| | | | | | | Hello. While attending the Munich Security Conference last weekend, Lyse Doucet had the chance to speak with people with knowledge of the negotiations between Israel and Hamas. What she learned wasn’t promising. In Ukraine, Abdujalil Abdurasulov reconstructs the last hours of six Ukrainian soldiers who are thought to have been killed after surrendering to Russian troops, a potential war crime. Finally, a new Apple TV+ show revives questions about Coco Chanel’s ties to the Nazis during World War II, and a Spanish winery bemoans a massive spillage. |
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| | | | | | Questions Answered | | Gaza ceasefire deal’s stalled progress | | | | There are more than one million Palestinians crammed into Rafah, a Gazan city at the border with Egypt. Credit: EPA |
| | Nearly three weeks have passed since Hamas responded to a ceasefire proposal. In that time, fighting in Gaza has continued. Israel is considering launching an offensive on the southern city of Rafah as soon as 10 March. Officials seeking to negotiate a deal between Israel and Hamas look to that date with concern, as it also marks the start of the Ramadan. | | | | Lyse Doucet, Chief international correspondent |
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| | Why is Ramadan important for the timing of the offensive? | | The start of the Islamic holy month marks a time of communal fasting and prayer, which can intensify a prevailing mood. Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani warned over the weekend: "Ramadan is ahead of us and if the situation in Rafah evolves, it will be a very, very dangerous time in the region." | | What are some of the concerns? | | Arab leaders’ principal preoccupation is the highly combustible situation in the occupied West Bank, where tensions and violence have been steadily escalating. Jordan's Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi told me that "the West Bank is a powder keg waiting to explode and, if it does, it is game over." | | How are the ceasefire negotiations going? | | Conversations in Munich with several Arab and western officials with knowledge of these high-stake talks underscored a bleak prognosis. "The gaps are still wide," regretted one source. Another described the process as "stuck". | | | | | | |
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| AT THE SCENE | Kyiv, Ukraine | | The six soldiers left behind in Avdiivka | | | | Georgiy Pavlov was among the six men left behind. Credit: Inna Pavlova | | Relatives of six soldiers found dead following the Russian takeover of the Ukrainian city of Avdiivka say they were executed after surrendering. Ukrainian authorities are investigating. Moscow has not yet commented. This is what the BBC has learned from their fellow soldiers and their families. | | | | Abdujalil Abdurasulov, BBC News |
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| Ivan Zhyntyk, a paramedic, and nine other men were tasked with attacking Russian positions and opening up a safe passage for the others. The group was confronted by Russian artillery and forced to turn back. Only three managed to return to base. Ivan was among them, but he was badly injured and collapsed in a field before reaching the base. Hours later, his comrades tried to rescue him. Viktor Bilyak, a soldier from the 110th brigade who was in Zenith, says the group was then attacked by two kamikaze drones: "Instead of one wounded, we got five more."
The soldiers eventually made it back to Zenith. Viktor and the soldiers' relatives say they were promised evacuation by their superiors, but it never arrived. Later, Ivan called his commander to learn about evacuation. The voice on the radio told him to get out of Zenith on their own, as sending a rescue team was too risky. "What about the wounded?" he asked. "Leave them behind," the voice instructed him. |
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| | The big picture | | Fashion-filled extravaganza | | | | Designer Sinéad O'Dwyer's body positive show smashed through fashion clichés with pride. Credit: Getty Images |
| | The 40th edition of London Fashion Week is coming to a close. The past few days have seen front rows packed with celebrities looking for the hottest looks to translate from the catwalk to the red carpet. | | | | |
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| | | For your downtime | | A tarnished legacy | | Coco Chanel’s activities during the Nazi occupation of Paris are back in the spotlight. | | |
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| | And finally... in Spain | | A wine maker in Castrillo de Duero suffered a loss of more than €2.5m (£2.1m) after an intruder opened wine tanks and spilled 60,000 litres (15,850 US gallons) of the winery’s most expensive varieties. |
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| | | | | | | | US Election Unspun newsletter | | Cut through the noise in the race for the White House, every Wednesday to your inbox. | | |
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– Sofia |
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