BBC News Briefing

21 November, 2024

Jules Darmanin

Hello. Today we're covering reports that Russia has fired an intercontinental ballistic missile towards Ukraine - a first in this war and a further escalation in the conflict. In South Africa, an illegal gold miner tells Nomsa Maseko why he spends months underground with a pick axe and a gun. Plus, read on to learn the eye-watering amount that a banana duct-taped to wall has been sold for.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Kyiv says Russia fired intercontinental ballistic missile

Russian military vehicles are driving along a road for a parade, with two vehicles carrying large missiles.

It's the first time Moscow has used such a weapon in the war. Credit: Reuters

Ukraine's air force has said that Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) towards the country during an attack early this morning. This marks the first time that Russia - which has refused to comment on the reports - has launched this type of long-range missile during the conflict. The air force says the attack targeted Dnipro, where our diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams reports from. "It's not clear what it hit," he writes, "although four explosions were heard in the area of a large industrial complex not far from the city centre." ICBMs can travel at least 5,500 km (3,418 miles), meaning they can strike targets virtually anywhere in the world. They can also carry nuclear warheads - our weapons analyst Chris Partridge has more. The launch follow intensifying rhetoric from the Kremlin this week, which analysts say is driven by a desire to show Russia has the upper hand before Donald Trump enters the White House. Political scientist Tatiana Stanovaya, of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, argues that Vladimir Putin "believes he must scare the Western elites to show they are playing with fire".

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Follow live: Details are still emerging on the strike. Our live page has all the updates.

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Analysis: Trump's return to the White House in two months is looming large over the latest escalations, writes Paul Kirby.

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BBC investigation: High-tech war equipment made by a UK firm has been sold to companies in Russia connected to the military, shipped by a Kyrgyzstan-based company seemingly run by a swimwear model, customs documents suggest.

WORLD HEADLINES

Deaths in Laos: Four tourists have died over the past week in the Laotian town of Vang Vieng, in a suspected mass poisoning involving drinks laced with methanol, often found in bootleg alcohol.

Middle East: Hospital officials in northern Gaza say dozens of people have been killed in overnight Israeli air strikes. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Meanwhile, Syrian state media report at least 36 people have been killed and 50 others injured in Israeli air strikes in Palmyra.

UK politics: Lord John Prescott, an old-style political bruiser who played a vital role as Tony Blair's deputy prime minister, has died aged 86.

Competition rules: The US Department of Justice has demanded Google sells Chrome, the world's most popular web browser, to stop the tech giant from maintaining its monopoly in online search.

US politics: US House Speaker Mike Johnson has backed plans to ban transgender women from using female bathrooms on Capitol Hill, following the election of the first transgender congresswoman Sarah McBride.
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AT THE SCENE

Johannesburg, South Africa

Inside 'ruthless' gang-controlled gold mines

Dozens of people are surrounding a large mine shaft.

People who have surfaced from the mine in Stilfontein are reportedly frail and sickly. Credit: Reuters

A mine in the small South African town of Stilfontein, south-west of Johannesburg, is at the centre of global attention after a government minister promised to "smoke out" the hundreds of illegal miners working underground to extract gold. Ndumiso, a 52-year-old man using a pseudonym to avoid reprisals from mining gangs, is one of them.

Nomsa Maseko, BBC News

Ndumiso told the BBC that after being laid off by a big mining firm, he decided to join the gang in its underground world to become what is known as a "zama zama", an illegal miner. He digs for the precious metal and surfaces every three months or so to sell it on the black market for a huge profit, earning more than he ever did before - though the risks now are far higher. "The underground life is ruthless. Many do not make it out alive," he said. "In one level of the shaft there are bodies and skeletons. We call that the zama-zama graveyard." But for those who survive, like Ndumiso, the job can be lucrative.

Keep reading

BEYOND THE HEADLINES

Will Australia's teen social media ban work?

A teenager is looking at their smartphone while wearing large headphones, sitting on their bed.

There are no details on how the social media ban would be implemented. Credit: Getty Images

The Australian government is proposing to ban social media for children under 16 to protect them from the "harms" of online platforms. While many parents have applauded the move, online safety experts have questioned whether kids should - or even can - be barred from accessing social media.

Read the story

A view of brick-walled houses nestled on a hill topped by a castle

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Independent streak

A history of radicalism is core to the quaint English town where US Founding Father Thomas Paine lived.

Find out more

And finally...

Maurizio Cattelan's provocative artwork of a banana duct-taped to a wall has fetched $6.2m (£4.9m) at Sotheby's in New York - four times higher than pre-sale estimates. You might have already seen it. And, who knows, you might want to see it again.

Six Step