Hello. Today my colleagues in Washington DC and Tel Aviv are reporting on Benjamin Netanyahu's address to US lawmakers, as the prime minister hopes to bolster American support for Israel. We also hear from protesters in Bangladesh, after days of deadly demonstrations against the government. Finally, Flora Drury explains why the Taliban are opening up Afghanistan to tourists.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Netanyahu warmly welcomed in US Congress

The Israeli prime minister called October 7 a day "that will live in infamy". Credit: EPA

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said America and Israel "must stand together" during a speech in the US Congress. "Victory is in sight", he said, also calling pro-Palestinian protesters outside the building "Iran's useful idiots". 

How has Congress reacted to Mr Netanyahu's speech?

The prime minister received loud applause from members of Congress after he finished each sentence. But dozens of lawmakers have said they would not be attending, in protest of Netanyahu and his administration's war in Gaza. And Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian-American Democrat congresswoman, held a placard that read "guilty of genocide".

Were there protests? 

Police has said five people have been arrested inside the Capitol building for attempting to disrupt the speech. There were also thousands of people near the building protesting against Mr Netanyahu's visit, with reports of pepper spray being used. Our reporter at the scene saw multiple people visibly in pain.

What about in Israel?

The speech was projected on a screen in central Tel Aviv, but without the audio, Barbara Plett Usher reports. There was Hebrew translation of his remarks shown as subtitles, but those gathered here were instead listening to the family members of hostages. "“You are killing our families, give up your political ambitions," the brother of a captive man said.

• In Gaza: More than 150,000 people have fled the city of Khan Younis since Monday, two UN agencies have said. “I have been displaced 12 times since 7 October,” one resident told the BBC.

• Hostage families: Ayelet Levy Shachar, whose daughter Naama was kidnapped by Hamas gunmen from an Israeli army observation post, spoke to Barbara Plett Usher about her hopes of a ceasefire.

• What's next: Mr Netanyahu will meet President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris on Thursday. Fencing is being laid near the White House ahead of the visit.

THE BIG PICTURE

The Taliban banking on tourism

Tours usually highlight the site where Bamiyan Buddhas once stood before the Taliban destroyed them in 2001. Credit: Getty Images

Despite its stunning sights, Afghanistan is far from being a tourism hotspot. But a growing number of visitors attracted by what they call a "raw" experience are being welcomed by the Taliban on tours offered by international companies. Some Afghans who fled their country see it as an "unethical" way to "normalise the Taliban regime". 

And finally... in India

Villagers in Thulasendrapuram have been closely observing the US presidential race following Joe Biden’s withdrawal and Kamala Harris's rise as the presumptive Democratic nominee. The ancestral village of Ms Harris's maternal grandparents claims the candidate as one of its own, as attested by a large banner of the candidate in the village centre.