BBC News Briefing

19 March, 2025

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

Alex Binley

Hello. President Zelensky says he believes lasting peace in the war in Ukraine is achievable this year, following a "frank" and "very substantive" phone call with Donald Trump, a day after the US president spoke to his Russian counterpart. Elsewhere, US consumers tell my colleague Natalie Sherman why they're cutting back on spending as Trump's tariffs hit the economy, Starbucks says it's planning to appeal a $50m settlement after a customer was burnt by hot tea, and why Gwyneth Paltrow told an intimacy co-ordinator to "step back" while filming "a lot" of sex scenes with Timothée Chalamet.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Zelensky says lasting peace achievable this year after 'positive' call with Trump

Zelensky wearing a black jumper sits at a wooden table and is smiling. A phone, papers and a disposable cup are on the table. Next to Zelensky is a young man wearing a suit

Zelensky released this photo along with his statement on the phone call. Credit: ZelenskyyUa

Lasting peace in the war in Ukraine is achievable this year with American support, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said, following what he called a "positive" phone call with his US counterpart. It's the first time the two leaders have spoken since the heated Oval Office exchange last month. At the end of the "fantastic" hour-long conversation, Donald Trump insisted that plans for a ceasefire with Russia were "very much on track". Yet yesterday, when Trump spoke to Vladimir Putin, the Russian president declined to sign up to a proposal for a month-long ceasefire, something that was seen as a victory in Russia, writes Russia editor Steve Rosenberg. The US says talks will continue on Sunday.

More on the phone call

GET UP TO SPEED

Three men stand in a street filled with rubble.

UN says worker killed as Israeli Gaza strikes resume

Five workers were critically injured, the Hamas-run health ministry said. Israel has denied striking the UN compound.

Read more >

Tubs of Ben & Jerry's ice cream are stacked up. The pots have black lids and are blue and green, with scoops of ice cream pictured on the front.

Ben & Jerry's boss 'ousted over political activism'

Previously, the ice cream business accused parent company Unilever of demanding that it stops publicly criticising Trump.

More on the row >

A man standing behind a camera is filming a blond woman in a red dress, wearing long black gloves with her arms around a man wearing a grey suit amd glasses, who has brown hair which is parted on the side.

Paltrow told intimacy co-ordinator to 'step back'

The actress said she'd feel "very stifled" by someone telling her what to do during sex scenes with Timothée Chalamet.

What she said >

Two hands wearing blue medical gloves fill a syringe from a vial.

As US cases climb, do you need another measles jab?

Since the Covid-19 pandemic and an increase in vaccine scepticism, the number of measles outbreaks has risen.

Find out more >

AT THE SCENE

The consumers cutting back as Trump tariffs hit US economy

Amber Walliser and her husand and toddler smile at the camera wearing winter coats

In the coming months tariffs could both raises prices and slow economic growth. Credit: Amber Walliser

Polls in the US suggest the handling of the economy is a point of concern for the public, as tariffs and other changes by the White House hit the stock market, spark turmoil for businesses, and add to inflation fears. Many consumers are attempting to dodge higher prices from tariffs or slash their spending in a bid to save more.

Natalie has light brown hair with a side-parting and it is tied back. She is wearing glasses with a black frame and a black top

Natalie Sherman, Business reporter

A few days after Donald Trump won the US presidential election, Amber Walliser stocked up, spending $2,000 (£1,538) on appliances she believed would get more expensive as the White House started to put new taxes on imports.

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But that was a temporary splurge. These days, her family is buckling down, worried about job security, and a possible economic downturn, which experts believe could be more likely because of Trump's tariffs.

It means no new car, or big vacation this year. They have even shelved plans to start trying for a second child. "We are saving as much as possible, just hoarding cash, trying to bulk up our emergency fund," the 32-year-old accountant from Ohio tells the BBC.

What are others doing?

What are tariffs?: The taxes on imports are a central part of Trump's political vision, but economists fear they could spark a trade war. Here's how they work.

Six potential price rises: Economists say the president's import taxes could result in higher prices for a range of products in the US. From alcohol to avocados, these are some of the items which could be affected.

Canadian firms' boycott: Amidst an ongoing trade war with its neighbour, many Canadian businesses are calling for more production at home.

A sandy beach crowded with people overlooks blue waters

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

A second chance

Locals fight back after overtourism turned Malta's paradise into "hell on earth".

Here's how

And finally... in the US

A driver has been awarded $50m (£38.47m) in damages after a scalding hot tea from Starbucks caused him severe burns when a loose cup fell into his lap. Footage from inside the drive-thru window shows the moment the drinks purchase goes terribly wrong. The company was found responsible for failing to secure the cup properly after Michael Garcia suffered third-degree burns to his genital area. Starbucks plans to appeal the verdict, stating the damages are excessive.

US Politics Unspun newsletter

No noise. No agenda. Just expert analysis of the issues that matter most, from North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher.

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– Alex

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