Plus: Ukraine army's recruitment strategy questioned, and North Korea's propaganda pop ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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| Hello. As negotiators prepare to resume talks over a Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, diplomatic correspondent James Landale reflects on the gaps between the two adversaries' positions. On the Ukrainian front line, James Waterhouse talks to war-weary soldiers about the army's recruitment strategy. We're also looking at the catch in North Korea's catchy propaganda song, and at ongoing efforts to create a women-only space at an art museum in Australia. | |
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QUESTIONS ANSWERED | The gap facing Gaza ceasefire negotiators |
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| | Some of those who fled eastern Rafah on Monday headed to the nearby city of Khan Younis. Credit: Reuters | Negotiators for Israel and Hamas are set to resume ceasefire talks in Egypt. The Israeli government has highlighted at least four areas of disagreement with the terms proposed by Egypt and Qatar that Hamas accepted in an unexpected move on Tuesday morning. |
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| | James Landale, diplomatic correspondent |
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| What to make of the timing of Hamas's acceptance of the tentative deal? | The announcement by Hamas that it supports a particular draft could be an attempt to push Israel into making concessions and divide it from its allies. Israel's warnings about an imminent military operation in Rafah could be an attempt to extract better terms from Hamas. | Which issues will the talks focus on? | There is some disagreement over the detail of what should happen to whom and when and in what order. Israeli officials say, for example, that its female soldiers should be released earlier than envisaged. They also say the texts should be clearer that the first 33 hostages to be released must be alive and are worried about not having a veto over which Palestinian prisoners would be released. These are issues that could potentially be surmounted through negotiation. | What's the most challenging sticking point? | Israel's government wants the right to continue taking the fight to Hamas in the long run. By contrast, Hamas wants a permanent ceasefire. What is not clear is whether there is a way for Qatari, Egyptian and American negotiators to find a middle path through this. | | - Rafah evacuation plans: Flyers dropped by Israeli aircraft over the southern Gaza city on Monday featured a map that identifies nine area blocks where Palestinians should evacuate to.
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| War-weary troops share feedback | | These Ukrainian gunners are digging in near the eastern front line. Credit: BBC | A new mobilisation bill in Ukraine lowered the age of conscription to 25 without adding a proposed three-year limit on time served. Soldiers who have been fighting Russia since the February 2022 invasion think the army could improve its recruitment strategy. |
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| | James Waterhouse, Ukraine correspondent |
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| | Thousands of trained troops like Oleksandr, a radio operator in the 21st separate Mechanised Brigade, have been fighting for the best part of two years without a proper rest. "If we go home," he says, "inexperienced soldiers might be able to hold the line against the Russians, but a lot of them will die." He taps his handset in a bunker where he also sleeps with four other soldiers. The thickness of the air tells you it's well lived-in. Outside, the woodland provides an illusion of calm, periodically jarred by a whistling artillery shell overhead. This time last year, the arrival of spring's hard soil brought a sense of optimism with an anticipated counter-offensive. The conditions make it easier to move men and machinery. Today, it just makes these troops' job of digging new defences more difficult. |
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THE BIG PICTURE | North Korea's viral propaganda hit song |
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| | | Friendly Father's lyrics can offer insights on Kim Jong Un's changing rhetoric about his leadership. Credit: Korean Central Television | European countries are competing this week at the yearly Eurovision Song Contest. Entrants will be hoping their tunes match the viral power of a North Korean propaganda song that's become a hit on TikTok. With its Abba-coded synth-electric pop, the catchy melody hides a more sinister message. |
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FOR YOUR DOWNTIME | The Night Porter | The post-Holocaust erotic drama turns 50 - and it's still causing controversy. | |
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