BBC Verify Live: China navy task force spotted in new satellite images in Philippine Sea

Reform UK declares £10m in donations
Daniel Wainwright
BBC Verify senior data journalist
Reform UK has declared £10m worth of donations during the three months ending September 2025, according to the Electoral Commission, external.
That’s more than the declared donations to all other political parties combined.
One donor was behind £9m of Reform’s donations - Christopher Harborne - who donated to the party before in 2019 and 2020. He’s also previously donated to the Conservatives.
Harborne’s latest donation is the largest to a party by a living person in the Electoral Commission’s data going back to 2001.
The biggest on record was £10m to the Conservatives from Lord John Sainsbury which he left to the party in his will. He died in 2022.
His cousin Lord David Sainsbury donated £8m to the Liberal Democrats in 2019.
Parties are required to submit quarterly reports on donations and loans to the Electoral Commission.
Donations from the same source in a calendar year must be declared once they go above £11,180 for the central party and every £2,300 after that.
Local party branches must declare donations once they go above £2,300.
Assessing footage of Israeli strike on displacement camp in Gaza
Shayan Sardarizadeh and Paul Brown
BBC Verify
We've been looking into footage posted online of last night's Israeli strike on a displacement camp in Gaza which killed five people, according to hospital sources.
The Israeli military (IDF) said it was responding to a "blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement" earlier in the day where it says five of its soldiers were injured by an attack in the Rafah area of southern Gaza.
Footage, reportedly from the scene of the retaliatory IDF strike, shows a fire has broken out in a tightly packed group of tents. As yet we have been unable to geolocate this footage.
But our team overnight has verified footage showing injured people, including at least two children, arriving at the Kuwait Field Hospital near the southern city of Khan Younis. Shrouded bodies can also be seen in some footage.
The hospital has said five people were killed, including two children, and 32 others were wounded.
Get in touch with BBC Verify
Rob Corp
BBC Verify Live editor
We’re keen to hear what you think the BBC Verify team should be looking into.
We're interested in investigating claims you may've seen online in your social feeds. We're also keen to know if you've think an image may have been made using artificial intelligence to spread disinformation.
You can also get in touch with BBC Verify if you've got a question about how we verify video posted online or work with satellite imagery.
You can send your suggestions to the team here.
Chinese naval group pictured in Philippine Sea
Joshua Cheetham
BBC Verify journalist
We’re investigating satellite images of a group of Chinese naval vessels sailing in the Philippine Sea.
The pictures from Vantor show two destroyers, a replenishment ship and a helicopter landing dock. It’s unclear what their destination is for now.
We’re speaking to experts to find out more about these ships’ capabilities and the significance of their deployment to the region.
China has the largest navy in the world in terms of vessel numbers and has been rapidly expanding its ship-building capabilities in recent decades.
The deployment comes amid territorial disputes in the area between China and the Philippines, which have led to several clashes between their coastguard and fishermen.
China is also embroiled in fierce claims to Taiwan and other territories in the South China Sea, with several major naval exercises in recent years.
Welcome to BBC Verify Live
Rob Corp
BBC Verify Live editor
New satellite imagery has been sent to BBC Verify that shows a task force of Chinese navy ships in the Philippine Sea. This apparent show of maritime strength follows a Reuters report that Beijing has deployed ships across the region from the Pacific to the South China Sea. We’re looking at what the images show, what experts make of this deployment and how China has built up its naval force in recent years.
Elsewhere, our team is looking into footage showing the aftermath of an Israeli strike on a tented area for displaced civilians in Gaza's al-Mawasi area. Five Palestinians were killed, including two children, according to medics at the Kuwait Field Hospital. Israel’s military says it "struck a Hamas terrorist" after five of its soldiers were wounded earlier on Wednesday.
We’re also working to verify dramatic footage of a road collapsing in Indonesia following the catastrophic floods that have killed at least 631 people. If we can confirm it’s genuine we’ll share it with the rest of BBC News and post it on this live page.
And as Health Secretary Wes Streeting orders a review of rising demand for mental health, ADHD and autism services in England, BBC Verify is analysing what the data shows.