BBC News Briefing

18 June, 2025

Alex has short blonde hair and blue eyes. She is smiling and wearing a black turtleneck

Alex Binley

Hello. US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering joining Israel in strikes on Iran's underground nuclear facilities - we'll bring you the latest. As investigators try to piece together what caused the Air India plane crash, experts tell India correspondent Soutik Biswas just how the probe will be carried out. And finally, police in Virginia have had quite the surprise after they were called to reports of an alligator at a motel - take a look.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Trump reportedly considering joining Israel on Iran strikes

Lighs streak across the night sky above a city with lots of skyscrappers which are lit up

Missiles launched from Iran are intercepted above Tel Aviv. Credit: Reuters

US President Donald Trump is considering joining Israel's strikes targeting Iran's underground nuclear sites, the BBC's US partner CBS News reports. Trump held a meeting on Tuesday with his national security team that lasted nearly 90 minutes, but his advisors are divided on the move, which could "trigger a wider conflict", Middle East correspondent Hugo Bachega reports. One potential target for the US is Iran's Fordo nuclear facility. It is deep underground and only the Americans have a bomb capable of destroying it, writes security correspondent Frank Gardner. Meanwhile the conflict is continuing, with both sides launching strikes overnight, yet the scale of Tehran's attacks has diminished, Hugo reports from Jerusalem.

Latest updates

Jet speculation: In the past three days, at least 30 US military planes have been moved to Europe, flight tracking data reviewed by BBC Verify has shown.

Bunker busters: Iran's Fordo nuclear site is one of the most heavily fortified. There's only one conventional weapon that could destroy it - and only the US is known to have it.

Iran's ally: The longer Israel's military operation goes on, the greater the realisation in Russia that Moscow has much to lose, writes Russia editor Steve Rosenberg.

WORLD HEADLINES

A row of men and women, all wearing suits, stand on a wooden platform which says 'G7 2025' in white letters, with mountains in the background

Five takeaways from the G7 summit

This year's meeting did not go as planned, but leaders of the world's wealthiest nations still secured some wins.

What were they? >

A vast orange plume erupts into the sky above several people standing in the foreground.

Indonesian volcano spews ash over 11km into the sky

Dozens of flights to and from the Indonesian resort island of Bali have been cancelled or delayed due to the eruption.

Watch the video >

A close up photo of a young man in which only his face can be seen. He has light brown hair and is wearing a dark green hoody. He is sitting indoors, in front of a brick wall

Fatal crash US diplomat 'should have been arrested'

Harry Dunn died after being hit by a car driven by Anne Sacoolas, who left the UK under diplomatic immunity laws.

What happened >

Sergei Shoigu and Kim Jong Un shake hands in an office which is lined with books and is pannelled in wood. The two men are wearing suits and smiling

N Korea to send thousands to help rebuild Kursk

Russia's Sergei Shoigu said Pyongyang would send 5,000 builders to its war-torn Kursk region as "fraternal assistance".

Read more >

A woman with black hair tied up ears large black sunglasses, a white shirt and a grey waistcoat and a necklace of large wooden beads.

Sweden's 'Queen of trash' jailed for waste dumping

The case, which saw toxic waste dumped, has been called the biggest environmental scandal in Sweden's recent history.

More on this >

BEYOND THE HEADLINES

How investigators will try to solve the mystery of the Air India crash

The tail of a plane, which is white and red, sits in the wreckage of a building. Two workers in blue hard hats stand nearby

The Boeing 787 slammed into a hostel for medical students outside the airport in Ahmedabad. Credit: Reuters

Every inch of the wreckage of the Air India plane crash is currently being examined to determine what caused the catastrophe less than 40 seconds after take-off. India correspondent Soutik Biswas speaks to experts about what investigators are looking for as they seek to uncover what caused the "rarest of the rare" crashes.

Find out more

A bright red train stops on the side of a forest, where hikers are making their way up a trail.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Epic train ride

More than just a tourist train, this railway provides an insight into Taiwan's history.

Read now

And finally... in the US

An alligator has been filmed walking around a motel in the US state of Virginia. Police told the BBC that the owner was transporting the alligator from New York to a North Carolina zoo when it escaped. But as a Virginia code prohibits the possession of certain non-native, exotic animals, the alligator and its owner were escorted out of the county, officials said.

US Politics Unspun newsletter

No noise. No agenda. Just expert analysis of the issues that matter most, from North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher.

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– Alex

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