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As Pakistan tries to position itself as a peace broker and diplomatic power in the Middle East, it faces violence and political turmoil at home.

Regional elections in Pakistan-administered Kashmir have been marred by deadly clashes between protestors and security forces. A banned activist movement - the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) - called the protests to oppose the practice of reserving 12 legislative seats for candidates from India-administered Kashmir.

Meanwhile, an attack on a police checkpoint in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, near the Afghanistan border, has reportedly killed at least 11 officers. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. There has been a recent surge in violence along the border in recent months, as security forces battle the Pakistan Taliban or TTP.

And in Balochistan, militants groups are attacking economic targets, in response to claims that the Pakistani government has exploited resources and violated human rights. Activists and rights groups say thousands of ethnic Baloch people have disappeared over the past two decades, alleging that many were tortured and killed as part of the security forces' operation against the long-running separatist insurgency. The government denies the charges.

Pakistan is still trying to act as mediator between the US and Iran, keeping lines of communication open with Tehran and the Trump administration.

We speak to the BBC's South Asia specialist Anbarasan Ethirajan.

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00:00 Introduction

01:00 Protests in Pakistan-administered Kashmir

02:46 India and Pakistan

04:12 Violence on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border

05:57 Balochistan insurgency

08:12 Pakistan defence deals in the Gulf

The US military said it has completed a "heavy wave" of strikes against Iran in retaliation for Tuesday's attempted ballistic missile attacks on American forces.

Iran has responded by continuing attacks across the region. Jordan said it shot down five Iranian missiles, while Kuwait reports one person was killed in an Iranian strike.

The conflict is now pulling in more countries. This week saw the first publicly announced joint US-Saudi strikes against Iranian proxies in Iraq. Egypt has also blamed a drone attack for a fire on two ships, marking the first time it has been targeted since the war began five months ago.

With more countries being drawn in and diplomacy struggling to gain traction, are fears of a wider regional war becoming reality?

On the Iran War Today, we bring you up to date with everything you need to know about the conflict and what might come next.

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A wildfire the size of 140 football pitches is burning in Suffolk, with a major incident declared.

Adam is joined by Anna Murgatroyd, lecturer in hydrology and Theodore Keeping, climate and wildfire scientist, to discuss how the fire service are tackling the blaze plus how daily life could be affected by a drought in England and Wales.

And, the conflict between the US and Iran has expanded following escalations over the last few weeks. The US has retaliated with strikes across the country after Iran launched attacks on US bases in Jordan earlier this week. Caitríona Perry, chief news presenter, and Parham Ghobadi, senior reporter for BBC Persian, join Adam to explain the latest developments in the conflict.

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00:00 Introduction

01:01 France and Spain fires update

02:05 Suffolk’s fire begins

05:40 What is a drought?

09:30 Could we run out of drinking water?

13:18 How do we stop wildfires in the UK?

16:05 How often will we see fires this bad?

18:24 What’s the latest in Iran?

23:10 The Saudi-US relationship

26:18 Is it a ‘forever war’?

Drought has been declared across more than half of England as hot, dry weather continues to hit the country, affecting its water supplies.

A wildfire in Suffolk has grown to size of 140 football pitches, and hundreds of people have been evacuated from their homes.

And the extreme heat is not going away.

So what can Britain learn from some of the world’s hottest countries about how to deal with it?

In this video…

0:00 - 2:12 - Britain Vs Extreme Heat

2:12 - 5:51 - Is air-con the solution?

5:51 - 12:01 - Coping with Droughts

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The Democrats almost certainly need to win the US Senate race in Michigan if they are to take control of Congress in November’s midterm elections but picking a candidate is exposing a stark choice for the party.

Next week party members in the state will decide between a left wing candidate backed by Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and a centrist candidate backed by establishment Democrats like Gretchen Whitmer. It's opened up a debate about whether the success of other progressive candidates like Zohran Mamdani could be replicated across the country as the Democrats build a strategy to take on the Republicans at the midterms and beyond.

Just how important is the race in Michigan for the Democrats, and will the outcome have an outsized role in deciding how they approach the 2028 presidential election?

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A UK wildfire the equivalent size of 140 football pitches is not yet under control, the fire service has said.

The blaze broke out on Dunwich Heath in Suffolk on Wednesday, with a major incident declared "due to the size and complexity" of the blaze.

Meanwhile, Greece is also among many European countries facing devastating fires and drought.

Several fires have continued to burn in Spain and Portugal, although Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared an end to the national emergency for wildfires in the Ávila and Madrid regions.

In south-west France some residents have been able to return to their homes after a major wildfire in the Gironde region.

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Uefa's 55 member associations have voted to boycott World Cups if Fifa proceeds with its plan to sell stakes in its competitions to private investors.

The decision was made at an emergency meeting called to discuss the proposals announced by Fifa - world football's governing body - on Tuesday.

Uefa, which governs European football, had made its opposition clear by releasing two damning statements about the plans - and that strength of feeling has now been reaffirmed.

The boycott would cover all Fifa competitions, including the men's and women's World Cups and Club World Cup, and be triggered if Fifa president Gianni Infantino's proposals are voted through by member associations.

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Eight people, including two boys and a girl, have died during a Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine, according to local officials.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had launched more than 70 missiles and over 280 drones at the country overnight. The worst attack was near Zelensky's hometown of Kryvyi Rih.

Dozens of "ordinary homes, civilian businesses and infrastructure facilities" were destroyed or damaged in the attack, he added.

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In an exclusive BBC investigation, four women have accused Oscar-winning actor and Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman Jared Leto of criminal sexual conduct. The woman say the alleged offences took place when they were teenagers.

After this story was published, Leto said in a statement released by his representatives to the BBC: "I have never sexually assaulted anyone in my entire life. These claims are absolutely and categorically false".

WARNING: This episode contains details of alleged sexual offences and misconduct.

Alice McShane, the director of the BBC documentary Jared Leto: Hollywood’s Dark Secret, tells us the stories of three of the women.

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Chapters:

00:00 Jared Leto's response

01:24 What is Jared Leto accused of?

02:27 Who is Jared Leto?

03:50 When did allegations about Jared Leto first circulate?

06:40 Who has accused Jared Leto?

11:25 Jared Leto's second accuser

15:00 The peak of Jared Leto's career

20:12 Why have the women decided to come forward now?

Amelia Dimoldenberg has spent more than a decade building Chicken Shop Date into a wildly popular YouTube series. But away from the awkward flirting and viral interviews, she's focused on creating opportunities for the next generation.

Speaking to the BBC’s Noor Nanji, Amelia discusses launching the second year of the Dimz Inc. Academy and the importance of mentoring and apprenticeship.

Plus, whether Chicken Shop Date will finally end if she ever lands Drake.

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