Plus: Colonial past shadows King Charles's visit to Kenya, and spooky celebrations from Hollywood to Whitby
| | | | | | | Hello. Israeli forces are moving across northern Gaza, with Hamas reported to be engaging in combat against tanks. Correspondent Fergal Keane speaks to a Gaza-based freelance cameraman about the strain of reporting from a war happening on your doorstep. In Kenya, ahead of King Charles's visit, Anne Soy hears how survivors of colonial abuses are seeking more concrete forms of compensation than royal acknowledgement. Finally, we check on Halloween celebrations from Hollywood to the Dracula-linked English town of Whitby. |
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| | | | Top of the agenda | | Israeli forces face Hamas in ground combat | | | | Israel said its ground forces were attacked with anti-tank missiles and machine gun fire. Credit: Reuters |
| | Pictures from southern Israel show plumes of smoke rising over levelled neighbourhoods in Gaza after another intense night of bombing. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society's director General Marwan Jilani said the Al Quds hospital in Gaza was "shaking" and that staff members were "collapsing due to the... physical and psychological stress". The Israeli military said it had hit 300 targets overnight, while also engaging Hamas in ground combat in north Gaza as it continued retaliation for the deadly attacks on 7 October. Our live blog has the latest images, news, and analysis. | | | | |
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| | | | | | World headlines | | • | Japan shooting: Two people have been injured after a man opened fire in the city of Toda, central Japan. The gunman is still on the loose and this is a developing story - get the latest news. | | • | Kerala blasts: Indian authorities have arrested a man in connection with a series of explosions at a Jehovah's Witnesses meeting in which three people were killed and more than 50 injured. | | • | Volnovakha killings: Both Russian and Ukrainian authorities are investigating the killing of a Ukrainian family of nine in their home in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine | | • | Volcano disaster: A New Zealand judge has criticised "astonishing failures" by a tour company found guilty of not "minimising risk" to 22 people who died in a volcanic eruption on White Island, in 2019. | | • | Matthew Perry: The cast of Friends have said they are "utterly devastated" by the loss of their former co-star - read their tributes. For BBC Culture, Laura Martin recalls a single episode that displayed the range of Perry's comic acting talents. |
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| | AT THE SCENE | Jerusalem, Israel | | Heavy toll of reporting from Gaza | | The Israel-Gaza war is proving to be one of the most dangerous for journalists in recent times. More than 30 have been killed so far, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). For those who have to report while looking after their families, like cameraman Mahmoud Bassam, the war feels intensely personal. | | | | When I reach him by phone after hours of trying, Mahmoud describes the emotional toll of his work. "As hard as it is to see what I see, and as much as I'm trying to deliver this message," he says, "sometimes from behind the camera I just stand and cry. And the only thing I can do is be silent." While filming, Mahmoud has every chance of finding someone he knows at a war scene. "I am a journalist and my mission is to deliver what I am seeing," he tells me, "but sometimes I have to stop and sit with these kids, try to give them water, see what they need, try to provide them with what they need." |
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| | | | Beyond the headlines | | Colonial abuses hang over King's Kenya trip | | | | Agnes Muthoni, now 90, was a major in the Kenya Land and Freedom Army - the Mau Mau. Credit: BBC |
| | On a state visit to Kenya, King Charles is to acknowledge "painful aspects" of his nation's colonial past. The UK has paid out £20m ($24m) in compensation for the British Empire's brutal suppression of the Mau Mau uprising in the 1950s. Our senior Africa correspondent Anne Soy hears from those who say it's not enough. | | | | |
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| | | | Something different | | Quick fix | | Giving people more power to repair their devices could change the tech industry. | | |
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| | | | And finally... | | While many are celebrating Halloween, plenty of people took part in spooky festivities at the weekend, including famous singers and actors. But few were as committed to their looks as the goths and steampunk fans who stormed the rainy English town of Whitby, famed for inspiring the author of Dracula, Bram Stoker. Check out the costumes. |
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– Sofia |
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