Plus: Snow-capped Mount Etna's latest eruption ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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| Hello. US President Donald Trump has said "thorny issues" remain in the process to end the war in Ukraine. Vitaliy Shevchenko, Russia editor at BBC Monitoring, analyses the outcome of the talks at Mar-a-Lago. In Honduras, correspondent Will Grant explores the impact of the US immigration crackdown. And finally, watch huge plumes of ash and smoke erupt from a snow-covered Mount Etna.
On a scheduling note, you can expect one daily News Briefing edition until 31 December. Normal service will resume on 2 January. | |
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TOP OF THE AGENDA | No breakthrough in Mar-a-Lago talks |
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| | Trump said a deal on Ukraine's Donbas region remained "unresolved, but it's getting a lot closer". Credit: Getty Images | Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has travelled to the US for talks with President Trump at his Florida residence of Mar-a-Lago. The two leaders spent two-and-a-half hours discussing a revised peace plan, several key parts of which Russia has already rejected. It was the longest they have spent negotiating together, but again we did not hear any evidence of progress, writes Vitaliy Shevchenko. Trump said "one or two very thorny issues" remained. Both leaders indicated progress on security guarantees for Ukraine, but there was little detail on the future of the eastern Donbas region. |
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| | | - Watch: BBC journalist Anastasiya Gribanova reports from outside her apartment block in Kyiv, which was hit during recent strikes.
- Russian oligarchs: The country's wealthiest people have grown richer during the war, but lost political influence, writes Vitaliy Shevchenko.
- Future outlook: World affairs editor John Simpson reflects on a year of major conflicts around the world and how these could develop in 2026.
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| China holds military drills around Taiwan | The Chinese military said it has dispatched its army, navy, air force and rocket force for the drills. | What to know > |
| | Bondi hero recalls moment he stopped gunman | In an interview, Ahmed al Ahmed has described the thoughts running through his head in the lead-up to his actions. | Read more > |
| | Kosovo's ruling party wins parliamentary election | The Albanian nationalist Vetevendosje party has won a landslide victory, according to preliminary results. | What happened > |
| | Mexico train crash kills 13 and injures almost 100 | The train, which was carrying 250 people, derailed as it rounded a bend near the town of Nizanda, officials said. | Find out more > |
| | Ronaldo will not retire until he scores 1,000 goals | The 40-year-old, whose tally currently stands at 956 goals, has a contract with Saudi club Al-Nassr until mid-2027. | More details > |
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| | - Alaa Abdel Fattah: The Egyptian democracy activist recently freed from jail has apologised over old tweets resurfaced following his UK arrival.
- Moving abroad: According to official data, 195,000 people under the age of 35 left the UK in the year to June - a few of them tell us why.
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| BEYOND THE HEADLINES | Honduras sees boost in US remittances |
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| | | Hondurans in the US sent more money home in the first nine months of 2025 than in the entirety of 2024. Credit: Getty Images | President Trump's immigration crackdown was intended, in part, to dissuade undocumented migrants to come to the US. Reporting from Honduras, Will Grant uncovers one perhaps unexpected consequence - that those living in the US are now sending home more cash than ever to prepare for all eventualities, including deportation. |
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