Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky returned to the White House on Monday to meet US President Donald Trump for fresh talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.

Several European leaders also upended their plans to attend the meeting, days after Trump met Russia's President Putin in Alaska for a summit that failed to yield a ceasefire.

Here are the key takeaways from the talks in Washington.

• Follow live updates on this story

Zelensky launches charm offensive

Given his acrimonious last visit to the Oval Office in February, the Ukrainian president went to considerable lengths to be collegial and charm his American hosts - including a flurry of six "thank yous" within the first few minutes of the meeting.

The last time he was at the White House, Zelensky was scolded by Vice-President JD Vance for a perceived lack of gratitude for US support for Ukraine during the war.

Another point of contention in February's meeting - Zelensky's attire - also made a return.

This time, Zelensky was dressed in a dark suit rather than his traditional military garb, and appeared well prepared with a joke when asked about his outfit by the same reporter who had previously criticised him for not wearing a suit to the Oval Office.

After the reporter told him that he looked "fabulous", Zelensky shot back that he was wearing the "same suit" as last time, eliciting laughter from the reporters, Trump and other officials in the room.

"As you see, I changed," he added.

Zelensky also sought to play to Trump's family during the meeting, handing the US president a letter from Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska to be delivered to Melania Trump.

"It's not to you — to your wife," he said.

The delivery of the letter comes just days after Trump hand-delivered a letter from Melania to Vladimir Putin while in Alaska, in which she called on Putin to protect "the innocence" of children and "nurture the next generation's hope".

"She sees the heartbreak," Trump said of his wife's letter to Putin.

"She would love to see it end. And she says it very openly, very proudly, and with great sorrow, because so many people have been killed."

Trump hints at security guarantees

One of the questions put to Zelensky was about what he would need from the US to guarantee his country's security. Was it troops, intelligence, equipment?

In a moment that conveyed the sense of urgency he seemingly tried to suppress throughout much of the press conference, Zelensky leaned forward in his chair and said, emphatically: "Everything."

"We need a strong Ukrainian army," he added. "It's about weapons, people, training missions and intelligence."

Pressed on this by reporters, Trump made several references to security guarantees for Kyiv.

He said that Europe would be the "first line of defence" for Ukraine but promised to also be "involved".

"We'll give them good protection," the president said at one point.

This is the most decisive Trump has ever sounded on the issue of security guarantees, which are generally seen as paramount to any sort of deal with Russia.

On Monday, the US president said that during last week's Alaska summit Putin had accepted that there would be security guarantees for Ukraine as part of any peace deal.

But the lack of detail on what exactly these guarantees might consist of is concerning to both Kyiv and Europe, and behind closed doors leaders will no doubt try to impress on Trump that the US deterrent needs to be more than just symbolic.

A continued flow of weapons to Ukraine would be welcome; a promise of American boots on the ground would be even more consequential.

Such a level of commitment may be difficult to obtain, at this stage, from the US.

But the fact that Trump did not rule it out altogether will be giving Ukraine and its allies hope that he could be persuaded.

A trilateral meeting on the cards?

One of Trump's much-touted objectives is to organise a three-way meeting with Zelensky and Putin.

Before his talks with European leaders on Monday, he said it was now a matter of "when, not if" such a meeting would take place.

While this may be an easier endeavour than defining the terms of a peace deal, it will by no means be straightforward.

For months, Zelensky has been pushing to meet Putin. This was likely a way of proving his argument that Russia is not serious about pursuing peace, as he knew that Putin had no interest in agreeing to a meeting of this sort.

Indeed the Kremlin has repeatedly turned this down and two weeks ago argued that the Russian and Ukrainian presidents had no reason to meet until "after the appropriate distance" between the positions of the two countries is "overcome".

Trump will be hoping that distance is now being bridged by his mediation efforts.

High on a hill in the west of the Afghan capital, Kabul, behind a steel gate topped with barbed wire, lies a place few locals speak of, and even fewer visit.

The women's wing of a mental health centre run by the Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) is the largest of only a handful of facilities in the country dedicated to helping women with mental illnesses.

Locals call it Qala, or the fortress.

The BBC gained exclusive access to the crowded centre where staff find it difficult to cope with the 104 women currently within its walls.

Among them are women like Mariam* who says she is a victim of domestic violence.

Thought to be in her mid-20s, she's been here for nine years, after enduring what she describes as abuse and neglect by her family, followed by a period of homelessness.

