Plus: The elaborate scam that puts Indian victims under 'digital arrest' ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
|
| Hello. Today we're looking at US President Joe Biden's decision to allow Ukraine to use American long-range missiles to strike Russia. My colleagues explain what it may mean for the future of the war. In Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan, Caroline Davies speaks to men and women whose homes are threatened by rapidly melting glaciers - and the torrents of water when a glacial lake bursts. Also in your newsletter: elaborate scams, minimalist fashion, and collective silliness.
| |
|
|
|
|
TOP OF THE AGENDA | Kremlin says Biden throwing 'oil on fire' | | Neither Volodymyr Zelensky nor Joe Biden have confirmed the move. Credit: Reuters | US President Joe Biden on Sunday gave the green light for Ukraine to use long-range missiles supplied by the US to strike Russia. The move, a major change of policy, was reported by US media but not confirmed by the White House or the Pentagon. "Strikes are not carried out with words. Such things are not announced. Missiles will speak for themselves," said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a speech addressing the reports. "This is a significant moment in the war," writes our diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams. The decision in Washington could also bring the UK and France to lift usage restrictions on their own long-range missiles. It is reportedly limited to the defence of Ukraine's occupation of a small chunk of Russia's Kursk region, where officials say North Korean troops have joined Russian soldiers. Russian President Vladimir Putin is yet to react to the news, but his spokesman Dimitri Peskov accused the Biden administration of "adding fuel to the fire and continuing to stoke tension around this conflict".
Fury in Russia: Lawmakers and pro-Kremlin media warn that the move will lead to a dramatic escalation of the conflict.
Questions answered: What are these long-range missiles? How might President-elect Donald Trump react? Our explainer piece has all the answers.
The latest: A wave of Russian air strikes over the weekend killed 11 people in the city of Sumy in Ukraine, officials say. Follow the story on our live page. | |
|
|
|
|
|
| | | Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan |
|
| Melting glaciers leaves villages teetering | | Water from the Hopper glacier can be seen here running through the valley it has carved. Credit: BBC | Gilgit-Baltistan, a region administered by Pakistan, is part of an area sometimes referred as the "Third Pole" - the iciest place outside of the North and South poles. But its glaciers are melting at a rapid pace. When glacial lakes suddenly burst, houses downstream are taken over by water. |
|
| | Caroline Davies, BBC News |
|
| | “It was a sunny day,” says Komal, 18. For generations, her family had lived among the orchards and green lands in the heart of the Hunza valley. “In the morning everything was normal, I went to school,” Komal says, “but then my teacher told me that Hassanabad bridge had collapsed.” Upstream, a glacial lake had formed, then suddenly burst - sending water, boulders and debris cascading down the valley and gathering speed. The ground trembled so violently some people thought there was an earthquake. When the torrent hit the cement bridge that connected the two parts of the village, it turned it to rubble. |
|
| |
|
|
BEYOND THE HEADLINES | The 'digital arrest' scam looting millions |
|
| | | Scammers use the identity of real judges to give credibility to their scheme. Credit: Pawan Kumar | Elaborate scams are seeing fraudsters pretend to be Indian law enforcement and place people under "digital arrest" in fake high-stake investigations. Victims are urged to cooperate with so-called authorities, comply with nonstop surveillance and eventually hand over large sums of money. |
|
| |
|
|
SOMETHING DIFFERENT | Less is more | Ten key items in our wardrobe could be just enough. | |
|
| |
|
|
And finally... | After Timothée Chalamet in New York and Harry Styles in London, it's time for The Bear's heartthrob lead actor Jeremy Allen White to be the subject of a lookalike contest in Chicago. A crowd of mostly young, mostly tall men flocked to a park on Saturday wearing blue aprons over a white T-shirt. The winner, based on applause, was 37-year-old mental health therapist Ben Shabad. | |
|
|
|
|
Six Steps to Calm | Discover a calmer future with this course of six science-backed techniques, weekly to your inbox. | |
|
| |
|
|
MORE BBC NEWSLETTERS | | World of Business: Gain the leading edge with global insights for the boardroom and beyond, every Wednesday. Subscribe. | | The Essential List: The best of the BBC, handpicked by our editors, in your inbox every Tuesday and Friday. Subscribe. | | Football Extra: Get all the latest news, insights and gossip from the Premier League, weekdays to your inbox. Subscribe. | |
|
|
|
|
Thank you, as ever, for reading. Send us suggestions for topics or areas of the world to cover in this newsletter. Tell your friends and family about it! They can sign up here. You can take a look at all our newsletters here.
By the way, you can add [email protected] to your contacts list and, if you're on Gmail, pop the email into your “Primary” tab for uninterrupted service. Thanks for reading!
– Jules | | | | |
|
| | You've received this email because you've signed up to the BBC News Briefing newsletter.
Click here to unsubscribe
To find out how we use your data, see the BBC Privacy Policy.
BBC Studios Distribution Limited.
Registered Number: 01420028 England
Registered office: 1 Television Centre, 101 Wood Lane, London, W12 7FA, United Kingdom | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
