Plus: The volunteers cleaning Ghana's streets and Mattel's embarrassing misprint ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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| Hello. After a weekend that saw Russia and Ukraine trade the largest drone attacks since the start of the war in 2022, we look at how the conflict focuses the attention of leaders in Europe and in the US. In Ghana, Mark Wilberforce speaks to young people who are volunteering their time and energies to clean up waste. Read on for more on what went wrong with India's luxury airline as it operates its last flight and, finally, a misprint has left Mattel red-faced. | |
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TOP OF THE AGENDA | Ukraine war tops European leaders' talks | | The impact of a Russian strike on Ukraine's regions of Mykolaiv and Zaporizhzhia was visible on Monday morning. Credit: Reuters | Russian strikes have targeted southern Ukraine overnight, regional governors said, after a weekend that saw the two countries carrying out their largest drone attacks against each other since the start of the war. Russia's defence ministry said it intercepted 84 Ukrainian drones, including some approaching Moscow. Ukraine's air force said Russia launched 145 drones towards every part of the country on Saturday night, with most shot down. The barrages come amid expectations that the next US President Donald Trump may pressure both sides to end the war, after repeatedly claiming he could settle the conflict "in a day", without offering details on how he would do that. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron are expected to discuss European security and Trump's return to the White House as they meet to mark the end of World War One in Paris on Monday.
The Trump factor: Bryan Lanza, a former Trump adviser, says the president-elect will focus on achieving peace in Ukraine rather than enabling the country to gain back territory occupied by Russia. A spokesperson for Trump said Mr Lanza "does not speak for him".
Moscow's losses: The UK chief of defence staff Sir Tony Radakin said Russian forces had suffered their worst month for casualties since the start of the war in 2022 for what he characterised as "tiny increments of land".
Rail Baltica: A planned high-speed railway spanning 870km (540 miles) across Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania that connects with Poland has become a strategic imperative to counter Russia. | |
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WORLD HEADLINES | | COP29: The UN climate conference, where delegates will discuss ways to limit and prepare for future climate change, has begun in Baku, the capital of oil-producing nation Azerbaijan. Follow live. | | Trump cabinet: The US president-elect has announced two further appointments to his team: Elise Stefanik as US ambassador to the United Nations and Tom Homan, whom Trump described as his "border tsar". | | Stalled negotiations: Deadly Israeli strikes hit northern Lebanon and northern Gaza, days after Qatar suspended its work as a mediator in talks between Israel and Hamas. | | Protests in Amsterdam: Dozens of people have been arrested in the Dutch city after defying a ban on demonstrations imposed after Israeli football club supporters were attacked on Thursday night. | | MTV Awards: Rita Ora has paid an emotional tribute to Liam Payne as she hosted this year's MTV Europe Music Awards (EMAs) in Manchester, almost a month after the One Direction star's death. | |
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| The volunteers keeping Ghana clean | | More than 40 men and women, from midwives to carpenters, have joined the group. Credit: Buz Stop Boys | About 12,700 tonnes of solid waste is generated in Ghana each day, with only 10% disposed of properly. A group of volunteers, mostly young professionals and tradespeople, has taken up brooms and shovels to clean up the rubbish - they call themselves Buz Stop Boys. |
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| | Mark Wilberforce, BBC News |
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| | Fed up with the filth and flooding it causes, Buz Stop Boys go around Greater Accra two to four times a week to clear clogged drains and gutters, pavements and roads, as well as to cut over-grown grass. "Our goal is not just to clean the streets but to change mindsets," Buz Stop Boys leader Heneba Kwadwo Sarfo told the BBC. "If we can make people understand that keeping their environment clean benefits everyone, we’ll have a cleaner, healthier, and prouder Ghana." |
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BEYOND THE HEADLINES | India's luxury airline flies into the sunset |
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| | | Vistara's demise leaves a vacuum in India’s skies. Credit: Getty Images | Indian premium carrier Vistara will operate its last flight on Monday, after nine years in existence. A merger with Tata-owned Air India is meant to form a single entity with an expanded network and broader fleet. But, as business correspondent Nikhil Inamdar writes, it will likely face some challenges. |
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SOMETHING DIFFERENT | Not quite a gondola | Smaller vessels whisk travellers to corners of Venice that other boats can't reach. | |
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And finally... | Toy manufacturer Mattel has apologised following an embarrassing misprint on packaging for dolls inspired by the new Wicked movie, which stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. Instead of the movie's web address, the packaging had a pornography website on it. | |
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Six Steps to Calm | Discover a calmer future with this course of six science-backed techniques, weekly to your inbox. | |
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