Plus: Israel military says it killed five 'terrorists' in West Bank, and Ukraine's Paralympic preparation. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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| Hello. Today we're covering the investigation opened in France into Pavel Durov, the CEO and founder of messaging app Telegram. The Russian-born mogul, who is also a French national, is banned from leaving the country. We also have the latest on the Israeli operation in the West Bank, which has been met with international alarm. Finally, I'm sharing more Paralympic stories as the Games start in Paris. | |
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TOP OF THE AGENDA | Telegram boss banned from leaving France |  | Pavel Durov pictured speaking at a conference in 2016. Credit: Reuters | Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, has been placed under formal investigation in France as part of a probe into organised crime on the messaging app. Paris prosecutors have banned the Russian-born billionaire, who is also a French national, to leave the country's territory. Their investigation is over alleged offences that include "complicity in the administration of an online platform to enable illicit transactions by an organised gang", and "complicity in organised criminal distribution of sexual images of children". It is unprecedented for the owner of a social media platform to be arrested because of the way in which that platform is being used. Telegram is accused of failing to engage with national and international bodies over the sharing of child abuse material on its app - the firm however insists its moderation tools meet industry standards. Mr Durov's lawyer, David-Olivier Kaminski, said it was "absurd" to suggest his client could be involved "in criminal acts that don't concern him either directly or indirectly".
- The view from Moscow: Russian media has been closely following the story, speculating about Mr Durov's fate. Steve Rosenberg tells us what they make of his arrest.
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WORLD HEADLINES | | | - Spectacle in Paris: Athletes paraded along the Champs-Elysées under a glorious sunset to mark the start of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games on Wednesday. Here are some pictures of the night.
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| A desperate search for water | One of the worst droughts in decades is sweeping across southern Africa, leaving close to 70 million people without enough food and water. In a village the BBC visited, the same riverbed is used to bathe children, do laundry and give water to cattle. |
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| | | Gracious Phiri, a mother of five, stands among the women doing laundry. The 43-year-old tells the BBC she now has to walk further than usual, spending three hours every day travelling to fetch water. Ms Phiri lowers her bucket into the half-metre (19in) wide hole and draws brown-coloured water. She worries about her family getting sick. “As you can see, the cattle are drinking from the same pit as us. Their urine is right there... it is not very healthy," she says. |
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BEYOND THE HEADLINES | Hope and fury ahead of Paralympics |
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| |  | After settling his family in Poland, wheelchair fencer Andrii Demchuk began helping other Ukrainian refugees at the border. Credit: Supplied | Ukraine has consistently overperformed in Paralympic Games, finishing in the top six every time since 2004. But the full-scale invasion of the country by Russia has seen 500 of its disabled sports facilities destroyed ahead of the Paris 2024 games, officials say. Athletes tell Andy Swiss about their difficult preparation - and their relentless determination. |
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SOMETHING DIFFERENT | Beetlejuice Beetlejuice | Tim Burton's sequel surpasses the original, writes our critic Nicolas Barber. | |
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And finally... | Some stories come around every year but are worth a few moments of your time all the same. And that can certainly be said about our highly enjoyable video of La Tomatina, the annual festival involving Spaniards chucking tomatoes at one another, swimming in sauce and even making "tomato angels". Take a look. | |
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