Plus: Inside one of UK’s most dangerous prisons, and the Italian town that banned cricket ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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| Hello. A US indictment detailing a Russian plot to interfere with the presidential election describes American right-wing influencers as "unwitting" figures in the scheme. Phil McCausland reports on reactions from the commentators. Also, Sima Kotecha takes us inside London's HMP Pentonville men's prison at a time of crisis for jails in England and Wales. Finally, we look at how a drone helped finding a missing child in Wisconsin. | |
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TOP OF THE AGENDA | Pundits 'deceived' in Russian scheme | | Benny Johnson has 2.7 million followers on X, formerly Twitter. Credit: Getty Images | Several conservative pundits have described themselves as "victims" of a Russian plot to interfere in the 2024 US election. According a US indictment, Russian state broadcaster RT paid a Tennessee firm $10m (£7.6m) to spread Kremlin talking points. The firm is not named, but US media outlets have identified it as Tenet Media. Tenet has not commented publicly on the allegations and did not respond to a request for comment. US officials characterised the US and Canada-based influencers that worked for the firm as "unwitting" figures in the Russian scheme. Pundit Benny Johnson said the indictment makes "clear that myself and other influencers were victims in this alleged scheme”. Other contributors said they had editorial control over their content: “How am I unwittingly duped into saying someone else’s words when I wrote every one of them?” Matt Christiansen said.
Margarita Simonyan: RT's editor-in-chief has been described as the Kremlin's top propagandist and ideologue.
Watch: Russian President Vladimir Putin has shared his views on the US election.
Baseless claim: A story published on 2 September on a website purporting to be a local US news outlet alleged Vice-President Kamala Harris was involved in a hit-and-run incident. BBC Verify has debunked it - here's how. | |
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| The Italian town that banned cricket | | Cricketer and shipyard worker Miah Bappy is expecting to receive his Italian passport this year. Credit: BBC | The town of Monfalcone, which sits on Italy's Adriatic coast near the border with Slovenia, is home to a community of Bangladeshi workers employed in Europe's largest shipyard. Mayor Anna Maria Cisint, of the far-right League party, has taken measures to restrict their activities. |
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| | Sofia Bettiza, BBC World Service |
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| | A group of friends from Bangladesh are practising their cricket skills on a small patch of concrete. They are playing on the outskirts of Monfalcone because they have in effect been banned by the mayor from playing in the town itself. They say those who try can face fines of up to €100 (£84). “They say cricket is not for Italy. But I’ll tell you the truth: it’s because we are foreigners," says team captain Miah Bappy. |
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BEYOND THE HEADLINES | Inside one of Britain’s most dangerous jails |
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| | | HMP Pentonville was built in 1842 and is largely unchanged structurally in 180 years. Credit: BBC | Next week, the UK government will release some offenders early in a controversial scheme aimed at easing the overwhelming pressure on the prison system. Visiting HMP Pentonville this week, senior UK correspondent Sima Kotecha was confronted with the stark reality of this crisis. |
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SOMETHING DIFFERENT | Down the Wadi Rum Trail | Jordan's new long-distance hike traces stunning, extraterrestrial landscape. | |
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And finally... | Police in the US state of Wisconsin used a drone with thermal capabilities to find a missing three-year-old. Footage from the aerial vehicle shows the moment the child was found in a massive cornfield. | |
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Football Extra | Get all the latest news, insights and gossip from the Premier League, weekdays to your inbox. | |
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MORE BBC NEWSLETTERS | | The Essential List: The best of the BBC, handpicked by our editors, in your inbox every Tuesday and Friday. Subscribe. | | In History: The past comes to life through the BBC's unique audio, video and written archive, each Thursday. Subscribe. | | US Election Unspun: Cut through the noise in the race for the White House, every Wednesday. Subscribe. | |
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