The University of Michigan has agreed to pay $490m (£360m) in damages to more than 1,000 mostly male former students who say they were sexually abused by sports doctor Robert Anderson.

Lawyers announced the settlement after 15 months of negotiations over accusations dating back to the 1960s. One said he thought the settlement would bring “justice and healing”. Anderson, who died in 2008, is said to have abused victims during routine medical examinations. A police investigation launched in 2018 said no charges could be filed because Anderson was dead and none of his alleged crimes fell within the state’s six-year statute of limitations. In 2020, University of Michigan president Mark Schlissel apologised on behalf of the university to anyone harmed by the doctor. (BBC)…[+]

Most cases of a mysterious illness striking US officials dubbed “Havana syndrome” were not caused by a foreign power, CIA officials say. Since 2016, US diplomats around the world have reported symptoms – sparking suggestions Russia, China or another adversary could be responsible. But a majority of 1,000 cases looked at by the CIA can be explained by stress or natural causes, officials say. The release of the findings has angered some of those who fell ill. The CIA is still looking into a small number of unexplained cases, where the role of a foreign power has not been ruled out. Americans who have been hit by Havana syndrome have described dizziness, headaches and an intense and painful sound in their ears. First reported in Cuba in 2016, cases have since been reported in Geneva, Berlin and elsewhere.(BBC)…[+]

Former Pope Benedict XVI failed to act over four child abuse cases when he was archbishop of Munich, a German probe into the Catholic Church has alleged. Pope Benedict, then called Josef Ratzinger, held the position from 1977 to 1982. He has denied the accusations. But a new report into historical abuse allegations carried out by a German law firm incriminated the former pontiff. Abuse continued under his tenure, it is alleged, and the accused priests remained active in church roles. The former pope, now aged 94, became the first Church leader to resign in more than 600 years in 2013, citing exhaustion. Since then, he has led a largely quiet life in the Vatican City and is known as pope emeritus. The new report from German law firm Westpfahl Spilker Wastl was commissioned by the Catholic Church.(BBC)…[+]