BBC News Briefing

9 June, 2026

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

Alex Binley

Hello. We've got everything you need to know about Nasa's next step towards landing on the Moon. We also report on how locals have helped reverse declining vulture numbers in Croatia. And see stunning footage of the Southern Lights.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Nasa has named the Artemis III crew - what is their mission?

Four men wearing matching blue overalls sit on stools. They are all smiling and two of them are clapping. They are sat in front of a dark blue background and a US flag.

The astronauts will remain in low Earth orbit, around 290 miles (467km) above the planet. Credit: AFP

Nasa has named the four astronauts who will blast off as part of its Artemis III mission in 2027 - watch as they're announced. It's the space agency's next step towards returning humans to the Moon. No date has yet been given, but during the flight, the astronauts will test rendezvous and docking capabilities between their spacecraft and lunar landers - maneouvres required in subsequent Moon landing missions. The Artemis III launch was originally meant to put the first humans on the Moon since 1972, but Nasa was forced to change its plans - our science team explains why. They also look into whether the space agency's plans, including having astronauts spending extended periods of time on the Moon by the mid-2030s, are feasible, and where other countries are in the space race.

What we know

GET UP TO SPEED

A large, grey military helicopter sits on a runway.

Trump says Iran shot down US helicopter

The president said both of the pilots were not injured, but the US would respond to the attack out of "necessity".

Read more >

Two people in white forensic outfits are taking photos of the ground. A number of small yellow cones sits on the road and pavement.

Protesters set fire to bus as disorder flares in Belfast

It comes after a man was charged with attempted murder following a knife attack in the city on Monday.

Latest updates >

ICC suspends top prosecutor after misconduct claims

Karim Khan denies all allegations of sexual misconduct and his lawyers say he rejects the decision in the strongest terms.

More on this >

Six footballers stand in a row. They are all wearing white football strips with a red number on their chests. They all have short black hair. They look concerned and have their arms around each other.

Fifa says it's working to resolve revoked Iran tickets

It comes after Iran said its allocation of tickets for the group stage of the tournament had been revoked just days before it starts.

Read more >

Ethan Slater is sat on the left of the photo and is smiling. He has curly ginger hair and brown eyes and is wearing a black suit. Ariana Grande has her arm around him and is smiling. She has ginger hair that is tied back in a ponytail and is wearing makeup.

Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater split after three years

The pair met while starring together in the modern film adaptation of the stage musical Wicked.

What happened >

NEWS FROM THE UK

West Ham: Co-owner David Sullivan has been banned from contact with the club's women's and youth teams since 2023 due to safeguarding concerns.

Crime: A woman has been jailed for killing her mother after deciding she "couldn't go on" caring for her.

Exam surprise: A woman who wrote a poem about her son was "flabbergasted" when it appeared in his English exam paper.

AT THE SCENE

Cres, Croatia

An island's efforts to save its vulture population

A close up image of a vulture's head. It has a blackish beak that is lighter-coloured at the end and hooked. It has a black eye and whiteish downon its head and neck. Brown feathers can be seen on the rest of its body.

With a wingspan of 9ft (2.7m) some of the birds are killed after getting caught in power lines. Credit: Getty Images

Croatia's island of Cres is home to Europe's largest colony of griffon vultures. For centuries, they have fed on sheep carcasses and kept the countryside clean, but when sheep farming on Cres started to decline about 50 years ago, so did the number of vultures. Just over 20 years ago, there were around 90 breeding pairs on the island; now there are more than 150. The birds' only predators are humans, but on Cres, it's the humans who're keeping them alive.

Mary has long, greying blonde hair and a fringe. She is wearing glasses with a black frame and smiling She has a pale green top on and the sky behind her is blue.

Mary Novakovich, reporter

One of the most common hazards is caused by the birds themselves. Most of them nest in the rocky cliffs on the eastern side of the island. But when young birds try to fly the nest, some of them don’t get enough thermal uplift and they fall into the sea. Some clamber on to the rocks, but others are left stranded in the water. Because these vultures produce only one egg a year and don’t reach sexual maturity until they’re five, the mortality for the birds on Cres is a staggering 75%.

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Since 1993, local fishermen and boat owners have been taking injured fledglings to the Beli Rescue Centre. Here they are looked after until the birds are strong enough to go back into the wild.

Listen to more

Farming: Why sheep are disappearing from the UK's hills - and our dinner plates.

Wildflower meadows: Declining numbers not only threaten wildlife but could drive up some food prices.

Dragonflies in distress: A study on one of the world's most important biodiversity hotspots has findings that are fascinating but worrying.