BBC News Briefing

27 March, 2025

Sofia has long brown hair and brown eyes and is wearing a green top.

Sofia Lotto Persio

Hello. The sinking of a tourist submarine in Egypt is the second deadly incident in the Red Sea in less than six months. My colleagues report on what we know so far. In South Korea, BBC Korean's Rachel Lee hears from Uiseong residents who have had to evacuate their homes due to raging wildfires. And finally, an Australian senator takes a fishy stand against a salmon-farming bill.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

What we know so far about sunken sub

A white submarine is at a harbour. Haf a dozen deck chairs are laid out on the pier.

Another Sindbad submarine - not the one involved in the sinking - at the harbour in Hurghada. Credit: Supplied

A Sindbad Submarines vessel sank on Thursday morning close to the harbour in Hurghada, Egypt, a popular Red Sea tourist resort known for its beaches and coral reefs. Six people have died, and among the 39 who were rescued, nine are injured with four in a critical condition. The reasons behind this tragedy are not yet clear, writes our correspondent in Cairo Sally Nabil, but the frequency of such incidents raises big questions about the safety measures employed by local authorities.

What we know

GET UP TO SPEED

Two factory workers inspect the bonnet of a gray porsche.

Germany leads defiance to Trump car tariffs

Germany has said it "will not give in" and that Europe must "respond firmly" to US President Donald Trump's new tariffs.

Get the details >

Emile Soleil is a two-year-old with blonde hair and brown eyes. He is wearing a daffodil around his ear and wearing a blue pullover while standing in a grass field.

Grandparents released in French child's death probe

The maternal grandparents of Emile Soleil have been released without charge, two days after they were arrested.

Read more >

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Mark Lowen looks at a camera with crowds behind him.

BBC reporter Mark Lowen deported from Turkey

Lowen had been reporting on the ongoing protests sparked by the Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu's arrest last week.

What happened >

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A brown teddy bear is diplayed on a bed lined with other plushed toy in a child's bedroom.

Babysitter finds man under child's bed

A babysitter found a man hiding under a child's bed in Kansas after the child complained about a "monster" being there.

What to know >

AT THE SCENE

Uiseong County, South Korea

Race to save lives as wildfires rage

A wildfire burns through a mountain in Andong.

The fires have burned though more than 35,810 hectares (88,500 acres). Credit: YONHAP/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Firefighters in South Korea are racing to save lives and ancient artefacts from the largest wildfire in the country's history. With at least 27 people reported dead - most of whom were in their 60s and 70s - the fires that have been raging for nearly a week are also the country's deadliest.

Rachel Lee, BBC Korean

Tens of thousands of people have so far been ordered to evacuate because of the fires. Kwon Young-chang, 35, told the BBC that the smoke filled his neighbourhood in Andong, forcing him to head north to Yecheon. "The damage in Andong is devastating, and our neighbours, who have suffered great losses, are in deep despair," he said.

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Mr Kwon said the official information he had received had been confusing, and that he had been getting updates from local authorities' social media pages. He feared that older people would not have access to these.

Keep reading

Wildfire spreading: Authorities believe the wildfires started by accident due to human activity, but the main drivers of the devastation are dry land, and strong gusts sweeping over inland regions.

BBC Verify: In this video, Nick Beake explains how - and why - the fires spread so quickly and considers the impact they're having.

Watch: The blazes raging in the city of Uiseong burned down the Gounsa Temple, built in 618 AD, which was one of the largest temples in the province.

A man and a woman stand outside, looking at each other as they talk. The man in wearing a blue short-sleeve shirt and white cap and has a brown beard. The woman wears a pink top and has very curly grey hair.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

How to change minds

The simple tricks to help you get others to come round to your way of thinking.

What to know

And finally... in Australia

Green Party Senator Sarah Hanson-Young wielded a dead salmon wrapped in a plastic bag while speaking against a bill in parliament. The bill proposed by the ruling Labor party intends to protect salmon-farming jobs, but would limit the public's ability to review and challenge environmental decisions. A senator behind Hanson-Young shouted "it stinks" - whether referring to the fish or the bill is unclear. Watch the exchange.

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– Sofia

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