BBC News Briefing

6 June, 2025

Sofia has shoulder-length light brown hair and brown eyes and wears a green blouse.

Sofia Lotto Persio

Hello. The Israeli military has admitted that it conducted a previously unacknowledged strike in southern Gaza. My colleagues at BBC Verify detail their investigation. In South Carolina, North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher speaks to Democrats who are worried about their aging representatives. Finally, admire a plant rescued from the brink of extinction - and don't forget to give the week's news quiz a go.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

IDF admits 'errors' in al-Mawasi strike

One Palestinian was killed and 30 others were injured by the strike in al-Mawasi, according to the Kuwaiti Field Hospital.

Earlier this week, BBC Verify began investigating reports that 31 Palestinians had been killed on Sunday near a new aid distribution centre in the city of Rafah. While reviewing footage purporting to show the incident, the team identified a separate strike in the nearby coastal area of al-Mawasi. The blast had not been previously announced by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), which regularly publishes operational updates online. It was only when approached by BBC Verify that the IDF admitted it had carried out an artillery strike and said the incident was the result of "technical and operational errors".

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GET UP TO SPEED

Musk and Trump shaking hands in the White House last week as Trump hands Musk a golden key

Trump and Musk are still linked - despite falling out

In several key areas the two men have come to rely on each other, meaning ending the alliance is likely to be messy.

Here's why >

A handout satellite image made available by Maxar Technologies shows a new North Korean warship at the harbour 25 May 2025 after an accident during the launch ceremony in Chongjin, North Korea, 21 May

North Korea refloats warship after failed launch

State-run news agency KCNA have reported that the warship had "safely entered the water vertically".

What to know >

Piles of 50, 20 and 10 euro banknotes are laid across a table.

Raids across Canary Islands in major gang bust

Almost four tonnes of cocaine trafficked from Brazil and Colombia were seized and 48 suspects arrested, police have said.

What happened >

Arne Bye seen on a beige background. He has light hair and blue eyes, and wears glasses.

Norwegian doctor jailed for raping patients

A court in Norway has sentenced Arne Bye to 21 years in prison for the rape and sexual abuse of dozens of women.

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AT THE SCENE

South Carolina, US

'Geriatric problem' troubles Democrats

Jim Clyburn appears at a podium with Joe Biden, who is smiling, with an American flag in the background

Congressman Jim Clyburn, 84, has been a staunch supporter of Joe Biden, 82. Credit: Getty Images

A stinging electoral defeat in 2020 and former President Joe Biden's health revelations have caused some introspection among Democrats. At Congressman Jim Clyburn's "world famous fish fry", some party members were wondering if it's time to make some new traditions.

Anthony has short grey hair and blue eyes

Anthony Zurcher, North America correspondent

Many within the party, including some of those dining on fried fish and white bread at Clyburn's gathering last Friday, are wondering if it's time they found new blood - especially after three congressional Democrats died in office this year alone. The losses meant that the Republicans' slim majority in Congress was bolstered, allowing them to pass Trump's controversial spending bill by a single vote.

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"We have a geriatric problem," said Ashley McIntyre Stewart, specifically noting the recent House spending bill. "We need to get the younger community involved so that we don't have the Republicans railroad us." According to a recent survey by Axios, more than half of the 30 Democrats in the House over age 75 are planning to seek re-election next year, including Clyburn, whose term would end when he is 88 if he wins. The veteran politician scoffed at the idea of retiring.

Keep reading

At a crossroads: Democrats have struggled to land a unified message in President Trump's first few months in office.

PICK OF THE WEEK

How airlines turned baggage into billions

Airlines in the US alone made $7.27bn from check-in luggage fees last year. Credit: Getty Images

The introduction of fees for check-in baggage, a practice that spread across the aviation industry in the past two decades, has proved a boon for airlines. But in North America and Europe luggage fees are now attracting scrutiny from politicians and consumer groups, writes business reporter Sam Gruet.

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