BBC News Briefing

17 July, 2024

Jules Darmanin

Hello. Today my colleague Orla Guerin is reporting from Lebanon, where she hears from civilians who see an all-out war with Israel as inevitable, and a Hezbollah supporter who is longing for it. In Bangkok, mystery is slowly lifting over the deaths of six people in a luxury hotel room. We also report on UK politics and polar bears. Finally, the story at the end of your newsletter is forbidden to those under 18. Or is it?

TOP OF THE AGENDA

War on the horizon

Sunbathers are surrounding a hotel swimming pool as smoke is billowing behind hills.

So far, both sides are mainly striking military targets, close to the border. Credit: BBC

As the war in Gaza enters its 10th month, the low-level conflict between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah also drags on, carrying the risk of a dramatic escalation that would embroil the rest of the Middle East. Our correspondent Orla Guerin reports from Tyre, a coastal city in southern Lebanon, where sunbathers don’t flinch as Israeli bombs boom in the distance. They "may be on borrowed time", Orla writes, as the ancient city could be in the firing line if the conflict escalates. The current tit-for-tat has already driven tens of thousands from their homes - more than 90,000 in Lebanon and about 60,000 in Israel. Further inland, the father of a paramedic killed by an Israeli strike tells us there is no hope of peace. In Beirut, at the funeral of one of Hezbollah’s most senior commanders killed by Israel, a mourner declares: "We are longing for an all-out war."

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Across the border: For Israelis living under near-daily fire from Hezbollah rockets since the group attacked, citing support for Gaza after the Hamas attacks, it's "war now or war later", Lucy Williamson wrote last month. Here’s what to know about the Lebanese group.

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In Gaza: A man with Down's syndrome was attacked by an Israeli combat dog and left to die during an operation in Gaza City, his mother tells the BBC.

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The latest: At least 50 Palestinians have been killed and dozens wounded in a series of Israeli air strikes in south and central parts of Gaza, the Hamas-run health ministry says.

WORLD HEADLINES

King's speech: King Charles will outline the new UK government's plans at Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's first State Opening of Parliament, with housing and railway reform expected to feature. Follow the speech live.

Crypto schemes: Self-exiled Chinese businessman Guo Wengui has been convicted by a US court of defrauding his online followers in a billion-dollar scam.

Toronto deluge: Record rainfall from three huge storms has flooded parts of the Canadian city, cutting power and leaving drivers stranded on its major motorway. Drake's mansion was also hit - take a look.

Trump security: Protection for the former president was boosted several weeks ago after US authorities learned of an Iranian plot to kill him, according to national security officials.

Shooting attack: Six people have been killed and 28 others injured in an attack claimed by the jihadist group Islamic State near a Shia Muslim mosque in Oman's capital, Muscat, police say.

AT THE SCENE

Bangkok, Thailand

Mystery surrounds deaths in hotel suite

Four Vietnamese and two American nationals have died in a luxury hotel suite in Bangkok, according to Thai police. They said traces of cyanide were found in all six tea cups.

Thanyarat Doksone and Kelly Ng, BBC News

The six were found dead by housekeepers at the Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel late on Tuesday. Police suspect that one of the dead was behind the poisoning and was driven by crushing debt. Two of the six had loaned "tens of millions of Thai baht" to another of the deceased for investment purposes, authorities said. Ten million baht is worth nearly $280,000 (£215,000). According to the deputy police chief, a waiter offered to make tea for the guests but Ms Chong refused this. The waiter recalled that she “spoke very little and was visibly under stress”, authorities said.

Read the rest

BEYOND THE HEADLINES

A new tech to keep bears and people apart

Scientists have to locate and sedate bears to fit the tag. Credit: Tyles Ross

As Arctic sea ice melts, Canadian polar bears spend more time on land, which increases the chance of risky encounters with humans. New tags temporarily attached to their furs can help track them and keep them away from towns and villages, for the safety of bears and people alike.

A mountain landscape covered in pink flowers

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Double take

AI-generated images are causing artists to deal with shifting perceptions of reality.

Here's how

And finally...

A Japanese brand of "super spicy" crisps labels itself as "forbidden" to those under 18, which it seems may have heightened their appeal to high-school students. Fourteen of them were rushed from their Tokyo high school to hospital on Tuesday after munching on these “curry chips”, which were super spicy indeed. Shaimaa Khalil has the story.

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– Jules

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