Jim Whittaker, the first American to reach the summit of Mount Everest, has died aged 97, according to his family. He climbed to the highest point on earth on 1 May 1963 and remained among the most highly regarded mountaineers for decades, returning to Everest with his family when he …

Rescuers have found more than 250 poodle-cross dogs living in a single home, the RSPCA has said. The animal welfare charity said the numbers and living conditions of the dogs, discovered at an undisclosed location in the UK, "had rapidly grown out of control amid extenuating family circumstances". It also …

China has called on American authorities to investigate the death of a Chinese semiconductor researcher in the US, who was found dead after "hostile questioning" by law enforcement there. US media have identified the researcher as Danhao Wang from the University of Michigan. Wang died shortly after talking to federal …

New light shed on who benefits most from weight-loss jabs People who carry variations in two genes linked to appetite and digestion can lose more weight when taking drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro to treat obesity, research suggests. The findings, outlined in the Nature journal, could explain why some …

A Los Angeles woman dubbed the "Ketamine Queen" has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for selling drugs that led to the death of Friends actor Matthew Perry. Prosecutors described the American-British dual-national's North Hollywood home as a "drug-selling emporium" - selling a range of drugs to wealthy and …

Global oil prices rose in Asian morning trade on Thursday as investors watch developments in the fragile US-Iran ceasefire. The conditional two-week ceasefire has been tested after Israel launched a wave of deadly strikes on Lebanon, prompting Tehran to warn of a "regret‑inducing response" if the attacks continue. Oil prices …

BBC reports from court as 'Ketamine Queen' sentenced Jasveen Sangha was sentenced to 15 years in prison for selling drugs that led to the death of Friends actor Matthew Perry. US & Canada Key moments in the Gilgo Beach serial killings case Rex Heuermann has pled guilty in the murder …

The acclaimed wildlife cameraman and photographer Doug Allan has died while trekking in Nepal. Allan, 74, was principal cameraman on a number of BBC programmes including The Blue Planet, Blue Planet II, Planet Earth and Frozen Planet, and spent much of his career working alongside Sir David Attenborough. He won …

The foreign secretary will call for the Strait of Hormuz to be fully reopened later on Thursday after ships in the Gulf were warned by the Iranian navy that those without permission to pass through faced attack. In her annual speech on UK foreign policy priorities, Yvette Cooper will also …

More than 20,000 students have been told they were given maintenance loans and grants in error and now face demands to immediately pay the money back. The students, who are all studying weekend courses, received letters from the Student Loans Company (SLC) or their university saying their courses had never …