INTERNATIONAL

Purdue Pharma, the opioid drug-maker owned by the billionaire Sackler family, is reported to be offering between $10bn and $12bn to settle thousands of lawsuits against it. The firm is facing over 2,000 lawsuits linked to its painkiller OxyContin. Purdue told the BBC it was “actively working” towards a “global resolution” but would not comment on the amount. NBC, which ...

A woman who accused the late financier Jeffrey Epstein of sex abuse and alleged she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew as a 17-year-old has urged the UK royal to “come clean”. Speaking after a hearing for alleged victims in the wake of Epstein’s death, Virginia Giuffre told reporters the prince “knows what he’s done”. The Duke of ...

Jeremy Corbyn says opposition MPs will take the first steps towards trying to pass a law blocking a no-deal Brexit when Parliament returns next week. The Labour leader was speaking after meeting other opposition leaders to discuss ways of averting a no deal. The move could force the PM to ask the EU for a further Brexit delay, beyond the ...

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has ruled out accepting a G7 offer of aid to fight fires in the Amazon rainforest unless he gets an apology from his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron. Mr Bolsonaro said the French leader should apologise for insulting him personally by calling him a liar. Mr Macron had accused him of “lying” about fighting climate change. Aid ...

Chinese-Australian writer Yang Hengjun has been formally arrested on espionage charges in China after months of detention, Australia has confirmed. The Australian citizen has been held in Beijing since January under “harsh conditions”, said the foreign ministry. Foreign Minister Marise Payne said Australia was “very concerned and disappointed” to learn of the arrest. “We have serious concerns for Dr Yang’s ...

The Brazilian government has said it will reject an offer of aid from G7 countries to help tackle fires in the Amazon rainforest. French President Emmanuel Macron – who hosted a G7 summit that ended on Monday – said $22m (£18m) would be released. Brazilian officials gave no reason for turning down the money. But President Jair Bolsonaro has accused ...

Australia’s national broadcaster has reported that a network of alleged Rwandan spies is working to suppress dissident refugees in the country. The Rwanda government however told the BBC that allegations made by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) are baseless. Mubarak Kalisa, a Rwandan dissident refugee, told ABC how he thought he was far from danger when he got refuge in ...

President Trump often starts his attacks – and announces political initiatives – on Twitter US President Donald Trump says he is open to meeting Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani under the right circumstances. It comes after Iran’s foreign minister made a brief and unannounced visit to the G7 summit in France on Sunday. Relations between Iran and the US have deteriorated ...

International leaders gathering at the G7 summit are reportedly nearing an agreement to help fight fires in the Amazon rainforest. French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday a deal to provide “technical and financial help” was close. Leaders from the US, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, the UK and Canada continue their meeting in the seaside town of Biarritz on Monday. ...

The French and German leaders say the record number of fires in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest is an international crisis which must be discussed at this weekend’s G7 summit. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the “acute emergency” belonged on the agenda, agreeing with French President Emmanuel Macron’s earlier rallying cry. “Our house is burning,” he tweeted. Environmental groups say the fires ...