BBC News Briefing

18 February, 2025

Alex Binley

Hello. Talks between the US and Russia on ending the war in Ukraine have concluded, with both sides saying they will appoint negotiating teams. Noticeably absent from the meeting was Kyiv, which says it will not accept a deal made without it. Ahead of Sunday's snap election in Germany, Berlin correspondent Jessica Parker speaks to young people about growing support for the far-right. Elsewhere, royal correspondent Sean Coughlan writes that the former name of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex's, lifestyle range appears to have met a sticky end, and a tourism slogan in New Zealand is sparking controversy.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

US and Russia to appoint negotiating teams for war in Ukraine talks

A number of men in suits stand around in a large, marble room. None of them appear to be talking to each other and they're all looking straight forwards

The meeting was the first known to have taken place between the US and Russia since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Credit: Russian Foreign Ministry

The "first step of a long and difficult journey" to ending the war in Ukraine was made today in talks between Moscow and Washington, according to the US secretary of state. His Russian counterpart, also in Saudi Arabia for the highly anticipated meeting, described the discussions as "not unsuccessful", with both sides saying they will now nominate negotiating teams. Noticeably absent though was Ukraine, whose president has repeatedly said his country will not accept a peace deal made without it. When President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke earlier on Tuesday, he appeared "visibly tired and upset", writes BBC Monitoring Russia editor Vitaliy Shevchenko. Another bitter pill for Ukraine to swallow was the sight of senior Russian officials back around the "top table" of global diplomacy, writes Eastern Europe correspondent Sarah Rainsford, who notes that the image portrayed today was not of a defeated Russia forced to the negotiating table, but one more like the US inviting the aggressor to set out its terms.

GET UP TO SPEED

A woman hold three posters showing members of the Bibas family. On one poster is a baby wearing a white T-shirt and holding a red toy. In the middle is a poster showing a picture of a young boy with ginger hair, wearing a white T-shirt, he is sitting on the floor. The final poster on the right shows a close up picture of the faces of a smiling man and woman

Hamas to release bodies of mother and young sons

The group also said it would release six living hostages on Saturday - double the number originally planned.

Gaza ceasefire latest >

A smiling man and woman stand in front of an outdoor swimming pool. The woman has long blond hair and wears a strappy red top. The man has brown hair and is wearing a purple T-shirt.

Detained Britons charged with espionage in Iran

The couple were on a trip around the world and had planned to spend five days in Iran before they were charged with spying.

More on this story >

Pope Francis is looking behind himself and waving. He has a signet ring on the fourth finger of his right hand. He wears a white skull caps and white robes. He is bald with grey hair

Pope has pneumonia in both lungs, Vatican says

The 88-year-old has been suffering from a respiratory infection for more than a week and was admitted to hospital on Friday.

Read more >

A close-up photo of Meghan's face. She is smiling and wearing a white shirt. Her brown hair is tied up and she is leaning the knuckles of one hand against her forehead

New name for Meghan's lifestyle brand

Despite social media teasers showing celebs with pots of jam from Meghan, the previous name reached a sticky end.

Our royal correspondent has more >

AT THE SCENE

Saxony, Germany

What's behind the rise of Germany's far right?

White and red candles and bunches of flowers are left in tribute to the victims of the attack

The suspect in the Munich car attack is an Afghan asylum seeker. Credit: EPA

From our own correspondent: The death of a mother and her two-year-old daughter in a Munich car attack last week has kept migration centre stage in the final days of campaigning ahead of Sunday's German elections. This and a number of other violent incidents linked to migrants have led to increased support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. The biggest rise in support has been amongst young voters, many of whom cite a desire for calm and a return to the perceived past as their motivation.

Jessica Parker has short brown hair with a side parting. She is looking directly at the camera and is wearing a black top and black jacket

Jessica Parker, Berlin correspondent

In the local school's car park there’s a spot where people go to smoke or vape. It’s here that 16-year-old Eric tells me that he’d vote for the AfD if he was old enough.

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He expresses unhappiness about wind turbines installed on nearby farmland. Also, petrol is expensive, he says. But his main concern is about “Ausländer”. That means foreigners. Eric raises the fact that there have been a series of fatal attacks over the last year in Germany, involving suspects who were asylum seekers. “I have a lot of friends and we're just scared,” Eric says, adding they don’t go out much. Overall, he wants to go back to a “calmer” time.

We heard that a lot from young men. A desire for calm. A return even, to the past. The life some think their parents had. Rather than being excited for their future, some young people seem apprehensive about the present.

Listen now

Who's who?: These are the five candidates vying to be the next leader of Germany.

Youth appeal?: Not only in Germany, but across Europe, the far right is attracting an increasing number of young people, particularly men.

Debate dividing society: Across Germany, immigration is polarising the nation ahead of the election, sometimes spilling over into confrontations.

Lisette Keus wears diving gear as she catches a lionfish.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Hunters of the Caribbean

Meet the two women working to save a coral reef from invasive lionfish.

Here's how

And finally... in New Zealand

New Zealand's latest tourism campaign has stoked controversy over its call to action, which can be interpreted in multiple ways. Depending on how you read it, the tagline can be a well-meaning plea for people to visit - or a threat to kick Kiwis out. What do you make of it?

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– Alex

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