BBC News Briefing

14 July, 2025

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

Sofia Lotto Persio

Hello. US President Donald Trump has threatened secondary tariffs on Russia as he pushes for a ceasefire deal in Ukraine. My colleagues explain the latest developments. From the Republic of Ireland, correspondent Chris Page reports on the efforts to identify the bodies buried in a mass grave at the site of a former children's home. And finally, we get a first glimpse of the new Harry Potter TV adaptation.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Trump unveils new Ukraine weapons plan

Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte sits to the right of Donald Trump in the Oval Office. Both men are speaking and they are wearing navy suits - Rutte has a blue tie, Trump a red one. Trump is holding some notes in his left hand.

US President Donald Trump met Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the White House on Monday. Credit: Reuters

President Trump has unveiled a deal to send new weapons to Ukraine for the first time since returning to the White House. While details remain scant, the deal will see the US sell weapons to Nato members, who will then make them available to Kyiv. Trump also signalled increasing frustration with the Kremlin, threatening to impose secondary tariffs on Russia if no ceasefire is agreed in 50 days. But while the latest announcements should be encouraging for Ukraine, 50 days gives the Kremlin plenty of room for manoeuvre, writes security correspondent Frank Gardner.

Read now

GET UP TO SPEED

Two armed members of the Syrian security forces wear black uniforms and baseball hats.

Dozens killed in clashes in southern Syria

Sunni Bedouin tribal fighters reportedly clashed with Druze militias in the latest episode of deadly sectarian violence.

What to know >

A huge billowing cloud of black, grey and white smoke coming from the edge of the airfield. It is so thick that it is hiding some of the trees - that are on the edge of the airfield. A fire engine can be seen spraying water towards the mass of smoke.

Four dead in small plane crash at London airport

Authorities said a Dutch pilot and co-pilot were among four people who died when a small plane crashed at Southend Airport.

What happened >

Former Nigeria president Muhammadu Buhari wearing eye glasses and a traditional hat

Nigeria declares public holiday to honour Buhari

The country's former President Muhammadu Buhari died on Sunday, aged 82, after battling ill health for years.

More details >

Firefighter in yellow shirt and green pants uses hose to douse site of a building foundation and stairs, near a stand of blackened trees

Locals and visitors mourn Grand Canyon Lodge loss

Hundreds of people are posting tributes on social media to the stone lodge destroyed in raging Arizona wildfires.

Read more >

AT THE SCENE

Tuam, Republic of Ireland

Uncovering a secret mass grave

A high boundary wall encircles a patch of lawn. On part of the wall can be seen the number 796 in large, white wooden lettering. On another part sits a grotto centred on a statue of the Virgin Mary. It is surrounded by flowers, plants and shrub.

St Mary's children's home was run by the nuns of the Bon Secours Sisters. Credit: Getty Images/Charles McQuillan

A century since the opening of a mother-and-baby institution in the town of Tuam, in the west of Ireland, an excavation seeks to fully uncover its dark secrets. The goal is to recover and identify hundreds of bodies of babies and children believed to have been buried at the site from 1925 to 1961.

Chris Page, Ireland correspondent

After taking a local history course in 2005, Catherine Corless became interested in St Mary's Home. To begin with, Catherine was surprised her innocuous inquiries were being met with blank responses or even suspicion. "Nobody was helping, and nobody had any records," she said. A breakthrough came when she spoke to a cemetery caretaker, who brought her to the housing estate where the institution once stood.

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At the side of a children's playground, there was a square of lawn with a grotto – a small shrine centred on a statue of Mary. The caretaker told Catherine that two boys had been playing in that area in the mid-1970s after the home was demolished, and had come across a broken concrete slab. They pulled it up to reveal a hole. Inside they saw bones.

Keep reading

Excavation begins: Experts from Colombia, Spain, the UK, Canada, Australia and the US have joined Irish specialists to take part in the unprecedented excavation process.

Timeline: How the Tuam baby scandal developed over the decades.

More details: Explore the interviews with survivors, relatives and campaigners who helped reveal the secret of Tuam.

A black, white and blue image of a young girl. She is scowling and has curly hair tied up in bunchies. Behind her are yellow and pink cartoon 'flash' images

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SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Brain changes in children

Huge changes take place between the ages of six and 12.

What happens

And finally... at Warner Bros Studios

Production has begun on the new TV adaptation of Harry Potter. To mark the occasion, producers have released the first picture of Dominic McLaughlin in costume as the bespectacled title character, while confirming several new cast members.

US Politics Unspun newsletter

No noise. No agenda. Just expert analysis of the issues that matter most, from North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher.

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– Sofia

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