• US President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, is expected to plead guilty to two misdemeanour tax crimes.
• Controversial influencer Andrew Tate has been charged in Romania with rape, human trafficking and forming an organised crime group to sexually exploit women.
Image: FILE
5 billionaires die on board OceanGate submersible
OceanGate on Thursday announced that the crew on board the submersible had died.
In a statement, OceanGate described the crew as true explorers who had passion for protecting the world’s oceans.
"We now believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have sadly been lost.
These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans. Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew,” the statement read in part.
Biden calls Xi a dictator day after Beijing talks
US President Joe Biden called Chinese President Xi Jinping a dictator at a fundraiser in California.
President Biden, at the fundraiser on Tuesday night, also said Mr Xi was embarrassed over the recent tensions around a Chinese spy balloon that had been blown off course over the US.
"The reason why Xi Jinping got very upset, in terms of when I shot that balloon down with two box cars full of spy equipment in it, was he didn't know it was there," Mr Biden said.
"That's a great embarrassment for dictators. When they didn't know what happened."
His remarks came a day after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Mr Xi for talks in Beijing, which were aimed at easing tensions between the two superpowers.
Mr Xi said some progress had been made in Beijing, while Mr Blinken indicated both sides were open to more talks.
Woman found alive in coffin at her funeral dies after week in hospital
An Ecuadorean woman has died days after mourners at her funeral were shocked to find her alive in her coffin.
Bella Montoya, 76, was first declared dead by a doctor at a hospital in the city of Babahoyo.
But when mourners attending her wake heard her knocking on her coffin, she was immediately rushed back to the same hospital for treatment.
After seven days in intensive care, Ecuador's health ministry confirmed she died from an ischemic stroke.
Andrew Tate charged with rape and human trafficking
Controversial influencer Andrew Tate has been charged in Romania with rape, human trafficking and forming an organised crime group to sexually exploit women.
His brother Tristan and two associates also face charges. All have denied the allegations.
The Tate brothers were first arrested at their Bucharest home in December.
In March, they were moved from custody to house arrest following a ruling by a Romanian judge.
The indictment deposited with the Bucharest court says that the four defendants formed an organised criminal group in 2021 to commit human trafficking in Romania, but also in other countries including the US and the UK.
It names seven alleged victims who it says were recruited by the Tate brothers through false promises of love and marriage.
Blow by blow account of Russian rebellion crisis
Russian President Vladimir Putin made a televised speech on Saturday calling the challenge by the Wagner mercenary force "high treason" and a "stab in the back".
He appealed for unity and said authorities were acting quickly to contain the situation
Rebelling Wagner mercenaries claimed they had taken control of the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, a key military site.
BBC sources also said Wagner forces had seized military facilities in a second city - Voronezh, which is halfway between Rostov-on-Don and Moscow.
Prigozhin said he’d march on the capital if top military figures don't meet with him.
Prigozhin appeared to have responded to Putin in an audio message, saying his troops were not committing treason, but rather were "patriots" fighting for the future of the Motherland - calling out "corruption, lies and bureaucracy"
At least 41 killed in Honduras women's jail riot
At least 41 people were killed in a riot at a women's prison in Honduras on Tuesday.
It is understood that a fight broke out between rival gangs, after which one gang set a cell alight.
Officials said most of those who died were killed in the fire but others were shot, stabbed or beaten to death.
An investigation is under way to determine how the inmates managed to smuggle automatic weapons and machetes into the jail.
Survivors of the deadly incident told local media that it was triggered by rivalries between two of Central America's most notorious criminal organisations: the 18th Street Gang and MS-13.
Hunter Biden to plead guilty to tax crimes and admit gun offence
US President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, is expected to plead guilty to two misdemeanour tax crimes and admit to illegally possessing a gun while a drug user, after a five-year investigation.
The US Attorney in Delaware has filed papers indicating a plea agreement has been reached.
He is expected to agree to drug treatment and monitoring.
The terms of the agreement are likely to keep him out of jail.
The proposed deal would still need to be approved by a judge. It is unclear when Hunter Biden will appear in court to enter his guilty plea on the tax charges.