Plus: Lady Gaga reveals her biggest fear ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
|
| Hello. It's been another busy week in the White House - we bring you the four items that have dominated the Trump team's agenda, and analysis editor Ros Atkins looks at how events in Ukraine have played out in the seven days following that Oval Office meeting. As we mark International Women's Day on Saturday, we take a look at a film shining the spotlight on arranged marriages in India and Lady Gaga tells music correspondent Mark Savage of her biggest fear. | |
|
|
|
|
TOP OF THE AGENDA | Four big things Trump and his team took on this week |
|
| | Much of Trump's week has been dominated by the Ukraine war. Credit: Reuters | In another whirlwind week from the Trump administration, we've seen tariffs implemented then rowed back, and Ukraine dominating the international news agenda. To catch you up, we've summarised the four big items Donald Trump and his team took on this week, while analysis editor Ros Atkins takes a look at the situation on the ground in Ukraine in the aftermath of the Oval Office row. Despite a more conciliatory tone from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in its wake, relations between him and his US counterpart still appear strained, with Trump saying he's "finding it more difficult to deal with Ukraine" than Russia in reaching a peace agreement. Yet it doesn't all appear to be smooth sailing with Moscow either, as Trump announces he's "strongly considering" imposing sanctions and tariffs until a ceasefire and agreement are reached. |
|
| | |
|
|
| Syria security forces 'kill dozens of Alawites' | Footage seen by a war monitoring group show dozens of bodies in civilian clothing piled up in the garden of a house. | More on this > |
|
| Bulgarians guilty of spying for Russia in the UK | While the trio had normal day jobs, the cell they were part of plotted to kidnap and kill targets, and ensnare them in 'honeytraps'. | Read more > |
|
| Olympian wanted by FBI on drug ring charges | Ryan Wedding is alleged to have shipped hundreds of kilos of cocaine, and to have orchestrated multiple murders. | More on accusations > |
|
| Poland announces military training plan for all men | PM Donald Tusk said women may also undergo military training, but "war, is still to a greater extent the domain of men". | What are the plans? > |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Indian film shows bride's 'humiliation' in arranged marriage | | The film centres around Savita, a young woman who wants to finish college and build a career. Credit: Sthal | In a country where 90% of all marriages are still arranged by families, a new film released across India on Friday is notable for the unflinching way it portrays what its lead actress calls the "very humiliating" experience of many young women. Sthal: A Match centres around Savita, a young woman striving for an education and a career in a patriarchal society, whose desires carry no weight in her rural community, where marriage is presented as the only goal worth having for a young woman. |
|
| | Geeta Pandey, online journalist |
|
| | "Marriage is given far too much importance in our society," Nandini Chikte who plays Savita tells the BBC. "Parents believe that once the daughter is married, they will become free of their responsibility. It's time to change that narrative."
She says she found it "very humiliating" that Savita was made to sit on a stool to be judged by men who discussed her skin colour, while there was no discussion about the prospective groom. "I was only acting, but as the film progressed, I lived Savita's journey and I felt angry on her behalf. I felt insulted and disrespected." |
|
| | | Repeated rejection: Despite dowries being illegal, 90% of Indian marriages involve them. One woman's fight against the expensive gift from the bride's family to the groom's has seen her rejected dozens of times, as she tries to put an end to the "social evil". |
|
|
|
|
PICK OF THE WEEK | Lady Gaga: My biggest fear? Being alone |
|
| | The new album has a sense that the artist Stefani Germanotta is reckoning with the stage persona she created. | No-one wants to be alone, and no job is more isolating than being a pop star. Just ask Lady Gaga. As she returns to pop with her seventh album, Mayhem, the singer reflects on the isolation of fame and how she now feels that she, rather than her stage persona, is the most important thing. |
|
| | |
|
|
SOMETHING DIFFERENT | Pop's most mysterious star | An album released without marketing or interviews got rave reviews. | |
|
| |
|
|
And finally... in Thailand | After years of wrangling with authorities, students can now quite literally let their hair down. Thailand's Supreme Administrative Court has annulled a 50-year-old directive by the education ministry that had previously set out rules on hairstyles for school students: short hair for boys and ear-length bobs for girls. | |
|
|
|
|
US Politics Unspun newsletter | No noise. No agenda. Just expert analysis of the issues that matter most, from North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher. | |
|
| |
|
|
MORE BBC NEWSLETTERS | | The Essential List: The best of the BBC, handpicked by our editors, in your inbox every Tuesday and Friday. Subscribe. | | World of Business: Gain the leading edge with global insights for the boardroom and beyond, every Wednesday. Subscribe. | | Tech Decoded: Get timely, trusted tech news direct to your inbox, every Monday and Friday. Subscribe. | |
|
|
|
|
Thank you, as ever, for reading. Send us suggestions for topics or areas of the world to cover in this newsletter. Tell your friends and family about it! They can sign up here. You can take a look at all our newsletters here.
By the way, you can add newsbriefing@email.bbc.com to your contacts list and, if you're on Gmail, pop the email into your “Primary” tab for uninterrupted service. Thanks for reading!
– Alex | | | | |
|
| | You've received this email because you've signed up to the BBC News Briefing newsletter.
Click here to unsubscribe
To find out how we use your data, see the BBC Privacy Policy.
BBC Studios Distribution Limited.
Registered Number: 01420028 England
Registered office: 1 Television Centre, 101 Wood Lane, London, W12 7FA, United Kingdom | |
|
|
|
|
| |
