BBC News Briefing

31 October, 2024

Fiona Nimoni

Hello. Garbage is on the agenda on the US election campaign trail as the backlash from comments made by President Biden continues. My colleague in Kherson reports on credible evidence that Russia is using drones against civilians in Ukraine. Plus, find out why Canada is desperate to get tourists visiting the country again. And if you're feeling spooky this Halloween, our colleague Daniel Stables guides you through five of the most haunted places in the UK.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Talking 'garbage' on the campaign trail

Donald Trumo wears a high visability jacket on stage in front of an image of the USA flag

Republican candidate Donald Trump wears a bright orange uniform on the campaign trail. Credit: Reuters

President Joe Biden sparked uproar on Wednesday by appearing to refer to Donald Trump supporters as "garbage", but former President Trump later seized on the furore while out on the campaign trail. Sitting in a garbage truck in a bright orange uniform, Trump said Biden "should be ashamed of himself" and asked reporters: "How do you like my garbage truck?". Biden has insisted his comments were directed at a comic who controversially joked about Puerto Rico being an "island of garbage", not tens of millions of Americans. However, Democratic candidate Kamala Harris has distanced herself from her boss's remarks, insisting: "I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for." Harris and Trump have been holding rallies in Wisconsin where polls suggest the race is razor-thin.

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Election live: Kamala Harris and Donald Trump hold competing rallies in the swing state of Wisconsin.

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BBC Verify: We look into claims "illegal voters" were able to apply for ballots and vote at an election office in Pennsylvania.

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Who's ahead? Find out who's ahead in the race, according to the latest election polls.

WORLD HEADLINES

Flood victims: The death toll in Spain is expected to rise after flash floods hit Valencia. Dozens of people are still missing and at least 95 people have been confirmed dead.

Lebanon strike: The historic Lebanese city of Baalbek has been struck by Israel after a mass evacuation of the city.

Murder trial: An Australian man has been cleared of murdering a British woman during break-in at her home.

Ballistic missile: North Korean intercontinental weapon flies 86 minutes in longest flight recorded yet.

Rwanda genocide : A Rwandan former doctor has been jailed for 27 years in France after being found guilty of complicity in genocide.

AT THE SCENE

Kherson, Ukraine

Ukrainian civilians hunted by Russian drones, evidence suggests

showing crosshair sights and an overhead view of white car on a street at the moment when an explosive detonates on its roof

BBC Verify has examined the evidence. Credit: BBC

Drones have changed warfare in Ukraine, with both Ukraine and Russia using them against military targets. But the BBC has heard eyewitness testimony and seen credible evidence that suggests Russia is also using drones against civilians in the frontline city of Kherson.

Yogita Limaye, BBC correspondent in Ukraine

"To get to the aid centre without being followed by drones, we drive at a high speed, take the cover of trees while parking, and then head indoors quickly. On a shelf behind aid worker Kristina, a small device confirms the threat outside – buzzing each time it detects a drone. It buzzed every few minutes while we were there – often detecting the presence of at least four drones. Trauma is visible on the faces of the residents we meet, who have braved stepping out of their homes only to stock up on food. Valentyna Mykolaivna wipes her eyes, “We are in a horrible situation. When we come out, we move from one tree to another, taking cover. Every day they attack public buses, every day they drop bombs on us using drones,” she says."

Find out more

BEYOND THE HEADLINES

Why Canada wants more visitors

A woman wearing a bright blue top and a red backback stands on top of a mountain looking out across a vast expanse of forest. Mountains can also be seen in the distance

Canada wants to attract more tourists. Credit: Getty

Staffing shortages, wildfires and a fallout with China may have contributed to a big drop in the number of people visiting Canada, but officials are preparing to try and turn the country's tourism industry around. With visitor numbers 17% lower than they were before the Covid pandemic, the government has launched a new strategy called 'A World Of Opportunity' to see Canada become the seventh most-visited country in the world. Find out why diplomacy could make it harder to get Chinese tourists visiting Canada again.

Read now

A gothic abbey in the English countryside.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Spooky Britain

Our travel writer shares five of the most haunted places in the UK.

Read the list

And finally...

You might have seen the clip of Saoirse Ronan on the BBC's Graham Norton show. The Irish actress responds to male guests Paul Mescal, Eddie Redmayne and Denzel Washington joking about the impracticality of a self-defence technique using a smartphone as a weapon, by interjecting: "That's what girls have to think about all the time. Am I right ladies?" Now she says she is glad the viral moment has "opened a conversation."

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