The UK has named Christian Turner as its new ambassador to the US, Downing Street has confirmed.

Turner has spent a nearly 30-year career working across Whitehall and the Foreign Office.

He will now become the man tasked by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer with building links to the Trump administration.

The previous ambassador Peter Mandelson was sacked by Starmer after evidence, including emails and photos emerged, showing his continued association with the paedophile Jeffery Epstein.

Lord Mandelson has repeatedly said he regrets his relationship with Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking offences.

Turner said he was "honoured" to be nominated for the role.

"At a pivotal time for the transatlantic relationship, I look forward to working with President Trump's administration, and leaders in Congress, business and society to strengthen that bond in the years ahead," he added.

In a statement released by the Foreign Office, Starmer said: "The United Kingdom and United States have a very special relationship, and Christian's extensive experience as an outstanding diplomat will support this uniquely close bond and ensure it continues to flourish."

Turner's previous roles include political director at the Foreign Office, and British High Commissioner to Pakistan. He also previously worked in 10 Downing Street as Private Secretary to the Prime Minister.

Before entering government, he worked in television documentaries.

European Union leaders begin two days of talks in Brussels with a momentous decision to be taken on whether to loan tens of billions of euros in frozen Russian assets to Ukraine to fund its military and economic needs.

Most of Russia's €210bn (£185bn; $245bn) worth of assets in the EU are held by Belgium-based organisation Euroclear, and so far Belgium and some other members of the bloc have said they are opposed to using the cash.

Without a boost in funding, Ukraine's finances are set to run dry in a matter of months.

One European government official described being "cautiously optimistic, not overly optimistic" that a deal would be agreed. Russia has warned the EU against using its money.

It has filed a lawsuit against Euroclear in a Moscow court in a bid to get its money back.

The Brussels summit comes at a pivotal moment.

US President Donald Trump has said a deal to end the war - which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 - is "closer now than we have been ever".

Although Russia has not responded to the latest peace proposals, the Kremlin has stressed that plans for a European-led multinational force for Ukraine supported by the US would not be acceptable.

President Vladimir Putin made his feelings towards Europe clear on Wednesday, when he said the continent was in a state of "total degradation" and "European piglets" - a derogatory description of Ukraine's European allies - were hoping to profit from Russia's collapse.

The European Commission - the EU's executive arm - has proposed loaning Kyiv about €90bn (£79bn) over the next two years - out of the €210bn of Russian assets sitting in Europe.

That is about two-thirds of the €137bn that Kyiv is thought to need to get through 2026 and 2027.

Until now the EU has handed Ukraine the interest generated by the cash but not the cash itself.

"This is a crunch time for Ukraine to keep fighting for the next year," a Finnish government official told the BBC. "There are of course peace negotiations but this gives Ukraine leverage to say 'we're not desperate and we have the funds to continue fighting'."

Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen says it will also ramp up the cost of war for Russia.

Russia's frozen assets are not the only option on the table for EU leaders. Another idea, backed by Belgium, is based on the EU borrowing the money on the international markets.

However, that would require a unanimous vote and Hungary's Viktor Orban has made it clear he will not allow any more EU money to help Ukraine.

For Ukraine, the hours ahead are significant and President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to attend the EU summit.

Ahead of the Brussels meeting, EU leaders were keen to stress the momentous nature of the decision.

"We know the urgency. It is acute. We all feel it. We all see it," von der Leyen told the European Parliament.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has played a leading role in pushing for the Russian assets to be used, telling the Bundestag on the eve of the summit it was about sending a "clear signal" to Moscow that continuing the war was pointless.

EU officials are confident they have a sound legal basis to use the frozen Russian assets, but so far Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever remains unconvinced.

His Defence Minister Theo Francken warned ahead of the talks that it would be a big mistake to loan the Euroclear cash.

Hungary is seen as the biggest opponent of the move and, ahead of the summit, Prime Minister Orban and his entourage even suggested that the frozen assets plan had been removed from the summit agenda. A European Commission official stressed that was not the case and it would be a matter for the 27 member states at the summit.

Slovakia's Robert Fico has also opposed using the Russian assets, if it means the money being used to procure weapons rather than for reconstruction needs.

When the pivotal vote does finally take place, it will require a majority of about two-thirds of member states to go through. Whatever happens, European Council President António Costa has promised not to go over the heads of the Belgians.

"We're not going to vote against Belgium," he told Belgian public broadcaster RTBF. "We'll continue to work very intensively with the Belgian government because we don't want to approve something that might not be acceptable for Belgium."

Belgium will also be aware that ratings agency Fitch has placed Euroclear on a negative watch, partly because of "low" legal risks to its balance sheet from the European Commission's plans to use the Russian assets. Euroclear's chief executive has also warned against the plan.

"There are many hiccups and obstacles of course still on the way. We have to find a way to respond to Belgium's worries," the Finnish official added. "We are on the same side as Belgium. We will find a solution together to make sure all the risks are checked as much as they can be checked."