"My brothers used to beat me whenever I visited a neighbour's house," she alleges. Her family did not want to let her out of the house alone, she says, because of a cultural belief that young girls should not leave the house without supervision.

Eventually, her brothers appeared to have kicked her out, forcing her to live on the streets at a young age. It was here a woman found her and, apparently concerned about her mental health, brought her to the centre.

Despite her story, Mariam's smile is constantly radiant. She is often seen singing, and is one of the few patients allowed to work around the building, volunteering to help with cleaning.

She is ready - and willing - to be discharged.

But she cannot leave because she has nowhere to go.

"I don't expect to return to my father and mother. I want to marry someone here in Kabul, because even if I go back home, they'll just abandon me again," Mariam says.

As she can't return to her abusive family, she is effectively trapped in the facility.

In Afghanistan, strict Taliban regulations and deeply-rooted patriarchal traditions make it nearly impossible for women to live independently. Women are legally and socially required to have a male guardian for travel, work, or even accessing many services, and most economic opportunities are closed to them.

Generations of gender inequality, limited education, and restricted employment have left many women financially dependent on male breadwinners, reinforcing a cycle where survival often hinges on male relatives.

Sat on a bed in one of the dormitories is Habiba.

The 28-year-old says she was brought to the centre by her husband, who was forcing her out of the family home after he married again.

Like Mariam, she now has nowhere else to go. She too is ready to be released, but her husband will not take her back, and her widowed mother cannot support her either.

Her three sons now live with an uncle. They visited her initially, but Habiba hasn't seen them this year; without access to a phone, she cannot even make contact.

"I want to be reunited with my children," she says.

Their stories are far from unique at the centre, where our visit, including conversations with staff and patients, is overseen by officials from the Taliban government.

Some patients have been here for 35 to 40 years, says Saleema Halib, a psychotherapist at the centre.

"Some have been completely abandoned by their families. No-one comes to visit, and they end up living and dying here."

Years of conflict has left its mark on the mental health of many Afghans, especially women, and the issue is often poorly understood and subject to stigma.

In response to a recent UN report on the worsening situation of women's rights in Afghanistan, Hamdullah Fitrat, Taliban government's deputy spokesperson, told the BBC that their government did not allow any violence against women and they have "ensured women's rights in Afghanistan".

But UN data released in 2024 points to a worsening mental health crisis linked to the Taliban's crackdown on women's rights: 68% of women surveyed reported having "bad" or "very bad" mental health.

Services are struggling to cope, both inside and outside the centre, which has seen a several-fold increase in patients over the last four years, and now has a waiting list.

"Mental illness, especially depression, is very common in our society," says Dr Abdul Wali Utmanzai, a senior psychiatrist at a nearby hospital in Kabul, also run by ARCS.

He says he sees up to 50 outpatients a day from different provinces, most of them women: "They face severe economic pressure. Many have no male relative to provide for them - 80% of my patients are young women with family issues."

The Taliban government says it is committed to providing health services. But with restrictions on women's movement without a male chaperon, many cannot seek help.

All of this makes it more difficult for women like Mariam and Habiba to leave - and the longer they stay, the fewer places there are for those who say they desperately need help.

One family had been trying for a year to admit their 16-year-old daughter, Zainab, to the centre, but they were told there were no beds available. She is now one of the youngest patients there.

Until then she had been confined to her home - her ankles shackled to prevent her running away.

It's not clear what mental health problems Zainab has been experiencing, but she struggles to verbalise her thoughts.

A visibly distressed Feda Mohammad says the police recently found his daughter miles from home.

Zainab had gone missing for days, which is especially dangerous in Afghanistan, where women are not allowed to travel long distances from home without a male guardian.

"She climbs the walls and runs away if we unchain her," Feda Mohammad explains.

Zainab breaks down into tears every now and then, especially when she sees her mother crying.

Feda Mohammad says they noticed her condition when she was eight. But it worsened after multiple bombings hit her school in April 2022.

"She was thrown against a wall by the blast," he says. "We helped carry out the wounded and collect the bodies. It was horrific."

Exactly what would have happened if space hadn't been found is unclear. Zainab's father said her repeated attempts to run away were dishonouring him, and he argued it was better for her and her family that she is confined to the centre.

Whether she - like Mariam and Habiba - will now become one of Qala's abandoned women remains to be seen.

