Foreign News
European leaders tentatively hopeful after call with Trump ahead of Putin summit
European leaders appeared cautiously optimistic after holding a virtual meeting with Donald Trump on Wednesday, two days before he meets his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Alaska to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.
Trump reportedly told the Europeans that his goal for the summit was to obtain a ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv.
He also agreed that any territorial issues had to be decided with Volodymyr Zelensky’s involvement, and that security guarantees had to be part of the deal, according to France’s Emmanuel Macron.
Speaking to Trump had allowed him to “clarify his intentions” and gave the Europeans a chance to “express our expectations,” Macron said.
Trump and Vice-President JD Vance spoke to the leaders of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Finland and Poland as well as EU chief Ursula von der Leyen and Nato chief Mark Rutte.
The Europeans have been sidelined from the hastily organised summit in Alaska and their phone call on Wednesday was a last-ditch attempt to keep Ukraine’s interests and the continent’s security at the forefront of Trump’s mind.
To an extent, it seemed to work. On Wednesday evening Trump rated the meeting “a 10” and said Russia would face “very severe” consequences unless it halted its war in Ukraine.
He also said that if Friday’s meeting went well he would try to organise a “quick second one” involving both Putin and Zelensky.
Still, in their statements European leaders restated the need for Kyiv to be involved in any final decision – betraying an underlying nervousness that Putin could ultimately persuade Trump to concede Ukrainian land in exchange for a ceasefire.
“It’s most important thing that Europe convinces Donald Trump that one can’t trust Russia,” said Poland’s Donald Tusk, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stressed the leaders had “made it clear that Ukraine must be at the table as soon as follow-up meetings take place”.
If the Russian side refused to make any concessions, “then the United States and we Europeans should and must increase the pressure”, Merz said.

Since the US-Russia summit was announced last week, Trump has made several references to “land-swapping” between Kyiv and Moscow – sparking serious concerns in Ukraine and beyond that he could be preparing to give in to Putin’s longstanding demand to seize large swathes of Ukrainian territory.
On Wednesday morning Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Alexey Fadeev reiterated that Russia’s stance had not changed since Putin set it out in June 2024.
At the time Putin said a ceasefire would start the minute the Ukrainian government withdrew from four regions partially occupied by Russia – Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. He also said Ukraine would need to officially give up its efforts to join the Nato military alliance.
These are maximalist demands which neither Kyiv nor its European partners see as viable.
Zelensky has said he is convinced that Russia would use any region it was allowed to keep as a springboard for future invasions.
A way to counter this threat could be security guarantees – intended as commitments to ensure Ukraine’s long-term defence.
In statements issued after the phone call with Trump, several European leaders said such guarantees had been mentioned and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said that “real progress” had been made in that respect.
He also praised Trump’s efforts to reach an agreement, saying: “For three-and-a-bit years this conflict has been going on and we haven’t got anywhere near the prospect of an actually viable solution, a viable way of bringing it to a ceasefire.
“Now we do have that chance, because of the work the president has put in.”
Since the spring the UK and France have been spearheading efforts to create a so-called “Coalition of the Willing” – a group of nations who have pledged to deter Russia from further invading Ukraine.
On Wednesday the group said it stood “ready to play an active role” including by deploying “a reassurance force once hostilities have ceased” – although the shape, composition and role of such a force is yet unclear.
Meanwhile, on the front lines, Russia’s summer offensive continues to press on. Referencing the sudden advance of Moscow’s troops near Dobropillya, in the embattled Donetsk region, Zelensky said Putin was pretending that sanctions were not effective at damaging the Russian economy.
“I told Trump and our European allies that Putin is bluffing,” the Ukrainian president said, urging them to apply “more pressure” on Russia.
For his part, Trump appeared to admit that even when he meets Putin face-to-face he may not be able to get him to stop killing civilians in Ukraine.
“I’ve had that conversation with him… but then I go home and see that a rocket has hit a nursing home or an apartment building and people are lying dead in the street.
“So I guess the answer to that is probably no.”
[BBC]
Foreign News
USA midfielder sues doctors after on-pitch cardiac arrest
United States women’s national team player Savannah DeMelo is suing a hospital and two doctors after she suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch last year.
Midfielder DeMelo, who has seven senior caps for the USA, has filed a lawsuit against University of Louisville Health (UofL Health) for negligence.
The 28-year-old, who plays for Racing Louisville, collapsed in the first half of a National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) match on 14 September 2025.
According to documents seen by BBC Sport, the case was filed on Tuesday morning with Jefferson Circuit Court in Kentucky, where her club is based – a year and a day after her on-field collapse.
DeMelo’s filing claims UofL Health and two doctors, Dr Sarabjeet Suri and Dr Jennifer Daily, “failed to act as a reasonably prudent and competent medical practice, and such negligence was a substantial factor in causing DeMelo to suffer severe physical injuries, including, but not limited to, her cardiac arrest”.
