BBC News Briefing

20 November, 2024

Sofia Lotto Persio

Hello. Ukraine has accused Russia of spreading misinformation about a possible attack on Kyiv that prompted some foreign embassies to temporarily close down. Hanna Chournous reports from the Ukrainian capital. As a US House committee faces mounting pressure to release its report into Donald Trump's pick for attorney general, Sam Cabral explains the allegations against Matt Gaetz. And finally, a music video leads to the downfall of a New York priest.

GET UP TO SPEED

Tensions at the French mass rape trial burst into the open during closing arguments, when Dominique Pelicot’s daughter Caroline shouted at her father from across the courtroom that he would “die alone like a dog”.

A storm off the coast of the US north-west and western Canada, dubbed "bomb cyclone", is pummelling the region, bringing high winds, flooding and snow.

A woman in Thailand has been sentenced to death in the first of a string of cases in which she is accused of murdering 14 friends with cyanide.

AT THE SCENE

Kyiv, Ukraine

Shelters busier than usual after threat

A woman looks concerned as she holds a cat in her arm, standing in a crowd of people who have taken shelter in a metro station in Kyiv on November 18

Air raid alerts in Kyiv have become an almost common occurrence since the beginning of the war. Credit: Reuters

Ukraine has accused Russia of staging a "psychological attack" after the US and other countries temporarily closed their embassies in Kyiv over a strike threat. The government urged people to not panic, but also to not ignore air raids alerts.

Hanna Chornous, BBC News

Russian drone attacks are a daily reality in Kyiv and other cities. The buzz of drones and booms of air defences disrupt the nights for millions of Ukrainians. People are routinely killed in these attacks on their homes, even when they're far away from the frontlines.

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Ukrainian officials said today that Russia is conducting a “psychological warfare operation” and urged people to take shelter during air raid alerts – just like on any other day of Russia’s full-scale war. One way or another, the warnings have worked. As sirens rang out in the capital this afternoon, a shelter in an international hotel was busier than usual.

What to know

Zelensky's warning: The Ukrainian president told Fox News that the country would lose the war if the US, its main military backer, pulled funding.

Landmines controversy: The US has been criticised by humanitarian organisations for deciding to supply Ukraine with the weapons.

UK weapons: The BBC understands Ukraine has fired British long-range missiles called Storm Shadow at Russian targets for the first time. Security correspondent Frank Gardner explains what difference their use can make.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Gaetz faces daunting confirmation battle

Matt Gaetz gestures while speaking at a campaign rally for Donald Trump

Gaetz resigned from the House of Representatives after Trump tapped him for the job of attorney general. Credit: Reuters

The nomination of Matt Gaetz as attorney general is perhaps Trump's most controversial pick. The candidate to be America's top law enforcement officer is at the centre of a number of allegations that could prevent him from getting the job.

Sam Cabral, BBC News

Who is Matt Gaetz and why is he controversial?

The 42-year-old represented Florida's first congressional district in the US House of Representatives. He joined Congress in the same election in 2016 that propelled Donald Trump to the White House. A fierce Trump defender, he has long upset Democrats but also many Republicans with his bombastic public conduct and alleged hard-partying lifestyle.

What has he been accused of?

On and off since 2021, the secretive House Ethics Committee has investigated Gaetz over various allegations, including the claim that he had sex with an underage girl, used illicit drugs, accepted bribes, misused campaign funds and shared inappropriate images on the House floor. The Floridian has repeatedly and vehemently denied wrongdoing, casting the probe as an attempt to smear his name by powerful enemies he has made in politics. He has also raised in his defence the fact that the Department of Justice (DoJ) ended a separate three-year, federal sex-trafficking investigation last year by deciding not to bring charges against him.

Did the DoJ investigation end there?

Joel Greenberg, Gaetz's one-time friend, was the lone person charged in the DoJ's sex trafficking investigation. Greenberg is currently serving an 11-year prison sentence after agreeing to plead guilty to multiple federal charges. He cooperated with investigators and reportedly told prosecutors information about multiple others, including Gaetz.

Gaetz's confirmation odds

Closed-door hearing: The US House Committee on Ethics held a meeting on Capitol Hill as calls grow for it to release details of its investigation into Gaetz.

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Voters' panel: Trump's cabinet picks have received a largely positive reception so far from Republicans contacted by the BBC.

Get the latest: Vice-President-elect JD Vance is shoring up Senate support for Donald Trump's cabinet picks as he brought Gaetz along on a visit to the Capitol.

THE BIG PICTURE

YouTuber's crypto dealings under scrutiny

A picture of Logan Paul is superimposed over an illustration of bitcoin crytocurrency in the form of gold coins

Logan Paul's YouTube channel has 23 million followers. Credit: BBC

For several months, internet celebrity Logan Paul had refused to talk to the BBC about his cryptocurrency dealings. Then he appeared to relent, inviting my colleagues to interview him at his gym in Puerto Rico. However, when the crew arrived, a lookalike turned up in his place, shortly followed by a crowd shouting abuse about the BBC. A lawyer’s letter on behalf of Paul also warned against publishing the investigation's findings.

Read the story

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