BBC News Briefing

18 September, 2025

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

Alex Binley

Hello. While the first full day of US President Donald Trump's state visit to the UK was full of spectacle and ceremony, the final day has been all about politics. A Ukrainian journalist speaks of the three and a half years he was held in a Russian prison. And find out what an American man can now call himself after buying a title once held by a medieval English king.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Glitz in Windsor, diplomacy at Chequers: Trump's state visit comes to an end

Trump and Starmer stand next to each other, both wearing suits and stood behind lecterns which say 'tech prosperity deal' on the front of them. There are two US and two UK flags behind them

Trump met Starmer at his country residence, Chequers. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock

While the King hosted Trump yesterday, it was Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s turn on the final day of the state visit. These pictures capture the highlights of a day focused on politics, with the two leaders signing a technology partnership. At a news conference which wrapped up the visit, the pair praised their countries' “special relationship” and managed to avoid some of the "thorniest issues" that could have cropped up, writes chief political correspondent Henry Zeffman. We've got the key takeaways here. As Trump heads home, find out what it's like to fly on Air Force One. And finally, was the trip worth it? Watch as BBC correspondents assess the visit.

GET UP TO SPEED

Damaged buildings fill the image. Some have been completely flattened, others are partially destroyed

Israeli minister touts Gaza 'real estate bonanza'

Bezalel Smotrich said he's in talks with the US about dividing up the territory after the war - an idea condemned globally.

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A man with black hair and a grey beard sits behind a desk and is smiling. He is wearing a rey suit, white shirt and black tie. The background is a city skyline with stars.

Trump backs regulator after Kimmel's suspension

The broadcast regulator's boss said the TV star appeared to "mislead" the public in comments on Charlie Kirk's alleged killer.

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An old photo shows a man in a white polo shirt with a blue collar. He has a white, red and blue headband around his long blond hair. The background is black

'Day by day, year by year' - Borg on cancer diagnosis

The 69-year-old tennis legend said he has been diagnosed with an "extremely aggressive" form of prostate cancer.

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A woman wearing a black cap, black top and jeans with rips on the knees holds a megaphone and is running towards the camera. A number of other people behind her are running and others are walking, carrying a large sign

French workers strike over budget cut plans

The widespread walkouts come less than a fortnight after the government collapsed over a proposed budget.

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AT THE SCENE

Kyiv, Ukraine

Beaten and held in Russia for three years, but never charged with a crime

A blad man stands outside but the trees in the background are blurred. He is wearing a bright yellow T-shirt and appears serious

Dmytro lost more than 20kg in the first few months of captivity. Credit: Francesco Tosto/BBC

Across Ukraine, officials say more than 16,000 civilians are currently missing. So far, they've only located a fraction of them in Russian prisons. Moscow doesn't publish lists because detaining civilians with no cause is illegal. But that makes getting them back extremely complicated.

A clos-up shot of Sarah Rainsford's face shows her smiling. She has bobbed brown hair

Sarah Rainsford, southern and eastern Europe correspondent

Ukrainian journalist Dmytro Khyliuk was detained by Russian forces in the first days of their full-scale invasion. Three and a half years later, he's been released in a prisoner swap, one of eight civilians freed in a surprise move. We met Dmytro as he recuperated at a Kyiv hospital. The details he shared of his captivity are chilling.

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"They grabbed us and literally dragged us to the prison and on the way they beat us with rubber batons shouting things like, 'How many people have you killed?'... Sometimes they'd let the guard dog off its leash so that it could bite us. The cruelty was really shocking and it was constant."

Keep reading

On the frontline: As Russia inches further into Ukraine, those living in the east must decide whether to stay or go.

War in maps: As Moscow slowly increases the amount of territory it controls, this is where the frontlines currently stand.

Decoy war: Both Russia and Ukraine are using blow up dolls and plastic decoys as tricks on the battlefield. Take a look.