Plus: Five things to look out for at Cannes Film Festival ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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| Hello. A $142bn (£107bn) arms deal has been signed between America and Saudi Arabia on the first day of US President Donald Trump's tour of the Middle East. To mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Bergen-Belsen, reporter Amie Liebowitz travelled to the former camp for its displaced survivors, where she met people born in World War II's aftermath. Plus, as the Cannes Film Festival gets underway, we've got the five things to watch. | |
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TOP OF THE AGENDA | Trump says US-Saudi bond 'more powerful than ever', after signing $142bn arms deal |
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| | Relations between the US and Saudi Arabia have been steadily improving in recent years. Credit: Reuters | An arms deal worth $142bn (£107bn) has been signed between the US and Saudi Arabia, “the largest defence sales agreement in history”, according to the White House. It is a "measure of the changing relationship between Washington and Riyadh", writes chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet, underlined in a speech in Riyadh by US President Donald Trump. He called the Saudi crown prince "an incredible man" and said the US-Saudi bond is "more powerful than ever". During his speech, Trump also said he will remove sanctions on Syria. He is set to meet the country's president, in Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday. |
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| Zelensky challenges Putin to meet him for talks | Ukraine's president said he "will be waiting" in Istanbul for his Russian counterpart, for talks on ending the war. | More on the talks > |
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| Israeli air strike on Gaza hospital kills 28 - officials | Israeli warplanes dropped six bombs on the hospital, local sources said. Israel said a Hamas base was underneath it. | Read more > |
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| Kim Kardashian forgives robber in burglary trial | The reality TV star has given evidence to a court in Paris, in the trial of 10 people accused of robbing her at gunpoint in 2016. | More from our reporter in court > |
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| Ancient Peru site daubed with obscene graffiti | A vandal was captured on camera daubing an image of a penis on a wall at a centuries-old Unesco World Heritage Site. | Watch the video > |
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| Bergen-Belsen Babies return for 80th anniversary of end of WWII in Europe | | Estimates suggest that up to 70,000 people were murdered at Bergen-Belsen. Credit: AFP | From Our Own Correspondent: In April and May 1945, as the Second World War came to an end in Europe, the allied forces liberated many Nazi concentration camps, amongst them, Bergen-Belsen. A displaced persons camp was established nearby to house its survivors. During the five years it was operating, 2,000 babies were born there, some of who returned to mark the 80th anniversary of the war's end in Europe and the camp's liberation. |
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| | Amie Liebowitz, BBC reporter |
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| | Sitting around me were Karen, Anita, Felicia and Susan, proudly showing me their US and Canadian passports. They all said: “birth place: Germany” - though it’s complicated. They may have been born there, but in reality, born stateless. Known as the Bergen-Belsen Babies, their parents were survivors who were housed in blocks there, until another country would accept them or a family member could coordinate with the Red Cross and repatriate them.
From them, I heard about stories of couples who first met each other in a line or a group waiting to be registered and a month later they got married. I was told they all shared the one wedding dress - it didn’t matter if it fitted or not. Within a year, babies were born. The women I spoke to were emphatic about one thing: this place isn’t just about the tragedies that occurred - life moved on and their births were a symbol of that. |
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| | | Survivors return: Some of those who were held in the camp recount the horrors they witnessed, as they travelled back to Bergen-Belsen. | | From the archive: The first broadcaster to enter Bergen-Belsen after its liberation described the terrible scenes he witnessed, breaking down several times as he did so. | | Soldier's memories: The daughter of a soldier who helped liberate Bergen-Belsen told the BBC the "horrendous" scenes he witnessed there had changed his views about World War II. |
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SOMETHING DIFFERENT | Dambusters raid account | In May 1943, the success of a daring moonlit mission came with a heavy cost. | |
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And finally... on the red carpet | The Cannes Film Festival is underway on the French Riviera, with a host of Hollywood stars expected to hit the red carpet in the coming days. Here are five things to look out for - including some of the potential contenders for next year's Oscars - as one of the highlights of cinema's calendar begins. | |
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US Politics Unspun newsletter | No noise. No agenda. Just expert analysis of the issues that matter most, from North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher. | |
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