| | | | | | | Hello. It's known as Super Tuesday for a reason: being the biggest one-day prize of the presidential nomination calendar. Our North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher sets out the key things to spot in the results. In a powerful report from the UK, veteran reporter Peter Taylor relives a shocking period of Northern Ireland's Troubles. And you can find some hope in the tale of musicians playing on in the face of war - and the chance to move to an idyllic island - and get paid for the privilege. |
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| | | | | | Questions Answered | | As millions vote, what might we learn? | | | | Up for grabs are about one-third of the total delegates to each party's convention, which will determine the presidential candidates. Credit: Reuters |
| | Voters in 15 US states are heading to the polls to select candidates for November’s presidential election. There’s little expectation of surprises, with Joe Biden and Donald Trump on course to cement near-insurmountable leads. But there’s nonetheless plenty to look out for. | | | | Anthony Zurcher, North America correspondent |
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| | Will Nikki Haley call it a day? | | The former South Carolina governor is Mr Trump's sole remaining Republican opponent. Rumours are floating that she is preparing to end her campaign in the days ahead. A particularly thorough drubbing on Tuesday may accelerate those plans or even lead her to throw in the towel that evening. Assuming she doesn’t, look for hints in her speech on Tuesday night. | | So, is there any threat to Donald Trump? | | Behind what should be formidable top-line numbers, keep an eye on exit polls that may reveal continued disaffection with the former president among some primary voters. Earlier surveys indicated a not insignificant minority would not support Mr Trump in November - or could turn on him if he were to be found guilty in one of his trials. | | And what about Joe Biden? | | With its largest-in-the-nation Muslim and Arab population, Michigan - where more than 100,000 voters (12%) cast ballots for "uncommitted" instead of Mr Biden - may be the high water mark for the Gaza war protest. But turnout levels across the US, as well as opinions registered in exit polls by Democratic voters, could provide indications of the strength (or weakness) of Mr Biden's campaign. | | | | | | |
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| AT THE SCENE | Northern Ireland | | The chilling tapes linked to IRA murders | | | | Claire Dignam, who could not believe her husband was an informer, hopes the inquiry will bring answers. Credit: BBC | | A seven-year inquiry into the actions of Freddie Scappaticci - once the top British agent in the IRA - is to report interim findings this week. Codenamed "Stakeknife", he has been linked to 17 murders. Among the evidence submitted are the taped confessions of people the IRA shot as informants, which our reporter first heard more than 30 years ago. | | | | Peter Taylor, BBC Northern Ireland Spotlight |
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| I was hidden under a blanket in the back of a car and driven to an abandoned cottage in south Armagh, where masked and armed IRA men played me sections of the tapes. I had no doubt they were genuine and carefully edited to excise the interrogators' voices. One of the three suspected informers was Johnny Dignam, a 32-year-old IRA member and former Republican prisoner from Portadown.
Shortly after his murder, I went to see his wife, Claire, who was pregnant with the daughter he would never see. She showed me the last letter the IRA had permitted him to write. "I have only a matter of hours to live my life," he wrote. "I only wish I could see you and the kids one last time… Cherish this lock of hair and letter for the rest of your life." Last year, I went to see Claire again. She said she still had the lock of hair and letter, but did not keep photographs of Johnny around the house, because of the memory: "It just brings up dark, dark times." |
| | | | • | Recruitment claim: Claire Dignam has told the BBC the British Army asked her to become an informant after the death of her husband. The UK's Ministry of Defence said it could neither confirm nor deny the claims. | | • | The background: After Freddie Scappaticci’s death last year, Julian O’Neill explained how the prominent republican went from IRA interrogator to British agent. |
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| | The big picture | | Show must go on for Ukrainian artists | | | | The company are putting on small concerts, advertised only by word of mouth, until they get clearance for larger-scale productions. Credit: BBC |
| | If your concert hall was just 40km (24 miles) from the Russian border and had already been damaged by a missile strike, what would you do? The answer, for members of the Kharkiv National Opera and Ballet at least, is to carry on performing - in a bunker theatre under the main auditorium. Our Eastern Europe correspondent Sarah Rainsford pays a visit. | | | | |
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| | | For your downtime | | Living by the sword | | A new TV series portrays Japan's violent feudal past in all its terrifying glory. | | |
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| | And finally... in Scotland | | Scotland’s island communities have been struggling to recruit doctors and teachers. Their solution: offer extremely competitive salaries and the chance to live in one of the UK’s most idyllic - and sparsely populated - locations. |
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| | | | | | | | US Election Unspun newsletter | | Cut through the noise in the race for the White House, every Wednesday to your inbox. | | |
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| | | | More BBC newsletters | | • | Football Extra: Latest news, insights and gossip from the Premier League, weekdays. Subscribe. | | • | Royal Watch: The full story from royal correspondent Sean Coughlan, every Thursday. Subscribe. | | • | Tech Decoded: Timely, trusted tech news from global correspondents, twice-weekly. Subscribe. |
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– Andy |
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