The Syrian presidency has announced an “immediate ceasefire” in the southern city of Suweida to try to bring an end to a week of sectarian violence that has left hundreds dead. There have been chaotic gun battles on city streets between the local Bedouin tribesmen and the Druze community, with both accused of atrocities. Graphic…

Fousseynou Cissé rescuing family from fire – Credit: @diya.pcsso on social media The video is harrowing. Smoke was billowing outside a Paris apartment window. Fire was raging inside. Two adults and four children were trapped. Fousseynou Cissé never hesitated once he saw them —even though the only escape route was a narrow ledge 65 feet…

Ken Banks BBC Scotland News PA Media The majestic tall ships have ferried hundreds of competitors to Aberdeen The Tall Ships Races Aberdeen – labelled the biggest tourist event in Scotland this year is under sail. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to attend, to see dozens of impressive vessels from around the world.…

Black Sabbath perform in Brazil in 2013 – credit Robson Batista, via Flickr CC 2.0. The Prince of Darkness made his official curtain call recently with a benefit concert for Parkinson’s research and children’s hospitals that raised a staggering $190 million. Featuring a star-studded lineup of heavy metal greats, and culminating in Black Sabbath’s final…

Watch: Aerial footage of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department training facility Three officers were killed in an explosion at a law enforcement training facility in East Los Angeles, officials say. The blast occurred at around 07:30 local time (15:30 BST) on Friday at the Biscailuz Center Academy Training facility, which houses the Sheriff’s department’s…

Homepage of Municibid – screengrab Power tools, cars, heavy machinery, office supplies, schools supplies—even land, there’s all kinds of things on the virtual auction block of Municibid. This ‘eBay for government,’ is allowing state, county, and municipal governments to sell off valuable assets and supplies to reduce waste and invest back into the community. All…

Serious pollution incidents by water companies were up 60% last year, according to the latest data from the government. These are events considered by the Environment Agency to have a “serious or persistent” impact on the environment, and which result in the loss of aquatic life and risks to human health. Earlier on Friday, the…

The identities of more than 100 British officials, including members of the special forces and MI6, were compromised in a data breach that also put thousands of Afghans at risk of reprisal, it can be reported. The latest fallout from the breach was kept secret by an injunction until Thursday, when the order was lifted…

Alice the pony and Marat the foal at the Minnesota Zoo – released A story of resilience and maternal instinct comes now from Minnesota, where a foal belonging to Asia’s last remaining wild horse species is thriving thanks to an unexpected hero: a domesticated horse named Alice. Having lost her own offspring, Alice decided to…

Mitchell Labiak and Oliver Smith Business reporters, BBC News Getty Images The UK jobs market has weakened as wage growth slows and the unemployment rate rises, official statistics show. The annual rate of pay growth in the three months between March and May slowed to 5%, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. Meanwhile, the…