BBC News Briefing

15 September, 2025

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

Alex Binley

Hello. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to rule out more attacks on Hamas leaders. In Afghanistan, a growing number of women are dying in childbirth amid the closure of hundreds of medical facilities due to US aid cuts. And finally, watch as tram drivers compete in the first-ever world championships, carrying out some unusual vehicle skills.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Netanyahu does not rule out further strikes on Hamas leaders

Marco Rubio and Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands. They are both wearing black suits and stand in front of a large map of northern Africa and the Middle East which is on a wall. Netanyahu has grey hair and Rubio's hair is brown.

After Jerusalem, Rubio will travel on to Qatar. Credit: Israel Prime Minister's Office

Every country has the right "to defend itself beyond its borders", Netanyahu has said while not ruling out further strikes on Hamas leaders "wherever they are". Hamas said six people were killed in last week's attack in Qatar but its leaders survived. Qatar is a US ally and Israel's strike drew international outrage, including criticism from the US president and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is in Jerusalem to discuss the war in Gaza. Netanyahu made his comments alongside Rubio, with the pair presenting a broadly united front. Meanwhile, Arab leaders met in Qatar in a show of support. Qatar's PM called on the international community to stop applying "double standards" and punish Israel.

GET UP TO SPEED

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Belarus and Russia's message to Europe

Military drills by the pair come just days after Poland accused Moscow of violating its air space with a drone incursion.

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Charlie Kirk suspect linked to scene by DNA - FBI chief

Tyler Robinson's DNA was found on a towel wrapped around the suspected murder weapon, Kash Patel said.

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US: Framework for TikTok ownership deal with China

The deal will pave the way to US ownership of the platform' s American operations, the treasury secretary said.

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Harry's 'conscience clear' over Royal revelations

In an interview, the Duke of Sussex spoke about his revealing memoir Spare, and said he did not air his "dirty linen in public".

What else he said >

AT THE SCENE

Shesh Pol, Afghanistan

'My wife died giving birth after Trump cut funding to our clinic'

Close up of Abdul Wakeel looking at the camera while holding his young daughter against a rural backdrop and blue sky. He is wearing a beige shirt, grey scarf over his shoulders and a beige hat. He has a short grey beard. His daughter has brown hair in bunchies and fringe and has a patterned top on. She has brown eyes and looks puzzled

Abdul and Shahnaz's two older children were both born at the clinic. Credit: Aakriti Thapar/BBC

For decades, America was the largest donor to Afghanistan. In 2024, 43% of its aid was from the US. But earlier this year, the Trump administration ended nearly all of it, following the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID). As a result, 400 medical facilities in Afghanistan have shut.

Yogita has long black hair which is parted on the side. She is wearing a black top. Only her head and shoulders can be seen. She is looking straight ahead at the camera

Yogita Limaye, South Asia and Afghanistan correspondent

When Shahnaz went into labour, her husband Abdul called a taxi to take them to the only medical facility accessible to them. "She was in a lot pain," he says. "But when we reached the clinic, we saw that it was closed. I didn't know it had shut down," he says, his face crumpling with agony. "But the baby was coming and we had to stop by the side of the road."

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Shahnaz delivered their baby girl in the car. Shortly after, she died, bleeding profusely. A few hours later, before she could be named, their baby also died.

Keep reading

USAID: The agency officially closed in July, but from March more than 80% of its programmes were cancelled.

In their own words: The BBC spent the day with women across Afghanistan to understand what life is like under the Taliban.

Trapped women: Accessing treatment in an Afghan mental health facility is difficult, but getting out can be harder.

An illustration shows two hands separating figurines of a woman and a man placed on top of a wedding cake.

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SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Rise of grey divorce

Scientists are looking into how later-in-life divorce affects adult children.

Here's why