| | | | | | | Hello. A day after a strike killed three US soldiers in Jordan, our correspondents help us understand what this means for Joe Biden and the next steps in the conflict. Reporting from the North of France, Andrew Harding retraces the harrowing journey of a Syrian teenager who drowned while attempting to reach the UK. For you today, I also have good news from the Moon, legal culinary news from India, and beautiful music from Nigeria. |
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| | | | Top of the agenda | | Deadly drone strike raises pressure on Biden | | | | US media report the attack was on Tower 22, in north-east Jordan. Credit: Planet Labs / AP |
| | US officials are accusing Iran of involvement in a drone attack that killed three American troops and injured dozens of others in a US airbase in Jordan. It's still unclear who exactly was behind the strike, and Tehran has denied involvement. US President Joe Biden, meanwhile, vowed retaliation "at a time and place of our choosing". Since the Hamas attacks in Israel brought fresh turmoil to the Middle East, "it was almost inevitable that American troops would be killed," writes our correspondent Hugo Bachega. US bases in the region have been relentlessly targeted - more than 150 times, according to American officials. But now that those attacks have killed US troops, Mr Biden is under more acute pressure to respond strongly, especially from Republicans as he gears up for a likely face-off against Donald Trump in November, stresses our Washington correspondent Gary O'Donoghue. But Mr Biden will have to strike the right balance to avoid a wider escalation in the Middle East, he adds. | | | | |
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| | | | | | World headlines | | • | Gaza aid: UNRWA, the largest UN agency operating in the Gaza Strip, is under serious jeopardy after several Western governments suspended their funding over allegations that some of its staff were involved in the 7 October attacks on Israel. | | • | Chinese property crisis: Debt-laden property giant Evergrande has been ordered to liquidate by a court in Hong Kong. It will still be able to operate in mainland China. It's a complex saga, so here's our piece explaining why Evergrande's fate matters. | | • | One small step for robots: Japan's Moon lander has resumed operations after being shut for a week due to being unable to catch sunlight. | | • | 'Siege' of Paris: French farmers are looking to block major roads around Paris and across France. They're protesting against what they see as unfair environmental policies and excessive regulation. Watch the protests on our live page. | | • | Up in smoke: The UK is the latest country to plan a ban on disposable vapes, following similar plans from Australia, France, Germany, and New Zealand. Here's why. |
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| | AT THE SCENE | Wimereux, France | | Teenage death in the Channel | | The nine-month journey of a Syrian teenager ended two weeks ago when he drowned between France and in UK. The BBC has retraced his path to have a better understanding of how children are risking their lives. | | | | Andrew Harding, Paris correspondent |
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| | On the night he drowned, 14-year-old Obada Abd Rabbo was having doubts once again. "I can't swim," he kept telling the men around him, as they shuffled down the wet slipway in the pitch dark, towards the icy waves. Obada's older brother, Ayser, 24, clutched his hand. To try to understand how a child could be put in this situation, the BBC reconstructed Obada's journey from Syria - using videos, messages and interviews with the brothers' relatives and others who accompanied them. We uncovered the extraordinary pressure that some children appear to be put under - by parents, relatives and smugglers alike. |
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| | | | Beyond the headlines | | Butter chicken goes to court | | | | Butter chicken was born out of frugality, using leftover tikkas and mixing it in a thick tomato gravy and dollops of butter. Credit: Getty Images |
| | Butter chicken is a staple of Indian comfort food, driving countless millions to post-dinner lethargy since its invention in the late 1940s. But the creamy dish is now at the heart of a legal feud between two dynasties of Delhi restaurateurs. Both claim that their forefather invented the dish in an Old Delhi market eatery. Zoya Mateen reports on the buttery battle. | | | | |
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| | | | Something different | | Who is William Onyeabor? | | How a reclusive pioneer of Nigerian music became an indie cult hero. | | |
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| | | | And finally... | | A vigilante chopping down highway speed cameras has taken Italy by storm. Under the name Fleximan - after flessibile, the Italian word for "angle grinder" - the anonymous vandal has already claimed at least 15 successful strikes. However, it's not clear whether it's just one person, a collective, or if Fleximan has fostered copycats. And while the fast and furious lumberjack is hailed as a Robin Hood figure by opponents to speed cameras, Italy is one of the worst faring countries in western Europe when it comes to road deaths. Stefano Fasano reports from Rome. |
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