BBC News Briefing

13 August, 2025

Alex has short blonde hair and blue eyes. She is smiling and wearing a black turtleneck

Alex Binley

Hello. Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky is set to hold virtual talks with US President Donald Trump and European leaders today. We’ll bring you the latest. Following the auction of the largest ever Martian meteorite found on Earth last month, we take a look at some of the unanswered questions swirling around the sale. And finally, take a look at some of the items divers have uncovered on a 350-year-old shipwreck off the coast of England.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

European leaders to increase pressure on Trump ahead of Putin meeting

Zelensky wearing a black suit a Trump in a navy blue suit, white shirt and red tie sit on chairs next to each other and shake hands. A Nato sign is in the background

Zelensky and Trump held talks on the sidelines of the Nato summit in The Hague in June. Credit: Reuters

President Zelensky is to hold virtual talks with European leaders and his US counterpart on Wednesday, aimed at increasing pressure on Donald Trump to side with Kyiv during Friday's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine is not set to attend the Alaska talks. European leaders are expected to reiterate to the US president that no decisions should be taken without Ukraine, including changing its borders by force. Russia currently controls just under 20% of Ukrainian territory, and Trump has said any peace deal would involve "some swapping of territories".

Latest updates

Watch: Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse explains what we can expect from Wednesday's talks.

Donbas dispute: Zelensky has said Ukraine would reject any Russian proposal to give up the Donbas region in exchange for a ceasefire.

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War in maps: Against the backdrop of the talks, Russia's summer offensive continues, with its troops slowly grinding forwards in Ukraine's east.

WORLD HEADLINES

A man in a US Army camouflage unform is putting two metal gates together to make a barricade. A large stine building is across the road, behind him

National Guard arrives in Washington DC

The city's mayor has denied crime is out of control in her city and described the troop deployment as an "authoritarian push".

What troops will do >

The head and shoulders of a woman can be seen. She is wearing an outfit that is grey and pink and she has black hair which is tied back. Her hand is held up in front of her face with her index finger raised

The 'vote theft' row that has shaken Indian politics

Opposition parties accuse the election body of irregularities, which they say favoured the ruling BJP in last year's vote.

More on the row >

A man wears a black beret and black headphones. He is wearing a khaki flak jacket over a black T-shirt and appears angry

US announces charges against Haiti gang leader

Prosecutors say 'Barbecue' is suspected of playing a key role in a massacre which left 71 people dead and 400 homes destroyed.

Read more >

A woman wearing a navy blue suit jacket and a white shirt with a high collar has long black hair tied back in a ponytail, with some of the hair shorter and to the sides of her face. A smartly dressed man in glasses can be seen behind her.

Wife of S Korea's jailed ex-president arrested

Former first lady Kim Keon Hee has denied the raft of charges which include stock manipulation and bribery.

More on this >

A man wearing a double-breasted dark grey suit, light pink shirt and sunglasses stands in a streeet filled with F1 cars, photographers and fans - it appears to be a film premier. There are lots of lit-up billboards lining the street

Teens arrested for Brad Pitt burglary, say LA police

The suspects are also alleged to be behind a number of "celebrity burglaries", Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said.

Find out more >

BEYOND THE HEADLINES

Mars rock found in Niger sells for millions in NY - now the country wants answers

A woman takes a picture of the Martian meteorite with her phone. It glows silver and red and sits under a sign that says 'the largest piece of Mars on Earth'.

The Martian meteorite found in Niger went on display in New York before it was auctioned. Credit: EPA

Last month, a Martian meteorite - the largest ever found on Earth - was sold for $4.3m (£3.2m) at auction in New York. Like the buyer, the seller was kept anonymous. But it is unclear if any of this money went to Niger, or how someone was able to get a 24.7kg (54lb) piece of Mars rock out of the country without the authorities apparently noticing. Auction house Sotheby's says the correct procedures were followed in the sale of the meteorite.

Patagonia Azul's rugged coastline is dotted with rocky islets that form part of South America's newest marine conservation area

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Argentina's coastal escape

An ambitious new marine park is finally ready for travellers.

Take a peak