BBC News Briefing

25 March, 2024

Jules Darmanin

Hello. Pictures have emerged today of the four suspects charged over Friday night's concert hall attack that killed at least 137 people near Moscow. Steve Rosenberg will help us understand what it means for Russia and Vladimir Putin. We also hear from Afghan teenage girls who say they feel "mentally dead" after years of being banned from school. More stories are coming from Senegal, South Korea, and the French hospitality industry.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Four men charged over Moscow attack

A man is sitting in a glass box as photographers take pictures of him.

All four suspects are to be held in pre-trial detention until at least 22 May, the court added. Credit: Reuters

Four men have been charged in Moscow with committing an act of terrorism after an attack on a concert hall killed at least 137 people. Three suspects, who appear to have been beaten, were marched bent double into a Moscow court while the fourth was in a wheelchair. The Islamic State group, or IS, said it carried out Friday's shooting and posted video evidence that was verified by the BBC. The men were identified as citizens of Tajikistan, Russia's state news agency Tass said. Russian officials have claimed, without evidence, Ukrainian involvement - a claim Kyiv called "absurd". As pro-Putin voices react to the national grief by pointing fingers at Ukraine, our Russia editor Steve Rosenberg raises two key questions: "How will the Kremlin react to this devastating attack? Is Russia's leadership planning to use what happened at Crocus City Hall to justify a possible further escalation in Russia's war in Ukraine?"

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'We mourn': Steve Rosenberg reports on the mixture of grief and anger as mourners line up near the Crocus City Hall.

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How the attack unfolded: Footage and testimonies help piece together what happened on Friday night, when gunmen set the venue on fire. A word of warning - this article contains graphic details.

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US warning: On 7 March, the US government told its own citizens that "extremists" had "imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow". Did Russia ignore it?

WORLD HEADLINES

Links to Beijing: The UK government is expected to link China to cyber-attacks that accessed personal details of millions of British voters

Senegal: Opposition leader Bassirou Diomaye Faye has emerged as favourite to win the country's presidential election run-off, after several rivals conceded.

A rapid rise to the top: Simon Harris is set to replace Leo Varadkar as taoiseach, becoming the youngest person ever to lead the Republic of Ireland. Here's more on the 37-year-old.
In Nigeria: Schoolchildren taken by gunmen in a mass abduction in the north-western town of Kuriga earlier this month have been freed "unharmed", officials say.
Saudi Vegeta: Saudi Arabia has announced it will build a theme park based on the famed Japanese franchise Dragon Ball, sparking mixed reactions from fans over the country's human rights record.

FOCUS ON

Afghanistan

The Afghan girls feeling 'mentally dead'

Girls younger than 10 are wearing long black dresses and a white hijab are walking with school backpacks

Girls are allowed to attend school up until secondary under the Taliban. Credit: AFP

More than 900 days have now passed since girls over 12 were first banned from going to school by the Taliban, despite promises that they would be readmitted. According to Unicef, the ban has now impacted some 1.4m Afghan girls.

Aalia Farzan and Flora Drury, BBC News

Zainab - not her real name - is among the 330,000 girls Unicef estimates should have started secondary school this March. She had held onto hope that she and fellow girls in Grade Six would be able to continue, up to the point her headmaster entered the exam hall to explain they would not be able to return for the new term. Zainab had been top of her class. Now, she tells the BBC: "I feel like I have buried my dreams in a dark hole." Tamana - who dreams of a PhD - agrees. "I mean, we are physically alive but mentally dead," she says.

Read in full

BEYOND THE HEADLINES

The music scene where love is frowned upon

Korean singer Karina makes a hand heart while on stage.

K-pop star Karina has apologised to her fans after news of her dating actor Lee Jae-wook went public. Credit: Getty Images

K-pop star Karina is the latest Korean singer to apologise for publicly dating someone. While the corporate rules around romantic relationships for "idols" have been relaxed, jealous "super-fans" still feel they're owed exclusivity from performers. Jake Kwon and Kelly Ng tell us more.

Read the story

DJ decks are seen in front of a dancing crowd in a red-lit club.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Thumping city

Berlin's techno scene has been recognised as Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Here's why

And finally...

After a 13-year break (also known as a "holiday" in my home country of France), waiters and waitresses of Paris have once again raced through the capital’s streets, carrying a croissant, a coffee and a glass of water. Any spillage incurred a penalty, but smiling was optional. The course des cafés is unfortunately not an Olympic event, but you can watch the highlights here.

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– Jules

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