However, Belgium is not the only country to have doubts, and a majority is not guaranteed.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has told Italian MPs she will endorse the deal "if the legal basis is solid".

"If the legal basis for this initiative were not solid, we would be handing Russia its first real victory since the beginning of this conflict."

Malta, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic are also said to be unconvinced by the controversial proposals.

If the deal is passed and the Russian assets are given to Ukraine, the worst-case scenario for Belgium would be one in which a court would order it to hand the money back to Russia.

Some countries have said they would be prepared to provide billions of euros in financial guarantees, but Belgium will want to see the numbers add up.

At any rate, Commission officials are confident that the only way for Russia to get it back would be by paying reparations to Ukraine - at which point Ukraine would hand its "reparations loan" back to the EU.

The future of the economy can sometimes be seen in minor gestures of a Bank of England governor, such as the arch of his eyebrows. So what to make of Andrew Bailey sporting a rather exuberant festive tie full of Christmas trees at the moment he delivered his so-called "Santa cut"?

It probably means nothing. Just maybe it is a sign that the timing and messaging behind this cut is designed to pump life into a "subdued" economy.

It was a narrow decision, with the governor as the swing voter after he said the UK had "passed the peak of inflation", and the target of 2% now in sight in April rather than early 2027.

Mr Bailey was at pains to say the direction of travel next year remained cuts, but that decisions would now be a closer call.

"We're going to come back to target sooner than we thought. So that's encouraging. All of this is very encouraging, and for me certainly, you know, it was a strong basis to cut today," he said.

"Looking forwards, I do think we'll continue to have something of a gradual downward path... the calls do get closer."

There has been a debate on the Monetary Policy Committee about what a normal level of interest would be, with some members seeing that as low as 3%. Markets interpreted the deliberations of the committee as meaning just two further cuts next year.

Much is up in the air, however, about what the committee said was a "lacklustre" economy, that they forecast is not growing in the current quarter.

The uncertainty around the Budget has now lifted, but businesses told the Bank there had been no rebound yet. The Leader of the Opposition, Kemi Badenoch, said that the cuts showed the economy was on "life support" and rate cuts were "CPR".

Governor Bailey said the Budget measures aimed at containing inflation had helped the Bank's decision to lower interest rates.

"It's part of the reason I can be more confident inflation is going to come down sooner," he said.

The governor has also identified an unusually high rate of savings as holding back the economy, driven by a lack of consumer confidence among older savers in particular. Rate cuts mechanically lower the incentive to save, and help spending.

He said he didn't want to be "judgemental" about how much people save, but that it was true "how confident and cautious" people feel about the global and local economy does affect savings.

More economic policy stability, lower inflation and lower interest rates should help the economy gain some new momentum in the new year. It certainly needs it.

But it might take a lot more for the much-needed jolt of confidence and festive spirit to spread across the economy.

Almost £20m is to be paid out to children injured in the Manchester Arena bombing, a judge has ruled.

Amounts ranging from £11.4m to £2,770 were agreed at a hearing at the Manchester Civil Courts of Justice for 16 people, who were all aged under 16 at the time of the attack.

Some suffered "catastrophic" and life changing injuries while others suffered severe psychological damage after suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated a homemade bomb after a concert at the venue on 22 May 2017, the court heard.

The damages will be paid by venue manager SMG Europe Holdings, Showsec International Ltd, who provided crowd management, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and British Transport Police (BTP).

Twenty two people died and hundreds more were injured in the blast after an Ariana Grande concert.

A public inquiry into the bombing, led by Sir John Saunders, later found that chances to stop the attack had been missed along with "serious shortcomings" in security and individual failings.

Judge Nigel Bird approved the 16 claims, agreed between their lawyers and the defendants, as they all involved children or those without mental capacity. A court order bans identifying any of the 16 or their families.

It is understood following the hearing, claims by another 352 people, all adults deemed to have capacity, including the families of the 22 who lost loved ones, will now be agreed between lawyers for the defendants and the claimants.

As those agreements have been made out-of-court, no details of any public money to be paid out by the public bodies - BTP and GMP - will be made public.

Each of the four organisations has apologised to the bereaved families and to the survivors, lawyers for the claimants said, and have acknowledged their failures.

Judge Bird told the hearing: "Each of these cases has a common link, that is injuries and loss suffered, arising out of a single and unimaginable act of terrorism committed on the evening of May 22 2017 at the end of a concert attended by very many young people and their families.

"Twenty-two innocent lives were lost and and the lives of countless others impacted.

"The love and care a parent gives to an injured child is beyond monetary value."

The judge paid tribute to the "courage, dedication and fortitude" of the families involved in each case.

He added: "Each, through their quiet determination, has brought about promises of change in the hope that in the future, other families need not go through what they have been through."

After the hearing, a joint statement was issued from the legal teams at Hudgell Solicitors, Slater & Gordon and Broudie Jackson Canter, the three lead firms representing the claimants.

The statement said: "This is not a day of celebration. It is a moment to acknowledge the mistakes that were made and the unimaginable suffering our clients have endured over the past eight-and-a-half years.

