BBC News Briefing

10 October, 2024

Jules Darmanin

Hello. The sun is rising on Florida as you receive this newsletter, exposing the trail of devastation left by Hurricane Milton - with storm surges still threatening the US state. I'm also sharing a report from Kelly Ng on how disabled children are bearing the brunt of China's international adoption ban. And we’ll be taking a look at Spanish immigration, Colombian cuisine, and the triumphant winner of Fat Bear Week. fat bears.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Power cuts in hurricane-struck Florida

A crane on the ground surrounded by bricks on a road.

People in St Petersburg have no drinking water. Credit: Reuters

More than 3 million homes and businesses are without power in Florida after Hurricane Milton made landfall overnight. Deaths have been confirmed in St Lucie County, and the drinking water supply was cut in St Petersburg. It is much too early, however, to assess the full extent of the damage. Emergency services say they are unable to intervene in some parts of the state, and are logging calls to guide search and rescue missions when the winds die down. Milton, which is now moving off the coast of East Florida, has been downgraded to a category one hurricane. But even if the wind is decreasing, "the threats are not", Deanne Criswell, the head of the US federal response, told the BBC. "High levels of storm surge", with water pushed inland by strong winds, are the greatest danger now.

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Watch: Tornadoes also caused severe damage, particularly on the Atlantic Coast. Take a look.

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Verified: Some Republicans are claiming the White House is prioritising funding for foreign countries over hurricane victims – what are the facts?

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Glitch: The BBC Weather website and app mistakenly reported "hurricane force winds" across the globe because of a data fault issue.

WORLD HEADLINES

Indian tycoon dies: Ratan Tata, whose Tata group bought Jaguar Land Rover and tea company Tetley under his leadership, has died aged 86. Thousands are lining up in Delhi to pay homage to one of India's best-known business leaders.

Middle East: Lebanese authorities say Israeli air strikes killed five health workers in southern Lebanon on Wednesday. Read more on our live page.

War in Ukraine: Russian missiles have hit a civilian container ship at a port in Ukraine's Odesa region, killing seven people, according to local officials.

In Taiwan: President William Lai has pledged to uphold the island's self-governing status in his most high-profile public address since taking office earlier this year.

Giant of tennis: Rafael Nadal, the 22-time Grand Slam champion, has announced his retirement from tennis at the end of this season.

AT THE SCENE

Villaquilambre, northern Spain

Looking to immigrants to drive economy

More than 40,000 undocumented migrants have arrived this year in Spain, where debates around immigration are increasingly tense. But these arrivals are also a major source of potential manpower for an economy facing demographic challenges. is some sectors.

Guy Hedgecoe, BBC News

A group of Sub-Saharan African men are playing bingo in a conference room of a hotel. They laugh and celebrate when their numbers are called out, but many of these asylum seekers have harrowing stories. Among them is Michael, who fled Ghana to escape a violent feud that saw his sister and father killed. “Being here is an opportunity for me,” he said. Asylum seekers here are allowed to work six months after their arrival in Spain. Companies get in touch “because they know that we have people here who want to work,” says Dolores Queiro, a coordinator for the organisation managing the migrant centre.

Keep reading

BEYOND THE HEADLINES

China adoption ban hits disabled orphans

A young Asian girl is smiling in a picture. She is missing her left forearm.

Grace, 6, has been waiting since 2019 for her older sister to join her in the US. Credit: Aimee Welch

In September, China announced it was putting a stop to international adoption. These cases very often involve children with disabilities, who experts say are unlikely to be adopted domestically. Some adult adoptees have welcomed the ban, however, saying cross-border adoption is uprooting children from their identity.

Read the story

A Colombian dish with white leaves disposed in the shape of a flower.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Where to eat in Bogotá

From Açai to empanadas, a chef walks us through Colombian flavours.

See the list

And finally... in Alaska

A brown bear known as 128 Grazer has retained her crown in Alaska's Fat Bear Week, after gorging on huge amounts of salmon. But this year's contest was mired by a series of grisly events including on-camera fights to the death and the loss of 128 Grazer's cub to her chief rival.

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– Jules

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