BBC News Briefing

16 May, 2025

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

Alex Binley

The first direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine since 2022 have concluded in Istanbul and while there was no breakthrough on the crucial issue of a truce, the two sides have agreed to swap prisoners of war. In the US, we hear from one of the white South African farmers granted refugee status on why he took up President Donald Trump's offer. Plus, why not try your hand at our quiz of the week.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Ukraine and Russia far apart in direct talks but agree to swap prisoners

A large U-shaped table has lots of people sitting around it. Several on one side are wearing military dress. In the background are two Ukrainian, two Turkish and two Russian flags.

There were no handshakes between the two sides and half the Ukrainian delegation wore camouflage military fatigues – a reminder that their nation is under attack. Credit: EPA

The first direct peace talks in three years between Russia and Ukraine have ended without the ceasefire agreement Kyiv and its allies had been pushing for, but the two sides have agreed to swap 1,000 prisoners of war each. Ukraine has called for the next step to be a meeting between the two countries' presidents, which Moscow "noted". There are fears Russia is engaging in diplomacy simply to buy time, writes senior international correspondent Orla Guerin. And while the two sides have now sat around the table, US President Donald Trump has said the only talks that count will be those between him and Russian President Vladimir Putin, and if that does happen, it's unlikely Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will be invited, she adds.

Read more from Orla

GET UP TO SPEED

A woman wearing a black dress and black headscarf kneels on the ground and has her hand on a white bodybag. She has the other hand raised to her mouth and is crying

Nearly 100 killed in Israeli attack on Gaza - rescuers

It is the largest ground assault in the north since Israel resumed its offensive. Israel said it had "eliminated several terrorists".

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Salman Rushdie is wearing a black tuxedo and bow tie. He is bald and has a grey goatee. He wears glasses and the lens on the right is blacked out

Salman Rushdie attacker jailed for 25 years

The author was speaking on stage when he was stabbed multiple times in the face and neck in August 2022.

More on the case >

Politicians sit in the House of Re[resentative. They are seated in circles at wooden benches and are dressed smartly

Five House Republicans stall Trump's tax bill

On social media Trump urged lawmakers to unite behind the legislation, writing: "STOP TALKING, AND GET IT DONE!"

What happens next >

A small white and grey plane sits in a hangar in front of a large US flag. The plane appears to have multiple wings and rotar blades.

LA Olympics plans air taxi service for spectators

The aircraft still aren't commercially approved but could offer a way around Los Angeles' notoriously slow traffic.

More on the aircraft >

AT THE SCENE

Buffalo, New York

'I didn't come here for fun' - Afrikaner defends refugee status in US

Charl Kleinhaus is wearing a blue T-shirt and is sat in a park. He is looking straight at the camera and is tanned. He has short brown hair and brown and grey stubble

Charl says he has arrived in the US wanting "to make a contribution to the country". Credit: BBC

Charl Kleinhaus is one of the 59 white South Africans who arrived in the US earlier this week as refugees, under President Donald Trump's controversial policy to protect them from the discrimination he alleges they are facing - an accusation South Africa rejects. The status of white South African farmers has long been a rallying cry on the right of US politics, but Charl says he left his homeland after receiving death threats.

Three black squares are in a row against a white background. The letters B,B and C are in one of each in white

Nomia Iqbal and Cai Pigliucci, US reporters

Last week, 46-year-old Charl Kleinhaus was living on his family farm in Mpumalanga province, South Africa. With its scenic beauty, wildlife and deep canyons, it's known as "the place where the sun rises". His new home - for now - is a budget hotel near an American highway.

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"I had to leave a five-bedroom house, which I will lose now," Charl tells the BBC, adding that he also left behind his car, his dogs and even his mother. "I didn't come here for fun," he adds. The contrast in homes couldn't be more stark. But for Charl, his situation in Buffalo, New York, is already a better one. "My children are safe," he says.

Keep reading

Need to know: President Trump has claimed a genocide is taking place in South Africa, but is that true?

Watch: North America correspondent Nomia Iqbal looks at why Afrikaners have been granted refugee status in the US.

President hits out: Cyril Ramaphosa has called the 59 white South Africans who have moved to the US "cowards", saying "they'll be back soon".

PICK OF THE WEEK

BBC team's tense encounter with sanctioned Israeli settler

Moshe Sharvit is standing in front of a field of wheat. He has a yellowish-borwn cap on and grey T-shirt. He has black hair and a beard and appears to be talking. He holds his hand up in front of him as if showing that something is small

Moshe Sharvit is supported by senior ministers in the Israeli government. Credit: BBC

Fergal Keane and Alice Doyard were filming with an Israeli peace activist in the West Bank when they were interrupted by settler Moshe Sharvit, who is under sanctions by Britain and the EU. As the team tried to leave, Sharvit used his car to block the road and called the police. Yet shortly afterwards, he agreed to be interviewed.