BBC News Briefing

7 November, 2025

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

Sofia Lotto Persio

Hello. Despite a shaky ceasefire, people in Gaza are trying to rebuild their homes and lives. A plan for the territory's redevelopment, however, has yet to be agreed, diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams reports. My colleagues also look at Tesla CEO Elon Musk's goal of delivering a million robots in the next decade. And finally, celebrities share who is their woman of the year.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Why no-one can agree how to rebuild Gaza

Computer-generated image of the Phoenix plan shows multiple-storey white buildings along a tree-lined avenue with four lanes of traffic and a tram rail.

A computer-generated image showcases the Phoenix of Gaza, the first Palestinian plan to emerge during the war. Credit: Phoenix

After two years of war, the Gaza Strip is littered with 60 million tonnes of rubble, mixed in with dangerous unexploded bombs and dead bodies. In the midst of such destruction, it's hard to know where to begin rebuilding, writes Paul Adams. There's no shortage of ideas - including, as he notes, "grand designs conceived by those with money and power in faraway capitals". US President Donald Trump had his say, too. But Gazans the BBC spoke to are sceptical of schemes drawn up abroad, and they have visions of their own.

Read Paul's analysis

GET UP TO SPEED

A police officer speaks to an army officer as members of the public watch on

More than 50 people injured in Jakarta blast

The explosions occurred during Friday prayers at a mosque inside a high school complex in Indonesia's capital.

What to know >

There is a stone wall courtyard with grass growing in it, where the former mother-and-baby home stood. A black metal gate with a white cross attached to a stone wall has swung open in the picture. There are bushes and flowers growing in the courtyard, and there is a plaque at the gate remembering those that died there.

Infants' remains found during Tuam excavation

Seven sets of what investigators believe to be infant remains have been unearthed at a former mother-and-baby site in Ireland.

Read more >

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addresses a press conference in front of a screen bearing the image of a young woman with black hair and brown eyes wearing a jeans jacket.

Brazilian woman caught up in India vote fraud row

A Brazilian hairdresser has made headlines in India after her photograph was linked to allegations of election fraud.

What happened >

Lady Gaga performs on stage in a long blonde wig and a white dress. She is wearing a sort of armour on her shoulders and arms that is attached to a white cape

Gaga and Kendrick lead 2026 Grammy nominations

Both Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar have five previous nods for album of the year, but neither has ever won that award.

Check out the nominees >

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Musk's plans for human-like Tesla robots

A Tesla Optimus robot. It is shaped like a human. We can see its head and shoulders. It has a sleek black reflective head, and a white torso and arms. In the middle of the torso is the word Tesla.

The Optimus has appeared in Tesla showrooms and factory floors. It has even posed with Kim Kardashian. Credit: Getty Images

One of the many tasks Tesla CEO Elon Musk must complete to get his whopping $1tn (£760bn) pay deal is to deliver one million robots over the next decade. Since first unveiling Optimus at a Tesla showcase in 2022, the tech billionaire has suggested his company's droid could play a huge role in the homes and lives of people all over the world.

Zoe Kleinman, technology editor and Liv McMahon, technology reporter

Why is Musk focused on robots?

Musk said he believed robots could be "the biggest product of all time by far, bigger than cell phones, bigger than anything". He has also suggested they might boost Tesla's AI ambitions - particularly in advancing artificial general intelligence (AGI) systems capable of matching human abilities.

What competition do Tesla robots face?

Neo from tech firm 1X, slated to launch in 2026, can do menial chores like emptying the dishwasher, folding clothes and fetching you items. Boston Dynamics' hydraulic humanoid Atlas has captivated millions on YouTube with its gymnastics and dance routines.

What do robotics experts think of human-like robots?

Many of the roboticists we have spoken to over the years have rolled their eyes about tech firms shaping robots like humans. Practically, there is little reason for robots to have legs. As one scientist put it - "wheels are so much more efficient". And don't get them started on why a robot doesn't need to have a head. Psychologically though, humanoids have long been a human fascination – and something reflected decades of sci-fi.

Find out more

How he spends it: One of the world's richest people, Musk is known to have a love of unique cars and private jets.

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Industry trends: Besides robots and AI, tech firms are racing to embrace quantum computing. Zoe Kleinman explains what to know.

PICK OF THE WEEK

Lasting impact of a 20-minute Tinder date

Despite allegations of physical attacks, frauds, threats and abuse, Harkins was not investigated by police until late 2019.

Christopher Harkins is serving a 12-year jail sentence after being convicted of 19 offences including physical and sexual violence. A BBC investigation reveals that several women tried to report Harkins to Police Scotland as far back as 2012. One of them, Nadia, recalls how a 20-minute encounter with the man in 2018 was followed by months of harassment.

Read now