| | | | | | | Hello. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is making several stops in Middle Eastern countries over the next five days to help negotiate a new deal between Israel and Hamas concerning hostages and humanitarian aid in Gaza. Correspondents Hugo Bachega and Paul Adams analyse the challenges Mr Blinken faces. In Iceland, Hermann Gubbarsson speaks to Grindavik residents exasperated by the uncertainty surrounding their lava-threatened town. Finally, check out our extensive Grammys coverage, and see for yourself if a Cold War rocket found in a man's garage is worth more attention than the tepid reception of the bomb squad that was called to inspect it. |
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| | | | Top of the agenda | | The daunting agenda facing Blinken |  | | US strikes in Iraq and Syria were designed to degrade the capabilities of pro-Iranian militias and their Iranian backers, the Quds Force. Credit: Reuters |
| | On his fifth visit to the region since the deadly 7 October Hamas attacks on southern Israel, the top item on US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's agenda will sound familiar to those who have followed developments in the Israel-Gaza war: freeing hostages held in Gaza, as well as a suspension of the fighting in the territory to allow for humanitarian aid deliveries. But Mr Blinken's position as mediator has become trickier as the US has become more involved in hostilities in the region, writes Middle East correspondent Hugo Bachega. Over the weekend, the US attacked dozens of targets in Iraq and Syria in retaliation for a drone strike that killed three American soldiers in Jordan. It also launched fresh strikes against Houthi positions in Yemen, in response to the Iran-backed group’s attacks on Red Sea shipping. Mr Blinken also faces a possible rift with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who appears at odds with the US over the future of Gaza. | | | | |
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| | | | | | | AT THE SCENE |  Reykjavik, Iceland | | When uncertainty is the worst enemy | | Residents of the Icelandic town of Grindavik have had their lives upended since 10 November, when increased seismic activity indicated a volcanic eruption was forthcoming. Lava poured out of fissures in January and engulfed three houses. With scientists mostly believing more eruptions will follow, it's not clear if the town will ever be safe to live in. |  | | Hermann Gunnarsson, BBC News |
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| | When Bryndis Gunnlaugsdottir told a meeting of Grindavik residents in January that she wished the lava had destroyed her house too, she was greeted with thunderous applause. "It's been 80 days since the evacuation took place. In those 80 days, the people of Grindavik have not had a home," she explained. "I said I wanted my house under lava because then there would be an end to the uncertainty. I'd be compensated and could build a new life and focus on the emotional pain that follows losing a community, at least for some time." |
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| | | | Beyond the headlines | | Ace up their sleeves |  | | Some candidates have kept campaigning despite being in prison, others are running their campaigns from hiding. Credit: Reuters |
| | Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan is in jail and barred from running for office, but his party PTI still holds hope to win the country's election on 8 February. Technology including AI-generated speeches and social media messaging have been key campaigning tools. | | | | |
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| | | | Something different | | Birthplace of US punk | | Fifty years ago, a Manhattan dive bar became a home for punk bands. | | |
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| | | | And finally... | | For the bomb squad of Bellevue Police Department in Washington state, there was nothing remarkable about the "rusted piece of metal" stored in a man's garage. After all, the unguided air-to-air missile they were called to inspect did not carry a nuclear warhead and was thus not a risk to the community. The large Cold War relic is now due to be displayed in a museum. Until then, you can see pictures of the rocket here. |
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– Sofia |
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