"Their strength and resilience have been extraordinary, and without that, we would not have reached this settlement.

"We now expect all parties to honour their commitment to do what they can to prevent those same mistakes from happening again.

"It has been a privilege to work on behalf of our courageous clients. We wish them only peace and strength as they look to the future."

Martyn's Law, named in memory of victim Martyn Hett, 29, has since been brought in to better protect public place from terror attacks - stipulating a range of extra safety measures large venues must undertake.

The public inquiry found a series of "missed opportunities" to spot and stop Abedi.

It heard he should have been identified as a threat and action taken sooner after he was reported as suspicious by a member of the public, who was "fobbed off".

The arena area also had a CCTV "blind spot", patrols of the area by security staff were not adequate and BTP officers took a two-hour lunch break to get a kebab before the attack.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.

The UK government says it will ban so-called "nudification" apps as part of efforts to tackle misogyny online.

New laws - announced on Thursday as part of a wider strategy to halve violence against women and girls - will make it illegal to create and supply AI tools letting users edit images to seemingly remove someone's clothing.

The new offences would build on existing rules around sexually explicit deepfakes and intimate image abuse, the government said.

"Women and girls deserve to be safe online as well as offline," said Technology Secretary Liz Kendall.

"We will not stand by while technology is weaponised to abuse, humiliate and exploit them through the creation of non-consensual sexually explicit deepfakes."

Creating deepfake explicit images of someone without their consent is already a criminal offence under the Online Safety Act.

Ms Kendall said the new offence - which makes it illegal to create or distribute nudifying apps - would mean "those who profit from them or enable their use will feel the full force of the law".

Nudification or "de-clothing" apps use generative AI to realistically make it look like a person has been stripped of their clothing in an image or video.

Experts have issued warnings about the rise of such apps and the potential for fake nude imagery to inflict serious harm on victims - particularly when used to create child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

In April, the Children's Commissioner for England Dame Rachel de Souza called for a total ban on nudification apps.

"The act of making such an image is rightly illegal – the technology enabling it should also be," she said in a report.

The government said on Thursday it would "join forces with tech companies" to develop methods to combat intimate image abuse.

This would include continuing its work with UK safety tech firm SafeToNet, it said.

The UK company developed AI software it claimed could identify and block sexual content, as well as block cameras when they detect sexual content is being captured.

Such tech builds on existing filters implemented by platforms such as Meta to detect and flag potential nudity in imagery, often with the aim of stopping children taking or sharing intimate images of themselves.

'No reason to exist'

Plans to ban nudifying apps come after previous calls from child protection charities for the government to crack down on the tech.

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) - whose Report Remove helpline allows under-18s to confidentially report explicit images of themselves online - said 19% of confirmed reporters had said some or all of their imagery had been manipulated.

Its chief executive Kerry Smith welcomed the measures.

"We are also glad to see concrete steps to ban these so-called nudification apps which have no reason to exist as a product," she said.

"Apps like this put real children at even greater risk of harm, and we see the imagery produced being harvested in some of the darkest corners of the internet."

However while children's charity the NSPCC welcomed the news, its director of strategy Dr Maria Neophytou said it was "disappointed" to not see similar "ambition" to introduce mandatory device-level protections.

The charity is among organisations calling on the government to make tech firms find easier ways to identify and prevent spread of CSAM on their services, such as in private messages.

The government said on Thursday it would make it "impossible" for children to take, share or view a nude image on their phones.

It is also seeking to outlaw AI tools designed to create or distribute CSAM.

Sign up for our Tech Decoded newsletter to follow the world's top tech stories and trends. Outside the UK? Sign up here.

The board of the Kennedy Center has voted to rename the performing arts centre the Trump-Kennedy Center, according to the White House.

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on social media the board's vote was unanimous and due to "the unbelievable work President Trump has done over the last year in saving the building".

Leavitt also congratulated President John F. Kennedy and said "this will be a truly great team long into the future! The building will no doubt attain new levels of success and grandeur".

The move would be highly controversial, particularly in Washington DC where the centre has been an iconic landmark since constructed and named for Kennedy.

Shorty after taking office, President Donald Trump fired all the centre's board members, and replaced them with allies, who then voted to make Trump chairman of the board.

The president secured about $257 million in congressional funding to pay for major renovations and other costs at the venue.

The idea for a national performing arts centre began in the 1950s and when Kennedy, the 35th president, was assassinated in 1963, the venue was named in his honour.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.

New plaques have appeared under the portraits of former US presidents at the White House.

Unlike Donald Trump's previous statements about his predecessors, which have been delivered through speeches, interviews and social media posts, these plaques - installed outside the West Wing - represent a more permanent attempt to shape the long-term view of past presidents.

The text includes a series of claims and criticisms about past leaders, including Donald Trump's immediate predecessors Joe Biden and Barack Obama.

The descriptions also underscore Trump's willingness to get involved in details especially when it comes to how he and his political opponents are portrayed.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the plaques "are eloquently written descriptions of each president and the legacy they left behind".

