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The US and Iran have traded strikes, as negotiations to extend their ceasefire drag on without a resolution. On Monday, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had targeted an air base used by US forces. It also threatened to open "new fronts" in the conflict, and keep the Strait of Hormuz closed, in response to Israel's offensive in Lebanon.

So how great a threat does Iran's military pose to the US and its allies, after more than three months of war?

President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that Iran's forces have been "decimated". But new analysis by the BBC has found that Iran has damaged at least 20 US military sites across the Middle East since the start of the war - suggesting the attacks are more extensive than publicly acknowledged. Using cheap drones, Iran has targeted American military equipment worth millions of dollars including THAAD batteries.

Iranian forces have also reportedly reopened several missile sites damaged early in the conflict.

We ask Merlyn Thomas from BBC Verify and Parham Ghobadi from BBC Persian about Iran's military capacity and what it means for the chances of a deal between Washington and Tehran.

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00:00 Introduction

00:47 How much damage has Iran done to US bases?

01:36 Iran's cheap drone warfare

02:34 Iran re-opens missile sites, reportedly

03:55 US tries to limit analysis of the conflict

05:05 What Iran's military capacity means for negotiations

06:51 How Iranian civilians feel

What is a prediction market and why are so many people using them?

On prediction markets, including Kalshi and Polymarket, people are placing sometimes huge wagers on questions ranging from the sublime (‘will Jesus Christ return by the end of the year?’) to the very serious (‘will the US invade Iran?’).

Gambling is restricted across many US states but prediction markets are not classified as gambling.

Their rapid rise over recent years speaks – some say – to an increasing nihilism among young men in particular, who feel they may as well try to profit from world events they cannot control.

Supporters say prediction markets are a smart way to make money. Critics say they are enabling insider trading.

So what is the truth behind their rise?

We speak to senior business journalist at the BBC, Mitch Labiak.

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Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

01:00 Why do so many young men use prediction markets?

02:24 The story of Cameron George

05:10 Polymarket and Kalshi explained

07:12 When did Polymarket and Kalshi become popular?

09:45 What can you bet on Polymarket and Kalshi?

14:39 Allegations of insider trading

16:57 Can prediction markets influence world events?

19:59 Why are men so drawn to prediction markets?

The US has said it struck Iranian military sites over the weekend while Tehran said it responded by targeting an American base, marking the third known escalations in a week around the Strait of Hormuz.

US Central Command said it launched "self-defence strikes" in response to "aggressive Iranian actions", which it said included a US drone being shot down over international waters.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had targeted an air base used by US forces for an attack on southern Iran.

Kuwait said its air defence system had confronted "hostile" missiles and drones - with its foreign ministry later condemning "heinous and repeated Iranian attacks".

Meanwhile, Israel's prime minister has ordered attacks on the southern suburbs of Lebanon's capital, Beirut, as the conflict with the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah continues to escalate.

A senior Lebanese government official told the BBC that it was relying on US mediation efforts to pressure Israel to end its own violations and prevent further civilian casualties.

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The Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) is currently at the centre of the largest maternity inquiry in the history of the NHS - looking at care provided to about 2,500 families between 2012 and 2025.

The inquiry has been investigating stillbirths, neonatal deaths, maternal deaths, and injured babies and mothers at NUH, which runs City Hospital and Queen's Medical Centre.

Panorama has seen previously unreported documents and has also spoken to 10 midwives who worked there, about their experiences over the past decade providing a unique insight into what working conditions were like.

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After Laura’s exclusive interview, she’s joined by Henry and Joe to discuss what Nicola Sturgeon had to say about her estranged husband Peter Murrell’s guilty plea to embezzling hundreds of thousands of pounds from the SNP - as well as the political and public reaction to her words.

Hear the full length interview on the previous episode of Newscast.

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A new species of "killer fungus" has been discovered that destroys an invasive plant in the UK, raising hopes that native habitats could be restored.

The scientist who found the moss dieback fungus and is tracking its spread across the UK took the BBC’s Georgina Rannard to South Wales to see the fungus.

It leaves "fairy rings of death" on the heath-star moss which arrived on British soil in the 1940s and swiftly pushed out other plants, damaging heathlands, sand dunes and other habitats across Britain.

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A total of 219 people have been injured in clashes between football fans and police across France after Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) won the Champions League final against Arsenal.

Eight were in a serious condition, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said. Thousands of officers were deployed to curb unrest that disrupted bus, train and rail services in the capital, Paris. Fifty-seven of them were injured.

Nuñez said 780 people had been arrested over the violence - with more than 450 in custody. A person was found dead after an accident on Paris's ring road, which rioters tried to block overnight.

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In a world first, Lidl is opening a pub just outside Belfast.

So how did we get here?

The answer lies in a century of complex laws and licensing rules unique to Northern Ireland, with roots stretching all the way back to partition. What seems like an unusual business move is actually the result of decades of legal restrictions around alcohol licensing.

In this video we explore the detail and debate around licensing laws in Northern Ireland and ask what it could mean for the future of pubs in the country.

Chapters:

00:00 - Lidl is building a pub

00:43 - Where’s the booze aisle?!

01:35 - The surrender principle explained 

02:08 - What makes Northern Ireland different?

02:50 - Judge rules the pub is a ’novel approach'

03:47 - Will we see other supermarket bars?

04:11 - A pub 100 years in the making

05:22 - The Stirling Report

06:41 - The debate around scrapping the surrender principle

08:03 - Impact on night time culture

09:28 - The decline of the pub

10:01 - The cost of opening a pub

11:20 - What happens next?

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Today, the week that the words flew - after Tony Blair wrote an essay saying Labour was "playing with fire" over the UK’s future and Starmer hit back in a Substack article.

Laura and Joe are joined by James Lyons, the former Director of Communications to Keir Starmer, to discuss his time in Downing Street, the essays and articles published by leading Labour figures this week and what could happen following next month’s by-election.

A full list of candidates and loads more information about the Makerfield by-election is available here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgrp1z8n4w2o

AUKUS partners have announced new underwater defence technologies using uncrewed systems, with capabilities expected to enter service from 2027 as part of efforts to strengthen security across the UK, US and Australia.

Three UK companies have also been awarded a share of £3m through a maritime innovation challenge, supporting the development of advanced undersea capabilities.

The announcements were made at a defence ministers’ meeting in Singapore, alongside plans for continued submarine rotations at an Australian naval base.

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