BBC News Briefing

28 October, 2024

Alex Binley

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Hello. Today we lead on an interview with a prolific Vietnamese people smuggler, who gave the BBC detailed information about the mechanics of the international smuggling industry from a secret location. Elsewhere, we bring you the latest from Georgia amid claims of vote rigging, examine the gender divide at the US election, and take a look at the star who shocked a meeting of his lookalikes.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Smuggler reveals operation to help Vietnamese people reach UK

An overhead shot shows dozens of people crowded onto a small dinghy while in the sea

Vietnam emerged earlier this year as the largest single source of migrants seeking to cross the Channel. Credit: Reuters

A prolific Vietnamese people smuggler, who claims he has helped 1,000 people cross the Channel, has shared detailed information with the BBC about the murky industry. The man, who we are calling Thanh to protect his identity, portrays himself as a repentant figure who now regrets his life of crime and wants to speak out to prevent other Vietnamese people from making the same mistakes. Above all, he says wants to warn them against coming to the UK illegally, saying it is simply not worth it. Yet at times during the interview with the BBC's Andrew Harding, Thanh comes across as boastful, observing that “people trust me, I have never failed”, and admits that while "I can’t justify breaking the law... it’s a very lucrative business".

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In numbers: How many people cross the Channel in small boats and how many claim asylum?

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Crossings pass 2023 total: The number of migrants who have crossed the Channel in small boats in 2024 has already surpassed 2023's total for the year, figures show.

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Can UK return migrants?: Some UK MPs claim that migrants who are intercepted while crossing the Channel can legally be taken back to France but the BBC has found there is no evidence that this is the case.

WORLD HEADLINES

Iran strikes: Iran's Supreme Leader has given a measured response to Israeli strikes on the country over the weekend, saying the attack should not be "exaggerated or downplayed" while refraining from pledging immediate retaliation.

Japan upheaval: Japanese elections are normally steady and boring affairs - but this snap election was neither.

MP punch CCTV: A British politician has been suspended after CCTV footage emerged appearing to show him punching a man to the ground.

Burgers are back: The fast food chain McDonald's is resuming sales of its Quarter Pounder burgers after ruling out its beef patties as the source of an E. coli outbreak that left at least one person dead and dozens ill.

Primrose Hill: A spat has flared between the residents of an iconic London street and Airbnb, after the rental app launched a competition which locals fear will only increase film tourists to their doorsteps.

US ELECTION

Puerto Rico: Many voters from across the political divide have reacted furiously after a comedian at a Donald Trump rally called Puerto Rico a "floating island of garbage".

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Import pledges: Donald Trump's call for sweeping tariffs is resonating, as protectionism gains steam in the US. But what about those whose businesses would be hit by the price rises?

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Election polls: Take a look at just how close the race to the White House has become with our poll tracker

AT THE SCENE

Tbilisi, Georgia

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Georgia PM rejects vote-rigging claims

Irakli Kobakhidze wears a suit and looks to the right of the screen. He has fairly long, slightly messy brown hair

Georgian PM Irakli Kobakhidze denies vote-rigging took place. Credit: BBC

The results from Georgia's parliamentary election were dramatically different from exit polls conducted by Western pollsters. Official preliminary results give ruling Georgian Dream an outright majority of 54%, despite exit polls for opposition TV channels suggesting four opposition parties had won. In an interview with the BBC, the country's PM hailed the "landslide" result, and rejected allegations of vote-rigging and violence. Meanwhile, Georgia’s pro-Western president Salome Zourabichvili has condemned the “total falsification” of the vote and called for protests.

Paul Kirby, Europe digital editor

"Irregularities happen everywhere, in every country," Irakli Kobakhidze of the Georgian Dream party told the BBC. Georgia's PM accused the opposition of lying, arguing that they also said the vote had been falsified in 2016, 2020 and 2021. "Of course they have now no other way, so they have to tell their supporters that either they were lying or the government rigged the elections." Kobakhidze also denied the opposition's accusation that his party is adopting Russian-style laws and returning to Russia's sphere of influence. Zourabichvili has said the vote could not be recognised and called on the people to gather to "defend our constitutional right".

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Vote on Georgia explained: The election hinged on whether to end 12 years of increasingly authoritarian rule, in a vote that will decide their future path towards the European Union.

'Vote stolen': Pro-Western opposition groups in Georgia have refused to accept the results, claiming the election had been falsified and the vote "stolen from the Georgian people".

BEYOND THE HEADLINES

What’s really behind America’s men v women election

A graphic shows a blue Kamala Harris looking to the left and a red Donald Trump looking to the right, in front of a background of stars

For some voters, the US election is more of a referendum on gender norms. Credit: BBC

Ahead of the US election, Donald Trump is enjoying a huge lead among men, while women tell pollsters they prefer Kamala Harris by a similarly large margin. For some voters, the election has turned into a referendum on gender norms, and the social upheavals of recent years. A lot has changed for women since the last time one was on the ballot paper, writes US special correspondent Katty Kay, leaving some young men feeling they have been left behind.

A boy in a white jumper sits at a desk with a slice of pizza, with a notebook in front of him

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

A secret life online

After his death, Mats Steen's parents were surprised to be contacted by people worldwide.

Read now

And finally...

In a real-life edition of Where's Wally, or Wonka in the case of Timothée Chalamet, the actor shocked his doppelgangers by making a surprise appearance at a lookalike contest for himself. The actor sparked shrieks across Washington Square Park when he crept up to two lookalikes who had been posing for photos.

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