BBC News Briefing

7 August, 2024

Sofia Lotto Persio

Hello. A Nobel laureate has been appointed as interim government leader in Bangladesh. Gavin Butler tells us what we need to know about Professor Muhammad Yunus. From Paris, we hear what it's like to be a country's sole Olympian at the Games. On social media, Joe Tidy is targeted by a scammer - and takes the bait to see how far it'll go. Finally, we found out how the Royal Mint is turning one man's trash into treasure.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

From 'banker to the poor' to interim leader

A picture of Muhammad Yunuf sitting in an armchair

Prof Yunus started Grameen Bank in 1983, helping poor people start small businesses. Credit: Getty Images

Students who led mass protests in Bangladesh that resulted in the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have gotten another one of their wishes. After refusing to accept a military-led government, they pushed for the appointment of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus as interim government leader, and he agreed. "When the students who sacrificed so much are requesting me to step in at this difficult juncture, how can I refuse?" Prof Yunus said. While Prof Yunus has been lauded for his pioneering use of microloans, which won him and his Grameen Bank a Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, Ms Hasina regarded him as a public enemy - he is currently on bail, appealing against a six-month jail term in what he has called a politically motivated case. The 84-year-old is returning to Dhaka from Paris where, according to his spokesperson, he is undergoing a minor medical procedure.

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Profile: Prof Yunus is known internationally as the "banker to the poor" for pioneering micro, long-term loans - but at home, he's had to weather hostility and controversy.

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Her final hours: Ms Hasina repeatedly dismissed security chiefs' advice that she had lost her grip on power - it took persuasion from her family to finally convince her to leave.

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Religious minorities: Bangladeshi Hindus said their properties were targeted by mobs during the anti-government protests. But as violence spread, local Muslims rallied to form protective rings around Hindu homes and temples.

WORLD HEADLINES

White House race: Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who has been labeled by the Trump campaign as "far left" and a "radical", has touted his rural roots in his first appearance as Kamala Harris’s running mate at a rally. In China, Mr Walz attracted interest for his stint teaching in the country in 1989.

'Murder-for-hire plot': A Pakistani man with ties to Iran has been charged in the US over attempting to hire a hitman in New York to kill prominent American officials.

X lawsuit: Elon Musk's social media firm is accusing a group of companies and advertisers of unlawfully conspiring to boycott the site.

Alaska Airlines: A testimony describing "chaos" in the moments after the blowout of an unused door on a Boeing plane in January was included in thousands of pages of documents released by US transport safety officials.

Osteoporosis treatment: The UK's medicines watchdog said that a new bone-strengthening drug could help thousands of women who have gone through the menopause.

AT THE SCENE

Paris, France

Being your country's sole Olympian

Sprinter Shaun Gill seen running during an Olympic event

Once he returns home, Gill plans on helping the country's next generation of runners. Credit: Getty Images

Four countries - Belize, Liechtenstein, Nauru and Somalia - sent only one athlete to the 2024 Olympics. Solo competitors told the BBC they feel pride at this responsibility, but also some anxiety and loneliness.

James FitzGerald, BBC News

Sprinter Shaun Gill has been revelling in his temporary status as "the most famous man" in Belize. Gill said he had received "thousands" of well-wishes. "My phone freezes, my Instagram freezes," he said. "I had to turn it off at one point because I couldn’t even have a moment of peace to myself... I do appreciate it, but I guess I had to just learn how to manage it real quick."

Keep reading

Risking it all: As breaking - a style of street dance - debuts at the Olympics, Afghan athlete Manizha Talash recalls the struggle to perform the sport in the country she ultimately had to flee.

Starting young: Zheng Haohao was born on the penultimate day of the London 2012 Olympics. The 11-year-old has become China's youngest Olympian as she competed in skateboarding at the Paris Olympics.

BEYOND THE HEADLINES

Unveiling ‘pig butchering’ scam tactics

Joe Tidy holds a smartphone featuring the picture of a blond woman

Scammers refer to their victims as pigs, fatten up to be "butchered" - or conned, out of as much money as possible. Credit: BBC

Cyber correspondent Joe Tidy was befriended on Instagram by a fraudster posing as an attractive 36-year-old woman looking for a romantic relationship. He pretended to fall for it to find out which scam he'd be served.

Watch the video

Houtan Park in Shanghai, China, is built on a formerly polluted site that features rice terrace-like features.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Ancient know-how

Asia's 5,000-year-old rice terraces have inspired modern flood controls.

Here's how

And finally...

The Royal Mint, maker of the UK's coins, has begun processing electronic waste to extract gold from it. The company has built a large industrial plant in Wales to remove the precious metal from old circuit boards with the goal of crafting jewellery and also turn it into commemorative coins. Here's how it works.

Medal Moments

Your daily newsletter guide to the Paris Olympics, from global highlights to heroic stories, throughout the Games.

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– Sofia

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