Transcript for Israeli tanks in the heart of Rafah

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This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Andrew Pagean at 13 hours GMT on Wednesday 28th of May these rare main stories. The reports of tanks reaching the centre of Raffer as Israel intensifies its military operation despite condemnation over the deaths of Palestinian civilians. Three more nations officially recognised Palestine as a state. It's crunch time in Georgia, as parliament votes on its divisive foreign agents law, and move many seers a step away from the West and towards Russia. Also in this podcast on the Eva South Africa's elections, we look at the length some people in the post of part eight South Africa go to to find a home.

And while Album No One's heard, it's got top billing as a museum in Australia. Israel's forces are moved deeper into refer in something Gaza, as it carries out its most intense bombardment of the city since it began its military operation there three weeks ago. Israel, say it's an offensive that's necessary to destroy the remaining Hamas battalions there and free hostages. But the cost of Palestinian lives has been high. On Sunday, 45 people in a camp for displaced people were killed, and strikes on the night of Monday into Tuesday killed 16 more, according to Hamas officials. There are now reports that several Israeli tanks have reached the centre of Raffa. Hundreds of families have had to flee.

Just before we recorded this podcast, I got the latest on the movements of those Israeli military tanks in refer from our Middle East correspondent Yola Nell in Jerusalem.

The UN Security Council are meeting to talk about this later, although Israel seems undaunted by any level of international condemnation.

You'll know with me from Jerusalem. Meanwhile, Spain, Ireland and Norway have all officially recognized the state of Palestine. It was an initiative begun by the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

But it may not be enough for these people who are among hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters who gathered on Monday in Barcelona and Madrid.

Hamas and the Palestinian Authority have welcomed the recognition. Israel's Foreign Affairs Minister Israel Katz shared a video on X. mixed images of Flamenco dancers with Hamas fighters attacking Israel on the 7th of October with a message to the Spanish President that Hamas thanks him for his service. Israel has accused all three countries of rewarding terrorism and has withdrawn its ambassadors. Our correspondent, Madrid, is Guy Hechko.

I hedgeco in Madrid. Thirty years on from South Africa's first democratic election and the end of a part eight, the country is on the eve of voting in a new parliament. The party that brought an end to a part eight, the African National Congress, the ANC, have always had a parliamentary majority. This time there's the very real prospect that it might sink below 50% of the votes, raising the prospect of a coalition government. Some people are still grappling with how to reverse the geography of a passage, the white minority rule, which determine where and how people lived. Africa correspondent Barbara Pletasha has been to Cape Town where the contrasts are particularly stark.

Because I'm tired about what? Because I was what before, but it didn't say change. Still I'm staying here.

Police in Hong Kong have arrested six people for writing messages which the authorities say advocated rebellion against the state. The arrests of five women and one man are the first of their kind under the Chinese Territories' own security law. Here's Celia Hatton.

The arrest come ahead of a politically sensitive date in Hong Kong and mainland China, June 4th. In the past, before Hong Kong tightened its security laws to outlaw political descent, thousands of people would gather in Hong Kong to remember pro-democracy demonstrators killed near Bay Jin's Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989. Such commemorative events have now been deemed illegal. The authorities say those arrested on Tuesday include the noted political activist, Chao Hong Tong, who was part of a group dedicated to remembering June 4th. Ms Chao, who's already behind bars, is accused of pushing the others to share messages connected with a sensitive date.

Celia Hassan reporting. Start a calm, a special report from the besieged Ukrainian city of Harkiv.

As we record this podcast, Georgia's Parliament is expected to push through its divisive foreign agents law, and move many seers a step away from the West and towards Russia. The policy sparked weeks of protests. It's already received a presidential veto, but the ruling Georgian Dream Party has been saying it'll overturn that. Opponents of the law fear it could be used to stifle descent and make it impossible for Georgia to join the European Union.

With the vote, Eminent, I spoke to you, Ray Hendometri, outside the parliament building in Tbilisi.

And borrowing the government changing its mind, which seems unlikely, is that it, when the presidential veto is overturned any moment as we expect, it becomes law on that that people can protest if they want to.

right-to-metry with me from Tbilisi. Belgium has become the latest European country to say it will send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine as part of a package of aid worth nearly a billion dollars. The Netherlands, Denmark and Norway have already promised to send F-16 to help Ukraine fend off Russian attacks. The Belgian Prime Minister Alexander DeCru made the commitment to send 30 jets, stressing the urgency.

Russia has been increasing the military pressure on Ukraine, and particularly the country's second city, Harkiv, to guided bombs destroyed a shop and a garden centre crowded with people on Saturday. Our international editor Jeremy Bowen reports from the city, which is feeling very much under siege.

Jeremy Bowen reporting from Harkiff. Pope Francis has been heard using a highly derogatory term for gay people. He was speaking a week ago in a private meeting with Italian bishops. As we recall this podcast, the Vatican has issued a statement saying the Pope didn't intend to use homophobic language and apologizes to anyone offended. Our religion editor Ali MacBull reports on the incident.

Our religion editor Ali Maghbal. Sri Lanka's economy is on track to stabilize this year after a severe financial crisis, which plunged a quarter of the country into poverty. But the government has sparked concern by ordering the country's tea producers to increase wages by 70%. Puntation companies are worried to make their tea uncompetitive. So how important is tea to the Sri Lankan economy? Victoria Iwanda spoke to our business correspondent Monica Miller.

Now, do you recognize this? This is the sound of the Routon Clan formed in Staten Island, New York in 1992. And why do you regard it as one of the most influential hip-hop bands of all time? Now a unique CD by the collective whose members include Method Man, Inspector Deck and Ghostface Killer, is being given top billing into museum on the other side of the world in Tasmania. I asked Tiffany Turnbull in Sydney, what's so special about the album?

And the only dear is the understanding of the album was a sort of rebellion against streaming, which the band thought made music to why it'd be available, less of a precious commodity?

And the value of it makes it very elite, very inaccessible to those people.

Unsurprising it was recorded in New York but maybe more surprising it ended up in Tasmania. Why there?

And that's all from us for now. There'll be a new edition of Global News to download later. If you'd like to comment on this podcast and the stories we included, drop us an email, global podcast at bvc.co.uk or on x. We are at global news pod. This edition was mixed by Pat Sissons. The producer was married and straw. And the editor is Karen Martin. I'm Andrew Page. Thanks for listening and until next time. Goodbye.

It didn't take long for it to spread like wildfire. You got to seek a look at this really crazy gold stock.