BBC Verify has taken a closer look at some of the claims on the so-called "Presidential Walk of Fame".

• US election 2020: Fact-checking Trump team's main fraud claims

Biden plaque: Won after 'most corrupt' election ever seen

Every former president has a portrait or photo except for Biden. The 46th US President is instead represented by a photo of an autopen - a reference to Trump's claim that Biden's staff used an automated signature machine to sign off decisions without his knowledge.

The plaque underneath claims Biden took office in January 2021 "as a result of the most corrupt election ever seen in the US".

BBC Verify has looked at previous claims of fraud by Trump and his supporters but there has been no evidence to support allegations of widespread voter fraud or corruption.

We investigated claims of "unexplained" surges in Democrat votes, voting machines that flipped votes from Trump to Biden, and even that thousands of "dead" people had voted in Michigan - none were true.

Biden plaque: 21 million people poured into the US

The plaque also claims that Biden "let 21 million people from all over the World pour into the US".

The plaque does not say how these people allegedly entered the country under Biden, but Trump has used variations of the 21 million figure several times when talking about the previous administration's record on the US border.

In a presidential address on Wednesday night, Trump said that under Biden "our border was open, and because of this, our country was being invaded by an army of 25 million people" and earlier this year he claimed Biden allowed 21 million "illegal aliens to invade our country".

The number of migrant crossings at the US border did reach record highs under Biden but not to the level Trump - who has never provided a source for these claims - states.

US border officials record "encounters" with migrants - these include people who attempted to cross illegally and people who tried to enter legally but did not meet entry rules.

Biden was elected at the end of 2020 and during his four years in office there were about 10 million encounters of migrants at the border, with about eight million of those happening at the US southwestern border with Mexico.

These figures do not include people who may have crossed the border undetected.

Last year the US Department of Homeland Security estimated there were 11 million illegal migrants living in the US as of January 2022, with the majority arriving before 2010.

Biden plaque: Highest inflation ever recorded

Biden's economic record also came under attack, with the plaque claiming his policies: "caused the highest inflation ever recorded".

It is correct that inflation - the increase in the cost of living over time - rose significantly during Biden's first two years in office, peaking at 9.1% in June 2022 shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

However, it's not true inflation under Biden was the highest ever on record. This occurred in 1920, when inflation reached 23.7%. It was also higher at points in the 1970s and 80s.

Trump plaque: Inflation 'defeated'

As well as former presidents, Trump also added a plaque for his current term.

It includes some bold claims about his record in office since January. For example, it claims Trump has delivered on "defeating inflation".

While inflation is down from the 9.1% peak under Biden in 2022 - a time when many countries around the world experienced high inflation following the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine - it has not been "defeated" altogether.

Inflation was still at 2.7% year-on-year in November 2025, according to the latest official figures. That's down from 3% in September, when the last inflation update was published.

Average grocery prices in the US rose by 1.9% since the time of the election in November 2024.

Trump plaque: 'Ended eight wars'

Listing Trump's achievements, the plaque also claims Trump ended "eight wars in his first eight months".

However, some of the conflicts lasted just days and the level of influence Trump played in ending them is disputed.

At least one of the "wars" simply wasn't a war. Egypt and Ethiopia have had some diplomatic tensions, particularly around a dam on the Nile, but there has in no sense been a war between them.

India's defence ministry has also previously rejected Trump's claim of ending its conflict with Pakistan, saying the country had not responded to pressure from anyone.

It is true that Trump has successfully helped broker some peace agreements for some long-standing conflicts, such as between Armenia and Azerbaijan. But it is also unclear whether some of the peace agreements will last, given fighting has broken out on the Thailand-Cambodia border and between Rwanda and the DRC again since.

• How many wars has President Trump really ended?

Other presidential plaques

The plaques do not attack Democrats alone. Former Republican president George W Bush, for example, is criticised over the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, whereas former Democrat president Jimmy Carter is praised for some of his achievements.

Neither former presidents Biden or Obama have commented on the installation of their plaques.

What do you want BBC Verify to investigate?

President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order that would expand access to cannabis, a long anticipated move that would mark the most significant shift in US drug policy in decades.

The order is expected to reclassify cannabis from a Schedule I narcotic, to a Schedule III drug - placing it under the same category as Tylenol with codeine, US media reports suggest.

Even if recategorised, cannabis will remain illegal at the federal level. But classifying it as a Schedule III narcotic would allow expanded research to be conducted into its potential benefits.

Several Republican lawmakers have cautioned against the move, with some arguing it could normalise cannabis use.

The US Drug Enforcement Agency notes that Schedule III narcotics - which also include ketamine and anabolic steroids - have only a "moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence".

The executive order could come as early as Thursday, although the timing could shift, CBS, the BBC's US partner, has reported.

The new classification could also have tax implications for state-authorised cannabis dispensaries, as current regulations bar them from some tax deductions if they sell Schedule I products.

