| | | | | | | Hello. It is 11 p.m. in Israel as you’re getting this newsletter and just like yesterday, we’re still waiting for news of the truce negotiations. Today’s full transfer of hostages and prisoners still has to take place. While we wait for updates, I want to share with you an extensive analysis of the damage in Gaza by my BBC Verify colleagues, along with very informative maps. We’re also spending time on US politics today, with a piece on the upcoming debate between Ron DeSantis and Gavin Newsom, and a look at the legacy of the late Henry Kissinger. |
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| | | | Get up to speed | | • | Russian general Vladimir Zavadsky has been killed after being blown up on a mine in Ukraine, several pro-Kremlin sources say. | | • | The Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan, best known for the heart-wrenching Christmas ballad Fairytale of New York, has died aged 65. Our obituary recounts his “too interesting” life. | | • | In Dubai, COP28 delegates have agreed to launch a long-awaited fund to pay for damage from climate-driven storms and drought. Here’s why this comes as a surprise. |
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| | Analysis | Gaza Strip | | Satellite images show extent of Gaza damage | | | | A 'before' and 'after' satellite image of Beit Lahia, in the north of the Gaza Strip. Credit: Planet Labs/BBC | | New satellite images commissioned by the BBC reveal the extent of destruction across northern Gaza, before the start of the temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. | | | The satellite images were taken last Thursday, just before the suspension of hostilities came into force, following weeks of Israeli air strikes and on-the-ground fighting. Separate satellite data analysis also provides a snapshot of the destruction across the whole of Gaza. Drone footage and verified video also show buildings and entire neighbourhoods reduced to rubble. While northern Gaza has been the focus of the Israeli ground offensive and has borne the brunt of the destruction, widespread damage extends across the entire strip.
Israel says northern Gaza, which includes the major urban centre of Gaza City, was a "centre of gravity of Hamas", the group behind the deadly 7 October attacks on Israel. Israel says its bombing campaign has successfully targeted Hamas commanders and fighters and accuses the group of embedding itself in civilian areas. Satellite data analysis suggests that almost 98,000 buildings across the whole Gaza Strip may have suffered damage, with most of it concentrated in the north - as shown in maps made by the BBC. |
| | | | • | The latest: “The way Israel defends itself matters,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in Tel Aviv, calling for “more effective steps” to protect civilians. Truce negotiations are still ongoing. Follow updates on our live page. | | • | In Israel: Four members of the Zyadna family, who belongs to the Arab-speaking Bedouin community living in Israel, have been kidnapped by Hamas. Naeema, the mother of the family, is telling our correspondent Anna Foster she is anxiously waiting for news of her husband and three children, including 16-year-old Aisha and 18-year-old Bilal. |
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| Questions Answered | | A showdown between alternative visions of America | | | | Ron DeSantis and Gavin Newsom. Credit: Getty Images |
| | Almost a year before the US presidential election, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and California Governor Gavin Newsom, two leading figures in the Republican and Democratic parties, will square off in a TV debate. Here's what you need to know before they enter the ring. | | | | Anthony Zurcher, North America correspondent |
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| | Why is this debate taking place? | | The match-up may not be next year's title card - Donald Trump and Joe Biden seem to be heading toward a 2020 rematch. But the showdown makes for an interesting contrast, and perhaps a preview of political battles to come. The made-for-television event is the result of months of verbal sparring between the two. | | Why does it matter? | | Once thought to be a top contender for 2024, Ron DeSantis has fallen on hard times, sagging in the polls and cutting his campaign spending as donor contributions taper off. This debate offers him the opportunity to set himself apart from his Republican rivals, including Mr Trump. Gavin Newsom, for his part, may not be running for president this year, due to Mr Biden running for re-election. But he clearly harbours White House ambitions. | | Then what are the stakes? | | Mr Newsom has a long runway to ramp up a possible 2028 presidential bid. While a good performance may help elevate him in the eyes of Democrats, anything less is unlikely to linger in their memory. Mr DeSantis will be judged by Republican voters much sooner. This may be the Florida governor's best chance to change the trajectory of his presidential campaign. | | | | • | A crucial endorsement: A powerhouse donor base led by conservative billionaire Charles Koch is backing Nikki Haley's 2024 presidential bid, as she looks to be the leading alternative to Donald Trump for Republican voters. | | • | On Trump’s legal front: A US court has reinstated a gag order that prevents Donald Trump from criticising court personnel in his ongoing civil fraud trial in New York. |
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| | The big picture | | A divisive diplomat who shaped world affairs | | | | Henry Kissinger and Chinese premier Zhou Enlai at a state banquet in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, in 1973. Credit: Getty Images |
| | A committed practitioner of "realism" in foreign relations, Henry Kissinger was both awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and roundly condemned as a war criminal. What his supporters described as "Realpolitik", his critics condemned as immoral. Here’s a closer look at the statesman’s legacy, after his death at the age of 100. | | | | |
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| | | For your downtime | | Luxury in a wild place | | A lighthouse on a tiny Swedish island is home to an award-winning hotel. | | |
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| | And finally... in Norway | | A 32-year-old kayaker filmed himself going down a 20m (65ft) glacial waterfall in the Arctic Circle. The descent is the biggest ever recorded, and Aniol Serrasolses described the experience as "like kayaking on another planet". Watch footage of his daring plunge. |
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| | | | | | | | Influential with Katty Kay | | In-depth and unexpected conversations with today’s change makers. | | |
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| | | Thanks, as ever, for reading. Send us what you think of this newsletter. We read everything, even when we don’t have the time to reply. And feel free to send it to your friends and family, who can subscribe by clicking this link.
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– Jules |
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