BBC News Briefing

16 January, 2026

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

Alex Binley

Hello. As families in Iran go to collect the bodies of loved ones killed in anti-government protests, authorities are demanding large sums of money, multiple sources have told the BBC. We'll bring you some of their stories. With the new year firmly under way and many people focusing on their wellbeing, our health editor looks into whether your gut health can affect how you age. And finally, take a look at some of the world's finest sporting images.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Iran authorities demanding large sums for return of protesters' bodies, BBC told

A group of people wearing coats with their hoods up walk along a seemingly empty street in the dark. There is a small silver car in the street and one of the people has their arms raised. It is dark but the light is yellow, as if from street lamps.

Anti-government demonstrations in Iran have been met with deadly force. Credit: Reuters

When the family of a construction worker killed in recent protests in Iran went to collect his body, they said authorities told them they would have to pay a billion tomans ($7,000; £5,200) to receive it. The family said they couldn't afford the fee and left empty-handed. The average construction worker in Iran earns less than $100 a month. Theirs is just one of multiple stories the BBC has been told, of authorities demanding money to return the bodies of some of the 2,435 killed in the last few weeks. In some cases, hospital staff have phoned relatives of the dead to give them an advance warning to collect the bodies before security forces can extort any funds.

Explained: Watch as international editor Jeremy Bowen takes a look at where the protests have left the Iranian regime.

Eyewitnesses: The BBC has received dozens of accounts of brutality, including from Reza, whose wife Maryam was shot in his arms.

Analysis: President Donald Trump aims to keep everyone guessing over any US intervention in Iran, writes diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams.

WORLD HEADLINES

An image shows a man and a woman standing next to each other and smiling. The man wears a navy blue suit and is holding up a medal in a large gold frame. The woman stands next to him and has long brown hair andis wearing a cream jacket and dress.

Venezuelan Nobel winner presents medal to Trump

María Corina Machado said the medal was in recognition of the US president's commitment to her country's freedom.

Read more >

Mark Carney and Xi Jinping shake hands. Both men are wearing dark-coloured suits and stand side-on to the camera. They are both smiling and stand in front of Chinese and Canadian flags.

Xi hails 'turnaround' in China-Canada ties

The Canadian PM's visit to Beijing is seen as a significant step forward after relations between the two countries hit a low in 2018.

What it means >

A man with grey hair that is parted on the side is wearing a suit. He appears to be sat down and is leaning forwards to speak into a microphone.

S Korea ex-president to be jailed for five years

It's the first verdict in four trials linked to Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid. One case carries the threat of the death penalty.

More on this >

A man wearing dark green trousers and a black top carries a mattress on his shoulder. He is walking past a large, pale yellow concrete block and there is rubble behind him.

Israel moves Gaza Yellow Line, satellite images show

Under the deal with Hamas, Israel agreed to withdraw troops behind a line, and has issued warnings for anyone that crosses it.

What images show >

The peak of a mountain pokes out of a vast, snowy landscape.

Landscape beneath Antarctica surface revealed

Researchers found evidence of thousands of previously undiscovered hills, and say their maps are now clearer than ever.

Take a look >

NEWS FROM THE UK

Bombshell leak: Inside the secret discussions and sacking that led to a leading Conservative figure defecting to Nigel Farage's Reform UK.

TikTok: A group of parents are suing the social media giant in a lawsuit that claims their children died while attempting a "blackout challenge".

NHS: Health correspondent Nick Triggle on why the health service is wasting billions of pounds on patients in hospital, who don't need to be there.

BEYOND THE HEADLINES

Can boosting your gut health help you age better?

A split image shows a man on the right with grey hair, wearing a pale pink shirt. He is sitting in a kitchen, smiling and holding up a glass in one hand and a container in the other containing a green smoothie. On the left is a picture of a blender filled with green leaves and fruit.

Hugh Pym started his investigation after being told his gut health appeared five years older than he is.

Gut health is in, with social media influencers promoting unproven supplements that claim to improve it, and dairy and kombucha brands promising to nourish it. While some have dismissed it all as a passing fad, many experts believe that our gut microbiome affects a whole spectrum of things, from mental health to cancer. It's even been suggested that it can affect how well we age - something health editor Hugh Pym put to the test.

Here's what happened