinsasha on Thursday and was due on Friday to travel to Ituri province, in the north-east, where the outbreak was centred. Continue reading...
The Guardian11:49 AMFriday briefing: What do the cuts in aid mean for the fight against Ebola in the DRC?
In today’s newsletter: As the virus spreads across borders, health workers warn that weakened global support is making a prolonged crisis more likelyEbola is spreading rapidly in parts of east Africa. The deadly disease, which kills around half of those it infects, is suspected to have claimed the lives of at least 240 people since the outbreak began in Ituri province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo earlier this month.Public health officials are scrambling to contain the virus in one of the toughest environments: Ituri province, the centre of the crisis, is a mining hub where thousands of people work in close proximity every day, and a conflict zone, with ongoing fighting between rebel groups. Medical facilities are modest, while waves of displaced people are being forced into overcrowded camps to escape fighting, making it even harder to control transmission. The virus has already spread to other regions in eastern DRC and the Ugandan capital Kampala.UK news | Britain risks a financial hit worth £125bn a year after a rise in the number of young people not in employment or education to more than 1 million.US-Israel-Iran | Donald Trump has circulated a draft peace agreement for the war with Iran among allies including Israel as both sides try to prevent fresh breaches of the ceasefire escalating out of control.UK politics | Andy Burnham has rolled back from his previous calls for ministers to scrap a restriction on immigrants claiming benefits as the Makerfield byelection places greater scrutiny on him.Ukraine | A Russian drone that was part of an overnight attack on Ukraine crashed into an apartment building in eastern Romania, injuring two people, authorities said, in what an official statement condemned as an “irresponsible escalation” by Moscow.Climate crisis | Abandoning net zero and drilling for more oil and gas would be a massive setback for the UK and would not help the economy, leading experts have said in response to Tony Blair. Continue reading...
The Guardian11:49 AMDormitory fire at Kenyan girls’ school kills at least 16 students
Parents face anxious wait for updates after blaze tears through Utumishi girls academy in Gilgil, Nakuru countyA fire has ripped through a dormitory at a girls’ school in Kenya’s Rift valley, killing at least 16 students.The fire broke out just after midnight at Utumishi girls academy in Gilgil, Nakuru county, about 76 miles north-west of Nairobi, police said. Continue reading...
The Guardian11:49 AMUS building Ebola quarantine center in Kenya for Americans amid outbreak
Some experts criticize White House approach and say not allowing Americans to return to US hurts treatment effortsThe Trump administration is building a quarantine and treatment center in Kenya for Americans affected by the Ebola outbreak, instead of bringing them home.The White House on Wednesday confirmed that the US was setting up a facility in Kenya for Americans to quarantine after Ebola exposure in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Continue reading...
The Guardian11:49 AMWHO chief calls for DRC ceasefire to tackle Ebola outbreak
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warns of ‘catastrophic collision of disease and conflict’, as Uganda closes border with DRC The head of the World Health Organization has called for an immediate ceasefire in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo to help tackle the Ebola outbreak there, as Uganda closed its border with its neighbour in an effort to stop the spread.Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus posted on social media that the region was in the midst of a “catastrophic collision of disease and conflict with the Ebola outbreak in Ituri province outpacing the response”. Tedros said on Monday that he would travel to the DRC this week. Continue reading...
The Guardian11:49 AMAnger at decision not to extradite Canadian suicide kit supplier to face UK justice
Kenneth Law expected to admit to sending products internationally in knowledge they would probably be used to end livesBereaved families whose loved ones were the victims of an online supplier of suicide kits say they feel insulted by a decision not to prosecute him in the UK.Kenneth Law was due to appear in court on Friday in Ontario, Canada, accused of selling 1,200 suicide packages across 40 countries, including the UK. Continue reading...
The Guardian11:49 AMGuatemala requests US military cooperation against drug trafficking
Central American country says its president spoke with Pete Hegseth to confirm terms of cooperationSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailGuatemala has requested US military cooperation spanning access to equipment, training and experts to assist Guatemalan operations against drug trafficking, the country’s president, Bernardo Arévalo, said on Thursday.The joint plans stopped short of US military operations on Guatemalan soil and fall within existing bilateral agreements, the government noted. Continue reading...
The Guardian11:49 AMClashes between armed groups in Colombia kill at least 52
Rival groups are vying for territorial control of strategic cocaine production and trafficking regionAt least 52 guerrilla fighters have been killed in clashes between two rival armed groups vying for territorial control of a strategic cocaine production and trafficking region in south-east Colombia, a faction of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) involved in the fighting has said.The clashes, the most violent in recent months, took place in the jungles of the department of Guaviare, near the village of Barranco Colorado. Continue reading...
The Guardian11:49 AMCarney calls for new US-Canada partnership to ‘help make America great again’
Canada prime minister urges greater economic cooperation between the two countries in speech delivered in New YorkCanada’s prime minister, Mark Carney has called for a new relationship with the United States to “help make America great again”.In a speech delivered in New York on Thursday, Carney said that there should be a “true partnership” that reimagines cooperation in specific sectors challenged by global competition. Continue reading...
The Guardian11:49 AMFamily accuse UK government of lack of support over death of Briton in Grenada
Pathologist found Andrew Frederick’s death was a homicide but UK authorities refused specialist helpThe grieving family of a British man found dead in his home on the Caribbean island of Grenada have accused UK authorities of failing to support their fight for justice.The family of Andrew Frederick, 47, whose body was discovered on 4 January, are calling for an urgent review of the policies governing UK assistance to the loved ones of Britons killed abroad. Continue reading...