Various US news outlets have reported that the announcement may also include a pilot programme that would see some older Americans reimbursed for cannabidiol, commonly known as CBD, for conditions including cancer treatments.

In recent years, a majority of US states have approved cannabis for some medical use, and nearly half - 24 - have legalised recreational use. But since 1971, cannabis has been a Schedule I narcotic, which means it has no accepted medical use and a high potential to be abused.

Earlier this week, Trump said that he was "considering" the re-classification because of "tremendous amounts of research that can't be done unless you reclassify".

The Biden administration proposed a similar reclassification, and in April 2024 the DEA proposed a rule change, but got bogged down under administrative and legal issues.

Trump has long expressed a desire to change US drug policy regarding cannabis.

"I believe it is time to end endless arrests and incarcerations of adults for small amounts of marijuana for personal use," he wrote on Truth Social last year while running for president.

"We must also implement smart regulations, while providing access for adults, to safe, tested products," he said.

The reclassification proposal has met some resistance from Republican lawmakers.

On Wednesday, a group of 22 Republican Senators sent an open letter to the president, arguing that marijuana use would mean that "we cannot re-industrialise America".

The Senators pointed to lingering concerns over the health impact of cannabis, as well as research suggesting that cannabis can be linked to "impaired judgement" and "lack of concentration".

"In light of the documented dangers of marijuana, facilitating the growth of the marijuana industry is at odds with growing our economy and encouraging healthy lifestyles for Americans."

In a separate letter sent to Attorney General Pam Bondi in August, nine Republican representatives argued that "no adequate science or data" exists to support the change.

"Marijuana, while different than heroin, still has the potential for abuse and has no scientifically proven medical value," the letter said. "Therefore, rescheduling marijuana would not only be objectively wrong, but it would also imply to our children that marijuana is safe. That couldn't be further from the truth."

More broadly, polls show that a majority of Americans support efforts to legalise marijuana.

One Gallup poll released in November found that 64% of Americans believe that it should be legalised, although support had drifted slightly from previous years because of a 13-point drop among Republicans.

Policymakers at the Bank of England are expected to cut interest rates - bringing the Bank rate down to its lowest level since February 2023.

Analysts are widely predicting a fall from 4% to 3.75%, although they do not expect a unanimous decision among the nine-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC).

This would be the sixth cut in interest rates from August last year.

The Bank rate heavily influences the cost of borrowing by consumers, but also the returns given to savers.

The MPC has a target to keep inflation - which charts the rising cost of living - to 2%. The Bank rate is the committee's primary tool for achieving its ambition.

The latest inflation data, published on Wednesday, showed a bigger drop to Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation than analysts had been expecting.

The rate of CPI fell to 3.2% in November, from 3.6% in October, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

While inflation remains above the Bank's target, the latest fall in the rate and signs of rising unemployment and a relatively stagnant economy are likely to push the committee towards an interest rate cut.

At the previous meeting in November, the four members of the MPC who voted for a cut were only just outvoted by the five who wanted to keep rates on hold.

At the time, the Bank's governor, Andrew Bailey, said he would "prefer to wait and see" whether inflation continued to drop back.

James Smith, developed market economist for ING, said the sharp drop in the November rate of inflation "green lights" a rate cut.

He said the "latest drop in inflation fits into a broader body of evidence suggesting that price pressures are cooling".

He is forecasting another two cuts to interest rates in February and April next year, although not all analysts agree with this suggestion.

Impact on borrowing and savings

About 500,000 homeowners have a mortgage that "tracks" the Bank of England's rate. If a 0.25 percentage point cut does come, it is likely to mean a typical reduction of £29 in their monthly repayments.

For the additional 500,000 homeowners on standard variable rates, there would typically be a £14 a month fall, assuming there is a cut in the Bank rate and lenders pass on the cut to their customers.

The vast majority of mortgage customers have fixed-rate deals. Rates on these deals have been falling recently, owing to the expectation among lenders of a Bank rate cut in December.

As of 17 December, the average two-year fixed residential mortgage rate was 4.82%, according to financial information company Moneyfacts. A five-year rate was 4.90%.

Mortgage rate cuts should also reduce some financial pressure on landlords, and perhaps ease the likelihood of rent rises for tenants.

However, savers are likely to see a further fall in returns as a result of any Bank rate falls.

The current average rate on an easy-access savings account is 2.56%, according to Moneyfacts.

European Union leaders begin two days of talks in Brussels with a momentous decision to be taken on whether to loan tens of billions of euros in frozen Russian assets to Ukraine to fund its military and economic needs.

Most of Russia's €210bn (£185bn; $245bn) worth of assets in the EU are held by Belgium-based organisation Euroclear, and so far Belgium and some other members of the bloc have said they are opposed to using the cash.

Without a boost in funding, Ukraine's finances are set to run dry in a matter of months.

One European government official described being "cautiously optimistic, not overly optimistic" that a deal would be agreed. Russia has warned the EU against using its money.

It has filed a lawsuit against Euroclear in a Moscow court in a bid to get its money back.

The Brussels summit comes at a pivotal moment.

