BBC News Briefing

22 August, 2024

Sofia Lotto Persio

Hello. On the third day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago the spotlight was on Kamala Harris's running mate Tim Walz. Anthony Zurcher reports on how he pitched himself to voters. In Ukraine, James Waterhouse hears from people convicted of collaborating with Russians under a controversial law. We're also speaking to film-maker Ibrahim Nash’at about the year he spent in Afghanistan after the Taliban took back power, and exploring a discovery that tells us more about how the Moon's surface was formed.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

'Coach Walz' dials up mid-west charm

Tim Walz holds up hands in a triumphant gesture along with his daughter Hope, son Gus and wife Gwen on stage

Tim Walz touted the Democratic priorities he has enacted while serving as Minnesota governor. Credit: EPA-EFE

Before Vice-President Kamala Harris picked Tim Walz to be her running mate, the Minnesota governor was not a household name. His speech at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) gave him an opportunity to introduce himself to voters. If there was one thing he wanted them to know, notes North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher, it's that he used to be a high school football coach - his speech was peppered with football metaphors. “It’s the fourth quarter,” Walz said. “We’re down a field goal. But we’re on offense. We’re driving down the field. And, boy, do we have the right team to win this.” The four-day party extravaganza will culminate on Thursday evening when Ms Harris formally accepts the Democratic nomination, a little over a month after President Joe Biden stepped out of the race.

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More from Anthony: Halfway through the convention, Democrats have so far largely avoided mentioning three notable topics.

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Watch: From Oprah Winfrey to Stevie Wonder, get the highlights of the DNC's third day.

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Outside the arena: A group of pro-Palestinian Democrats said their request for a speaking slot at the DNC has been denied by party leaders.

WORLD HEADLINES

Bayesian latest: The search is continuing for one person who's still missing after a luxury yacht sank in a storm off the coast of Sicily on Monday.

Andrew Tate: The controversial influencer and his brother Tristan were taken in for questioning by Romania’s serious crime agency as police searched their home overnight.

Election law: Thousands in Indonesia have rallied against their government's attempts to reverse a constitutional court ruling that would open up elections to candidates from smaller parties.

Frequent flyer: The newly announced boss of Starbucks has faced criticism after it was revealed that he will commute on a corporate jet for almost 1,000 miles (1,600km) from his home in California to the office in Seattle.

Sphen the gentoo penguin: The bird that became world-famous when he partnered with male penguin Magic has died in Australia, aged 11.

AT THE SCENE

Ukraine

How Ukraine punishes collaborators

Tetyana is a blonde woman wearing a maroon prison uniform as she opens a cell door

Almost 2,000 people have been convicted of collaborating with the Russians under a controversial law. Credit: BBC

When Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Kyiv passed a law to discourage helping the Russian army. But human rights lawyers are concerned the legislation is too broad, punishing people who just tried to survive the occupation.

James Waterhouse, Ukraine correspondent

As we sit in the pink-walled room where inmates can phone home, Tetyana explains that she had been a neighbourhood volunteer for 15 years, liaising with local officials. Carrying on those duties once the Russians arrived had cost her dearly - a five-year sentence. Ukrainian prosecutors claimed she had illegally taken an official role with the occupiers, which included handing out relief supplies. “Winter was over, people were out of food, someone had to advocate,” she says. “I could not leave those old people. I grew up among them.”

Keep reading

BEYOND THE HEADLINES

What it's like to film the Taliban

Taliban members sit on chairs arranged in rows. Some of them are wearing military gear, others white robes. Water bottles are lined up at their feet.

Nash’at felt he had to leave the country after filming a military parade in August 2022. Credit: Rolling Narratives

When the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan in August 2021, thousands of people sought to flee. One man, however, was keen to get in. Ibrahim Nash’at, an Egyptian journalist and film-maker based in Germany, got permission to stay in the country for up to a year. His documentary Hollywoodgate is named after the abandoned CIA military base where much of the filming took place.

Read now

Colourful houses in an extreme snow landscape.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Edge of the world

The village of Ittoqqortoormiit is 800km away from the next town.

See the pictures

And finally...

Scientists have identified an ancient ocean of magma on the Moon's south pole, backing up the theory that liquid molten rock formed the satellite's surface around 4.5 billion years ago. Take a look.

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– Sofia

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