*The names of the patients and their families have been changed throughout

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Hamas has agreed to the latest proposal from regional mediators for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal with Israel, a source in the Palestinian armed group has told the BBC.

According to a Palestinian official familiar with the talks, the proposal from Egypt and Qatar is a comprehensive two-stage plan based on a framework advanced by US envoy Steve Witkoff.

It would see Hamas free around half of the 50 remaining Israeli hostages - 20 of whom are believed to be alive - in two stages during a 60-day temporary truce. During that time, there would be negotiations on a permanent ceasefire and an Israeli troop withdrawal.

There was no immediate comment from Israeli officials.

On Sunday night, hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Tel Aviv to demand that Israel's government agree a deal with Hamas to return the hostages.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the demonstrators of hardening the negotiating position of Hamas.

The latest development comes two days after Netanyahu's office said Israel would "agree to a deal on condition that all the hostages are released in one go".

Meanwhile Israel's cabinet is expected later this week to approve the military's plans to expand its offensive in Gaza and occupy Gaza City.

Netanyahu announced Israel's intention to do so after indirect talks with Hamas on a ceasefire deal broke down last month.

Hamas said at the time that it would only free the remaining hostages if Israel agreed to end the 22-month war. But Netanyahu said that would only happen once Hamas was disarmed and released all the hostages.

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 62,004 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky returned to the White House on Monday to meet US President Donald Trump for fresh talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.

Several European leaders also upended their plans to attend the meeting, days after Trump met Russia's President Putin in Alaska for a summit that failed to yield a ceasefire.

Here are the key takeaways from the talks in Washington.

• Follow live updates on this story

Zelensky launches charm offensive

Given his acrimonious last visit to the Oval Office in February, the Ukrainian president went to considerable lengths to be collegial and charm his American hosts - including a flurry of six "thank yous" within the first few minutes of the meeting.

The last time he was at the White House, Zelensky was scolded by Vice-President JD Vance for a perceived lack of gratitude for US support for Ukraine during the war.

Another point of contention in February's meeting - Zelensky's attire - also made a return.

This time, Zelensky was dressed in a dark suit rather than his traditional military garb, and appeared well prepared with a joke when asked about his outfit by the same reporter who had previously criticised him for not wearing a suit to the Oval Office.

After the reporter told him that he looked "fabulous", Zelensky shot back that he was wearing the "same suit" as last time, eliciting laughter from the reporters, Trump and other officials in the room.

"As you see, I changed," he added.

Zelensky also sought to play to Trump's family during the meeting, handing the US president a letter from Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska to be delivered to Melania Trump.

"It's not to you — to your wife," he said.

The delivery of the letter comes just days after Trump hand-delivered a letter from Melania to Vladimir Putin while in Alaska, in which she called on Putin to protect "the innocence" of children and "nurture the next generation's hope".

"She sees the heartbreak," Trump said of his wife's letter to Putin.

"She would love to see it end. And she says it very openly, very proudly, and with great sorrow, because so many people have been killed."

Trump hints at security guarantees

One of the questions put to Zelensky was about what he would need from the US to guarantee his country's security. Was it troops, intelligence, equipment?

In a moment that conveyed the sense of urgency he seemingly tried to suppress throughout much of the press conference, Zelensky leaned forward in his chair and said, emphatically: "Everything."

"We need a strong Ukrainian army," he added. "It's about weapons, people, training missions and intelligence."

Pressed on this by reporters, Trump made several references to security guarantees for Kyiv.

He said that Europe would be the "first line of defence" for Ukraine but promised to also be "involved".

"We'll give them good protection," the president said at one point.

This is the most decisive Trump has ever sounded on the issue of security guarantees, which are generally seen as paramount to any sort of deal with Russia.

On Monday, the US president said that during last week's Alaska summit Putin had accepted that there would be security guarantees for Ukraine as part of any peace deal.

But the lack of detail on what exactly these guarantees might consist of is concerning to both Kyiv and Europe, and behind closed doors leaders will no doubt try to impress on Trump that the US deterrent needs to be more than just symbolic.

A continued flow of weapons to Ukraine would be welcome; a promise of American boots on the ground would be even more consequential.

Such a level of commitment may be difficult to obtain, at this stage, from the US.

But the fact that Trump did not rule it out altogether will be giving Ukraine and its allies hope that he could be persuaded.

A trilateral meeting on the cards?

One of Trump's much-touted objectives is to organise a three-way meeting with Zelensky and Putin.