Dr Daily, according to her online UofL biography, is Racing Louisville’s chief medical officer. The lawsuit states DeMelo was under the care of Dr Daily from January 2024 to July 2026.
It states that in March 2025, Dr Daily referred DeMelo to Dr Suri for “evaluation and treatment” after she had been complaining of chest pain, dizziness and shortness of air; Dr Suri obtained a history, performed a physical examination and ordered diagnostic tests.
Nearly six months later, DeMelo suffered the cardiac arrest.
“She was subsequently diagnosed and treated for ventricular tachycardia [an abnormal heart rhythm],” the suit states.
DeMelo, who has spent her entire professional career with Racing Louisville, has not played since her collapse.
In a post to her instagram page on Tuesday, De Melo – who was picked in the USA squad for the 2023 Women’s World Cup and started their first two games – marked the anniversary of the incident.
“A year ago today, while playing soccer, I collapsed due to an undiagnosed cardiac arrhythmia, that caused me to go into cardiac arrest,” she wrote.
“I respect and appreciate the privacy everyone has met me with while going through everything I have this year. I’ll never be able to fully put into words how emotionally hard this year has been. There has been a lot of uncertainty and emotions intertwined with it all.”
[BBC]
Foreign News
Death toll from Philippines ferry fire rises to 76, with more still missing
The Philippine Coast Guard says it has recovered 41 bodies from the wreckage of a ferry that caught fire this week, bringing the total death toll to 76.
More than 130 people were on board the MV June Aster when the blaze erupted on Wednesday as it neared its destination at the tourist hotspot of Coron, after departing from Manila.
The coast guard said on Saturday the number of survivors remained 43, with many receiving treatment in hospital, but 13 people remain unaccounted for.
Recovery of bodies had been hampered due to toxic fumes and lingering heat, which meant authorities were unable to board until Friday.
Geronimo Tuvilla, an official for the Philippine Coast Guard, said the priority was identifying victims and determining the cause of the blaze.
Kristine Ablana, a tourism official in Coron, said relatives were being asked to help identify family members through personal items and DNA testing.
“Once someone is able to verify that this photo or these belongings are indeed those of their relative, they will be asked to provide a DNA sample,” she said.
Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said the fire began in a cargo hold before spreading.
She said survivors had described hearing a loud explosion, “the appearance of smoke and then fire. It spread very quickly”. She added that those who had made it off the ship did not have time to put on lifejackets.
A survivor who was hauled to safety on a rescue boat told the BBC he had heard frantic cries onboard when the fire erupted, and was trampled by panicked people as he tried to escape.
The ferry, built in 2002, held valid safety certificates and passed an enforcement inspection in March, but investigators are looking into potential manifest discrepancies, cargo loading integrity, and crew emergency response protocols, the Palawan Daily reported.
The vessel was carrying 117 passengers and 17 crew members.
Atienza Interisland Ferries, the vessel’s operator, has pledged full co-operation with the inquiry.
[BBC]
Foreign News
Princess Diana’s ‘revenge dress’ goes up for auction on 9th December
A dress worn by Princess Diana to a party in London hours after a documentary was televised in which the then-Prince Charles admitted to committing adultery during their marriage is going up for auction.
Her dramatic arrival at the Serpentine Gallery in 1994 in a custom-made black silk evening dress by designer Christina Stambolian became an iconic pop-culture moment.
The media dubbed her outfit the “revenge dress”.
Auction house Sotheby’s expects the dress to sell for up to £220,000 ($300,000) when it goes under the hammer on 9 December.
A press release from Sotheby’s said it is the first time the dress has been offered at auction since 1997, when the late princess sold 79 of her dresses to raise money for charities.
Morgane Halimi, Sotheby’s Global Head of Handbags and Fashion, said in a statement that Princess Diana “understood instinctively” that fashion can be a language in its own right.
“On her own terms, Princess Diana turned the dress into one of the most powerful messages she ever made, during one of the most scrutinised and emotionally charged episodes of her life,” Halimi said.
“She walked into a moment in which so much of her story was being told for her and, through what she chose to wear, reclaimed the narrative for herself.”

According to Sotheby’s, Anna Harvey, her stylist at the time, said Diana “wanted to look a million dollars”.
The princess made a last-minute wardrobe change for the fundraising dinner and chose the strapless evening dress by the Greek designer Christina Stambolian – which she accessorised with a royal jewel, a black clutch and black heels.
The vintage Jaguar XJ40 car that Diana arrived in at the event was sold at auction earlier this year for £66,250.
The revenge dress is expected to fetch a considerably higher price.
If it does, it will not be the first time an item from the princess’s wardrobe has sold for a significant sum.
Princess Diana’s sweater featuring a black sheep among rows of white ones was sold for £920,000 at an auction by Sotheby’s in New York in 2023.
[BBC]
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