BBC News Briefing

17 June, 2024

Sofia Lotto Persio

Hello. A month after Ukraine introduced a new conscription law, Jean Mackenzie witnesses the impact it's had on young men and their families. In Israel, Lucy Williamson explains why the issue of aid deliveries to Gaza is proving divisive for Benjamin Netanyahu's national unity government. We're also looking into the evolving scientific debate about animal consciousness, and how the US became a top tourist destination.

GET UP TO SPEED

One of America's most senior health officials has called on the US to impose smoking-style warning labels on social media platforms.

Police in Malawi said four people, including a pregnant woman, have been killed at the funeral of late Vice-President Saulos Chilima after a vehicle in the convoy carrying the body hit mourners.

The body of a US tourist has reportedly been found on the Greek island of Mathraki, adding to the list of foreigners missing or dead during a record-setting heatwave in the Mediterranean country.

AT THE SCENE

Odesa, Ukraine

Conscription divides Ukrainians

Two conscription officers check the documents of a man in the street in Odesa.

The squads have a fearsome reputation for pulling people off buses and trains. Credit: Thanyarat Doksone/BBC

In May, it became compulsory for every Ukrainian man aged between 25 and 60 to log their details on an electronic database so they can be called up. For those who do not want to serve, being out in the streets feels like playing a game of cat and mouse with conscription officers.

Jean Mackenzie, foreign correspondent

At one enlistment centre in Odesa, an optimistic note taped to the door notified would-be-recruits that those who had come voluntarily could skip the queues. But there were no queues. A lone man sat waiting to be seen. When I asked whether he was there out of choice, he told me he had been “kidnapped” that morning and brought against his will. “The officers encircled me so I couldn’t run,” he stuttered in shock. “I’m devastated."

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One of the officers at the centre, Vlad, conceded that there were barely any willing volunteers these days. Under the call sign Hora, Vlad fought in some of the fiercest battles along the eastern front line in the Donbas before being struck in the head, chest, and legs by artillery shrapnel. He was unable to mask his contempt for those who are hiding. “How can I say this without swearing?" he asked out loud. “I don’t consider them men. What are they waiting for?"

Read in full

Burgenstock summit: Ukrainian leaders seemed unfazed, even buoyed, by the outcome of the weekend summit, writes Sarah Rainsford from Switzerland.

A Mariupol tragedy: Andriy and Valeria got married in a bunker during Russia's 2022 assault on the south-eastern Ukrainian city. Two days later, Valeria was to become a widow. This is her story.

Power failures: Ukrainian cities are enduring several hours of blackouts a day as Russia's ongoing attacks target energy infrastructure.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Israeli government split over aid pause

Crates of yellow onions await delivery into Gaza at the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel on June 17, 2024.

The Kerem Shalom crossing point is a key entry point for aid into Gaza. Credit: Nathan Frandino/Reuters

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dissolved Israel's six-person war cabinet, days after the exit of two centrist members. The move allows Mr Netanyahu to avoid the thorny issue of who might replace the two men, as far-right members of his government coalition had been asking to be brought in. But tensions within the government run deeper than that.

Lucy Williamson, Middle East correspondent

What's the latest disagreement about?

Far-right government ministers have reacted furiously to a scheduled daily pause in fighting, between 08:00 and 19:00 local time, along a key route running north from the Kerem Shalom check-point in southern Israel, where aid is waiting to be delivered.

What did they say?

Internal Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir described “whoever made this decision” as “evil” and “a fool”. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that humanitarian aid helped keep Hamas in power and risked putting “the achievements of the war down the drain”.

What's the significance of the controversy?

It highlights the increasingly fraught situation of Israel’s prime minister, caught between the costs of his vague and so far unattainable military goals of dismantling Hamas and bringing home the hostages, and the political allies he relies on to stay in power.

Read in full

Ghost town: At least 800 people have fled the picturesque village of Alma al-Shaab in southern Lebanon since October last year, when the area became caught in cross-border fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

War in Gaza: Israel's military said eight of its soldiers have been killed in a blast in the Tal al-Sultan neighbourhood of Rafah, the deadliest incident for the army in the conflict since January.

Long waits and violence: Unicef spokesman James Elder has described some of the hurdles humanitarian workers encounter when delivering aid in Gaza.

THE BIG PICTURE

The inner lives of animal species

Drawings of a zebrafish, a bee and a fruit fly appear next to a description of what scientific research has discovered about their behaviour

There is very little research into how animals experience the world. Credit: BBC

Not all of Charles Darwin's ideas have proved as popular as the theory of evolution. His belief that animals are conscious in the same way humans are has long been shunned. But now, the emergence of new evidence could mark a "sea change" in how scientists understand animal consciousness.

Find out more

FOR YOUR DOWNTIME

Tourist magnet

The US has become one of the top destinations for travellers.

Here's why

And finally... in London

The Royal Air Force has released cockpit footage filmed as its jets flew over central London during the annual Trooping the Colour parade. The event, a celebration of the King's official birthday, saw Catherine, Princess of Wales, making her first public appearance of the year.

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– Sofia

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