B B C -- News Briefing - 13 October 2026 - by Alex Binley

 

View this email online 13 October, 2026

Alex Binley Hello. The first news conference by the new White House press secretary has generated both news and a talking point - we've got the latest. In New York, we visit the non-descript basement storing stolen antiquities. And find out why a giant pumpkin has travelled across the US.   TOP OF THE AGENDA Trump ousts US ambassador to Greece after allegations of corruption Guilfoyle was in a relationship with Donald Trump Jr from 2018 to 2024. Credit: Getty Images The US ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, has been asked to leave her post after a string of damaging reports, including an alleged request to a Republican Party donor to pay off a six-figure credit card bill in exchange for access to US President Donald Trump's administration. She denies the accusations and has vowed to "vigorously defend my name". The announcement was made in Katie Zacharia's first press conference. While Guilfoyle's ouster was the main headline, the briefing's brevity was the main talking point - lasting 14 minutes and allowing just three questions from reporters. North America editor Sarah Smith was in the room for "the briefest press briefing anyone here at the White House can remember" and addresses some of the issues it may raise.  Read more

GET UP TO SPEED Ship sinks in Black Sea drone attack Bulgaria's prime minister has summoned the Russian ambassador after two merchant ships were struck off the country's Black Sea coast. What happened > Witnesses recount fatal Six Flags rollercoaster incident Horrified onlookers told local media they saw a man fall from the ride and then get struck by it at the Georgia theme park. What they said > Ex-gang boss sentenced over Tupac Shakur's murder A jury found Duane "Keffe D" Davis guilty in September of one count of murder with a deadly weapon for the rapper's death in 1996. Read more > Cornell bans frat parties over gang sex assault claims Last month, a woman filed a lawsuit alleging she was raped by several men at a party at one of the university's fraternity houses. More on this > Pope's surgery 'concluded successfully', Vatican says The 71-year-old pontiff had an operation in Rome, after a growth on his lung was found "at a very early stage".  More on this >

NEWS FROM THE UK MI5: The head of the intelligence service has said it is now devoting more resources to countering state threats than during the Cold War. Tiger attack: A man who died after entering a tiger enclosure at a zoo has been named, as witnesses recount what happened.  Hair loss: After losing her hair, Antonia Okonma Shittu set up a wig business. Now she counts Serena Williams and Naomi Campbell as clients.   AT THE SCENE | New York City Inside the NY basement holding the world's stolen treasures Last month, 14 artefacts seized in the US were returned to Turkey. Credit: Getty Images Hidden away in a New York basement is a room of priceless antiquities. The ancient artworks have been gathered by a team of detectives entrusted with investigating the illegal trade. The artefacts have been stolen from sites around the world and are being held here, while work is underway to try and return them to their rightful owners. Sandra Kanthal, reporter It would be hard to conjure up a less glamorous place to hide such valuable artefacts. The walls were dark and drab, there were pipes running along the ceiling and boxes stacked along the corridors. We entered a room with metal shelves lining concrete walls. The ancient objects they contained were labelled by country. There were more than two dozen statues on the floor, mostly made of stone and bronze, often religious artefacts, hundreds, perhaps, thousands of years old. Some were strung with labels reading “CHARGED” - which meant someone had been indicted.   When I walked around that room it felt like travelling through time. I could see and feel culture and history, and what these items would mean to the people they were taken from. Listen from 22:21 Analysis: As conflicts rage around the world, cultural treasures are being destroyed - why is no one being punished?  Art heists: Why museum thefts are becoming bolder across Europe. Benin bronzes: Earlier this year, more than 100 stolen artefacts housed at the University of Cambridge were transferred to Nigeria.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT The houses made of rice Rice husk is being repurposed as a sturdy and resilient construction material. Take a look

And finally... in the US The giant pumpkin competition in Half Moon Bay, California has crowned its annual winner: horticulture teacher Travis Gienger, who hauled his pumpkin all the way from Minnesota. Watch the impressive gourd tip the scales at 2,389 pounds (1,083kg).

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