BBC News Briefing

11 March, 2026

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

Alex Binley

Hello. The US "has not finished yet", President Donald Trump has said when asked what it would take for the war with Iran to end. In Lithuania, a courier involved in an alleged plot by Russia to send parcels containing incendiary devices to the UK and Poland speaks to the BBC - the first time anyone alleged to be involved has spoken publicly. And as Paris Fashion Week draws to a close, take a look at some of the standout styles and A-list attendees.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

32 countries agree record oil reserve release

A fire broke out on a Thai-flagged vessel on Wednesday after it was hit in the Strait of Hormuz. Credit: Royal Thai Navy

With President Trump stating "more of the same" is to come, the conflict in the Middle East is showing no signs of drawing to a close. It has already pushed up the price of oil, as both sides have targeted oil fields and threats from Iran have effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz - through which 20% of the world's oil passes. Iran has warned it will target ships in the strait, and on Wednesday, three commercial vessels were damaged by projectiles. Here's what could happen if it remains closed. In a bid to calm the markets, the International Energy Agency agreed to release 400m barrels of oil, a record amount. However, the announcement had little impact on prices as it remains unclear when the fighting will end and when supplies will flow freely.

Latest updates

GET UP TO SPEED

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Ukraine says it hit Russian 'missile component' plant

President Zelensky said one of Russia's "most important military factories" which produced missile components, had been hit.

More on this >

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Floods and landslides kill 30 in southern Ethiopia

Authorities reported that most people had died in highland areas, where saturated slopes gave way after days of intense rain.

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Katie Perry wins trademark appeal against Katy Perry

The US singer lost the case against the designer in 2023 and later won on appeal, but now judges have ruled against her.

More on the case >

NEWS FROM THE UK

Peter Mandelson: The PM was advised Mandelson's relationship with Epstein posed a "reputational risk" before his US ambassador confirmation, files show.

Beach deaths: A couple from the UK have died at a beach in New South Wales, Australia, after being pulled from the water, police have said.

Hedgehogs: The creatures hear at a higher frequency than humans, meaning they may signal to each other with noises we can't hear, scientists say.

AT THE SCENE

Vilnius, Lithuania

Inside 'Russian explosives plot' that sent incendiary parcels to UK and Poland

A man with short grey hair and a cream coloured sweat shirt looks into the camera - he is seated on a green armchair with blue and beige curtains behind him

Suranovas insisted he would never knowingly have handled explosives. Credit: Matthew Goddard/BBC

In July 2024, packages containing sophisticated incendiary devices were posted from Lithuania to the UK and Poland. Investigators suspect the operation was run by Russia, an allegation Moscow denies. Twenty-two people have been charged with terror offences, including Aleksandr Suranovas in Lithuania. He admits sending the parcels but insists he had no idea about any devices concealed inside.

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Sarah Rainsford, Southern and Eastern Europe correspondent

Suranovas's account, together with many case documents I have seen and other sources, give a unique insight into an alleged plot that targeted the UK and several other countries, in an apparent attempt to shatter support for Ukraine. They help expose how Russia is now actively recruiting individuals within Europe, accused of increasingly serious attacks...

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Towards the end of our interview, I asked Suranovas what he thought Russia had wanted to achieve. He paused a moment. "I think… it was probably a test of something; that they were preparing something bigger," he said. "It was to show that their arms can reach deep and far. That they can do many things, and you won't even know."

Keep reading

Moscow accused: Russia's military intelligence service is suspected to be behind the plot, investigators have said.

'Test runs': The parcel fires were dry runs aimed at sabotaging flights to the US and Canada, Polish prosecutors believe.

Vilnius fire: Russia's military intelligence service was behind a 2024 blaze at an Ikea branch in the capital, Lithuanian prosecutors have said.