BBC

Joe Kent, the head of the US National Counterterrorism Centre and a long-time Trump supporter, has announced his resignation from the role. He said he could not in good conscience back the administration's war. The BBC’s US State Department correspondent gives us more details on this development.

Also on the programme: At least 100 people are dead after a Pakistani airstrike hit an Afghan hospital; how Fijian bull sharks appear to have preferred swimming companions while avoiding others; and a man living close to the Ukrainian front line tells us what daily life is like as the war with Russia continues.

(Photo: Joe Kent speaking into a microphone. Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Ruairi helps George out, and Anna Tregorran battles with her elderly mother, Carol.

Israel's foreign minister said Iranians were "safer" without Ali Larijani and Basij paramilitary force commander Gholamreza Soleimani, after the Israeli military said it had killed both of them in strikes. Hours after the Israeli announcement, there has still been no response from Tehran to the claims. The defence minister, Israel Katz, said he had instructed the military to “continue hunting down” Iran’s leadership. Also: In the US, a top counter-terrorism official has resigned over the war against Iran, saying President Trump had been pushed into the conflict by Israeli pressure. And: Medical sources in Afghanistan say more than 100 bodies have been recovered after a Pakistani airstrike on a drug rehabilitation centre. We hear from our correspondent in Kabul, who went to the scene shortly after the strike. We find out why a US artificial intelligence firm wants to hire a chemical weapons expert; plus we look back at the life of best-selling spy thriller author Len Deighton, who's died. And we hear what is believed to be the earliest recording of whale song, from 1949.

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The escalation in the Middle East is continuing to drive up energy prices, with the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments, effectively closed. We bring you the latest on oil prices and how wider stock markets are responding.

Despite higher prices, US oil production is not accelerating as some might expect. The number of active rigs remains below last year’s levels, and investment in new drilling is expected to stay modest into 2026.

At the same time, political tensions are adding another layer of uncertainty. US President Donald Trump says he is considering delaying a planned summit with China’s President Xi Jinping, citing both the ongoing conflict with Iran and efforts to reopen key shipping routes. So how is this being viewed from Beijing?

And as energy costs climb, businesses around the world are already feeling the pressure. In Kolkata, makers of one of India’s most famous dishes, biryani, say gas shortages and rising costs are hitting their livelihoods, as we hear from restaurant owners struggling to keep up with demand.

Thousands of white South Africans abroad, including in the US, are returning home despite President Donald Trump alleging that they’re being targeted, a claim the South African government denies. At least 12,000 have checked their citizenship status in preparation for a permanent return. A South African relocation agency has reported a 70% surge in inquiries over the past six months. We explore what’s driving this trend.

Meanwhile, billions of Muslims around the world watch the sky for the sighting of the crescent moon that marks the end of Ramadan and the start of Eid celebrations. Science is changing how the moon is tracked, so how do astronomy and tradition intersect, and what does the sighting of the moon mean across Africa?

Presenter : Nkechi Ogbonna

Producers: Keikantse Shumba and Basma El Atti

Technical Producer: Mbarak Abdallah

Senior Producers: Bella Twine and Blessing Aderogba

Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

Israel claims to have killed more senior members of Iran's leadership; we ask what the death of security chief Ali Larijani could mean for the war.

Also in the programme: in the Afghan capital Kabul, dozens of people have been killed in an airstrike on a drug treatment centre, which the Taliban government has blamed on Pakistan; why is one of the world's most influential tech billionaires in Rome lecturing about the Antichrist? And we hear about the endearing qualities of a newly discovered subatomic particle.

& does NI have too many public sector workers? Also Nolan talks about one pothole hotspot

The US President has repeated his call for other nations, particularly Nato allies, to help secure the Strait of Hormuz. Donald Trump says he has been surprised more world leaders were not "eager" to be involved in securing the key oil shipping route. Meanwhile, India has secured the safe passage of tankers carrying liquified petroleum gas, or LPG. Street vendors and biryani restaurant owners in Kolkata tell us how the current fuel shortages are threatening their livelihoods. And the Israeli military has now confirmed it has begun what it calls "limited ground operations" in Lebanon, as 800 000 people have been forced to flee their homes.

Also: amidst a near total fuel blockade by the US, Cuba has experienced an electricity grid collapse. New figures from Interpol show that AI-enhanced scams are now almost five times more profitable than traditional methods. Researchers in Scotland have developed a way to turn discarded plastic bottles into a key medicine used to treat Parkinson's disease. Chelsea Football Club has been fined more than $14m, the Premier League's biggest ever fine, for breaking financial rules. Margareta Magnusson, who popularised the Swedish practice of Death Cleaning, has died at the age of 92.

The Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, has given his generals and admirals an unusual command: spend money. Lots of it. Quickly. For years, it was the other way around. Canada wore the uniform of a serious NATO ally – while undershooting the alliance’s 2% of GDP defence spending target. Now, spurred by what Carney has called a “rupture” in geopolitics, Ottawa is adding billions to hit NATO’s target by 31 March 2026 – the end of the fiscal year.

Military leaders are scrambling to reverse a culture of frugality and long planning cycles. Parliament’s budget watchdog has said the Department of National Defence sometimes struggles to spend the funds it already has. The Conservative defence critic has said the new billions are money “the department won’t be able to shovel out the door.”

Neal Razzell follows the money to see what changes — and what doesn’t — when a military tries to expand at speed. In Quebec, at Canada’s main basic training base, he watches the rebuild begin — as recruits and instructors grapple with the limits of time, staff and space. In British Columbia, at the Navy’s Pacific headquarters, he asks the commander of Maritime Forces Pacific what “spend fast” can actually fix in a fleet Carney says is less than half operational.

This episode of The Documentary comes to you from Assignment, investigations and journeys into the heart of global events.

A report out from Interpol states that an estimated $442bn dollars were lost worldwide last year to financial fraud. In its annual report, Interpol said AI-enhanced fraud was now almost five times more profitable than traditional methods, with AI systems able to autonomously plan and execute complete fraud campaigns. Vishala Sri-Pathma finds out more.

China sets its lowest growth target in decades. The focus appears to be shifting from rapid expansion to stability in an increasingly uncertain global economy. What does this mean for China today? In Kolkata, the upswing in the oil price is trickling into everyday life, we hear how gas shortages are affecting biryani sellers across the city.