Mystery has surrounded where the ancient skeleton is from
Scientists have shed light on the true origins of the so-called "first Black Briton".
The skeletal remains - dating from Roman times - were previously thought to belong to a woman from the sub-Saharan region.
This had led her to be dubbed "one of the earliest Africans in Britain".
But scientists have now said they cannot find any signs she was from Africa or had ancestry in that part of the world.
They detailed in a paper published on Wednesday she actually had a strong genetic similarity to individuals from rural Britain.
She likely had blue eyes, between pale and dark skin and light hair, scientists added.
A craniofacial reconstruction of the ancient skeleton had previously depicted her as having curly black hair, brown eyes and dark skin.
'Beachy Head Lady'
The skeleton was first uncovered in 2012 in a box in the basement of Eastbourne Town Hall in East Sussex.
The only information on the remains was a label saying 'Beachy Head (1959)' - gaining her the moniker the "Beachy Head Lady" after the beauty spot.
Multiple attempts to establish her geographical origins and ancestry were made afterwards.
The initial assessment that she was of recent sub-Saharan origin was originally based on analysis of her skull in 2013, scientists said.
"The discovery of the 'first black Briton known to us' gained traction across several media outlets, non-fiction books, educational resources and academic publications," they wrote in the paper.
However, scientists added, this interpretation began to shift.
Graham Huntley
Radiocarbon dating suggests her Skeleton is from between 129 and 311 AD
Other scientists later suggested the Beachy Head Lady may have grown up around Eastbourne, but been born in Cyprus.
"Whilst these preliminary results were not published in a scientific journal, they were subsequently reported in the media," the paper's authors said.
Scientists' latest discovery is based on DNA analysis of the skeleton, which has been radiocarbon dated to between 129 and 311 AD.
The Beachy Head Lady is believed to have been aged between 18 and 25 when she died and was an estimated 5ft (1.52m) tall.
Scientists have said they cannot determine her cause of death.
The UK is set to rejoin the Erasmus scheme, the BBC understands, five years after announcing that it would end its participation as part of the Brexit deal with the European Union.
The EU provides funding through the scheme for people to study, train or volunteer in other European countries for up to a year.
The UK replaced it with its own Turing scheme in 2021, which funds similar placements worldwide.
The government said it would not comment on ongoing talks.
The Erasmus scheme was scrapped in the UK in December 2020, when the government announced its post-Brexit trade deal with the EU.
Boris Johnson, prime minister at the time, said it was a "tough decision", but the scheme had become "extremely expensive".
He said it would be replaced by the Turing scheme, which has operated since then.
Both schemes are open not just to university students, but also to people doing vocational courses, as well as apprentices and people training at college or school.
The UK sent out 9,900 students and trainees to other countries as part of the scheme that year, while 16,100 came the other way.
Glasgow, Bristol and Edinburgh were the three universities to send the most students, and Spain, France and Germany were the most popular countries which UK students went to.
In the 2024/25 academic year, the Turing scheme had £105m of funding, which paid for 43,200 placements, with 24,000 of those being in higher education, 12,100 in further education and 7,000 in schools.
The majority (38,000) were from England, with 2,900 from Scotland, 1,000 from Wales and 1,200 from Northern Ireland.
The Erasmus and Turing schemes meant I could travel around Germany and France
Living abroad while at university allowed me to become almost fluent in two other languages and have experiences that would never have been possible in Scotland.
While studying at the University of Glasgow in 2021, I moved to Germany aged 19 to work as an English language assistant for nine months - partly funded by the Erasmus scheme.
But just months earlier, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson had pulled the UK out of the scheme as part of a deal to leave the European Union.
The funding lasted until 2021-22, which meant I was in the last cohort of students to receive Erasmus.
Edinburgh and Glasgow were two of the top three universities to send the most students on the scheme.
A year after I came back to Scotland, I moved to Nice in France to work as an intern for three months.
But this time I received funding from the replacement Turing scheme - which is similar to Erasmus but has a wider reach.
The Erasmus scheme allows students to study, train or volunteer in other European countries for up to a year, without paying any extra fees.
It is also open to those in vocational training, apprentices or people who are retraining through a college or school.
The scheme can cover travel, living and visa costs and course fees, with additional funding available for people with disabilities, additional learning needs and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Students pay fees to their home institutions, with additional costs covered by the European Union, funded by taxpayers' money.
The Turing scheme acts as a current replacement for Erasmus.
It has a more global reach than Erasmus, sending students to countries outside of Europe, including Canada, Japan and the US.
