BBC News Briefing 13 September 2023 - Andy McFarlane Andy McFarlane Kim Jong Un is heading home from Russia, where Vladimir Putin showed him around a spaceport. We have all the latest lines (and here's what they had for lunch). There's a fascinating development in the story of the JFK assassination. And scroll down for a hint of life elsewhere in the universe.

 

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13 September, 2023

Andy McFarlane Kim Jong Un is heading home from Russia, where Vladimir Putin showed him around a spaceport. We have all the latest lines (and here's what they had for lunch). There's a fascinating development in the story of the JFK assassination. And scroll down for a hint of life elsewhere in the universe. TOP OF THE AGENDA Deal or no deal? “North Korea’s leader is very interested in rocket technology,” Mr Putin told reporters. Credit: Reuters. There were smiles and handshakes as President Vladimir Putin welcomed North Korea’s Kim Jong Un to the Vostochny cosmodrome, in Russia’s far east. And having declared relations with Moscow his “number one priority”, Mr Kim told reporters Russia had "risen to a sacred fight" to protect its sovereignty and security, saying the nations would remain “together in the fight against imperialism". Russia is thought to want weapons including artillery rounds to support its war in Ukraine. However, while Mr Putin offered help with North Korea's satellite programme, he said talks would centre on "economic co-operation" and issues of a "humanitarian nature". The summit has concluded but - deal or no deal on weapons - Russia has sent a message to the US that Moscow is going to choose its own friends, says our Russia editor Steve Rosenberg. • Quick guide: Three reasons why Kim and Putin might want to be friends, explained by Steve Rosenberg and Seoul correspondent Jean Mackenzie. • The view from Seoul: Ahead of the meeting, Jean Mackenzie assessed how worried South Korea - and its Western allies - might be about any deal. • Meanwhile, in Crimea: Russia says two of its ships were damaged in a Ukrainian attack using cruise missiles and unmanned boats. Get the latest via our live page. WORLD HEADLINES • 'Like doomsday': At least 5,300 people are thought to have died in Tuesday's catastrophic floods in Libya, with more than 34,000 reported missing after two dams burst. See footage of the devastating effects on the city of Derna. Our live page has the latest. • Winning big: Taylor Swift cleaned up at the MTV Video Music Awards, picking up nine Moon Man trophies. See all the winners - and find out how Shakira celebrated her lifetime achievement award. • Biden claims: After senior Republican Kevin McCarthy announced an impeachment inquiry against US President Joe Biden over an alleged "culture of corruption", from Washington Bernd Debusmann Jr sums up what we know about the allegations. And North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher explains why now. • Apple challenges: France has halted iPhone 12 sales because of concerns over their radiation levels. Apple was also forced to ditch the lightning charging port, in favour of a USB-C connection, in its newly unveiled iPhone 15 to meet European rules. See how the latest model shapes up. • JFK assassination: The shooting of US President John F Kennedy has been argued over for decades. Now a key witness has made a startling new claim about a bullet taken from the car after Mr Kennedy was shot. Kayla Epstein explains the significance. AT THE SCENE |   Ramallah, West Bank Three decades of lost hopes It's the 30th anniversary of an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal that led to the creation of the Palestinian Authority, intended to provide interim self-government for five years while the conflict's core issues were solved. Yolande Knell, Middle East correspondent With its vibrant restaurants, bustling malls and new construction constantly under way, affluent Ramallah has become synonymous with the Palestinian Authority. Since 1993, when the Oslo Accords were signed on the White House lawn, foreign donor money has flowed into this West Bank city, north of Jerusalem. Its streets contain smart government ministries with signs and stationery locating them in the State of Palestine. But Palestinians are acutely aware this is a facade. "Things are bad and going backwards," Um Nabil, a middle-aged shopper in Manara Square tells me. "Our lives now are full of instability." Read more BEYOND THE HEADLINES The app teaching adults to read Hodan Artan had never been to school but learned to read short stories in two months using the app. Credit: Sahamiye Foundation When a Somali refugee in London was finding ways to teach his mother tongue to his children, during Covid lockdown, it gave him the idea of using mobile phones to tackle illiteracy in his homeland. Sara Monetta hears from some of the 410,000 people learning to read, using the app developed by Ismail Ahmed's charity. Read more SOMETHING DIFFERENT Beach towel revolt The tourist hotspots where locals are taking back the beaches. Find out where And finally... A molecule linked to signs of life on Earth may have been found on a planet far, far away. Scientists think Nasa's James Webb Space Telescope has detected dimethyl sulphide (DMS) on K2-18b, a planet 120 light years from Earth, but say more data is needed for confirmation. Read how the planet differs from our own. Football Extra Newsletter Get all the latest news, insights and gossip from the Premier League. Sign up here Do you have suggestions for what we cover in BBC News Briefing? You can email me to let me know what you think. And why not forward it to friends? They can sign up here. While you're at it, add newsbriefing@email.bbc.com to your contacts list and, if you're on Gmail, pop the email into your “Primary” tab for uninterrupted service. Thanks for reading! – Andy