BBC News Briefing

25 February, 2026

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

Sofia Lotto Persio

Hello. After the death of a drug lord sparked unrest in Mexico's Jalisco state, international correspondent Quentin Sommerville reports on the deadly fallout from a cartel power vacuum in the Sinaloa state. In the Arctic north, my colleagues explore a Europe-wide race to develop orbital rocket launches. And finally, watch a woman go above and beyond to help a stranger.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Bloody fallout from Sinaloa cartel feud

A soldier and another uniformed man stand behind a crime scene tape. In the distance, on the pavement, a boy is lying dead next to his bike.

The Mexican government has sent thousands of troops to Sinaloa. Credit: Darren Conway/BBC

Members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel wrecked havoc in the Mexican state of Jalisco after the death of their leader, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, in police custody. The powerful criminal organisation is not the first to experience a sudden change at the top. The Sinaloa cartel, one of the world's largest and most feared drug gangs, has been at war with itself for the past year and a half, after the son of one of its leaders betrayed another. From the city of Culiacán, Quentin Sommerville reports on the surge of violence that followed, which offers a warning of the dangers facing the country.

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GET UP TO SPEED

Sign for Santa Clara province reads 'villa clara' in white letters against a backdrop of a stylised green mountain and blue sky. A statue of Che Guevara is placed on top of the right side of the sign. Trees and bushes appear int he background.

Cuba says four shot dead on US-registered boat

The interior ministry said that four men on a US-registered speedboat were killed after being intercepted in Cuban waters.

Read more >

King Juan Carlos wearing green military uniform, white shirt and black tie, sits with the mouth open during the address of 23 February 1981.

Spain declassifies files on 1981 attempted coup

The release aims to dispel conspiracy theories about the role of former King Juan Carlos in the coup attempt.

What to know >

A file photo of Bill Gates. He has short grey hair and blue eyes and wears glasses. He is seated on stage at an event

Gates discusses Epstein ties in staff meeting

In the meeting, Bill Gates "took responsibility for his actions", the Gates Foundation has said in a statement.

What happened >

NEWS FROM THE UK

Chagos Islands: The UK government has denied a "pause" in the process of passing a bill to transfer control of the territory to Mauritius.

Lord Mandelson: Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has confirmed he passed information about the former US ambassador to police.

Baftas: Tourette's campaigner John Davidson has said the BBC should have "worked harder to prevent anything that he said" from being broadcast.

AT THE SCENE

Kiruna, Sweden

Space race heats up in the Arctic

A small rocket launches from a base in Sweden surrounded by pine trees and snow.

The Esrange in Arctic Sweden has been the launch site for sub-orbital rockets. Credit: SSC

Growing demand for internet connections, communications and mapping has led to an increase in satellites above Earth. It's also spurred several spaceport projects across Europe, from the Azores in Portugal, to Sweden and Norway's far north, to deliver orbital rocket launches.

Adrienne Murray and James Brooks, BBC News

It's 04:00 on a snow-covered hill in Swedish Lapland, 120 miles (200km) north of the Arctic Circle. A countdown echoes from a Tannoy: "Three, two, one." A rocket blasts off from a launcher, shooting into the sky and illuminating the darkened valley below. Moments later, a second rocket motor kicks in with a deafening roar.

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Built by scientists from the German Aerospace Centre Mapheus, the rocket we saw blast off flew for 14 minutes, leaving the atmosphere and reaching an altitude of almost 260km. "It was a good flight, we're really relieved," beamed campaign manager Thomas Voigtmann.

Keep reading

Rocket failure: In a first, researchers have drawn a direct link between a known piece of space debris crashing to Earth and pollution levels.

Listen now: Science editor Rebecca Morelle discusses Nasa's mission to send astronauts back to the moon in The Global Story podcast.

A photo taken underwater shows a pile of stones on a piece of wood.

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