BBC News Briefing

28 August, 2025

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

Alex Binley

Hello. A 10-year-old boy who survived the Minneapolis Catholic school shooting has spoken of how his friend "saved" him during the attack by lying on top of him. As Beijing prepares to show off its armed forces with a huge parade, China correspondent Laura Bicker explains why it's not just military muscles that China is flexing as it invites some special guests. And finally, watch as the world's biggest food fight takes place in Spain.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

'My friend got hit in the back': Witnesses describe Minneapolis school shooting

A slightly blurred image shows a young boy in a blue T-shirt with reddish-blond hair. He is squinting in the sun and vans and TV equipment can be seen aorund him.

Weston Halsne said he was 'super scared' for his friend Victor. Credit: CBS News

A 10-year-old boy who was in the Minneapolis church targeted by school shooter Robin Westman has said he was "saved" by a friend. "I was like two seats away from the stained glass window," Weston Halsne told station WCCO, an affiliate of CBS. "My friend, Victor, saved me... he laid on top of me, but he got hit." He said Victor was hit in the back and taken to hospital but he believed that he is doing "okay". Other witnesses described the "terrifying" aftermath, describing how they watched children covered in blood flee the church, and comforted the scared and injured. Two children were killed and 17 others injured in Wednesday’s attack.

What we know: Here's everything we know so far about the school shooting.

Watch: How the Catholic school shooting unfolded in Minneapolis.

Hate crime: The attack is now being investigated by the FBI as an anti-Catholic hate crime, the body has said.

WORLD HEADLINES

A woman with long grey hair and brown eyes wears a grey jacket and is seen from the side. Only her head and shoulders can be seen and she appears to be in a room with other people just visible behind her.

White House fires CDC director as others resign

Lawyers for Dr Susan Monarez say she is being targeted for refusing "to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives".

More on the row >

Smoke and flames rise from the ruins of a burning building. Firefighters are spraying it with water

Four children among 15 dead in Kyiv attack

Dozens more are injured, according to Ukraine's president, as rescuers rush to find survivors.

Latest updates >

Split screen of BBC reporter Tessa Wong wearing a red dress and red lipstick. She has brown bobbed hair. On the left and AI-generated image of Mount Fuji erupting

Tokyo using AI to prepare for a Mt Fuji eruption

Authorities said they released the AI-generated video to help people prepare for disaster, but how likely is Mt Fuji to erupt?

Watch the video >

Greenland's flag - a white and red horizontal bicolour with a red and white disk off-centre - is seen in the foreground. In the background a lake with some chunks of ice in it can be seen, and mountains with snow on them are behind it.

US tells Denmark to 'calm down' over Greenland

It comes after the top US diplomat in Copenhagen was summoned over reports of covert operations in Greenland.

Latest in the spat >

A line of Japanese women all appear to be filming or raking pictured on their phones. They are outside and all are wearing coats.

Japan town proposes two-hour daily limit on phones

People are sacrificing sleep or time with their families to keep scrolling on their phones and tablets, the mayor said.

Read more >

BEYOND THE HEADLINES

Xi shows Trump who holds the cards by hosting Kim and Putin

Xi wears a black suit and blue tie. He is seen from the side walking along a red carpet. Next to him is a white wall which has the flags of the G20 members stood along it.

Xi has also emphasised China's role as a stable trading partner when Trump's tariffs upended economic relationships. Credit: Getty Images

Chinese President Xi Jinping will be showing off China's power on the international stage when he hosts his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at a military parade in Beijing next week. But he'll also be demonstrating to US President Donald Trump that he may be the one who holds the geopolitical cards, writes Laura Bicker.

Read the analysis

A plan takes off into the sunset. Mountains can be seen in the background.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Last-minute break

It is possible to book a reasonably priced holiday with less than a week's notice.

Here's how