The armed forces in Ecuador say there will be no negotiations with the criminal gangs behind a wave of violence. President Daniel Noboa authorised the military to "neutralise" a number of armed groups after gunmen stormed a television studio in Guayaquil during a live broadcast.

Also today: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken talks to the Palestinian Authority as Israel continues to pound Gaza; and how a TV drama sparked calls for justice and forced the British government to make changes in the real world.

(Photo: Soldiers in an armoured vehicle patrol the city's historic centre following an outbreak of violence a day after Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa declared a 60-day state of emergency following the disappearance of Adolfo Macias, leader of the Los Choneros criminal gang, from the prison where he was serving a 34-year sentence, in Quito, Ecuador, January 9, 2024. Credit: REUTERS/Karen Toro TPX)