Plus: What the hostage deal means for the war in Gaza, and K-pop stars get a royal honour
| | | | | | | Hello. The deadly explosion of a vehicle at a bridge between the US and Canada prompted the closure of other border crossings in the area. The FBI called the situation “fluid”. We bring you the latest news here. After days of negotiations, Israel and Hamas have reached a deal concerning the release of some of the hostages held in Gaza. Yolande Knell and David Gritten explain the details. As Republican presidential hopefuls court candidates in the US, Bernd Debusmann Jr hears from Iowa voters why Donald Trump’s lead in the polls is not as solid as it seems. Finally, the British monarchy honours K-pop royalty, and a waterspout rains over the Amalfi coast. |
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| | | | | | Questions Answered | | What we know about the Israel-Hamas deal | | | | The families of some hostages had said they did not want to see the Israeli government agree a partial deal. Credit: Reuters |
| | Israel and Hamas have agreed to a deal that will free 50 of the hostages held in Gaza in return for the release of 150 Palestinian women and children detained in Israeli jails and a four-day pause in the fighting. | | | | Yolande Knell and David Gritten, BBC News |
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| | What does the pause entail? | | Hamas said all drone and Israeli aircraft activity was expected to stop for four days in the south of Gaza. But in the north - which has been the main target of Israeli operations to dismantle Hamas - the same will only hold between 10:00 and 16:00 local time each day. | | Can the temporary truce lead to a ceasefire? | | Israel offered Hamas an incentive to release more hostages, saying: "The release of every additional 10 hostages will result in one additional day in the pause." But the government also vowed to "continue the war”. Hamas, for its part, stated: “Our fingers remain on the trigger." | | What about aid deliveries? | | The deal will allow 200 lorries carrying aid, four fuel tankers and four lorries carrying gas to enter Gaza via Egypt's Rafah crossing on each of the four days. And although the deal will allow people in Gaza safe passage from north to south, it will not permit the hundreds of thousands of displaced people from the north to return home. | | | | | | |
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| AT THE SCENE | Iowa, USA | | Why Trump cannot ignore Iowa | | | | Mr Trump has said there is "no way" that Iowa votes against him. Credit: Getty Images | | On 15 January, Republican voters will meet – or caucus – to decide who to support for president, the first real-world test for those vying to secure the party's nomination. Donald Trump’s polling lead appears insurmountable. But with a large share of the electorate still undecided, others could close the gap - and they’ve been busy campaigning in the state. | | | | Bernd Debusmann Jr, BBC News |
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| At a forum in Des Moines held by influential Christian organisation The Family Leader, pastor and social worker Philip Herman says voters are open to hearing more, even as election day in Iowa nears. "I think the gap is going to close tremendously… I think what I want to see is these candidates play the long game."
Mr Trump chose not to attend the Family Leader forum and has maintained a relatively light campaign schedule, something noted by locals and opponents. Travis Gilson, a resident of the nearby town of Grimes, tells the BBC that the former president's absences have led some in his social circle to look at other candidates. "That's a big mistake. We take pride in being the first-in-the-nation caucus state." He adds: "We expect people to come out and shake hands, meet with people." |
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| | | | The big picture | | K-pop royalty meets the British monarchy | | | | King Charles expressed admiration for the group’s support of environmental causes. Credit: PA Media |
| | The four performers of K-pop girl group Blackpink are now honorary Members of the Order of the British Empire. They were also honoured with a rendition of their hit single ëëëë (Ddu-Du Ddu-Du) by the military band, as part of a K-pop medley that also included Psy’s Gangnam Style. | | | | |
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| | | For your downtime | | A mother’s grief | | On the 60th anniversary of JFK's death, revisit our archive interview with his mother. | | |
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| | And finally... in Italy | | Huge waterspouts have been captured on camera off the Amalfi coast, in southern Italy. Waterspouts are similar to tornadoes but form over a body of water. Luckily no one was injured, but the videos look rather dramatic. |
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| | | | | | | | Future Earth Newsletter | | Essential climate news and hopeful developments, in your inbox every Tuesday. | | |
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| | | Let me know your thoughts on K-pop tunes, acts of God and any suggestions for topics or areas of the world to cover in this newsletter. Tell your friends and family about it! They can sign up here.
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– Sofia |
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