Category: World

Sparklers on champagne bottles likely cause of deadly Swiss bar fire9 hours agoShareSaveNick Johnson,Crans-MontanaandAnna LamcheShareSaveFootage shows person trying to put out flames during deadly Swiss bar fireA fire at a bar in a Swiss ski resort appears to have been caused by sparklers placed on bottles of champagne that came “too close to the ceiling”, authorities said.
Forty people died after the blaze in the early hours of New Year's Day in Crans-Montana, while 119 were injured.
Valais Attorney General Beatrice Pilloud told a news conference on Friday the investigation would focus on the materials used on the site, the bar's fire safety measures, its capacity and the number of people inside at the time of the fire.
The investigation will explore whether prosecutions will be necessary. “If that is the case, and if those people are still alive, there will be a case opened against them,” she said.
“Everything leads us to think that the fire started from sparkling candles -..

'Living a nightmare': Families of teens missing after ski resort fire desperate for news11 hours agoShareSaveAleks PhillipsShareSaveSuppliedThe families of teenagers missing after a fire at a bar in a Swiss ski resort are facing an agonising wait for news and appealing for information about their loved ones online.
The fire in Crans-Montana was likely caused by sparklers placed on bottles of champagne that came “too close to the ceiling”, Swiss officials told a news conference on Friday.
An investigation into the fire will focus on the materials used at the site, the bar's fire safety measures, its capacity and the number of people inside at the time, Valais Attorney General Beatrice Pilloud said.
Swiss authorities have said it could take days if not weeks to identify the victims of the fire, which killed 40 people and injured another 119. Officials said 113 of the injured had been identified, with authorities still working to identify the other six.
In the meantime, fam..

Maduro says Venezuela open to US talks on drug trafficking2 hours agoShareSaveChris GrahamShareSaveReutersVenezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said on Thursday he was open to talks with the US on drug trafficking and oil, after weeks of an escalating pressure campaign against his government.
In an interview with Venezuelan state TV, Maduro said he was ready for dialogue with the US “wherever they want and whenever they want”.
He also evaded a question about President Donald Trump saying the US had attacked a docking facility in Venezuela, which was reportedly carried out by the CIA. The BBC has contacted the White House for comment.
It comes as US forces have been targeting vessels they suspect of smuggling narcotics through the Caribbean and eastern Pacific for the past three months.
In total, there have been more than 30 strikes on vessels as part of the Trump administration's “war on drugs” , with more than 110 people killed since the US carried out its first attack on a boat ..

Around 40 dead in Swiss ski resort bar fire, police say5 hours agoShareSaveJemma CrewandGabriela PomeroyShareSaveVideo shows fire spreading across Swiss bar ceilingAround 40 people have died after a fire ripped through a bar in a ski resort in southern Switzerland, police have said. A further 115 people are injured, many of them “severely”.
The fire broke out at around 01:30 (00:30 GMT) during new year celebrations in a bar called Le Constellation in Crans-Montana.
Officials investigating the incident have not confirmed any cause, but categorically ruled out an attack.
People from multiple countries have been affected. Regional police commander Frédéric Gisler said the priority in the coming days was to identify those who had died “so that their bodies can be returned rapidly” to their families.
Thirteen helicopters, 42 ambulances and 150 emergency responders were sent overnight to the scene of the fire in the Valais region, which is popular with tourists.
Most of the injured experienc..

What are Russians hoping for in 2026, asks Steve RosenbergAs the New Year holiday gets underway, the BBC's Russia editor Steve Rosenberg asks people on the streets of Moscow about their hopes for 2026 and how they see their future.
It's not only Russia's war on Ukraine that is preying on people's minds, but also the state of the economy, which is coming under increasing pressure.
5 hours agoEuropeRussiaMoscowShareSaveSpaniards hurl flour, eggs and fireworks in mock battleThe annual food fight festival ''Els Enfarinats'' has left the Spanish town of Ibi covered in flour and egg shells.
EuropeBrigitte Bardot: From French cinema to international fameThe French model and actress has died at the age of 91.
EuropeSnow-capped Mount Etna erupts as skiers glide down slopesScientists say volcanic activity at the site, which frequently erupts, had intensified this week, with craters continuously emitting ash.
EuropeWatch: Pope Leo's plea for peace in..

EU's top diplomat rejects Russian claims of Ukrainian attack on government sites7 hours agoShareSaveLaura GozziKyivShareSaveReutersKaja Kallas accused the Kremlin of trying to derail the peace process with allegations of a Ukrainian attack on government sitesThe EU's top diplomat has called Moscow's claims that Ukraine targeted Russian government sites a “deliberate distraction” and an attempt to derail the peace process.
Kaja Kallas' comments on social media appear to be a reference to the Kremlin's allegation that Ukraine attempted a drone strike on one of Vladimir Putin's residences.
“No one should accept unfounded claims from the aggressor who has indiscriminately targeted Ukraine's infrastructure and civilians,” Kallas wrote on social media.
Earlier this week Moscow accused Ukraine of targeting Putin's private home on Lake Valdai in north-west Russia.
Russia would review its position in the ongoing peace negotiations as a result, the Kreml..