Plus: Face to face with a 75,000-year-old Neanderthal, and Russia's unlikely box office hit ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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| Hello. Legal experts have reviewed the evidence of a BBC investigation into the killing of an eight-year-old boy in the West Bank in November by Israeli soldiers. They believe the incident should be investigated further, as it may constitute a war crime. We also have stories about how The Master and Margarita film defied expectations at the Russian box office, and an astonishing feat of paleoartistry that reconstructed the face of a Neanderthal woman. | |
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TOP OF THE AGENDA | A possible violation of international law | | Adam was one of nine boys who were hanging out on a street as a convoy of Israeli military vehicles passed by. Credit: BBC | Eight-year-old Adam was fatally shot in the back of his head on a street in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank, by Israeli soldiers on 29 November. The BBC investigated the circumstances that led to the killing, using mobile phone and CCTV footage, information about Israeli military movements, witness testimony and a detailed investigation of the scene. In reviewing our evidence, legal experts suggested there appeared to be violations of international law. Israel launched a military operation in Gaza following Hamas's deadly 7 October attack. The West Bank, which is not controlled by Hamas, has also seen a surge in Israeli security activities. But it is not classed as a war zone, so the use of force is meant to be more constrained, according to international law. The Israeli military said Adam's killing is "under review", a routine procedure for every child death in the West Bank due to army activity.
Ceasefire talks: Mediators are awaiting a response from Hamas to the latest proposal.
Meanwhile, in Lebanon: Confrontations between Israel and Hezbollah have turned parts of south Lebanon into ghost towns. The BBC went on patrol with the UN's peacekeeping force there to see what has happened.
US campus protests: Hundreds of police officers are at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA), telling pro-Palestinian protesters to disperse or face arrest. Get the latest. | |
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| | | Saldhana Bay, South Africa |
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| Missing child case shakes community | | A photograph of Joshlin sits on a table near her classroom, Credit: Mohammed Allie/BBC | Six-year-old Joshlin Smith went missing in February. Rumours about the disappearance swirled and captured South Africa's attention. Four people, including Joshlin's mother, are held in connection with the missing case, but parents at Joshlin's school are fearful for their children's safety. |
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| | | "It's traumatising for the children in the area because they no longer want to play outside," adds community activist Carmelite Ross. "My 11-year-old daughter, Keayondre, didn't want to go to school for the first few days after Joshlin's disappearance because she was scared, even though the school is just a few minutes away. She now walks to school every day with six other children." Ms Ross, who participated in many of the searches for Joshlin in the first few days after the little girl's disappearance, chose to step back for her own wellbeing. |
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BEYOND THE HEADLINES | 'Qatar targeted my brother on Grindr' |
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| | | Manuel was granted provisional release after 42 days but had his passport taken and is barred from travelling abroad. Credit: BBC | The family of a gay British-Mexican man held in Qatar say he was detained following a "honeytrap" operation using the gay dating app Grindr. Manuel Guerrero Aviña had arranged to meet a man who approached him online - but was instead met by police. Qatari officials say he was arrested for possession of drugs. But human rights groups say authorities are targeting LGBT people. |
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SOMETHING DIFFERENT | A hit against the odds | A Kremlin-funded film was criticised for being anti-regime, but won the box office. | |
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And finally... | The face of a 75,000-year-old Neanderthal woman has been successfully reconstructed in a 3D model by palaeoartists. The multi-dimensional element of the model is particularly impressive, considering the skull of the woman was found squashed "as flat as a pizza". | |
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