Islamic State leader Baghdadi 'may have been killed by Russia'

Russia's defence ministry is investigating whether one of its air strikes in Syria killed the leader of the Islamic State militant group (IS).
The ministry said an air strike may have killed Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and up to 330 other fighters on 28 May.
It said the raid had targeted a meeting of the IS military council in the group's de facto capital of Raqqa, in northern Syria.
There have been a number of previous reports of Baghdadi's death.
This is the first time, however, that Russia has said it may have killed the IS leader. Other media reports have previously claimed he had been killed or critically injured by US-led coalition air strikes.
Forces opposed to IS have been closing in on Raqqa in recent weeks.
Russia sent an air force contingent to Syria in September 2015 to shore up President Bashar al-Assad, bombing both IS and other rebel groups opposed to the government.

What are the Russians saying about the air strike?

Thirty IS field commanders and up to 300 fighters were at the meeting in a southern suburb of Raqqa, the defence ministry said on its Facebook page.
Baghdadi and the others had gathered to plan escape routes from the city, the ministry said.
The Russian air force launched an air strike between 00:35 and 00:45 local time (21:35 and 21:45 GMT 27 May), after notifying the US military in advance.
Su-35 and Su-34 jets were used in the strike, which was preceded by drone reconnaissance flights, the ministry said.
According to the Russian defence ministry, which published photos of the site targeted before and after, other IS figures killed in the strike include Emir of Raqqa Abu al-Haji al-Masri, Emir Ibrahim al-Naef al-Hajj and IS security chief Suleiman al-Sawah.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters he was still seeking the facts of what had happened, saying, "I do not have 100% confirmation of the information about the elimination of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi."

Does the Russian account stack up?

Hours after the air strike, IS media released a video showing extensive damage to buildings and a number of dead people, mostly covered up, blaming "US air strikes".
The US-led coalition said on Friday it could not confirm whether Baghdadi had been killed.
There has been no official comment from Syria's government.
Baghdadi's whereabouts have been unknown for some time, although he was believed to be in Mosul in Iraq before a US-led coalition began an effort to reclaim the city in October 2016.
He has made only one public appearance in recent years - in a video delivering a sermon in Mosul on 5 July 2014, shortly after IS captured the city.
His last audio message was released on 2 November last year.
Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying he had information that Baghdadi was in another part of Syria at the end of May and was not killed.
In March, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that "nearly all" of Baghdadi's deputies had been killed.

Who is Baghdadi?

Baghdadi - a nom de guerre rather than his real name - is believed to have been born in Samarra, north of Baghdad, in 1971.

Reports suggest he was a cleric in a mosque in the city around the time of the US-led invasion in 2003.
Some believe he was already a militant jihadist during the rule of Saddam Hussein. Others suggest he was radicalised during the four years he was held at Camp Bucca, a US facility in southern Iraq where many al-Qaeda commanders were detained.
He emerged as the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, one of the groups that later became Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (IS), in 2010.
In October 2011, the US officially designated Baghdadi as a terrorist. It has offered a reward of up to $25m (£19.6m) for information leading to his capture or death.

What does the online chatter say?

So far, there has been minimal reaction from online supporters of IS to news of the reported death of the group's leader, BBC Monitoring reports.
IS sympathisers typically ignore reports from unofficial IS sources or ridicule them, especially given that Baghdadi's death has been reported several times in the past.
One high-profile IS supporter on the messaging app Telegram shared a post denying the news and saying that when an IS leadership figure is killed, the group does not hide it.
IS normally does not rush to confirm the death of leadership figures, and would belatedly and sometimes indirectly announce them in general messages or by naming military campaigns after the deceased leader.
However, in the case of IS spokesman Abu-Muhammad al-Adnani, the group rushed to announce his death on 30 August 2016, the same day he was targeted in a US air strike in Syria, pre-empting any reports by the military or media.
BBC NEWS

