| | | Hello. Israeli political leaders have displayed a united front in a newly formed emergency war cabinet as the country’s retaliation against Hamas continues. Gaza has one of the youngest populations in the world, with about 40% of residents under the age of 14. They weren’t alive when the vote that put Hamas in control of the territory took place in 2006, yet they are not spared from the consequences of the war. Gaza-based correspondent Rushdi Abu Alouf describes what it’s been like for children to seek shelter and medical assistance during the air strikes. From Pakistan, BBC Urdu correspondent Saher Baloch profiles the country’s first Miss Universe contestant, and, as a new Fat Bear Week champion is crowned, we look at the former winners. |
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| | | | Get up to speed | | • | A majority of Republican lawmakers in the US House of Representatives has selected Steve Scalise to be the new Speaker of the lower chamber of Congress. | | • | A 6.3 magnitude earthquake has hit western Afghanistan, just days after two large quakes in the same region killed more than 1,000 people. | | • | Scientists who have started examining the material Nasa collected from asteroid Bennu are excited by what they have seen so far. |
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| | AT THE SCENE | Gaza City, Gaza | | Gaza’s injured children cannot go home | | | | The UN says more than 200,000 people in Gaza have fled their homes out of fear or because they’ve been destroyed. Credit: Reuters | | Israel struck over 200 targets in Gaza overnight, putting even more pressure on the territory’s health services. Earlier today, Gaza’s power plant ran out of fuel, aggravating an already dire humanitarian crisis. | | | | Rushdi Abu Alouf, BBC News |
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| I woke up my three children, we grabbed our emergency kit and headed to the hospital. But when we got there, hundreds of people were blocking the entrance - they too were looking for a place to shelter overnight. Half-asleep children screamed as they stumbled through the streets with rockets flying overhead. I tried to get my family out, because it is unclear what might happen here in the future - but that was impossible.
The World Health Organization has called for a humanitarian corridor to be opened into the territory. But here, civilians don't hold out hope that will happen. A leading British-Palestinian doctor, Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah, told the BBC the health system in Gaza would collapse within a week unless aid was allowed. "Because people are being injured in their homes, around 30-40% of the injuries are children. Whole families are being brought in wounded... In war you try to discharge cases early so you can free up beds, but these patients are all coming from houses that have been destroyed and so you cannot send them back to the street," he said. |
| | | | • | Life in Gaza: Bounded by the Mediterranean Sea, Israel and Egypt, the Gaza strip is home to about 2.3 million people whose freedom of movement and access to basic necessities is heavily curtailed. | | • | On air: Parts of Israel have again come under attack from Hamas rockets fired from Gaza. Watch how Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet was told to move to a safer spot while reporting live from southern Israel. | | • | A lifelong ‘psychological scar’: Ilan Troen described how his daughter and his son-in-law sheltered his 16-year-old grandson, saving his life, as Hamas militants attacked their home and murdered the couple. Warning: some readers might find this content upsetting. |
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| | Questions Answered | | Tech bosses warned over Hamas videos | | | | Elon Musk’s X has been criticised for allowing disinformation to spread on the platform. Credit: Reuters |
| | Social media companies have prompted scrutiny from the European Union (EU) over the spread of online disinformation linked to Palestinian militant group Hamas, which the bloc lists as a terrorist organisation. | | | | James Gregory, digital journalist, and Tom Gerken, tech reporter |
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| | Who was contacted by the EU? | | The EU industry chief, Thierry Breton, told Instagram and Facebook parent company Meta that it has 24 hours to prove it has taken "timely, diligent and objective action" to stop the spread of disinformation. Mr Breton also complained to Elon Musk that "violent and terrorist content" had not been taken down from his platform X, despite warnings. Mr Musk said his company had taken action, including by removing newly created Hamas-affiliated accounts. He asked the EU to list the alleged violations. | | What gives the EU authority over US tech companies? | | The EU Digital Services Act (DSA) is a law that came into effect in August and is designed to protect users of big tech platforms. Large platforms are required to assess the potential risks they may cause, report that assessment and put in place measures to deal with the problem. | | What happens if those platforms ignore the EU? | | Failure to comply with the DSA can result in EU fines of as much as 6% of a company's global turnover, or potentially suspension of the service. | | | | • | Content Warning: The spread of distressing videos related to the Israel-Gaza conflict has prompted some schools in Israel, the UK and the US to advise deleting social media apps from children’s phones. | | • | Language matters World Affairs Editor John Simpson explains why the BBC does not use the word “terrorists” to refer to Hamas militants. |
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| | The big picture | | Queen without a crown | | | | Ms Robin won ahead of four other finalists at a pageant held in the Maldives. Image supplied. |
| | Erica Robin is making history as the first Miss Universe contestant to represent Pakistan. Some in her conservative motherland have been scathing about her participation in the beauty pageant, but Ms Robin isn’t letting that stop her from fighting those very stereotypes her critics seem intent on perpetrating. | | | | |
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| | | | For your downtime | | Fat Bear fortunes | | A look at the past title bearers as we salute the 2023 champion. | | |
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| | | | And finally... in Scotland | | A rare red squirrel that almost died after being caught in torrential rain over the weekend has been nurtured back to strength. Watch this video of the baby rodent’s road to recovery. |
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| | | | | | Future Planet | | Explore the wonders of our amazing planet. | |
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