BBC News Briefing

9 March, 2026

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

Sofia Lotto Persio

Hello. As Mojtaba Khamenei takes the reins in Iran, BBC Persian reporters hear Iranians' thoughts on the new leader. In Kenya, my colleague Basillioh Rukanga looks at the rise of weight-loss treatments. And finally, explore the findings of research delving into the depths of the Caribbean Sea.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

How Khamenei's son represents continuity

A woman holds a picture of Iran's new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei during a rally in Tehran. Iranian flags are seen in the background.

Mojtaba Khamenei has yet to make a public appearance or speech. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock

For years, there have been rumours that Mojtaba Khamenei held considerable influence behind the scenes in Iran. Since news of his appointment as supreme leader, succeeding his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iranian state TV news channel IRINN has been showing pro-establishment rallies held for the new leader in different cities, including the north-eastern city of Mashhad, his birthplace. Those crowds were celebrating the appointment of a hardliner close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. But some other Iranians fear that the leadership change won't bring any reform, and many expect him to continue his father's hardline policies.

What Iranians say

GET UP TO SPEED

Authorities investigate explosives outside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's residence

Two men charged with terror offences in NYC

Police say the men attempted to bomb a protest outside the mayor's home in an attack allegedly inspired by ISIS.

What to know >

Runners at the 31st Pyongyang International Marathon in Pyongyang on April 6, 2025

North Korea cancels Pyongyang Marathon

Notice of the cancellation from North Korea's athletics association reportedly gave no reason for the decision.

More details >

Dario Amodei, Anthropic's CEO, speaking on stake while holding a microphone, wearing a black suit jacket, white shirt and red and navy spotted neck tie.

Anthropic sues US government

The artificial intelligence firm has filed a first-of-its-kind lawsuit over claims that it is a "supply chain risk".

Read more >

NEWS FROM THE UK

Princess Eugenie: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's daughter has stepped down as patron of charity Anti-Slavery International after seven years.

Glasgow fire: An eyewitness has told the BBC how he tried to tackle a blaze at a vape shop next to one of the city's stations.

Egg donor: Two women recall how their chance encounter on the Piccadilly line in London led to an IVF baby.

AT THE SCENE

Nairobi, Kenya

High demand for weight-loss options

Naomi Kuria in a black top and brown shorts, sitting in a compound with green grass

Kuria says she lost 11kg (1st 10lb) in about a month and a half of using Ozempic jabs. Credit: Naomi Kuria/Facebook

For Kenyans, being overweight once represented a sign of wealth and success. Now, surgical procedures and weight-loss drugs are growing in popularity. Some influencers who have detailed their own slimming journeys found both support and criticism.

the letters BBC are seen in white against black squares set on a white background

Basillioh Rukanga, BBC News

At her weight-loss clinic in the capital, Dr Lyudmila Shchukina has a fully booked schedule. It has not always been this way for the Nairobi Bariatric Center, which she and her late husband – both from Ukraine - founded three decades ago. When it started, the facility was hardly receiving any clients. But the clinic is now thriving, seeing 10 to 15 patients a day.

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Beauty expert Yvonne Kanyi, who runs a skincare and cosmetics business, says that celebrity culture has amplified the trend, "normalising medical intervention as part of maintaining a certain image". Besides that, more women are now feeling empowered to make decisions about their body "without apology", she tells the BBC. One of those is Naomi Kuria, a popular content creator who has had medical procedures to lose weight and enhance her looks – and is proud of the outcome.

Keep reading

In the UK: England's chief medical officer Prof Sir Chris Whitty has warned against relying on weight-loss drugs to tackle obesity.

A black and white composite image shows a woman wearing a cardigan blowing into a pipe, behind her are a large bell and a cockerel.

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SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Rise and shine

From knocker uppers to candle clocks, here's how people woke up before alarms.