It funded nearly 3,000 placements in Scotland in 2024-25, according to data from the UK government.
The Turing scheme targets all students but focuses on the most disadvantaged.
Claire Thomson
Germany is one of the most popular Erasmus destinations with UK students
The money I received from both the Erasmus and Turing schemes meant most of my expenses were covered and I was able to travel around Germany and France in my free time.
In Germany, I attended local cultural festivals, explored beautiful towns and villages I would never know existed if I had not lived nearby.
I also spent time with colleagues, even helping one of them with the animals in her outhouses.
The accommodation and living costs in France were higher than in Germany which meant I had less freedom.
But I still had the chance to go on boat trips, try local cuisine and go on hikes along the coastline.
Claire Thomson
The schemes gave me the chance to visit Monaco
Each university has its own eligibility requirements and funding can be limited.
I received funding from both Erasmus and Turing as I studied French and German, and it was compulsory for me to complete three terms abroad.
For Erasmus, the money was split into two payments.
I received 80% of the grant at the start of the placement to help with initial costs, such as accommodation deposits, travel from the UK and visa documents.
The remainder was paid once the placement was complete.
To receive both Erasmus and Turing, I had to set and meet targets, outline responsibilities and provide feedback from my supervisor to show I was making progress and my language skills were improving.
Data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency shows between 2013 and 2023, a total of 2,667 staff and 18,124 students from Scottish institutions took part in the Erasmus scheme.
All 27 EU member states are part of the programme, along with six non-members: Iceland, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Turkey.
Spain, France and Germany were the most popular Erasmus destinations for British students and trainees.
The scheme also allows students at European universities to study at a university in the UK.
Almost 1.5 million people and 85,600 organisations took part in the Erasmus scheme in 2024.
'Huge win' for young people
The government confirmed the UK will contribute approximately £570m to the scheme to cover the 2027-28 academic year.
It said it had secured a 30% discount on what it would have paid under its current trade agreement with the EU, which encompasses many other industries.
The EU Relations Minister said it was a "huge win" for young people and will ensure everyone has the opportunity to study and train abroad.
"This is about more than just travel," said Nick Thomas-Symonds.
"It's about future skills, academic success, and giving the next generation access to the best possible opportunities."
Royal Society of Edinburgh's president and former principal of Glasgow University Sir Anton Muscatelli said he welcomed the UK government's decision.
"Anyone who has ever studied abroad will attest that the connections and collaborations fostered through international study reap benefits for many years," he said.
"Erasmus also opens up Scotland to students for all over Europe to come to here and experience the world-class higher education and excellence in research that our nation has to offer."
Satish Khatik and Sajid Mohammed found a 15.34-carat gem-quality diamond in Panna
On a recent winter morning in Panna, a diamond mining region in central India, two childhood friends made a discovery that they think could change their lives forever.
Satish Khatik and Sajid Mohammed stumbled upon a large, glistening rock on a plot of land they had leased just weeks earlier.
When they took the stone to the city's official diamond evaluator, they learnt they had found a 15.34-carat gem-quality diamond - one of the finest varieties of natural diamonds that exist.
"The estimated market price of the stone is around five to six million rupees [$55,000 - $66,000; £41,000 - £49,000] and it will be auctioned soon," Anupam Singh, the diamond evaluator, told BBC Hindi.
The government holds quarterly auctions, drawing buyers from across India and abroad to bid for the diamonds.
"Estimated prices depend on the dollar rate and benchmarks set by the Rapaport report," Mr Singh said. Rapaport is widely regarded as a leading authority on independent diamond and jewellery market analysis.
Mr Khatik and Mr Mohammed say they are over the moon. "We can now get our sisters married," they said.
Mr Khatik, 24, who runs a meat shop and Mr Mohammed, 23 who sells fruits, come from poor backgrounds and are the youngest sons in their families.
For generations, their families have been trying their luck at finding diamonds, which is a common quest among the district's residents.
Panna, which is in Madhya Pradesh state, is among India's least developed districts - its residents face poverty, water scarcity and unemployment.
India's diamond reserves are relatively limited compared with the world's major producers, but they are historically significant.
While most mines are run by the federal government, state authorities lease small plots to locals each year at nominal rates. With few job opportunities in the city, residents hope for a prized find to improve their fortunes - but most come up empty-handed.
Mr Mohammed says that his father and grandfather had dug through these plots for decades but discovered nothing more that "dust and slivers of quartz".
His father Nafees says that the "gods have finally rewarded their hard work and patience".
