| | | | | | | Hello. As Israel resists calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, international editor Jeremy Bowen explores what paths are left to bring peace in the region. DR Congo is holding an election next week but, as Mercy Juma and Samba Cyuzuzo report, those most affected by the conflict that's dominating the campaign will not have a chance to vote. We're also covering efforts to bring down the price of a life-saving drug for cystic fibriosis. Finally, take a look at the footage of an elephant searching a van to get his trunk on any food available. |
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| | | | Top of the agenda | | An opportunity for peace? |  | | 18,600 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Credit: Getty Images |
| | US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is heading to Israel to hold talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other members of the war cabinet. The US has been a steadfast supporter of Israel’s offensive to eliminate Hamas, but the countries don't see eye-to-eye when it comes to the future of Gaza. President Joe Biden supports the establishment of an independent Palestinian state under the Palestinian Authority, a possibility Mr Netanyahu has strongly rejected. But as the son of a peace activist killed during the Hamas attacks on 7 October tells international editor Jeremy Bowen, Mr Netanyahu's opposition to Palestinian self-determination is invigorating a peace movement within Israel. In a special report, Jeremy examines what must happen to give peace a chance. | | | | |
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| | | | | | | AT THE SCENE |  Goma, DR Congo | | Displaced and disenfranchised | | The people displaced by fighting between M23 rebels and soldiers won't be able to vote in the DR Congo election on 20 December. The conflict between the militia, which claims to represent the country's Tutsi minority, and government forces has heightened tensions with neighbouring Rwanda and is a key issue in the campaign. |  | | Mercy Juma and Samba Cyuzuzo, BBC News |
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| | President Félix Tshisekedi, who is seeking a second five-year term, has been whipping up nationalist fervour by casting the rebels as a front for what he calls the "expansionist aims" of neighbouring Rwanda - and going as far as to compare its president to Germany's World War Two leader. "I'm going to address Rwandan President Paul Kagame and tell him this: since he wanted to behave like Adolf Hitler by having expansionist aims, I promise he will end up like Adolf Hitler," Mr Tshisekedi said at an election rally in the east on Friday. Mr Kagame has not responded, but a Rwandan government spokeswoman said such comments were "a loud and clear threat". |
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| | | | Beyond the headlines | | The global fight for a fairer drug price |  | | Vertex Pharmaceuticals' drug Kaftrio has proven effective for 90% of cystic fibrosis patients. Credit: Just Treatment |
| | When Vertex Pharmaceuticals developed a treatment for genetic condition cystic fibrosis, it was hailed as a "groundbreaking" moment for patients. But the yearly cost per patient is thought to be more than £100,000 ($126,000) in the UK. Around the world, authorities and patients alike are trying to force down the cost. | | | | |
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| | | | Something different | | Forgotten Christmas classic | | One critic argues the Shop Around the Corner rivals It's a Wonderful Life. | | |
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| | | | And finally... | | A family on holiday in Sri Lanka experienced a close encounter with a hungry elephant. Watch the unsettling footage filmed from inside the vehicle as the mammal approaches and smashes through the window with its trunk to search for food. |
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| | | | | | Future Earth Newsletter | | Essential climate news and hopeful developments, in your inbox every Tuesday. | | |
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– Sofia |
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