BBC News Briefing

7 October, 2026

Roland has ginger hair and a ginger beard and is wearing a white shirt. He is wearing glasses with a black frame.

Roland Hughes

Hello. As Israel marks three years since the 7 October attacks, there's a growing demand for accountability over security failures that day. We have the latest from Tennessee as Christa Pike's lawyers give an update on her condition. And a scenic spot in the UK may be evacuated.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

'There are so many questions': How did 7 October happen?

A woman comforts a mourner at a memorial ceremony for the community of Kibbutz Kfar Aza, on the third anniversary of the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, in Kfar Aza, southern Israel

Families gathered to remember those lost three years ago. Credit: Reuters

Three years ago, close to 1,200 people were killed and 251 kidnapped across southern Israel by Hamas-led gunmen. Across Israel and the world, memorials have been taking place on Wednesday. But questions remain as to how Israel's largest security failure was able to happen, writes Middle East correspondent Lucy Williamson. "There are so many questions," says Elad Levy, whose niece was killed at a security post near the Gaza border. "If we don't inquire into this, it will happen again and again." Many of those questions are targeted at prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is up for re-election. But he's rejected any personal responsibility for security failures.

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Pike 'confused' after failed execution

Christa Pike is "angry and confused" after her failed execution last week, her legal team has said. Pike, who had been sentenced to death for a 1995 murder, was now "speaking limitedly", they added. One of her lawyers said he understood she was brain dead on Monday night and that life support would be removed the next day - only for her to regain consciousness.

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GET UP TO SPEED

An elderly woman sits in a chair with a packed bag on her lap

Spanish pensioner whose case sparked protests dies

Maricarmen Abascal, 87, was evicted from her apartment in September, triggering a political row and an early election.

More details >

People carry a casualty, as emergency services work to rescue residents from under the debris at the site of an apartment building

Russian missile kills 19 people in apartment block

Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky called the attack on the eastern town of Pryluky one of Russia's "most vile strikes".

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Two black and white chinstrap penguins - that appear to be a nesting pair - face each other in the foreground, while a few others of the same species sit and stand in the background. The landscape is brown and rocky, with the birds sitting on nests made of piles of small rocks. The penguin in the right of the image has a tracking device - a small tracker with an antenna - on its back.

Biggest penguin colony sees huge drop in numbers

There are now two thirds fewer birds on an island near Antarctica than in 2011 - scientists say the change is "alarming".

What caused it >

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He has millions of views. And he doesn't exist

This AI influencer and his unusual style have proven popular online. But now he's tied to a highly speculative crypto scheme.

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NEWS FROM THE UK

Family tribute: Relatives of Hannah Cain, a GP found dead in her home, say she was "kind, generous and loving".

Paul Ferris: The Glasgow gangland enforcer, who wrote books based on his experiences, has died aged 62.

Boots bought: The High Street pharmacy has been sold in an $8.9bn (£6.7bn) deal to Canada's billionaire Weston family.

AT THE SCENE

Lundy, UK

Picture-perfect island faces evacuation as it runs out water

An image from a drone shows a tall white lighthouse on the edge of a cliff, surrounded by green fields

"We're in real jeopardy right now," one Lundy resident told the BBC

Lundy, a pictureseque outcrop off the coast of south-east England, is best known for its stunning views and hordes of lovable puffins. But a lack of rain has led its population of 28 to take drastic action - and if things don't get better soon, they may all have to leave.

Zhara Simpson, BBC News

Located in the Bristol Channel, the 5km (3.1 mile)-long island is not the first place you expect to be running out of water. But speak to the handful of residents here and they will tell you of the battle waged since summer to ensure the taps do not run dry.

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There has been no significant rainfall since April and it has barely seen 20% of the typical 1.5m (4.92ft) rain it expects by this time of year. Island manager Matt Scantlebury said The Tavern pub had closed toilets and taken creative steps to conserve supplies. "We can't have baths... all the plugs have been removed to resist temptation."