London fire: Queen and Prince William visit Grenfell Tower centre

The Queen and Prince William visited a relief centre for Grenfell Tower fire victims, while the missing could number as many as 76, the BBC understands.
Their visit to the Westway Sports Centre comes after police say some of those killed may never be identified.
Police have confirmed that at least 30 people have died as a result of the blaze at the west London flats.
Metropolitan Police Commander Stuart Cundy said that of those who were killed, one died in hospital.
He also said there was nothing to suggest that the fire was started deliberately, and that everyone in hospital has now been identified.
The fire broke out shortly before 01:00 BST on Wednesday.
The Queen and Duke of Cambridge met volunteers, residents and community representatives.
The Queen paid tribute on Thursday to the "bravery" of firefighters and the "incredible generosity" of volunteers now offering support.
Emergency services are to spend a third day searching for bodies in the burnt-out Grenfell Tower in North Kensington.
Fire chiefs say they do not expect to find more survivors, while PM Theresa May has ordered a full public inquiry.
Police said on Thursday that they had launched a criminal investigation into the fire.
The prime minister - who faced criticism for not meeting survivors of the tragedy on a visit to the scene on Thursday - said the victims "deserve answers".
Mrs May visited those injured in the fire on Friday morning, and will chair a cross-Whitehall meeting later on how the authorities can help the community recover.
Housing minister Alok Sharma said the government was working with the local authority to ensure that "every single family will be rehoused in the local area".
But a statement from Kensington and Chelsea Council said, while they were trying to rehouse people in the borough, it is "possible the council will have to explore housing options that may become available in other parts of the capital."
Six victims of the blaze have been provisionally identified.
However, Commander Cundy has said earlier there was "a risk that sadly we may not be able to identify everybody".
When previously asked about the number of dead, he said he hoped the death toll would not reach "triple figures".
He added: "We as the police, we investigate criminal offences - I am not sitting here and saying there are criminal offences that have been committed, that's why you do an investigation, to establish it."
The leader of Kensington and Chelsea Council - the authority that owns the tower block - told BBC Two's Newsnight it would not use the type of cladding fitted to Grenfell Tower on other buildings in the borough.
The cladding - installed on the tower in a recent renovation - has come under scrutiny, with experts saying a more fire resistant type could have been used.
Cllr Nicholas Paget-Brown also said there had not been a "collective view" among residents in favour of installing sprinklers during the renovations.
Meanwhile, Conservative MP Chris Philp said the public inquiry should produce interim findings to ensure swift action can be taken if residents in other tower blocks are at risk.

BBC NEWS

Events held to remember murdered MP Jo Cox

Communities will come together later to celebrate the life of the murdered MP Jo Cox.
The 41-year-old was shot and stabbed in Birstall, in her Yorkshire constituency of Batley and Spen, on 16 June 2016.
To mark the first anniversary of her death her family and friends have urged people to hold events that celebrate her life.
The Great Get Together, involving picnics, street parties and concerts, runs across the weekend.
Organised by the Jo Cox Foundation, it aims to reinforce the message in Mrs Cox's maiden speech in the House of Commons that "we have more in common than that which divides us".


Mrs Cox's sister, Kim Leadbeater, said the events were "nothing to do with politics, nothing to do with religion".
"Nothing to do with anything other than getting together with people in your communities," she added.
"People are desperate for it - people want something that is about coming together and being positive."
The Labour MP's former constituency will be the focus of a number of events.
School children across the area will participate in special assemblies and Upper Batley High School is renaming its conference centre in honour of Mrs Cox.

'Captured a moment'

There will also be moments of reflection in Birstall around a tree of remembrance.
Nationally more than 100,000 events have been planned between 16 and 18 June, the foundation said.
Mrs Cox's husband Brendan said he was "awed" by the numbers of people who planned to take part.
Ms Leadbeater said: "I think we've captured a moment in the nation where we need it more than ever, and people have certainly embraced it.
"Jo would have loved it. She would have been in the middle of it all trying to get to as many events as possible and talking to as many people as possible."

China nursery blast: Eight dead in Jiangsu explosion

At least eight people have been killed and dozens injured in an explosion at a nursery in China.
State news agency Xinhua said the blast took place just outside the kindergarten in the town of Xuzhou in Jiangsu province on Thursday afternoon.
No children or teachers were among the casualties, it said.
The cause of the blast is not clear but media reports say the police are treating the explosion as a criminal offence and have identified a suspect.
The explosion happened at about 17:00 (09:00 GMT).
Two people were killed immediately and six others died from their injuries, Xinhua reported.
According to the news agency, 65 people have been injured, with several in a serious condition.
Unverified images circulating on social media showed adults and children lying on the ground, while video footage showed injured people holding crying children and one woman with burned clothing staggering unsteadily.
It is the second tragedy to strike a Chinese kindergarten in recent weeks.
Last month, 11 children died when a bus packed with kindergarten pupils burst into flames inside a tunnel in eastern Shandong province.
It later emerged that the fire had been started deliberately by the driver, who also died.
BBC NEWS

Kabul mosque attack claimed by so-called Islamic State

So-called Islamic State has said it carried out a deadly attack on a mosque in the Afghan capital Kabul in an area dominated by minority Shia Muslims.
The Sunni extremist group claimed responsibility for the al-Zahra mosque suicide bombing, which left four people dead, through its Amaq news agency.
Among those reportedly killed were a police officer and a prominent local figure who founded the mosque.
The attack comes during the holy month of Ramadan.
It took place at the end of the daily fast. There have been reports that senior officials had been due to attend services at the mosque, on the western edge of the city.
During these particular nights of Ramadan, the Shia hold rituals for martyrdom of Imam Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad.
According to a statement on interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish's social media profiles, the attacker had attempted to enter the mosque but was barred from reaching the prayer hall.
Instead, he triggered a bomb in the kitchen.
It has also been reported that the sounds of gunfire rang out after the explosion, which also left four police officers and four civilians wounded.