US President Donald Trump has said a deal to end the war - which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 - is "closer now than we have been ever".

Although Russia has not responded to the latest peace proposals, the Kremlin has stressed that plans for a European-led multinational force for Ukraine supported by the US would not be acceptable.

President Vladimir Putin made his feelings towards Europe clear on Wednesday, when he said the continent was in a state of "total degradation" and "European piglets" - a derogatory description of Ukraine's European allies - were hoping to profit from Russia's collapse.

The European Commission - the EU's executive arm - has proposed loaning Kyiv about €90bn (£79bn) over the next two years - out of the €210bn of Russian assets sitting in Europe.

That is about two-thirds of the €137bn that Kyiv is thought to need to get through 2026 and 2027.

Until now the EU has handed Ukraine the interest generated by the cash but not the cash itself.

"This is a crunch time for Ukraine to keep fighting for the next year," a Finnish government official told the BBC. "There are of course peace negotiations but this gives Ukraine leverage to say 'we're not desperate and we have the funds to continue fighting'."

Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen says it will also ramp up the cost of war for Russia.

Russia's frozen assets are not the only option on the table for EU leaders. Another idea, backed by Belgium, is based on the EU borrowing the money on the international markets.

However, that would require a unanimous vote and Hungary's Viktor Orban has made it clear he will not allow any more EU money to help Ukraine.

For Ukraine, the hours ahead are significant and President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to attend the EU summit.

Ahead of the Brussels meeting, EU leaders were keen to stress the momentous nature of the decision.

"We know the urgency. It is acute. We all feel it. We all see it," von der Leyen told the European Parliament.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has played a leading role in pushing for the Russian assets to be used, telling the Bundestag on the eve of the summit it was about sending a "clear signal" to Moscow that continuing the war was pointless.

EU officials are confident they have a sound legal basis to use the frozen Russian assets, but so far Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever remains unconvinced.

His Defence Minister Theo Francken warned ahead of the talks that it would be a big mistake to loan the Euroclear cash.

Hungary is seen as the biggest opponent of the move and, ahead of the summit, Prime Minister Orban and his entourage even suggested that the frozen assets plan had been removed from the summit agenda. A European Commission official stressed that was not the case and it would be a matter for the 27 member states at the summit.

Slovakia's Robert Fico has also opposed using the Russian assets, if it means the money being used to procure weapons rather than for reconstruction needs.

When the pivotal vote does finally take place, it will require a majority of about two-thirds of member states to go through. Whatever happens, European Council President António Costa has promised not to go over the heads of the Belgians.

"We're not going to vote against Belgium," he told Belgian public broadcaster RTBF. "We'll continue to work very intensively with the Belgian government because we don't want to approve something that might not be acceptable for Belgium."

Belgium will also be aware that ratings agency Fitch has placed Euroclear on a negative watch, partly because of "low" legal risks to its balance sheet from the European Commission's plans to use the Russian assets. Euroclear's chief executive has also warned against the plan.

"There are many hiccups and obstacles of course still on the way. We have to find a way to respond to Belgium's worries," the Finnish official added. "We are on the same side as Belgium. We will find a solution together to make sure all the risks are checked as much as they can be checked."

However, Belgium is not the only country to have doubts, and a majority is not guaranteed.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has told Italian MPs she will endorse the deal "if the legal basis is solid".

"If the legal basis for this initiative were not solid, we would be handing Russia its first real victory since the beginning of this conflict."

Malta, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic are also said to be unconvinced by the controversial proposals.

If the deal is passed and the Russian assets are given to Ukraine, the worst-case scenario for Belgium would be one in which a court would order it to hand the money back to Russia.

Some countries have said they would be prepared to provide billions of euros in financial guarantees, but Belgium will want to see the numbers add up.

At any rate, Commission officials are confident that the only way for Russia to get it back would be by paying reparations to Ukraine - at which point Ukraine would hand its "reparations loan" back to the EU.

The NHS remains on high alert over flu, health bosses say, but there are clear signs the surge in the virus has come to an end for now at least.

Community spread appears to have stabilised, the UK Health Security Agency says.

Meanwhile, the rise in hospital cases has slowed. And with just over 3,000 patients in hospital in England with the virus, the dire prediction by NHS chief executive Sir Jim Mackay of "between 5,000 and 8,000" cases has not materialised.

How serious then is this flu season so far, and how does it really compare to previous outbreaks of the virus?

The major difference between the 2025 flu season and the last three years is that the virus started spreading a few weeks earlier than normal.

When someone goes to their GP or hospital with flu-like symptoms, they can be swabbed and tested for influenza, Covid, RSV and other viruses.

UKHSA then records the percentage of those tests that come back positive for flu.

Figures had been rising quickly over the autumn and at the start of winter.

But last week the spread of the virus appears to have stabilised at a medium level, UKHSA says.

It is too early to say whether this marks the start of the peak. Flu is unpredictable, a lull can be followed by another surge.

The picture across the four nations of the UK is similar.

Some virologists have linked the earlier flu season this year to the type of virus that is circulating - known as H3N2.

