Plus: Iceland's third volcanic eruption in three months, and Indonesia's "cuddly grandpa" presidential candidate.
| | | | | | | Hello. Israeli reservists guarding the border with Lebanon are well aware of the risk of the war in Gaza sparking a wider regional conflict. International editor Jeremy Bowen hears their concerns while visiting the border town of Metula. Our Asia-based correspondents have some great stories for you: Jean MacKenzie investigates reports of riots at North Korea-controlled factories in China, while Yvette Tan and Trisha Husada look at how an Indonesian politician has rebranded himself from strongman to cute grandpa. Finally, a cautionary tale about the importance of reading the terms and conditions before embarking on a Guinness World Record attempt. |
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| | | | Top of the agenda | | At a border post in the Middle East tinderbox | | | | Reservists in Metula are on high alert for attacks from Hezbollah. Credit: BBC |
| | Israel's most northern town, Metula, is surrounded on three sides by Lebanon. The men guarding that border tell international editor Jeremy Bowen they have no illusions about the danger that lies on the other side. Pointing to positions held by Iran-backed group Hezbollah, one reservist says: "A big war with Hezbollah is not like Hamas. They are a real army". The war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas has led to exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon. It has drawn in the US, supported by the UK, as it responds to attacks on shipping by the Yemen-based Houthi movement, which is also aligned with Tehran. But as Jeremy Bowen explains, President Joe Biden’s administration is resisting calls for direct strikes on Iran, wary of sparking the wider conflict that troubles those Israeli reservists, and focusing on finding a Gaza ceasefire. | | | | |
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| | | | | | World headlines | | • | Climate change: 2023 marked the first year on record in which global warming has exceeded 1.5C, according to the EU's climate service. According to a 2018 UN report, exceeding that temperature landmark heightens risks such as intense heatwaves, rising sea-levels and loss of wildlife. | | • | Hospital lawsuit: The death of a baby who was decapitated during delivery has been ruled a homicide by a medical examiner's office in the US state of Georgia. The report, in which the hospital denies wrongdoing, contains distressing details. | | • | Christian Brückner: The prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann in Portugal in 2007 is facing trial in Germany next week over a number of unrelated sexual offenses. | | • | Reykjanes peninsula: Footage of the third volcanic eruption in three months in south-west Iceland shows molten rock oozing along a fissure estimated at 3km (1.86 miles) in length near Sylingarfell. | | • | Snoop Cereal: Rappers Snoop Dogg and Master P are suing US supermarket giant Walmart and a food manufacturer, claiming the companies sabotaged their cereal brand. |
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| | AT THE SCENE | Jakarta, Indonesia | | The dancing candidate with a dark past | | Indonesia's defence minister and presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto has won over a younger generation of voters with his "cuddly grandpa" dances. But for many, the 72-year-old's name is still associated with allegations of human rights abuses and disappearances in the 1990s. Mr Prabowo's campaign has denied the allegations. | | | | Yvette Tan and Trisha Husada, BBC News |
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| | TikTok videos of Mr Prabowo show him doing his signature move - an awkward shuffle across the stage - or shooting hearts at the audience. The gushing response has dubbed him "gemoy", a moniker for all things cuddly and adorable. Gen Z voter Rahayu Sartika Dewi says she is drawn to Mr Prabowo's plans to develop the renewable energy and farming sectors. She calls the campaign "very cute, fun and approachable". Mr Prabowo ran for president, and lost, in 2014 and 2019. "The logic is that Prabowo's losses were, at least in part, because his strongman image and firebrand style alienated parts of the electorate," says Dr Eve Warburton, director of the Australia National University's Indonesia Institute. |
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| | | | Beyond the headlines | | North Korean workers' rare protests | | | | North Korean workers in China usually see most of their earnings being transferred directly to the state. Credit: Getty Images |
| | An estimated 100,000 North Koreans work in China, in factories run by their government - it's an opportunity for both the workers and Pyongyang to earn foreign currency. But last month, rumours emerged of protests linked to pay being siphoned into a government war-preparation programme. Jean Mackenzie investigates. | | | | |
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| | | | Something different | | Winter is gone | | Scotland's epic Up Helly Aa fire festivals is just one manifestation of its Viking heritage. | | |
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| | | | And finally... | | A Frenchman who spent eight years building a 7.19m (23ft) Eiffel Tower made of matchsticks has seen his claim to fame go up in flames after the Guinness World Records organisation said he had used the wrong kind of matches. For all of his misfortune, he's probably now better-known than the still-undefeated record holder. Take a look at Richard Plaud's ill-fated masterpiece. |
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