| | | | | | | Hello. Hungary has blocked €50bn ($55bn; £43bn) in EU aid to Ukraine on the same day as the bloc agreed to put the war-torn country on the path to membership. From the front lines in eastern Ukraine, Abdujalil Abdurasulov reports on troops struggling with a shortage of munitions. In the West Bank, Joel Gunter explores the rise in the number of Palestinians detained in Israeli jails without charge. In Mexico, Regan Morris and Leire Ventas speak to Afghan migrants hoping to claim asylum in the US. Finally, dog lovers will not want to miss out on a nativity play unlike any other. |
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| | | | Top of the agenda | | EU summit delivers mixed bag for Ukraine | | | | Ukraine tries to hide its Western supplied artillery from Russian drones. Credit: BBC |
| | In a week that has already seen the US stalling in its support for Ukraine's war efforts against Russia, European Union talks in Brussels have delivered a mixed bag. On the one hand, the bloc's member states agreed to open membership talks with Kyiv. On the other, they did not approve €50bn ($55bn; £43bn) in aid to Ukraine due to Hungary's opposition. The country's strongman leader Viktor Orban, who has long taken an ambivalent stance on the war in the neighbouring eastern European country, is seen as one of the more Russian-friendly leaders in Europe. Commenting on the membership talks, Mr Orban said the process would take years and an ascension could always be blocked by Budapest's parliament. The EU's efforts to secure aid for Ukraine will continue, with negotiations expected to resume next month. | | | | |
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| | | | | | | | AT THE SCENE | West Bank | | Detained without charge | | Since the Hamas attacks on 7 October, Israel has been detaining Palestinians at its highest rate in years. Known as "administrative detention", the longstanding security policy allows the Israeli state to imprison people indefinitely without charge, and without presenting any evidence against them. | | | | Joel Gunter, Senior international reporter |
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| | "What really gets to you is the uncertainty," 17-year-old Yazen Alhasnat said, sitting in his living room. "Will you finish your six months and leave? Or will you be extended for a year, for two years?" The detainees can mount an appeal, all the way up to Israel's Supreme Court, but with no access to the evidence against them, they have nothing to base it on. Israel's use of the policy in the West Bank had "crossed all lines - red, green, every colour", Yazen's mother Sadiah said. "We are living under a parallel system of justice." Israel says its use of the policy is compliant with international law. |
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| | | | Beyond the headlines | | Stuck in limbo at US-Mexico border | | | | The Latina Muslim Foundation shelter offers halal food, daily prayers and separate dormitories for men and women. Credit: BBC |
| | For the Afghans who were not able to evacuate on US planes when the Taliban took back control of the country in 2021, there is no easy route to safety. Some have been able to leave through Pakistan, then Iran, and then book a flight to Brazil. From there, they followed a treacherous paths through Central America to the US-Mexico border. Once there, it can take months to get an appointment to claim asylum in the US. | | | | |
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| | | | Something different | | Purple reine | | The meaning of the dress in Oprah Winfrey's new Smithsonian portrait. | | |
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| | | | And finally... | | A special four-legged version of a nativity play is being organized on the Isle of Man, between Great Britain and Ireland. Titled Dogtivity, the show will see a cast of pooches perform the traditional roles. "They all know the script, but as is the case when working with kids and animals - expect the unexpected," said one of the trainers. See who made the cut. |
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