| | | | | | | Hello and welcome to the first News Briefing of 2024. I'm afraid this year isn't starting on a happy note. The extent of the damage of a powerful earthquake in central Japan is becoming clearer, with the death toll mounting. We also have the latest on the conflicts in Ukraine and in Gaza, and an analysis of Bangladesh's upcoming election. In the English city of Cambridge, the world-famous university's grip on trademarks has angered some local businesses. Finally, check out the serendipitous tale of a student reunited with the art portfolio she thought was lost for good. |
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| | | | Top of the agenda | | Japan on alert for more earthquakes |  | | Old, wooden houses have not been built to withstand such earthquakes. Credit: BBC |
| | Thousands of people in Japan have spent the night in evacuation centres after a 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck the Ishikawa prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast on Monday. Today, the extent of the damage is becoming clearer. Hundreds of buildings near the epicentre were destroyed. Officials have confirmed 48 people have died, while 120 are waiting to be rescued. The number of casualties is likely to rise since some areas remain difficult to reach. Rescue efforts may also be hindered by ensuing tremors. Japan's chief cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi has warned people to be on alert that there may be earthquakes "for about a week of an intensity scale of up to seven". Follow our live page for the latest developments. | | | | |
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| | | | | | | AT THE SCENE |  Cambridgeshire, UK | | The Cambridge brand battle | | The name Cambridge is known around the world for its association with the 800-year-old prestigious university. But local business owners believe the institution is going too far in protecting its brand. |  | | Ben Schofield, Political correspondent |
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| | Tony Cooke, chief executive of Cambridge Clinical Laboratories, says his company spent £26,000 ($33,145) fighting to register its trademark. A letter from the university's lawyers said the company's proposed name was "highly concerning". Mr Cooke says it was "arrogant" and "selfish" of the university "to think that you own a geographic location". "It felt like they were a big entity and we were a small entity, and they would try and push us into capitulating," he recalls. "Cambridge is a very significant city, but it's not just the university." The university disputes claiming to "own Cambridge", but does hold trademarks for "Cambridge" in several classes, for both goods and services. |
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| | | | Beyond the headlines | | The one-woman electoral show |  | | Sheikh Hasina has been in power since 2009 - she's the daughter of the nation's founding father. Credit: Getty Images |
| | The result of Bangladesh's general election on 7 January appears a foregone conclusion. With the main opposition parties boycotting the vote, and many of their leaders in jail, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling Awami League is set to win a fourth consecutive term in power. Critics question why the international community is not doing more to hold her administration to account. Her government flatly rejects accusations it is undemocratic. | | | | |
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| | | | Something different | | On the right foot | | Make the most of the start of the new year with these science-informed tips. | | |
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| | | | | | | | | | Tech Decoded Newsletter | | Decode the biggest developments in global technology with a twice-weekly email. | | |
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– Sofia |
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