| | | | | | | Hello. We have updates from Prague - a city in mourning after Thursday’s mass shooting - and New York, where the UN Security Council has finally voted on its Gaza resolution. In this last edition before Christmas, we’re reflecting on 2023 through images and a must-watch video of some truly bizarre burglaries. And, while we usually try to answer your questions, today it’s our turn to ask you some - via our quiz of the year, courtesy of quizmaster general Ben Fell. |
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| | | | | | AT THE SCENE | Prague, Czech Republic | | Stunned students in mourning | | | | People have been paying their respects to the victims throughout the day. Credit: Reuters | | In the wake of the killing of 14 people by a gunman at Prague’s Charles University, people have turned one of its buildings into a shrine. Candles and flowers were left on the cobblestones by those struggling to make sense of the murders. | | | | Sarah Rainsford, Eastern Europe correspondent |
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| The crowd huddled round in the sleet is mainly young, including many university and school students. Lucy had brought a big bunch of white roses. "It's the least we can do," she said. She was at the law faculty when the shooting began, just a couple of hundred metres away. "They locked up and told us not to leave,” she said. "Anyone could have been a victim and that's horrifying."
No-one wanted to talk about the shooter. "He doesn't deserve it," Natalie told me. She was there to offer help to those struggling to cope and was clearly shaken herself. "I still can't really process that it really happened. It's very sad. I am scared.” As we spoke, a guide in a headset approached with a group of foreign tourists. Christmas is one of the busiest times of year in Prague, and the beautiful streets and markets are still bustling with visitors. "Don't worry, it's all over. This is a safe city," the guide told his audience. But today, for the first time, that's not how it feels for many here. |
| | | | • | The latest: Police say the gunman killed himself after being surrounded. | | • | 'Blood all over the faculty': Read witness accounts of the Prague attack. | | • | Trail of victims: Before the killing spree, the gunman had killed his father. He’s now being investigated over the deaths of a father and baby girl a week earlier. Paul Kirby pieces together what we know.
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| Questions Answered | | What the UN’s Gaza resolution means | | | | After the text was watered down to get US backing, UN ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield abstained. Credit: Reuters |
| | After days of negotiations, the UN Security Council has passed a Gaza resolution - with US support - demanding all parties allow aid deliveries into the territory at scale. But the text stops short of calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. | | | | Nada Tawfik, UN correspondent |
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| | What happened during negotiations? | | The text had been watered down to get Washington on board, removing a call for an urgent and sustainable cessation of hostilities – and instead calling for creating conditions for one. Russia objected to the change – saying the council would essentially be giving Israel complete freedom of movement for further clearing of the Gaza Strip. However, the US and Russia abstained rather than use their vetos to block action. | | What does it mean in practice? | | The resolution creates a coordinator to oversee a UN mechanism that will be set up with the goal of speeding up and streamlining the distribution of aid. Washington initially feared that would take away Israel’s control of the screening process – but the resolution made clear it would be in consultation with all relevant parties. | | So, why did the US still not vote for the resolution? | | The US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield explained why the US still abstained. “Ultimately, while we are encouraged that the Council spoke out on this humanitarian crisis, we're deeply disappointed - appalled, actually - that once again, the Council was not able to condemn Hamas’ horrific terrorist attack on October 7.” | | | | | | |
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| | The big picture | | The photos that tell the story of 2023 | | | | Our selection includes images that shock, move and amuse. Credit: Yui Mok/AFP |
| | For BBC Culture, art historian Kelly Grovier picks 20 of the year’s most powerful photos – from Donald Trump's mugshot to the exodus from Burning Man festival – and compares them with great artworks. | | | | |
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| | | For your downtime | | 52 weeks, 52 questions… | | It’s time to take our quiz of the year. | | |
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| | And finally... in the US | | There's nowt so queer as folk, as the saying goes here in England. But in the US, it seems there's nothing so unusual as a sneak thief. Watch our round-up of the oddest thefts of the year, featuring a gorilla statue in a pick-up, a man with a cardboard box on his head and a burglar with a penchant for vodka and orange. |
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| | | | | | | | Tech Decoded Newsletter | | Decode the biggest developments in global technology with a twice-weekly email. | | |
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| | | Thanks, as ever, for reading. The quiz of the year is being released in four parts up to Christmas Eve. Why not email us to let me know how you got on? (I don’t want to tell you how badly I’ve done so far.) And don’t forget you can forward this newsletter to friends, who can sign up here.
Also, you can add newsbriefing@email.bbc.com to your contacts list and, if you're on Gmail, pop the email into your “Primary” tab for uninterrupted service. We’re back on 27 December. Until then, Merry Christmas.
– Andy
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