Plus: How the US is quietly arming Taiwan, and Barbra Streisand opens up on not having "much fun" in life
| | | | | | | Hello. We are still following updates in Israel and Gaza, where the fighting appears to have intensified, as well as calls for humanitarian pauses or ceasefires. My Nepalese colleague Sharad KC is covering the dramatic aftermath of an earthquake in rural Nepal. Read to the end for stories on Taiwan's defence, chequered patterns and an underwater bear. |
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| | | | Top of the agenda | | Israel says it has cut Gaza in two | | | | Air strikes are continuing today on the northern Gaza Strip. Credit: Reuters |
| | Communications networks in Gaza have been restored after a shutdown last night. This should allow us to get a clearer picture of what is going on in the territory, where last night’s air strikes seemed to be the most intense since the war began, according to our reporter Rushdi Abualouf. Our live page will bring you news as it emerges. Israel's military says its troops have reached the coastline in the south of Gaza City, effectively dividing the Strip in two, as it continues its retaliation for last month’s deadly attacks by Hamas. Meanwhile, the US's top diplomat, Antony Blinken, is wrapping up his Middle East tour with a visit to Turkey. He's still pushing for "humanitarian pauses" in the fighting – so far, to no avail. And in a rare joint statement, the heads of all major UN agencies have called for an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire". | | • | Diplomatic efforts: My colleague Anthony Zurcher, who has been travelling with Mr Blinken, found few reasons to be optimistic about his efforts to find a common ground. Read why. | | • | Global protests: Thousands took part in pro-Palestinian rallies in Washington DC, Toronto, Paris, London, Santiago and Jakarta. Watch our video. Six people have been charged following the march in London. | | • | Refugee camp blast: Dozens have been killed in what the Hamas-run health ministry said was an Israeli air strike at the Al-Maghazi refugee camp. Israel's military says it is looking into whether it was operating in the area at the time. Watch our report from the scene, in what Israel is calling a "safer" area. |
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| | | | | | World headlines | | • | Front-line incident: Ukraine's military chiefs are facing growing criticism over a recent Russian missile strike that reportedly caused heavy Ukrainian casualties at an open-air awards ceremony. | | • | Funny girl: Candid, approachable, prone to wild tangents... While Barbra Streisand revealed she hadn't "had much fun" in life, she was "everything you could hope for" in an interviewee, says BBC music correspondent Mark Savage. Read why. | | • | Fast-fashion: UK retailer Boohoo has broken promises to make its clothes fairly and ethically, a BBC investigation has found. An undercover reporter saw evidence of staff pressuring suppliers to drive prices down, even after deals had been agreed. The company said it has driven positive changes in its business. | | • | Trump trial: Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to testify later in the civil fraud trial that threatens his family's business empire. Here's what to expect when he takes the stand. | | • | Spreadsheets of victory: This year's edition of the Football Manager video game is out today. My colleague Tom Gerken takes you behind the scenes of the cult franchise. |
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| | AT THE SCENE | Jajarkot, Nepal | | Between cold nights, survivors cremate earthquake victims | | More than 150 people have been killed after a powerful earthquake struck remote western Nepal on Friday. Thousands remain homeless and are facing very cold nights. | | | | Loud wails fill a riverside village… Grieving survivors have gathered around funeral pyres to send off 13 people who died in the 6.4-magnitude quake. As they grieve their loved ones, survivors in the remote Jajarkot district worry about their future. They have been sleeping outdoors in the cold since the earthquake flattened their homes and are in dire need of aid. People dug for survivors using bowls, plates and household items, resident Hattiram Mahar said. He added he was worried for children spending another night in the cold, without a roof above their heads. |
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| | | | Beyond the headlines | | How the US is quietly arming Taiwan | | | | Long-time observers say Taiwan is woefully under-prepared for a Chinese attack. Credit: EPA |
| | US President Joe Biden recently signed off on a $80m (£64.6m) grant to Taiwan for the purchase of American military equipment. This might seem small, but it is the first time in decades the White House is directly funding the Taiwanese military. In Taipei, Rupert Wingfield-Hayes tells us what's behind this quiet shift in policy. | | | | |
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| | | | Something different | | Following the thread | | How Madras patterns made their way from South India to "old-money" America. | | |
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| | | | And finally... | | Like millions of passengers a year, Diego crossed the Channel between France and the UK via the underwater Eurotunnel. Unlike most passengers, Diego is a bear. He was rescued from a Swedish zoo that was shutting down and is now in a Devon park, in south-west England. Diego is doing well but is "tired and sleepy", a park official said. But who isn't after a long train trip? |
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