Plus: China's pressure on Taiwan, and a monument to hips that don't lie
| | | | | | | Hello. Ukraine has received a belated Christmas gift from the White House, but the latest military aid is a reminder of the dwindling US support for the country that is struggling to make significant advances against Russia. Correspondent James Waterhouse looks at what the strike against a Russian warship means for Kyiv's chances. In Taiwan, Rupert Wingfield-Hayes explores how voters are assessing their presidential candidates' solutions to the persistent threat from China. And to delight lovers of sculpture and music, Colombia has unveiled a tribute to one of the country's most successful performers, Shakira. |
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| | | | Top of the agenda | | The looming battle over funding for Ukraine | | | | Ukrainian officials are facing the prospect of a slowdown in aid from allies in Washington. Credit: AFP/Getty Images |
| | The White House has approved a new round of military aid to Ukraine worth about $250m (£195m). The latest package includes air defence, anti-tank weapons, and artillery and small arms ammunition. As the weapons are pulled from existing Pentagon stocks, the move does not need Congressional approval. But this is the last military aid the US government can disburse without consulting Congress. In the US legislative assembly, talks over funding for the war-stricken country have stalled. Republican lawmakers, who hold a slim majority in the lower house of Congress, are asking for tighter security measures at the US-Mexico border to be included in a military aid package supporting Ukraine. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was in Mexico yesterday to hold talks about migration with the country's government, has called on Congress to "act swiftly, as soon as possible, to advance our national security interests by helping Ukraine defend itself and secure its future". | | | | |
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| | | | | | | | AT THE SCENE | Taipei, Taiwan | | China eyes opportunity in Taiwan's election | | China is once again a major issue in Taiwan's general election, scheduled for 13 January. Beijing has made it clear it will not give up its territorial claims over the island, and the question for the electorate is which version of relations between China and Taiwan appeals most to them. | | | | Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, BBC Asia correspondent |
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| | A half-smoked cigarette pokes from the corner of Hsu Keng-Jui's mouth. He is part of a network of volunteers - most of them veterans like him - who track the now-constant presence of Chinese ships and aircraft just outside Taiwan's territorial limit. "The People's Republic of China is the only legitimate government of China, and Taiwan is an inseparable part of China." the voice from the Chinese navy intones. Dragging on another cigarette, Mr Hsu looks unmoved: "I hear it every day now. It's like they're reading from a script." |
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| | | | Beyond the headlines | | A disturbingly familiar headline in India | | | | Several similar incidents have made headlines in India in recent years. Credit: Getty Images |
| | When a woman was recently paraded naked, after her son eloped with his girlfriend, it sparked outrage in India. But it's a depressingly familiar story, writes Geeta Pandey. Legal specialists and gender rights activists tell her the law is ill-equipped to tackle the problem. Some may find details in the article distressing. | | | | |
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| | | | Something different | | Leaving a mark | | The ways humans have changed the planet in 2023. | | |
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| | | | And finally... | | Taylor Swift wasn't the only artist to have a blockbuster 2023. Shakira, the Colombian performer who first broke through the UK and US charts in 2001, has also had a year of critical acclaim and big hits (and also the settlement of her tax fraud case in Spain), and it's ending on a high. Her hometown of Barranquilla has unveiled a 6.5m-tall (21ft 4in) bronze honouring her for "hips that do not lie, a unique talent, a voice that moves masses". Take a look. |
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