Plus: The struggle for menopause awareness in India, and the perils of a catchy song ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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| Hello. With the Republican Party projected to retain control of the US House of Representatives, President-elect Donald Trump enjoys a so-called governing trifecta. Gary O'Donoghue explains what that means, and why Trump may still struggle to get his way. In Spain's Valencia region, Nick Beake speaks to survivors of the devastating floods who are trying to rebuild following the disaster. We're also reporting on the lack of menopause support in India and, finally, a "forbidden" song South Korean students are trying desperately to avoid during exam season. | |
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TOP OF THE AGENDA | Trump wins Republican trifecta | | Republicans have officially taken control of Congress. Credit: Getty Images | Donald Trump is due to return to the White House with his party in control of Congress. In Washington political parlance, it's called "a governing trifecta". Both Trump and Joe Biden have enjoyed that position for their first two years in the White House. Having such control is no guarantee that presidents can get their way, as Trump himself experienced last time he was in power. However, the judicial landscape has since changed in Trump's favour. That, combined with an astutely managed trifecta, opens the way for the possibility of major legislative initiatives, writes senior North America correspondent Gary O'Donoghue.
New appointments: The nomination of firebrand Congressman Matt Gaetz to be Trump's attorney general has sent shockwaves through Washington DC, writes North American correspondent Anthony Zurcher.
Pete Hegseth: Trump's pick of the Fox television host and former veteran as defense secretary is seen as an unconventional choice, Phil McCausland and Madeline Halpert report.
Vetting process: Each person chosen for a key spot in Trump's cabinet or administration must go through further checks. Christal Hayes explains how it all works. | |
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| Fragments of hope in time of disaster | | Volunteers and emergency services are working to clean the streets, two weeks after the deadly floods. Credit: BBC | Extreme weather returned to the Valencia region on Wednesday night, but this time the areas previously hit by deadly floods were ready and escaped further disaster. Rebuilding will take time, and in that time stories of remarkable courage are giving locals a cause for celebration. One example is what happened at the Whitby English language school. |
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| | Nick Beake, Europe correspondent |
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| | As the whole road became engulfed in water, the college’s co-director, Daniel Burguet, repeatedly pounded against a door with a chair leg that he’d just picked up. Filmed from a 3rd floor balcony across the street, Daniel is seen smashing constantly against the glass. He is trapped with his 11-year-old daughter, Noa, and three younger children inside the school, unable to reach a higher floor. Eventually, Daniel breaks down the door of the next building along and, one by one, he pulls the children to safety. “When I got through that door, I felt so relieved. Finally, we were safe,” Daniel tells me as he carries on repairs to the school. |
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BEYOND THE HEADLINES | The menopause taboo in India |
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| | | TV host Mini Mathur says it was difficult to find a doctor in India who would take her symptoms seriously. Credit: Getty Images | Indian women on average hit menopause a few years earlier than their counterparts in the West, studies show. Yet there are few resources to help them deal with it. In a country where conversation on menstruation still comes with stigma and taboo, menopause awareness is lagging, Meryl Sebastian and Anagha Pathak report. |
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SOMETHING DIFFERENT | Turkish delights | Istanbul-born chef Fatih Tutak shares his hometown's culinary gems. | |
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And finally... | A brief yearly silence has once again enveloped South Korea. Planes have been grounded, construction work halted, and car honking discouraged as the Suneung, an eight-hour university placement exam billed as one of the toughest in the world, kicks off. But this year, there's one sound that students are especially scared of - a "forbidden" pop song so catchy some students fear it could cause them to lose focus during the test. | |
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Six Steps to Calm | Discover a calmer future with this course of six science-backed techniques, weekly to your inbox. | |
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