Plus: Israeli air strike kills 'at least 35 people' according to Gaza authorities, and Hunter Biden's trial lays bare US drug epidemic ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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| Hello. Today we're covering the 80th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, where veterans and dignitaries are commemorating the momentous operation. I'm also sharing updates from Gaza, Moscow and the Philippines. And we meet the African motorsports fans who want to see Formula 1 return to the continent. | |
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TOP OF THE AGENDA | D-Day veterans celebrated in Normandy | | Veterans will be awarded France's highest distinction, the Légion d'Honneur, today. Credit: PA | A crisp, early-June sun has risen over the coast of Normandy where, 80 years ago, tens of thousands of soldiers landed to liberate north-west Europe from Nazi occupation. Dozens of veterans - the youngest approaching 100 years old - have arrived in France to mark the 80th anniversary of the largest ever military seaborne operation. "It’s impossible not to be swept away by the warmth and energy in the stone-clad villages" on the coast, writes Katya Adler from Normandy. Dignitaries including King Charles III, US President Joe Biden and French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, who are there to commemorate the thousands of troops who died on 6 June 1944, are all but a sideshow. Despite Soviet Russia's role in World War Two, Russian President Vladimir Putin has not been invited, a sign of the deep divisions over the war in Ukraine. The ceremonies are under way - follow them on our live page.
What was D-Day? Read our piece summarizing what happened during the Normandy landings of 1944.
Details of history: Here are 10 things you might not know about D-Day, during which no-one dared to wake up Adolf Hitler.
More coverage: See the pictures of the anniversary, and listen to first-hand accounts from veterans, gathered by the BBC’s We Were There project which aims to preserve their stories for future generations. | |
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WORLD HEADLINES | | Israel-Gaza war: An Israeli air strike on a UN school packed with hundreds of displaced people in central Gaza has killed "at least 35 people", local officials say. Israel said it was a "precise strike on a Hamas compound" in the school, a claim denied by the Hamas-run government. | | In Moscow: President Vladimir Putin has warned that Russia could arm countries with a view to attacking Western targets - but did not specify which countries. | | 'Cold lava': An "explosive eruption" at Mt Kanlaon, in the Philippines, has caused rivers of material resembling wet concrete to flow down the volcano's slopes. Take a look. | | Pipe dream come true: A Chinese water body billed as the country's tallest uninterrupted waterfall is at the centre of controversy after a hiker posted a video showing water coming out of a man-made pipe. | | AI boost: Nvidia's market value has surged past $3tn (£2.3tn), lifting the chip giant ahead of Apple as the second most valuable publicly listed company in the world. | |
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UK ELECTION LATEST | It's a quieter day on the campaign trail, as the main party leaders Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer are in France for the D-Day anniversary. But a row over Mr Sunak's claims on Labour's tax plans led his rival to accuse the prime minister of "lying" on Tuesday. | |
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| Hunter Biden trial lays bare drug epidemic | The US president’s son is on trial in Wilmington, Delaware, on charges related to his possession of a firearm while allegedly using crack cocaine. The jury selection showed how drug addiction bligths American society. A recent study found one in three Americans know someone who died of a drug overdose. |
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| | Rebecca Hartmann, BBC News |
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| | The court worked through a pool of 65 randomly selected people who appeared individually to answer a key question - could they remain impartial during such a high-profile, politically-charged trial? “My childhood best friend passed away from an overdose,” one juror said. Another explained how their brother had struggled with opioid addiction and was now in rehab. Someone else’s brother and brother-in-law had both been addicted to alcohol and had now died. One person detailed how their nephew got a football scholarship to college, but slipped into drug addiction following a shoulder injury. |
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BEYOND THE HEADLINES | The F1 fans who want an African Grand Prix |
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| | | Kenyan fan Joy Jeptoo hosts popular F1 viewing parties in Nairobi. Credit: Joy Jeptoo/Instagram | The Formula 1 "travelling circus" is ploughing ahead with the upcoming Canada Grand Prix this weekend. But only one continent is not represented in the motorsport's 24-race season: Africa. A growing number of fans are splurging on tickets for Middle East races, but are calling for a race closer to home. |
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SOMETHING DIFFERENT | Page-turners | BBC Culture picks 12 of the best novels of the year so far. | |
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And finally... | Boeing's Starliner has successfully launched from the Kennedy Space Center, in Florida, in the spacecraft's first crewed mission. On board the mission are Nasa astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams. Watch its successful lift-off, as science correspondent Pallab Ghosh talks through the mission. | |
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The Essential List newsletter | The week's best stories, handpicked by BBC editors, in your inbox twice a week. | |
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MORE BBC NEWSLETTERS | | In History: The past comes to life through the BBC's unique audio, video and written archive, each Thursday. Subscribe. | | US Election Unspun: Cut through the noise in the race for the White House, every Wednesday. Subscribe. | | Football Extra: Latest news, insights and gossip from the Premier League, weekdays. Subscribe. | |
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