Before his talks with European leaders on Monday, he said it was now a matter of "when, not if" such a meeting would take place.

While this may be an easier endeavour than defining the terms of a peace deal, it will by no means be straightforward.

For months, Zelensky has been pushing to meet Putin. This was likely a way of proving his argument that Russia is not serious about pursuing peace, as he knew that Putin had no interest in agreeing to a meeting of this sort.

Indeed the Kremlin has repeatedly turned this down and two weeks ago argued that the Russian and Ukrainian presidents had no reason to meet until "after the appropriate distance" between the positions of the two countries is "overcome".

Trump will be hoping that distance is now being bridged by his mediation efforts.

Hamas has agreed to the latest proposal from regional mediators for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal with Israel, a source in the Palestinian armed group has told the BBC.

According to a Palestinian official familiar with the talks, the proposal from Egypt and Qatar is a comprehensive two-stage plan based on a framework advanced by US envoy Steve Witkoff.

It would see Hamas free around half of the 50 remaining Israeli hostages - 20 of whom are believed to be alive - in two stages during a 60-day temporary truce. During that time, there would be negotiations on a permanent ceasefire and an Israeli troop withdrawal.

There was no immediate comment from Israeli officials.

On Sunday night, hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Tel Aviv to demand that Israel's government agree a deal with Hamas to return the hostages.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the demonstrators of hardening the negotiating position of Hamas.

The latest development comes two days after Netanyahu's office said Israel would "agree to a deal on condition that all the hostages are released in one go".

Meanwhile Israel's cabinet is expected later this week to approve the military's plans to expand its offensive in Gaza and occupy Gaza City.

Netanyahu announced Israel's intention to do so after indirect talks with Hamas on a ceasefire deal broke down last month.

Hamas said at the time that it would only free the remaining hostages if Israel agreed to end the 22-month war. But Netanyahu said that would only happen once Hamas was disarmed and released all the hostages.

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 62,004 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

A woman dubbed the "Ketamine Queen" has agreed to plead guilty of selling the drugs that ultimately killed Friends actor Matthew Perry.

Jasveen Sangha, 42, will plead guilty to five charges in Los Angeles, including one count of distributing ketamine resulting in death or bodily injury, according to the Justice Department.

The American-British dual-national originally faced nine criminal counts. Federal prosecutors called her Los Angeles home a "drug-selling emporium" and found dozens of vials of ketamine during a raid.

Perry was found dead in a back yard jacuzzi at his Los Angeles home in October 2023, with an examination finding his death was caused by the acute effects of ketamine.

Sangha is one of five people - including medical doctors and the actor's assistant - who US officials say supplied ketamine to Perry, exploiting his drug addiction for profit, and leading to his overdose death.

They include: Dr Salvador Plasencia and Dr Mark Chavez, two doctors who sold ketamine; Kenneth Iwamasa, who worked as Perry's live-in assistant and both helped purchase and inject the actor with ketamine; and Eric Fleming, who sold ketamine he'd gotten from Sangha to Perry.

All five have since agreed to plead guilty to charges in the case. Sangha's criminal trial had been pushed several times and currently was scheduled to begin next month.

She is expected to appear in federal court in the coming weeks to formally enter her guilty plea as part of the agreement with federal authorities.

The BBC has contacted attorneys for Sangha.

Sangha faces a maximum sentence of 60 years in federal prison, according to the Justice Department.

Ketamine is a dissociative anaesthetic that has some hallucinogenic effects, according to the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). It can distort perception of sight and sound and makes the user feel disconnected and not in control.

It is used as an injectable anaesthetic for humans and animals because it makes patients feel detached from their pain and environment.

The substance is supposed to be administered only by a physician, investigators say, and patients who have taken the drug should be monitored by a professional because of its possible harmful effects.

Federal authorities accused Sangha of supplying ketamine from her "stash house" in North Hollywood since at least 2019, alleging in an indictment that she worked with celebrities and high-end clients.

More than 80 vials of ketamine were allegedly found there in a search, along with thousands of pills that included methamphetamine, cocaine and Xanax.

The home, called the "Sangha Stash House" in a federal indictment, was where she is alleged to have packaged and distributed drugs.

Sangha is said to have mixed with celebrities socially, with one of her friends telling the Daily Mail she attended the Golden Globes and the Oscars.

Her social media presence depicted an extravagant lifestyle, including parties and trips to Japan and Mexico.