Amit Rathaur
Satish Khatik (right) with Sajid Mohammed (left) who holds the diamond they discovered
They leased a plot in search of diamonds partly out of desperation, as their meagre incomes could not keep pace with rising household costs - let alone pay for a wedding, Mr Mohammed told the BBC.
Searching for diamonds is no easy task but the two friends would sift through mounds of dirt after work in the evenings, or whenever they got time off from their day jobs.
Like most locals, they searched for diamonds by hand - digging pits, hauling out soil and rock, washing it through sieves and carefully sifting through thousands of tiny stones once dried.
Ravi Patel, Panna's district mining officer, said the two friends were incredibly lucky.
"They had leased out a plot on 19 November. It's their luck that they found a diamond of gem quality within a few weeks," he said.
Though they have yet to collect the money, Mr Khatik and Mr Mohammed say they are hopeful.
"We are not thinking of buying land, expanding our businesses or moving to a bigger city; not yet. For now, we are focused on getting our sisters married," they said.
Having failed to do so, they had to win in Brisbane, given they have never won an Ashes series from 2-0 down.
Defeat at the Gabba left only the keenest optimists holding on to the faintest hope. Most of that is only for the series to remain alive for another week.
But this, a Thursday in Adelaide, really is it.
Play well - and by well we mean take the final two Australian wickets quickly before batting all day - and Ben Stokes' side have the chance to control the rest of this match.
You can forget about your cricketing Christmas if England are not still batting when the UK wakes up for breakfast on Thursday but that's not the only failing they must correct to prevent 18 December 2025 being the day Bazball finally died...
Wrap up the tail
England's first task on day two is to quickly end the Australian innings - a task rarely their specialty.
In the 2023-25 World Test Championship cycle, England's bowlers were the sixth-worst team at removing the tail and that trend continued in the second Test in Brisbane where Mitchell Starc's 77 helped Australia extend their innings from 383-7 to 511 all out.
From there, defeat was inevitable.
Starc remains again in Adelaide, unbeaten on 33, and Thursday's forecast - which predicts Adelaide to be hotter than Western Sahara - only reinforces the importance in a swift England exit from the field.
Every minute saved will be respite for England's bowlers, inflicting Australia to the worst of the searing South Australian heat.
They will also be helped by a ball still just three overs old. Time, too, for Jofra Archer to take the two wickets needed to claim his first five-wicket haul in Tests for six years.
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'Terrific' Carey makes first Test century against England
Bat once, bat big
England have pointed to the 2023 Ashes series, where they fell 2-0 down before fighting back to draw 2-2, as evidence for why fans should still have faith.
In the third Test of that contest, at Headingley, England conceded a first-innings deficit but roared back to win in a run chase.
Attempting a repeat in Adelaide, where there has been one successful chase over 200 in 43 years, would surely have a different outcome.
With the pitch set to take spin later but good for now, first-innings runs are critical. Australia were generous in gifting some of their dismissals on day one and England cannot fail to take advantage.
"I firmly believe on that pitch, which is a very good batting pitch, 450-500 is going to win you the Test match," said former England spinner Graeme Swann on TNT Sports.
"England have bowled themselves into a position where they will bat on days two and three, which are the best batting days on this pitch."
Speaking on BBC Test Match Special, former England captain Michael Vaughan added: "Bat the whole day tomorrow. Roast Australia in the heat of the Adelaide Oval.
"They are going to need a first-innings lead. Batting last on that wicket is not going to be easy."
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Archer dismisses Labuschagne and Green in first over after lunch interval
See off Starc, neuter Lyon
However, batting long was England's biggest problem in the first two Tests of this series.
They managed only 67.3 overs across both innings of the first Test combined and did not survive long enough for Australia to require a second new ball in either innings of the second.
Harry Brook has admitted playing "shocking" shots. Now is the chance to show he really has learned.
Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope are on their last drink in last chance saloon.
England must first repeat what they achieved for the first time this series in the second innings in Brisbane, surviving the opening over from left-armer Starc, before an entirely different prospect follows.
Having been a second-string in the first two Tests, Australia's bowling attack is back to near full strength with captain Pat Cummins fit again and spinner Nathan Lyon recalled.
No bowler has taken more than Lyon's 63 wickets at the Adelaide Oval - a ground he knows from his 15 Tests but also his time working on the groundstaff.
Lyon's old boss is still the curator in Adelaide. Even more reason to score your runs before the ball turns big.
"England are going to have to go big because the main difference is Nathan Lyon," said former Australia opener Justin Langer on TNT Sports.
