BBC在线收听下载:哈里王子夫妇宣布“退出王室”

This is Nick Kelly with the BBC News.

The US Vice President Mike Pence says Americans are now safer following the killing of the Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. In an interview with the American television network CBS News, Mr. Pence said the US had received intelligence that Iran had told its militias not to attack American targets and civilians. I believe we are safer today than before President Trump ordered our military to take out Qasem Soleimani. Earlier, the head of the United States military said it's still too early to tell if Iran would carry out additional attacks on American interests. The chair of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley was speaking to reporters in Washington. Peter Bowes reports.

General Mark Milley said based on his knowledge of the attacks, the Iranian missiles were intended to cause structural damage, destroy vehicles, equipment and aircraft, and to kill personnel. But he added, professional intelligence analysts were working on determining the full extent of Iran's intentions. General Milley praised military commanders on the ground for taking appropriate action to safeguard US personnel. No US or Iraqi lives were lost in the attacks, and the basis suffered only minimal damage.

At least two rockets have crashed in the heavily fortified Green Zone in the Iraqi capital Baghdad. Iraqi security forces say the rockets caused a fire. A BBC correspondent in the area says the US embassy was the target, but it was not hit directly.

The Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government will make sure a plane crash in Iran involving many people traveling to Canada is thoroughly investigated. He said 138 of the passengers on board the Ukrainian plane were connecting to Canada. Iran says it won't hand over the flight recorders to the US or to the maker of the aircraft Boeing. Tehran immediately blamed technical failure for the crash, saying it was unconnected to the missile attack on US forces in Iraq.

One of Queen Elizabeth's grandsons Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, have unexpectedly announced that they're stepping back from their roles as senior members of the British royal family. Our royal correspondent Jonny Dymond reports.

The Palace was blindsided by Harry and Meghan's statement. There had been discussions about a future role, but they were, the BBC understands at a very early stage. Meanwhile, the duke and duchess were preparing a declaration of independence. Infuriated by what they see as misreporting, they will withdraw from the current system of royal media coverage. Keen to achieve financial independence, they will seek employment whilst apparently still carrying out royal duties. The Palace is clearly unhappy about both the content of the statement and the way it was released.

World news from the BBC.