Israel-Palestine, Afghanistan, Liberia.

Today's three stories you should know.

Israel-Palestine

The situation in Israel-Palestine is developing so fast that if I was to provide an update it would likely be out of date by the time you open the newsletter. Better then, perhaps, that I give you a recommendation for following this huge - and deeply distressing - story. Al Jazeera has been, as is usually the case with Middle East coverage, peerless in its combination of on-the-ground reporting (from Israel, from Gaza, from the West Bank) and analysis from people who actually know what they’re talking about (both Palestinians and Israelis). You can watch it live and for free on YouTube here. And there is a vital and constantly updated live blog here.

If you would like to ask me any questions about coverage of the story, or where to find reporting you can trust, please do feel free to drop me a line directly.

Afghanistan

This has been slightly lost from the international agenda given what is happening in Israel-Palestine but a terrible tragedy has befallen Afghanistan, a country that can little afford more problems. The death toll from an earthquake that hit the west of the country on Saturday has now climbed to almost 3,000. Entire villages and towns have been flattened and locals are continuing to dig through the rubble using shovels and rudimentary equipment. Though Afghanistan frequently experiences earthquakes, the ruling Taliban has little experience responding to disasters of this magnitude.

More from the Guardian here.

Liberia

Liberians go to the polls tomorrow to vote in presidential and parliamentary elections with corruption and a cost of living crisis on the agenda. Former soccer hero George Weah, who won power in 2017 on a promise to improve the lives of the disadvantaged, faces what analysts say is a stiff challenge from the Unity Party’s Joseph Boakai, 78, who also pushed Weah close last time out. Scuffles broke out in the capital Monrovia on Sunday between government and opposition supporters, feeding fears of violence around the poll. Weah has urged voters to remain peaceful on election day.

More from DW here.