Plus: How 'All Eyes on Rafah' came about, and hackers say their stole personal details of Ticketmaster customers ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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| Hello. Mexicans are voting this weekend, concluding a campaign where thousands of candidates are risking their lives while running for office - with some paying the ultimate price. Will Grant reports on the latest killing in the state of Guerrero. Laura Gozzi explains why the US is under increasing pressure to allow Ukraine to use its weapons to strike Russia. And we're still waiting for a verdict in Donald Trump's New York trial. Join us in our live page-cum-waiting room - I'm still learning a lot, five weeks on! | |
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| Another candidate killed in a deadly campaign | | Mexicans are voting for a new president as well as members of the legislature, nine governors and almost 20,000 local officials. Credit: Getty Images | Voters in Mexico will take part in simultaneous general and local elections this weekend. Claudia Sheinbaum, from the governing Morena party, is the favourite in the polls ahead of her rival Xóchitl Gálvez, amid a campaign marred by attacks on politicians. |
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| | Will Grant, Mexico correspondent |
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| | The run-up to this weekend's vote has been the most violent in recent history. Government figures suggest 22 people running for local office have been murdered across Mexico since last September but non-governmental groups say the number is even higher.
Video footage shared by local media shows Alfredo Cabrera, who was running for mayor in the town of Coyuca de Benítez in the state of Guerrero, shaking hands with supporters ahead of his closing rally. Someone can then be seen approaching him when, suddenly, shots ring out. Some 15 shots can be heard. Guerrero state officials said that members of Mexico's National Guard returned fire, killing the gunman at the scene. According to local media, Cabrera was under police protection after having been the target of a previous attack in 2023. An investigation has been launched to determine what the possible motive of the attack may have been. |
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QUESTIONS ANSWERED | Pressure on US to let its weapons strike Russia |
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| | High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (Himars) are among the weapons Ukraine has been supplied by the US. Credit: Getty Images | Pressure is growing on US President Joe Biden to allow Ukraine to use West-supplied weapons to strike Russian territory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously said it was "unfair" for Western countries to impose limits on the use of their weapons |
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| | Laura Gozzi and Tom Bateman, BBC News |
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| What's the situation in Ukraine? | Ukraine has been struggling to counter a Russian offensive in the east of the country, while the city of Kharkiv has suffered weeks of deadly attacks, often launched by Russia from military outposts near the Ukrainian border. A number of European countries, including France, Germany and the UK, have signalled they are open to an easing of restrictions on how Ukraine can use weapons supplied by the West. | What are US officials saying? | The debate over the issue is ongoing within the US administration, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken believed to be among those trying to convince President Biden to ease the restrictions. Mr Blinken became the first senior administration official to suggest the US could shift its position during a visit to Moldova on Wednesday, telling reporters Washington’s stance on the matter would "adapt and adjust" based on changing battlefield conditions. | How is Russia responding? | Russia's President Vladimir Putin warned this week that attacks by Ukraine on Russia with Western missiles risked triggering a wider war. “Constant escalation can lead to serious consequences,” he said. "Do they want a global conflict?” He added that responsibility for any strikes inside his country's territory would lie with Western arms suppliers, even if Ukraine's forces carried out the strikes. | | More on weapons: What arms are being sent to Ukraine, and who is suppling them? Read our handy summary.
The view from London: Earlier this month, Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron said it was up to Ukraine to decide how to use British-supplied arms. | |
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THE BIG PICTURE | How 'All Eyes on Rafah' came about |
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| | | The slogan gained traction after the start of Israel's military operation in Rafah, three weeks ago. Credit: EPA | If you're an Instagram user, you might have seen an AI-generated image displaying the "All Eyes on Rafah" slogan on tent camps. It was shared by more than 47 million users, including by Dua Lipa and Priyanka Chopra. Alys Davies explains how the picture spread so fast, and why it did so now. |
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FOR YOUR DOWNTIME | Loathing la dolce vita | Is Italy breaking up with its tourists? | |
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And finally... in the US | A judge in the state of Michigan could not hide his disbelief when a defendant charged with driving on a suspended licence appeared for his remote court hearing while behind the wheel. "I don't even know why he would do that," the judge said to the defendant's lawyer. | |
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