BBC News Briefing

1 September, 2026

Alex has short blonde hair and blue eyes. She is smiling and wearing a black turtleneck

Alex Binley

Hello. Will Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the Ukraine war lead to any change? Our correspondents give their assessments. We also take a look at why China sees robotics as the future, and if you have no idea what "aura battles" are, read on to find out.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Why did Modi urge Putin to end Ukraine war - and will he listen?

Putin and Modi sit next to each other on wooden chairs with cream, patterned padding. There is a wooden table in between them and the carpet is red, with beige patterning on it. Both men appear to be talking. Putin is on the right and wears a black suit and is bald, with grey hair. Modi is on the left and has white hair and a beard. He is wearing a beige tunic white trousers and a grey waistcoast.

Russia provides India with oil and supplies around 40% of Delhi's defence imports. Credit: Reuters

At first it may seem counter-productive for Modi, whose country's economy depends heavily on discounted oil from Moscow, to openly urge Putin to end his war in Ukraine. "Every day spent in war pushes humanity back, and every step taken towards peace fills humanity with new hope and enthusiasm," the Indian PM told the Russian leader during talks in Kyrgyzstan. But Modi's apparent criticism was not a case of him bowing to pressure from western allies, writes India digital editor Vikas Pandey, as he explains why one ally would call another out so publicly. Meanwhile, Russia editor Steve Rosenberg analyses Putin's response, and explains why his reply suggests that "for now, the fighting goes on".

Read the analysis

GET UP TO SPEED

A woman is seen from the side. She is wearing a blue dress and a gold headscarf. Tent-like structures can be seen behind her, as well as three shirtless men.

Almost daily sexual assaults in Ceuta, prosecutors say

Some 72,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave on 30-31 July. Although most have returned, 5,000 remain.

Read more >

A person in a black hazmat suit stands on an airport runway. A beige robotic arm is seen behind them.

Germany says Russia behind Leipzig airport drone attack

The explosive device was found by Ukrainian cargo planes, and investigators suspect a second drone hit a cargo aircraft nearby.

More on this >

CCTV footage shows people fleeing as a wall of mud and water destroys buildings at the Nepal-China border

Final minutes before flood crashed through border

Video and survivors' accounts are helping to piece together exactly what took place in the moments the flood hit Nepal and Tibet.

Watch what happened >

Four people are hugging. Part of the face of one woman can be seen. She is wearing sunglasses, a white headscarf and a grey jumper. A person with their back to the camera wears a black coat and headscarf, and another person can be seen wearing a black cap.

Teen charged with murder over mosque attack video

Prosecutors have argued the 17-year-old recorded a livestream of an attack on a San Diego mosque that left three people dead.

More on the case >

Ikea cuts prices as customers hit by rising cost of living

The furniture giant is spending €1.2bn (£1bn; $1.4bn) reducing the prices of items such as Billy bookcases and Kallax storage units.

What prompted the move >

NEWS FROM THE UK

Sir Keir Starmer: The former prime minister has announced he will stand down as a Member of Parliament. This is what he has said he'll do instead.

Cold case: The discovery of a pistol in a lake may shed new light on the murder of a British family and a passing cyclist in France 14 years ago.

140-year-old mystery: Researchers believe they've worked out why 23 human skulls were buried along with the remains of prehistoric animals.

AT THE SCENE

Chengdu and Hangzhou, China

The robotic revolution underway in China

A row of students sit at computers on desks in a factory. Many of the students are wearing coats. Blue, red and white banners hang from the ceiling and behind the students, yellow robotic arms sit in large, clear boxes.

Students learning robotics at the Hangzhou Technician Institute, one of many new vocational schools.

From Our Own Correspondent: China’s embrace of robotics is advancing at pace: more than half of the world's industrial robots are now made in the country and more than two million work in its factories, but the ongoing speed of this transition is key to the country's economy. Move too fast and job losses will follow, move too slow and a looming gap in the workforce will bite.

Laura Bicker has shoulder-length blond hair and a fringe. She has blue eyes and is smiling. She is wearing a blue jumper and is in front of a yellow background.

Laura Bicker, China correspondent

Student Fang Shenghao types furiously on his computer, jumps out of his chair then knits his eyebrows together as he examines the movement of a robot arm. At 21, he’s in his last year of vocational college here at the Hangzhou Technician Institute. There are nearly 7,000 students in training here and children can attend from the age of 15. The campus is so vast we're given a tour on a golf cart.

Fang's teacher, who is not much older than he is, is keeping a close eye on the project. “I take a nap and the world changes!” he tells me. As he guides the students, he declares: “If you are not needed by the world of AI and robotics, then you’ll definitely be among those eliminated.”

Listen from 11:41

More from Laura: What impact will sweeping automation have in a country that's at the heart of global manufacturing, trade and innovation?

Watch: Will China's robots take your job?

Analysis: China is winning one AI race, the US another, and the stakes are high. So, who will emerge more powerful from the 21st Century?