"Even [England spinner] Will Jacks got a few to spin but it's going to be 40 degrees tomorrow and will start spinning so England have to capitalise on this very flat wicket.
"England have to be thinking they'll only bat once, it's that flat a wicket. I didn't see a ball swing or seam all day. This is a batting paradise."
An oil tanker docked at Cardón Refinery in Punto Fijo, Venezuela, in 2021. More than 400 tankers have moved Venezuelan oil or related products since 2019, and these vessels are part of a bigger fleet of ships that trade oil illicitly.
Ohio gubernatorial hopeful and former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy urged conservatives to reject "Groyper transgressions," becoming the latest Republican to weigh in on the ongoing debate in the party over antisemitism.
“If, like Mr. Fuentes, you believe that Hitler was “really f-ing cool,” or if you publicly call Usha Vance a “jeet,” then you have no place in the conservative movement, period,” Ramaswamy wrote in a New York Times op-ed published Wednesday, referring to a derogatory ethnic slur against South Asians.
In the quote, Ramaswamy was referencing Nick Fuentes and Vice President JD Vance’s wife Usha Vance, the daughter of Indian immigrant parents.
Ramaswamy shared that he has been the target of racial slurs and attacks on social media, despite “older Republicans” doubting the rising prevalence white supremacy in right-leaning online circles.
As the number of “Groypers,” or followers and fans of Fuentes, appears to grow, Ramaswmy said, there is a “real reluctance” from his fellow Republicans to condemn the “new identity politics on the right.”
“It should be acceptable on the right to criticize U.S. aid to Israel or immigrant visas, but it is downright unacceptable to spew poison toward Jews, Indians or any other ethnic group,” said Ramaswamy, the son of Indian immigrants.
The Republican Party has been embroiled in an intra-party struggle over whether the party should welcome groups associated with Fuentes, a debate that burst into the open after Tucker Carlson interviewed Fuentes on his podcast. Carlson, during his friendly October interview with Fuentes, said GOP backers of Israel have been “seized by this brain virus.” Fuentes said that “organized Jewry” is a major barrier to unifying America.
While President Donald Trump defended Carlson’s decision to interview Fuentes, House Speaker Mike Johnson called it a “big mistake.” The president of the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation, Kevin Roberts, also initially defended Carlson’s interview, arguing the real enemy was “the vile ideas of the left.” But after immense backlash — including from Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and multiple employees quitting — Roberts walked back his comments and condemned Fuentes’ rhetoric.
In his op-ed, Ramaswamy said that condemning the antisemitism brewing within a faction of the GOP does not need to equate to censorship but “moral clarity instead of indulgence.”
“The point isn’t to clutch pearls, but to prevent the gradual legitimization of this un-American animus,” he said. “This online edgelording reminds me of toddlers testing their parents’ limits: The job of a real Republican leader is to set firm boundaries for young followers, as a good father does for a transgressive son.”
Rhinelander v. Rhinelander was one of the most scandalous trials of the Jazz Age. 100 years later, it reads as a tragedy about the country’s original sin.
Researchers tracking wild polar bears in northern Canada witnessed something exceedingly rare this fall: a mother bear adopting a cub that was not biologically her own.
The five-year-old mother bear and her 10- to 11-month-old cubs were observed and captured on camera during the annual polar bear migration along the Western Hudson Bay near Churchill, Manitoba, a town known for its polar bear population.
"It's unusual," Alyssa McCall, a scientist at Polar Bears International, said in a video. "We don't really know why it happens...but we know it doesn't happen often at all."
It's only the 13th known case of adoption out of the 4,600 bears studied for nearly five decades in the area.
Dave Sandford / Discover Churchill
The mother bear was first captured as she emerged from her maternity den this spring. At the time, she had one cub, which scientists tagged for study.
In the fall, she was seen again, but this time with two cubs - the original cub that had been tagged and another without a tag. Researchers aren't sure what happened to the new cub's biological mother, but they are trying to identify her with genetic samples.
"The bears need all the help they can get these days with climate change," Evan Richardson, a polar bear scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, said in a video statement. "If females have the opportunity to pick up another cub and care for it and successfully wean it, it's a good thing for bears in Churchill."
Polar bears in the wild only have a 50% chance of surviving into adulthood, but having a mother caring for them improves their odds.
The cubs appear to be healthy, researchers said, and they will likely stay with their mother until they are about two-and-a-half years old.
Next, the family is expected to head out to sea ice, where the cubs will learn from their mother how to hunt seals and survive on their own.