Organisers have cancelled an annual literary prize created to promote LGBTQ+ writing, following a row about comments by one of the nominated authors.

John Boyne, best known for writing The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, was longlisted for the Polari Prize earlier this month for his latest novel Earth.

However, some other nominated authors asked to be removed from the longlist, objecting to an article Boyne wrote defending JK Rowling's stance on trans issues and women's rights. More than 800 figures in the publishing industry also signed an open letter criticising his nomination.

The Polari Prize's organisers have now said it would not be awarded this year but they hoped it would return in 2026.

In a statement published before the prize was scrapped, Boyne said his "views on trans rights have never changed" and he had faced "endless harassment at the hands of both strangers and fellow writers".

What is the Polari Prize?

Founded in 2011, The Polari Prize is open to writers born or based in the UK or Ireland who write about the experiences of LGBTQ+ life.

It started out as a single annual prize for best first book, which recognised debut works. In 2019, a second award was introduced for overall book of the year.

What did John Boyne write in his article?

In an article in the Irish Independent on 27 July, Boyne, who is gay, offered his support to Harry Potter author Rowling, who has in recent years been outspoken with her views about the tension between trans rights and the protection of women's spaces.

Boyne described himself as a "fellow Terf" - which stands for trans-exclusionary radical feminist - and said Rowling had been "pilloried" for her stance.

He suggested that women who had publicly disagreed with Rowling in recent years were "astonishingly complicit in their own erasure", and compared them to a commander's wife in the patriarchal regime in The Handmaid's Tale who is "ready to pin a handmaiden down as her husband rapes her".

"Rowling's critics claim she is transphobic, the greatest sin of our time, and use the usual tedious hyperbole to demonise her," Boyne wrote.

He said that her supporters, however, were encouraged by her "advocacy" on issues such as women being "entitled to safe spaces".

Which authors objected to Boyne's inclusion?

The longlist for the Polari Prize was announced on 1 August, and over the subsequent days several other nominated authors withdrew in protest at Boyne's inclusion.

Sacha Coward said he could not "continue in good faith" to participate in the event, which he said was supposed to "celebrate inclusion, not exclusion and division".

Fellow nominee Mae Diansangu said Boyne had "disgusting views".

Another longlisted writer, Jason Okundaye, wrote an article in the Guardian describing Boyne's views as "abhorrent", withdrawing his nomination because he felt "misled about the principles underpinning the organisation".

More than 10 longlisted authors pulled out, out of a total of 24.

The figures in the publishing industry who signed the open letter said they were "profoundly disappointed" by Boyne's inclusion, saying his comments were "inappropriate and hurtful" and "incompatible with the LGBTQ+ community's most basic standards of inclusion".

One of the prize's own judges, Nicola Dinan, who won the First Book award last year, also resigned from this year's panel in protest.

However, the only trans author on the longlist, Dr Avi Ben-Zeev, said he would remain on the list, telling PinkNews he supported others who had withdrawn, but adding there was "nothing more trans-exclusionary... than to see people like me disappear... if I walk away, I'm erasing my trans story".

How have John Boyne and the Polari Prize responded?

Following Dinan's resignation, the Polari Prize said it "completely understands and respect her decision".

However, Boyne at this point remained on the longlist, with organisers noting in a statement: "Even within our community, we can at times hold radically different positions on substantive issues. This is one of those times."

It said the prize was "committed to inclusion", adding that "while we do not eliminate books based on the wider views of a writer, we regret the upset and hurt this has caused".

Boyne then released a statement standing by his views and thanking the Polari Prize for "standing strong in the face of extraordinary intimidation".

He said he had received "an extraordinary amount of bullying and intimidation", which had pushed him "close to the edge".

He also encouraged the authors who had withdrawn to return to the longlist, suggesting that, if they did so, he would ask the prize's judges not to choose his own book to progress to the shortlist.

But on Monday, Polari announced this year's prize would not be going ahead.

"What was supposed to be a celebration of exceptional LGBTQ+ literature has been overshadowed by hurt and anger, which has been painful and distressing for all concerned," organisers said in a statement, apologising to "everyone who had been affected".

Polari said it had consulted authors, judges, stakeholders and funders, and had "decided to pause the prize this year while we increase the representation of trans and gender non-conforming judges on the panels" and undertake a governance and management review.

It concluded by saying it would "endeavour to find a way forwards in good faith".