In South Korea, Buddhist temples are hosting special dating retreats to boost the nation’s birth rate.

The bi-monthly matchmaking retreats started in 2023, when the country recorded the lowest birthrate in the world.

Today, the country’s births are bouncing back and the interest among young people in dating and marriage is soaring.

BBC Seoul Correspondent Jake Kwon headed into the secluded mountainside temple to meet the singles looking for love.

Subscribe to our channel here: https://bbc.in/bbcnews

For the latest news download the BBC News app or visit BBC.com/news

#SouthKorea #Korea #Dating #BBCNews

00:00 – Introduction

00:40 – About the temple

01:19 – Meeting the participants

01:59 – Talent show

3:55 – Roses are handed out

4:52 – South Korea birth rates

7:17 – Success story

5:45 – Night time

6:36 – Next morning

7:03 – Results

source

At least 12 people have been killed and 23 others are missing in wildfires in southern Spain that emergency workers are battling to contain.

Hundreds of firefighters are trying to extinguish the blaze in Almeria. Andalusia’s health and emergencies minister, Antonio Sanz, said it is the “most devastating fire” the region has ever seen, saying the majority, or even all of the victims may have been foreign nationals.

Four of those killed were trapped inside a car, Sanz said, adding that they are believed to be British. Families have been speaking of fleeing for their lives with their children, as the flames spread in hot, dry conditions.

Lucinda Curtois who was visiting Spain with her partner and teenage children, said: “Within 15 minutes there was a tiny bit of haze, to black smoke, to flames… it was really frightening and unbelievably quick.”

A sustained heatwave with temperatures of around 40C has caused wildfires across Southern Europe this summer. Firefighters have battled major incidents in France, Portugal and Spain, with thousands forced to leave their homes.

Reeta Chakrabarti presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Nick Beake.

Subscribe to our channel here: https://bbc.in/bbcnews

For the latest news download the BBC News app or visit BBC.com/news

#BBCNews

source

The US has launched dozens of strikes on Iran, after President Donald Trump declared their ceasefire over, and called Tehran’s leadership “scum”. Iran vowed to respond “fearlessly” to Mr Trump’s “vulgarity”, and has targeted US military sites across the Gulf region.

Washington says this flare-up in violence began when Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired on commercial ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz via a route not approved by Tehran.

We ask Parham Ghobadi of the BBC’s Persian service why Iran’s leaders were willing to jeopardise the ceasefire, and what their strategy is now, amid increasing fears of a return to all-out war.

Plus, we look at the week-long funeral ceremonies for the late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during which some Iranian officials called for Mr Trump to be killed.

New episodes of the Global News Podcast are published twice a day. You can listen here: https://link.mgln.ai/GNP-YT

And you can find more of our YouTube episodes here: https://bbc.in/GlobalNewsPodcast

Subscribe to our channel here: https://bbc.in/bbcnews

For the latest news download the BBC News app or visit BBC.com/news

#BBCNews

00:00 Introduction
00:29 Why did Iran fire on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz?
01:39 Routes through the Strait of Hormuz
02:53 Is Iran over-playing its hand?
04:03 Ayatollah Khamenei’s funeral
06:16 Is the US-Iran ceasefire over?
07:14 How do Iranian civilians feel about the war?
08:13 Iran’s economic pressure

source

Hundreds of firefighters in Spain are still battling to contain pockets of flames in the south east after one of the country’s worst-ever wildfires.

Emergency services have been deployed around the village of Bedar where 12 people have been killed – among them four Britons, according to Spanish authorities. Another 23 people are still missing.

Local officials in the Los Gallardos area of Almería have warned the number of dead could rise, with fears that more Britons are among those killed.

A sustained heatwave with temperatures of around 40C (104F) has caused wildfires across Southern Europe this summer, particularly in France, Portugal and Spain.

Subscribe to our channel here: https://bbc.in/bbcnews

For the latest news download the BBC News app or visit BBC.com/news

#BBCNews

source

Citizen Vigilante is a low-budget action thriller starring actor Armie Hammer as a vigilante who hunts down migrant criminals in Europe.

The movie faced a muted reception – until Elon Musk posted it to his hundreds of millions of followers on X.com.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk publicly criticised Lupita Nyong’o over her casting as Helen of Troy in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film, The Odyssey.

We speak to journalist Mike Wendling to understand why this film has become a lightning rod for political and cultural debate, and what its sudden rise reveals about the far-reaching influence of the world’s richest man.

Subscribe to our channel here: https://bbc.in/bbcnews

For the latest news download the BBC News app or visit BBC.com/news

#BBCNews #Musk #TheOdyssey

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:04 What is Citizen Vigilante?
03:15 Why is Armie Hammer controversial?
06:23 What happens in Citizen Vigilante?
10:39 Why has Citizen Vigilante become so popular?
12:00 Why has Elon Musk promoting Citizen Vigilante?
16:34 Why did Germany consider banning Citizen Vigilante?
20:00 Why does Elon Musk hate The Odyssey?

source