BBC News Briefing

18 September, 2025

Sofia has long brown hair and brown eyes and is wearing a green top

Sofia Lotto Persio

Hello. As US talk show host Jimmy Kimmel is taken off air following comments on the Charlie Kirk shooting, special correspondent Katty Kay looks at how the killing has exposed the country's divisions. My colleagues Joel Guinto and Virma Simonette report on how floods have heightened Filipinos' anger at corruption and "nepo-babies". And finally, find out what new research on chimpanzees tells us about our own relationship with alcohol.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Divided country faces inflexion point

People gather at a makeshift memorial for Charlie Kirk outside of the Turning Point USA headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona

Division and political violence are not new phenomena in the US, but social media amplify those issues. Credit: AFP via Getty Images

After one of the most searing assassinations in US history, the governor of Utah pleaded for Americans to turn down the political temperature. But hardly anyone seems to think that will be the path the country chooses, writes Katty Kay. Within days of the shooting of right-wing influencer Kirk, political camps have retreated to opposing narratives, neither looking particularly keen to prioritise reconciliation or healing. Experts who study extremism told Katty that "left vs right" may not even be the most helpful way to look at the division of this current moment.

Read Katty's analysis

Obama's warning: The former US president has warned of a "political crisis of the sort we haven't seen before" after Kirk's killing.

Jimmy Kimmel: ABC has pulled the late-night host off air indefinitely over comments about Kirk's shooting.

Analysis: In July, entertainment reporter Steven McIntosh explained how the end of Stephen Colbert's late-night show would affect others.

Trump to talk politics with Starmer

After hailing the special relationship between the US and the UK at a state banquet on Wednesday, President Donald Trump is preparing to leave Windsor for talks with Prime Minister Keir Starmer at his country estate. First Lady Melania is staying in Windsor, attending events with Queen Camilla and Catherine, the Princess of Wales. Watch the highlights from day one here.

Follow live updates

WORLD HEADLINES

Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in a red spotted tie, dark blue suit and light blue shirt, sits in the presidential palace for an interview with the BBC

Brazil's president tells BBC of fraught US relationship

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has told the BBC that he has "no relationship" with US President Donald Trump.

Read and watch >

A vehicle transports air mail over the grounds of the DHL hub at the airport in Leipzig on 7 March 2019 in Leipzig, Germany.

Charges over alleged Russian-backed plot

Lithuanian prosecutors have charged 15 people with terrorism offences over explosive packages in European countries.

Read more >

French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron arriving in Downing Street in July. The image depicts the couple walking arm in arm. Mr Macron is dressed in a dark blue suit, white shirt, and dark tie. Mrs Macron is wearing a light-colored, double-breasted jacket suit. They are surrounded by greenery, including bushes and plants with long leaves

Macrons to offer evidence that Brigitte is a woman

The lawyer for the French presidential couple said they plan to present "scientific evidence" in a defamation case.

What to know >

Singer D4vd, wearing a beige vest and black bandana, sings into a microphone.

Body found in car identified as missing teen

US authorities say human remains found in a car registered to singer D4vd were identified as 15-year-old Celeste Rivas.

What happened >

NEWS FROM THE UK

Business deals: Tech giants Microsoft and Google are among the US firms that have pledged £150bn ($205bn) worth of UK investment.

Lockerbie bombing: The man accused of building the explosive device has claimed he was forced into making a false confession.

Beauty norms: Former British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful has warned the fashion world risks going backwards on diversity.

BEYOND THE HEADLINES

Damaging floods spark fury in Philippines

Dozens of people holding umbrellas and wearing raincoats wade through a heavily flooded Manila street

Filipinos are no strangers to allegations of corruption - they've ousted two presidents over it. Credit: Getty Images

A particularly disruptive monsoon in the Philippines has sparked anger and allegations of corruption in flood control projects. Anger is palpable, and a huge anti-corruption protest is planned for Sunday. A lot of the ire is also aimed at "nepo babies", the children of wealthy politicians or contractors, whose extravagant lives are all over social media.

What's at stake