Plus: Putin promises 'uninterrupted' fuel to India ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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| Hello. In the US, the testimony of the admiral who ordered a military double strike on an alleged drugs boat alleviates some of the pressure on US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, writes North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher. Russia's president has insisted his country will continue to supply India with oil, despite objections from the US. And the parents of the last remaining dead hostage in Gaza have spoken to the BBC about their desperate wait for his body to be returned. | |
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TOP OF THE AGENDA | Boat strike briefings help Hegseth - but shipwreck video release may hurt |
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| | Republicans and Democrats agreed Hegseth didn't order the killing of everyone on an alleged drug boat, but that's where the consensus ended. Credit: Reuters | In recent days, two potentially damaging stories concerning Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth "have been defused", writes Anthony Zurcher, but possibly just "for now". First, a report found Hegseth did not transmit classified information about a strike against the Houthis via the Signal app. Now, the admiral in charge of the US's controversial double strike on an alleged Venezuelan drugs boat in the Caribbean has told lawmakers Hegseth did not give the order to "kill them all". Yet if the strike video is released to the public and it is "as disturbing as some Democrats say", the defence secretary "may be in the spotlight once again", Anthony notes. |
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| Russia will keep supplying fuel to India, says Putin | Delhi is under pressure from the US to stop buying Moscow's oil, which Washington says funds Russia's war in Ukraine. | Latest updates > |
| | 'All Israelis are with us', last dead hostage's parents say | The body of Ran Gvili, a 24-year-old Israeli police officer, has not yet been returned by Hamas from Gaza. | Read more > |
| | Faroe Islands scraps strict abortion laws | From July, abortion will be legal up to the end of the 12th week of pregnancy. It was previously banned in almost all cases. | More on law change > |
| | Tensions between World Cup hosts remain | With the leaders of Canada, Mexico and the US set to meet for the tournament's draw, these are the frictions between them. | Watch the video > |
| | Did Harry reference Trump in Late Show joke? | Prince Harry appeared in a sketch with Stephen Colbert, auditioning for a "Christmas prince" film role. | What he said > |
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| BEYOND THE HEADLINES | They contracted hepatitis before the jab was given at birth. Now it may be delayed again |
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| | | Medication helps John manage his illness, lowering his viral count and allowing him to live without symptoms and complications. Credit: John Ellis | John Ellis was 16 when stomach pains led to a diagnosis of hepatitis B. Born in 1990, a year before the US began vaccinating newborns against it, John had contracted the virus before he got the jab aged 12. He's speaking out ahead of a vote by an advisory panel on delaying the immunisation, as US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr questions the vaccine's safety. |
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