An attack last month in Kabul killed 90 people when a suicide attacker detonated a bomb hidden inside a tanker truck close to the heavily protected diplomatic area during the morning rush hour.
Some 400 people were injured by that blast, which left a deep crater.
No group has said it carried out that attack but Taliban militants denied being involved. Recent bomb attacks in Kabul have been claimed either by the Taliban or so-called Islamic State (IS).
The attack was followed by a series of protests against the deterioration of security, during which five people died when police fired on protesters.
Suicide bombers later targeted the funeral of one of the protesters, killing at least seven people. Another 100 people were injured.

Why are people being attacked during Ramadan?

In recent years, there seems to have been a noticeable spike in violence during Ramadan - despite it being a time for penance and temperance.
But while most Muslims view it as such, Shiraz Maher, of King's College London, explained in an article for the BBC last year that others see it differently.
"For 30 days, Muslims abstain from drink and food during sunlight hours and believe that God is at his most forgiving during this time," he wrote.
"Mosques are consequently fuller than usual, typically packed with worshippers seeking divine mercy and blessings.
"Juxtaposed alongside that ascetic puritanism is the view of radicals who regard Ramadan as a month of conquest and plunder.
"They believe it is an opportune moment to double down on their millenarian war against civilisation and therefore launch more attacks than normal."

BBC NEWS

Serbia to have first gay prime minister as Ana Brnabic is chosen

The president of Serbia has nominated a gay woman to be his prime minister in a double first for the deeply conservative Balkan state.
Ana Brnabic was chosen by the new President, Aleksandar Vucic. Her approval by parliament will be largely a formality, as his party and its allies hold an overwhelming majority.
Just a few years ago, the appointment would have been unthinkable.
But EU hopeful Serbia can present it as proof of increasing tolerance.
However, the leader of one of the smaller parties in the president's coalition, Dragan Markovic Palma of Unified Serbia, said Ms Brnabic was "not my prime minister".
Ms Brnabic will join a small number of gay prime ministers to lead governments in Europe, including Leo Varadkar in the Republic of Ireland and Xavier Bettel in Luxembourg.
The role of prime minister in this administration is likely to be largely symbolic as President Vucic will remain Serbia's most powerful figure, the BBC's Guy De Launey reports from Belgrade.
But in this case, the symbolism carries real weight, he adds.
Mr Vucic made no comment about the new prime minister's sexuality or gender but said Ms Brnabic would "work on Serbia's betterment".
Belgrade's Gay Pride march was banned for three years in succession on grounds of public safety after far-right protesters attacked the event in 2010.
It was revived in 2014 amid huge security, including special forces and armoured cars.
BBC NEWS

Trump-Russia inquiry: Vice-President Pence hires lawyer

Vice-President Mike Pence has hired an outside lawyer to handle his response to inquiries into possible ties between President Trump's campaign and Russia.
Richard Cullen is known for representing high profile clients.
Earlier, US media reported that Donald Trump was being investigated by special counsel Robert Mueller for possible obstruction of justice.
Mr Mueller is leading an FBI inquiry into Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
Reports in US media said senior intelligence officials would be interviewed on whether Mr Trump tried to end an inquiry into his sacked National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, and about the firing of FBI chief James Comey.
Mr Trump - who has repeatedly denied any collusion with Russia - said the move was the latest action in a "phony story".
"You are witnessing the single greatest WITCH HUNT in American political history - led by some very bad and conflicted people!" the US president tweeted.
Mr Pence's office announced the decision to hire Mr Cullen on Thursday. It said the vice-president had earlier interviewed several candidates.
"The vice president is focused entirely on his duties and promoting the president's agenda and looks forward to a swift conclusion of this matter," Mr Pence's spokesman Jarrod Agen said.
Mr Cullen is the chairman of McGuireWoods LLP law firm.
He represented high profile clients such as former US congressman Tom DeLay and Elin Nordegren, ex-wife of golfer Tiger Woods.
He was also involved into the Iran-Contra and the Watergate investigations.
Last month, President Trump hired his own lawyer, Marc Kasowitz, to handle Russia-related investigations by the FBI and US congressional committees.

Why is President Trump reportedly being investigated?

The latest media reports say the obstruction of justice investigation began just days after Mr Trump fired Mr Comey on 9 May.
Mr Comey, who had been leading one of several Russia inquiries, testified to Congress last week that the president had pressured him to drop the inquiry into Mr Flynn.
Mr Flynn stepped down in February after failing to reveal the extent of his contacts with Sergei Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to Washington.
Mr Comey testified under oath that Mr Trump had told him during a private meeting: "I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go."
The White House has said the president "has never asked Mr Comey or anyone else to end any investigation, including any investigation involving General Flynn".
Mr Comey said he was "sure" Mr Mueller was looking at whether Mr Trump had obstructed justice.
But Mr Comey also testified that to his knowledge the president had not tried to stop the Russia investigation.
BBC NEWS

Apple to scan iPhones for child sex abuse images

  Apple has announced details of a system to find child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on customers' devices. Before an image is stored on...