Historically, seasons dominated by that strain tend to be more severe, with larger numbers of hospitalisations in older people, in particular.

H3N2 has not been the main form of flu detected in the UK for three years, which may mean that less immunity has been built up in the population.

Scientists also spotted a further shift in the genetic makeup of the virus over the summer.

This seems to have given the virus a head-start in the autumn.

Can we call it super-flu?

The name 'super-flu' has been used by the NHS to describe this latest outbreak.

But that is not a medical term, and it does not mean the virus itself has suddenly become more dangerous or harder to treat.

"It is misleading and a bit frightening to call it super flu; it's just a flu variant that is clearly a little bit more infectious than normal," says Prof Lawrence Young, professor of molecular oncology at the University of Warwick.

"What we're seeing is a flu season that's perhaps two to three weeks earlier than normal."

Separately, the NHS also records the number of the sickest patients in hospital with flu over the winter. Trends in hospital data tends to lag behind community spread as it takes some time for people to get ill enough to seek hospital care.

Figures for last week showed the number hit 3,140, an 18% rise on the week before. But that was after a 55% jump in the week before that.

Although the national figure masks what is happening across different regions with some areas seeing numbers fall and others still seeing steep rises.

Those over 85-years-old are five times more likely to be hospitalised than the general population.

Comparing outbreaks over the decades is difficult because testing has improved in recent years, so a rise in hospital admissions over time might also reflect better detection.

But estimated figures on flu deaths shows that some winters have been particularly serious over the past 20 years.

In 2017-18, for example, it's thought 25,000 people died from the virus in England, with care homes and older adults most affected.

That year an unusual form of the influenza B virus started circulating and the 'beast from the east' cold snap bought freezing temperatures to the UK, creating the ideal environment for the disease to spread.

Just three years before that, in 2014-15, modelling by scientists at UKHSA estimated that 35,000 had died, making it one of the most lethal flu seasons in decades.

Again, that was blamed on an outbreak of the H3N2 form of the virus and a seasonal vaccine that was not well matched to the exact form of the disease circulating.

There is nothing in the data so far which suggests anything comparable in 2025, but we won't know for sure until the first estimates for this season's influenza deaths are published in the new year.

The message coming from doctors and the NHS is for millions of people to continue to come forward for a flu vaccine.

Even though the genetic make-up of the virus has shifted, the main jab is still thought to offer an effective level of protection, particularly against ending up in hospital with severe disease.

The flu vaccine is free on the NHS for those over 65-years-old, young children, pregnant women, those with certain health conditions, carers, and front-line health and social care workers.

All other adults can get the same vaccine for between £15 and £25 from high street pharmacists.

The latest data shows that more than 70% of older people and care home residents had taken up the offer of a free jab by 14 December.

But vaccination rates in some other groups are much lower.

Only 39% of all front-line NHS workers in England have been vaccinated so far this year.

King Charles successfully poured a "perfect" pint of Guinness on a Christmas visit to a new brewery in London's Covent Garden, where he tasted his pint-pulling efforts.

This was his first public visit since the King's video message revealing "good news" about the positive progress of his cancer treatment - and he seemed to be really enjoying the moment.

The King surprised some shoppers outside the event, wishing them a "Merry Christmas" and shaking hands in an impromptu walkabout in the rain.

The King, who seemed in festive form, joked with carol singers that they must be "moonlighting from the Royal Opera House" and teased reporters that they were not getting to test the drinks on display.

The King was opening the Guinness Open Gate Brewery, a £73m investment which will be a new London visitor attraction as well as producing a range of beers.

There was a lesson in how to pour a pint, with the King shown how to tilt the glass to 45 degrees, and then to leave it to settle for between 60 to 70 seconds, which he was told allowed 300 million bubbles to rise inside the glass.

It was not clear who had ever counted them, but the King was ready to raise a glass to Christmas and perhaps, he might have been thinking about "good health" in a more personal way.

His pint-pulling trainer, Leo Ravina, said he had poured a "perfect pint".

"If you say so," replied the King, who wiped away a foamy Guinness moustache.

The King seemed less convinced by another piece of hi-tech boozing, where he was shown how an image could be printed, using beetroot or carrot juice, on to the beer's surface.

Although as monarch, he had to avoid sharing his point (or in this case pint) of view.

There was also no mention of the social media fad of "splitting the G", where drinkers try to reach a certain point on a pint glass.

But the King seemed to enjoy some of the less usual beers on offer, including one with an apricot flavour.

This tasting session was in the 232 Bar, named after the temperature at which the barley is roasted to get the distinctive flavour.

Guinness also gave the King a tour of the inner workings of the beer-making process.

Despite the rain, the King seemed determined to go outside, where crowds appeared taken aback to see this unexpected visitor and held up their phones in the drizzle. He chatted to a couple about keeping their baby warm in the downpour.

There was also a tour of a Christmas-themed food market.

And among the guests was movie director Gurinder Chadha, who made Bend It Like Beckham and has now launched a modern version of A Christmas Carol, called Christmas Karma.

