BBC News Briefing

29 April, 2024

Jules Darmanin

Hello. The conversation around a potential ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas appears to be more optimistic today. David Gritten explains why. Our South East Asia correspondent Jonathan Head helps us make sense of Myanmar's complex politics as the military junta seems to get weaker. I have more news from Sierra Leone, Scotland, and Japan's rooftops.

GET UP TO SPEED

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia is taking advantage of the slow delivery of Western weapons to go on the offensive.

About 50 people have died in Kenya after a dam burst its banks following heavy rains and flooding, a Red Cross official has said.

Humza Yousaf has resigned from his position as Scotland's first minister following the collapse of a power-sharing deal between his Scottish National Party with the Greens.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED

US 'hopeful' Hamas will accept Gaza ceasefire offer

Three men are seen in the distance walking towards destroyed buildings on a dirt road surrounded by rubble.

The Israeli government is coming under growing pressure from its global allies and the families of the hostages to agree a deal. Credit: Reuters

Mediators have been trying for weeks to broker a new ceasefire agreement that would allow another pause in the figthing between Israel and Hamas. With a new Israeli proposal on the table, multiple parties express careful optimism.

David Gritten, BBC News

What's at stake with Israel's proposal?

The proposal includes a 40-day truce in return for the release of hostages and the prospect of displaced families being allowed back to northern Gaza. It reportedly also involves new wording on restoring calm meant to satisfy Hamas's demand for a permanent ceasefire.

What are mediating countries saying?

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed optimism on Monday during a visit to Saudi Arabia. "Hamas has before it a proposal that is extraordinarily, extraordinarily generous, on the part of Israel. And in this moment, the only thing standing between the people of Gaza and a ceasefire is Hamas," he said. "They have to decide, and they have to decide quickly... And I'm hopeful that they will make the right decision." Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, whose country is a mediator in the Israel-Hamas negotiations along with Qatar, also said he was "hopeful".

What is causing this optimism?

A source close to the talks in Cairo - who said they were cautiously optimistic - told the BBC the new proposal from Israel was significantly different from previous offers. Hamas has only said publicly that it is studying the new Israeli proposal, but an unnamed senior official told AFP news agency on Sunday that "the atmosphere is positive unless there are new Israeli obstacles". "There are no major issues in the observations and inquiries submitted by Hamas regarding the contents [of the proposal]," they added.

'Just kill me quickly': Moran Stella Yanai was held captive by Hamas for 54 days. She tells her ordeal to Lucy Williamson.

Three trips to Gaza: US doctor Sam Attar has gone multiple times to the Strip to work in overcrowded hospitals. Here's what he saw.

US campuses: Student protesters have defied a deadline set by Columbia officials to disband on Monday. Follow our live coverage.

AT THE SCENE

Makeni, Sierra Leone

The aftermath of a national emergency over rape

A Sierra Leonean toddler seen from the back and wearing a leopard print shirt is standing next to her mother.

Some officials say authorities lack the resources to deal with the issue of sexual violence. Credit: BBC

In 2019, Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio declared a national emergency over rape and sexual violence. Five years on, BBC Africa Eye explores whether survivors of attacks are getting justice. A word of warning: this piece contains details some readers may find upsetting.

Tyson Conteh and Tamasin Ford, BBC Africa Eye

In the city of Makeni, a three-hour drive east of Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown, a young mother sits outside her home with her three-year-old daughter. "I worked for this woman, and she gave me an errand that Saturday morning to go to the market," she says, explaining that she then left her child with her employer and her 22-year-old son. "He took my child, he said, to buy sweets and biscuits for her. It was a lie."
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When she got back, she realised her daughter was missing. After searching for her for some time, they were reunited but Anita could see that the toddler was bleeding. She took her to the hospital and after two rounds of stitches, it was confirmed she had been raped. "The nurses began checking the child, and they said: 'Oh my God, what has this man done to this child?' The doctor who was treating my child even cried." Anita went to the police but the man fled and a year on the police have not been able to find him.

Read in full

Gold miners: Many women are extracting gold from Sierra Leone's rivers. But it's an activity that leaves women at risk of sexual violence too.

Women's rights: Sierra Leone has passed a law last year stating that 30% of public and private jobs must be reserved for women.

THE BIG PICTURE

The complex fortunes of war in Myanmar

A soldier stands i front of a building surrounded by barriers with barbed wires.

Most of the Myanmar's trade with Thailand passes through Myawaddy. Credit: Getty Images

Soldiers loyal to the military junta that seized power in Myanmar three years ago have suffered a series of humiliating defeats. They lost control of their base in Myawaddy, a key border town with Thailand, two weeks ago. But they appear to have held the line, and the complex politics of insurgent groups mean a broader defeat is far from certain, explains Jonathan Head.

Here's why

FOR YOUR DOWNTIME

Carrie Fisher

Ahead of Star Wars Day, revisit this archive interview from 1977.

Punch it

And finally... in Japan

After bringing you news last week of Namibia's rule-breaking tourists, this week Japan is having a related problem. Officials there are putting up a big barrier to stop people climbing on roofs and parking illegally while taking pictures of Mount Fuji. You decide if you think this shot is worth the fuss.

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– Jules

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