Bones uncovered beneath a church in Maastricht may belong to Charles de Batz de Castelmore, the 17th-century soldier popularly known as d'Artagnan.The skeleton was found under the floor of St Peter and Paul Church after damaged tiles prompted a closer look.Jos Valke, a church deacon involved in the discovery, says he is almost certain the remains are those of the famed musketeer. Excavators say...

Matt Brittin, a former senior executive at Google, has been named the BBC's next director general.He succeeds Tim Davie, who stepped down following controversy over a Panorama edit that sparked widespread criticism.Brittin led Google's activities across Europe, the Middle East and Africa before leaving the company in 2025 after an 18-year tenure. BBC chairman Samir Shah argued the corporation...

Jannik Sinner extended a remarkable run at ATP Masters 1000 events, breaking Novak Djokovic's decade-old mark for consecutive sets won with a convincing victory at the Miami Open.The Italian, ranked world number two and just 24 years old, closed out Corentin Moutet 6-1 6-4 in 71 minutes to register his 25th and 26th straight sets at the Masters 1000 level, moving past Djokovic’s previous streak...

Drones launched by Ukraine overnight crossed into Estonian and Latvian territory as part of a wider strike on Russian Baltic ports, authorities in Tallinn and Riga said.One unmanned aircraft struck the chimney of a power plant in Auvere, Estonia, while another fell and detonated in Latvia’s southern Krāslava region.Officials reported no serious damage or injuries. The incidents happened...

Italy’s prime minister suffered a major political setback after voters rejected a constitutional reform she had championed, dealing a rare defeat to her right-wing coalition.Official counts gave about 54% of ballots to the No camp and roughly 46% to Yes, with turnout close to 60% in the two-day vote.The amendment would have enshrined a stricter separation between judges and prosecutors in the...

German politicians are preparing to make the creation and sharing of pornographic deepfakes a criminal offence after a high-profile complaint from a television actress sparked national debate.Collien Fernandes has lodged a legal complaint in Spain accusing her former husband, actor Christian Ulmen, of circulating sexualised images of her online.The allegation, first detailed in a German magazine,...

A major industry group is warning the UK it must boost domestic oil and gas production to avoid growing dependence on imported fuel as global tensions push prices higher.Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) says the government should rethink its ban on new North Sea exploration licences, arguing that Britain risks exposure to supply shocks if more home-grown output is not allowed.Energy markets have...

Two years after Dutch schools removed smartphones from the school day, teachers and education officials are reporting calmer corridors and sharper attention in class.Devices including phones, smartwatches and tablets are now kept out of classrooms, hallways and cafeterias across the country as part of a nationwide agreement reached with schools, parents and teachers rather than through new...

Larry Fink, chief executive of asset manager BlackRock, warned that oil at around $150 a barrel would likely push the global economy into a deep downturn.He told the BBC that if tensions with Iran persist and energy prices remain elevated, the fallout would be severe for growth and living standards.Fink, who runs a firm with about $14 trillion under management, outlined two broad paths for the...

Health officials in England were not notified about a suspected meningitis patient for two days, slowing contact tracing and delaying a public warning about a growing outbreak in Kent.The patient first arrived at the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital in Margate on the evening of Wednesday 11 March, sources say.The hospital reported the case to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on the...