BBC News Briefing

25 June, 2026

Alex has dark blonde, bobbed hair and is smiling. She is wearing a dark grey, high-necked top with a pink jumper on top.

Alex Binley

Hello. The search for survivors in the wreckage caused by Venezuela's strongest earthquake since 1900 is ongoing - we'll bring you the latest. Find out how the Indian state of Kerala is trying to deal with isolation faced by the elderly. And finally, there really is no such thing as bad publicity.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Earthquakes are devastating blow to Venezuela at time of uncertainty

Dozens of men, many in hard hats and high-viz jackets stand on a large pile of rubble.

More than 250 buildings have collapsed or been damaged, the president of the National Assembly said. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock

The death toll from two powerful earthquakes in Venezuela has risen to at least 188 people, with more than 1,500 injured, the president of the country's National Assembly has said. We'll bring you the latest as rescue efforts continue, here, while images and video capture what happened, here. The disaster is a test for the country's interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, writes diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams. The former vice-president came to power after the US seized longtime leader Nicolás Maduro in January. The quakes are "a devastating blow to a country already mired in uncertainty", writes Latin America online editor Vanessa Buschschlüter. She adds that Rodríguez's response reveals what has and has not changed since the US raid, "as well as the many challenges facing the country's battered infrastructure".

Vanessa's analysis

GET UP TO SPEED

Four cargo ships are seen from a distance in the sea.

UN pauses Strait of Hormuz evacuation plan

The planned evacuation of more than 11,000 stranded sailors has been halted after a ship passing through the waterway was attacked.

What happened >

A large yellow and black car is seen against a black background. The car looks quite futuristic and has a black windscreen and roof, and is yellow around the sides and bonnet.

Ferrari marketing boss quits weeks after EV backlash

Ferrari did not mention the launch of the heavily criticised Luce in its statement about Enrico Galliera's departure.

More on this >

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelceare seen walking in a sports stadium. Swift has long, dark blonde hair with a fringe. She wears a black vesttop, red lipstick and is smiling. Kelce wears a red cap backwards on his head and has a short, brown beard. He is wearing a denim shirt over a white T-shirt.

Is Taylor Swift getting married next weekend?

Speculation is growing that the singer will wed Travis Kelce at Madison Square Garden after a street closure permit was filed.

Find out more >

NEWS FROM THE UK

Parking tickets: A council has apologised after drivers were fined for not moving their vehicles from a station car park after a fatal train crash.

Brooke George: A TikTok influencer charged with the murder of her boyfriend in Dubai is facing death by firing squad, a human rights group has said.

'Policy tweak': Ryanair has said it will "reluctantly" not charge parents to sit next to their children, after an investigation was opened.
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AT THE SCENE

Kerala, India

This Indian state is trying to ensure no one grows old alone

TO Dominic and his wife sit side by side indoors, holding and reading a newspaper together. They are sat in front of wooden doors with glass panels in them. Martha has long black hair that is greying in the centre, tied in a pony tail. She is wearing a white and pink patterned dress and has a pink shawl over her shoulders. Dominic has thinning black hair and a grey beard. He is wearing a blue polo shirt and a patterned pink sarong.

The Dominics have two sons - both of whom left home in search of better employment opportunities. Credit: Arun Chandra Bose

For generations, elderly Indians lived with their children and depended on them for care. But migration for work and education has steadily weakened that tradition, particularly in Kerala, the country's fastest-ageing state. Now it has come up with a strategy centred on "ageing in place" - helping older people remain in their homes and communities - but questions remain over whether the state's resources match its ambitions.

Nikita Yadav and Ashraf Padanna, journalists

Seventy-year-old TO Dominic starts most of his days with a phone call to one of his sons. One lives in neighbouring Karnataka state, the other in the Middle East. Both left home some years ago in search of better employment opportunities, leaving him and his wife, MJ Martha, to manage on their own. The phone calls are comforting, but when the couple need help at home, their sons cannot provide it.

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"We depend entirely on our neighbours," Dominic says, in the house that was once filled with the chatter of children but where he now often sits in silence. "Things are becoming increasingly difficult," he says. Seated next to him, Martha says loneliness has become an increasingly common part of growing old.

Kerala's plan

Ghost towns: Even in the world's most populous nation there is a population crisis in some areas, with towns gradually emptying.

Fertility rates: Why India, a nation of 1.45 billion, wants more children.

Ageing population: A slowing economy and the one-child policy's effects mean China is facing a demographic crisis, our correspondent writes.