It has a message about compassion and multicultural communities, and Ms Chadha said the King had asked for a copy of the film to watch at Christmas in Sandringham.

The King was also introduced to young people who were being trained for the hospitality industry.

Nik Jhangiani of Guinness's parent company Diageo welcomed the seasonal royal visit: "Pubs and restaurants are the heartbeat of the hospitality sector and this is a wonderful show of support for the industry."

Sign up here to get the latest royal stories and analysis every week with our Royal Watch newsletter. Those outside the UK can sign up here.

Waterloo Road actor William Rush has died aged 31, his family has announced.

Rush played schoolboy Josh Stevenson in the BBC One drama, appearing in 168 episodes between 2009 and 2013.

As a child actor, he also appeared in Grange Hill and Shameless, and later went on to roles in Casualty and Vera.

His mother, ex-Coronation Street actress Debbie Rush, announced on Instagram that William had died on Wednesday, adding: "As a family, our hearts are completely broken." His cause of death has not been announced.

Rush also auditioned for ITV talent show The X Factor in 2016, and made it as far as the "six-chair challenge", the stage between boot camp and judges' houses.

Debbie Rush, an actress herself who played Anna Windass in Coronation Street for a decade, described William as "our beautiful baby boy", said: "There are no words that can truly capture the depth of our loss."

She also paid tribute to her son's decision to become an organ donor before he died.

"Even in our darkest moment, William gave the most precious gift of all," she said.

"Through being an organ donor, he has given hope and life to other families, thinking of others right to the very end. His kindness and love will forever be part of his legacy.

"We kindly ask that our privacy be respected as we navigate this unimaginable grief. William will always be loved, always missed, and forever in our hearts."

Fellow Coronation Street stars left supportive messages on her post, with Sally Dynevor saying she was "so shocked to hear this news" and describing William as a "beautiful boy".

Actress and former Strictly contestant Katie McGlynn said he "brought a smile to everyone's face and was a very kind soul", and fellow Corrie star Brooke Vincent wrote: "I am so sorry for your loss, sending you so much love."

President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order that would expand access to cannabis, a long anticipated move that would mark the most significant shift in US drug policy in decades.

The order is expected to reclassify cannabis from a Schedule I narcotic, to a Schedule III drug - placing it under the same category as Tylenol with codeine, US media reports suggest.

Even if recategorised, cannabis will remain illegal at the federal level. But classifying it as a Schedule III narcotic would allow expanded research to be conducted into its potential benefits.

Several Republican lawmakers have cautioned against the move, with some arguing it could normalise cannabis use.

The US Drug Enforcement Agency notes that Schedule III narcotics - which also include ketamine and anabolic steroids - have only a "moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence".

The executive order could come as early as Thursday, although the timing could shift, CBS, the BBC's US partner, has reported.

The new classification could also have tax implications for state-authorised cannabis dispensaries, as current regulations bar them from some tax deductions if they sell Schedule I products.

Various US news outlets have reported that the announcement may also include a pilot programme that would see some older Americans reimbursed for cannabidiol, commonly known as CBD, for conditions including cancer treatments.

In recent years, a majority of US states have approved cannabis for some medical use, and nearly half - 24 - have legalised recreational use. But since 1971, cannabis has been a Schedule I narcotic, which means it has no accepted medical use and a high potential to be abused.

Earlier this week, Trump said that he was "considering" the re-classification because of "tremendous amounts of research that can't be done unless you reclassify".

The Biden administration proposed a similar reclassification, and in April 2024 the DEA proposed a rule change, but got bogged down under administrative and legal issues.

Trump has long expressed a desire to change US drug policy regarding cannabis.

"I believe it is time to end endless arrests and incarcerations of adults for small amounts of marijuana for personal use," he wrote on Truth Social last year while running for president.

"We must also implement smart regulations, while providing access for adults, to safe, tested products," he said.

The reclassification proposal has met some resistance from Republican lawmakers.

On Wednesday, a group of 22 Republican Senators sent an open letter to the president, arguing that marijuana use would mean that "we cannot re-industrialise America".

The Senators pointed to lingering concerns over the health impact of cannabis, as well as research suggesting that cannabis can be linked to "impaired judgement" and "lack of concentration".

"In light of the documented dangers of marijuana, facilitating the growth of the marijuana industry is at odds with growing our economy and encouraging healthy lifestyles for Americans."

In a separate letter sent to Attorney General Pam Bondi in August, nine Republican representatives argued that "no adequate science or data" exists to support the change.

"Marijuana, while different than heroin, still has the potential for abuse and has no scientifically proven medical value," the letter said. "Therefore, rescheduling marijuana would not only be objectively wrong, but it would also imply to our children that marijuana is safe. That couldn't be further from the truth."

More broadly, polls show that a majority of Americans support efforts to legalise marijuana.

One Gallup poll released in November found that 64% of Americans believe that it should be legalised, although support had drifted slightly from previous years because of a 13-point drop among Republicans.