BBC News Briefing

25 November, 2025

Sofia has long brown hair and brown eyes and is wearing a green top

Sofia Lotto Persio

Hello. US officials are meeting Russian representatives in Abu Dhabi to discuss a plan to end the war in Ukraine. My colleagues have the details. In Florida, correspondents Nawal al-Maghafi and Jasmin Dyer speak to Haitians who fear being separated from their families as the US clamps down on immigration. And finally, watch a fox and an otter take a night stroll.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Talks follow night of deadly air strikes

Two men with their backs to the camera, looking at a residential building which stands in front of them. the top centre of it is blackened and damaged following a strike

Residents of apartment buildings were forced to evacuate in Kyiv after being hit by strikes. Credit: EPA

A meeting between US and Russian officials is to be held in Abu Dhabi, following days of intense talks over a US-backed plan to end the war in Ukraine. The plan initially drew criticism from Kyiv and European leaders but, after weekend talks in Geneva, an updated framework has been drawn up, although its details have not yet been announced. Meanwhile, the fighting continued overnight. Six people have been killed in Russian strikes on Kyiv, according to the city's mayor, while officials in Russia said three people were killed during Ukrainian strikes in the border regions of Krasnodar and Rostov.

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Europe's proposal: Several media agencies have reported an alternative plan drafted by Kyiv's European allies. Here is what we know so far.

Ukraine's reaction: President Volodymyr Zelensky has welcomed proposed changes to the US plan.

Listen now: Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse joins the Global Story podcast to discuss how Ukrainians feel about the peace efforts.

WORLD HEADLINES

A Palestinian woman carries a box of food aid from the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) in the central Gaza Strip

Gaza Humanitarian Foundation winds down

The controversial US and Israel-backed organisation says it is winding down its aid operations in the Palestinian territory.

What to know >

X's new location feature exposes politics accounts

Dozens of high-engagement accounts on X have been accused of misleading users after the roll-out of a transparency feature.

More details >

A handmade poster showing a photo of teenager Celeste Rivas Hernandez is surrounded by handwritten messages and flowers at at a memorial in her hometown of Lake Elsinore, California.

Court seals records in case of body found in D4vd's car

Records about the death of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez have been barred from public release, officials said.

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The peak of Mount Cook, also known as Aoraki in Maori, New Zealand's highest mountain

Two climbers die on New Zealand's highest peak

The climbers, who are yet to be publicly identified, died after falling from Aoraki, which is known for its brutal terrain.

What happened >

Female doctor looking at MRI scanner monitor

New study shows brain's four pivotal ages

Researchers showed that the brain stays in the adolescent phase until our early 30s, when we "peak".

Find out more >

NEWS FROM THE UK

Nigel Farage: The Reform UK leader has insisted he "never directly racially abused anybody" after school racism claims.

Rural crime: Farmers have welcomed a police crackdown on balaclava-clad gangs of thieves operating in the countryside.

Chess prodigy: Ten-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan has earned a place among the world's top 50 women in the game's blitz category.

BEYOND THE HEADLINES

How a Trump clampdown could tear one reunited family apart

Stacey and Marven facing the camera in front of a lake. Both are smiling, Marven is wearing a grey, collared T-shirt, Stacey has long blond hair and glasses and is wearing a bright green gathered top.

Stacey, a Republican voter, adopted Marven in 2010 and then helped his mother and sister come to the US. Credit: Liam Weir/BBC

The Temporary Protection Status, a US humanitarian scheme that allows temporary stay for citizens of countries hit by violence or natural disaster, is set to end for Haitians in February. One family that used the scheme to be reunited after more than a decade apart now fears what might come next.

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