"It's just nice to know that the bears are looking out for each other," Richardson said.
Warner Bros Discovery will urge its shareholders to reject Paramount Skydance's $108.4bn (£80.75bn) takeover bid as soon as Wednesday, according to reports.
Paramount has said its offer is "superior" to a $72bn deal that Warner Bros struck with Netflix for its film and streaming businesses.
At the same time, a key backer of Paramount's attempt to buy Warner Bros, Affinity Partners, has reportedly pulled out of the bid, citing the involvement of "two strong competitors". Affinity was founded by US businessman and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Warner Bros declined to comment when contacted by the BBC. Paramount and Affinity have also been asked for a response to the reports.
Warner Bros will advise its shareholders to reject Paramount's offer for a number of reasons including concerns over how the deal would be financed, according to the Financial Times.
The media giant put itself up for sale in October after receiving "multiple" expressions of interest from potential buyers, including approaches from Paramount Skydance.
Paramount is backed by the billionaire Ellison family, which has close ties to the president.
A takeover of Warner Bros is expected to face scrutiny from competition regulators in the US and Europe.
A new owner of Warner Bros would gain a significant edge in the highly competitive streaming market. It would get a huge library of films and TV shows, including Harry Potter, Friends and the HBO Max streaming service.
Some in the film industry have criticised the deal. The Writers Guild of America's East and West branches called for the merger to be blocked, arguing that it would result in lower wages and job cuts.
The volume of content for viewers would also be reduced, it said.
Having failed to do so, they had to win in Brisbane, given they have never won an Ashes series from 2-0 down.
Defeat at the Gabba left only the keenest optimists holding on to the faintest hope. Most of that is only for the series to remain alive for another week.
But this, a Thursday in Adelaide, really is it.
Play well - and by well we mean take the final two Australian wickets quickly before batting all day - and Ben Stokes' side have the chance to control the rest of this match.
You can forget about your cricketing Christmas if England are not still batting when the UK wakes up for breakfast on Thursday but that's not the only failing they must correct to prevent 18 December 2025 being the day Bazball finally died...
Wrap up the tail
England's first task on day two is to quickly end the Australian innings - a task rarely their specialty.
In the 2023-25 World Test Championship cycle, England's bowlers were the sixth-worst team at removing the tail and that trend continued in the second Test in Brisbane where Mitchell Starc's 77 helped Australia extend their innings from 383-7 to 511 all out.
From there, defeat was inevitable.
Starc remains again in Adelaide, unbeaten on 33, and Thursday's forecast - which predicts Adelaide to be hotter than Western Sahara - only reinforces the importance in a swift England exit from the field.
Every minute saved will be respite for England's bowlers, inflicting Australia to the worst of the searing South Australian heat.
They will also be helped by a ball still just three overs old. Time, too, for Jofra Archer to take the two wickets needed to claim his first five-wicket haul in Tests for six years.
To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
This video can not be played
Media caption,
'Terrific' Carey makes first Test century against England
Bat once, bat big
England have pointed to the 2023 Ashes series, where they fell 2-0 down before fighting back to draw 2-2, as evidence for why fans should still have faith.
In the third Test of that contest, at Headingley, England conceded a first-innings deficit but roared back to win in a run chase.
Attempting a repeat in Adelaide, where there has been one successful chase over 200 in 43 years, would surely have a different outcome.
With the pitch set to take spin later but good for now, first-innings runs are critical. Australia were generous in gifting some of their dismissals on day one and England cannot fail to take advantage.
"I firmly believe on that pitch, which is a very good batting pitch, 450-500 is going to win you the Test match," said former England spinner Graeme Swann on TNT Sports.
"England have bowled themselves into a position where they will bat on days two and three, which are the best batting days on this pitch."
Speaking on BBC Test Match Special, former England captain Michael Vaughan added: "Bat the whole day tomorrow. Roast Australia in the heat of the Adelaide Oval.
"They are going to need a first-innings lead. Batting last on that wicket is not going to be easy."
To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
This video can not be played
Media caption,
Archer dismisses Labuschagne and Green in first over after lunch interval
See off Starc, neuter Lyon
However, batting long was England's biggest problem in the first two Tests of this series.
They managed only 67.3 overs across both innings of the first Test combined and did not survive long enough for Australia to require a second new ball in either innings of the second.
Harry Brook has admitted playing "shocking" shots. Now is the chance to show he really has learned.
Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope are on their last drink in last chance saloon.
England must first repeat what they achieved for the first time this series in the second innings in Brisbane, surviving the opening over from left-armer Starc, before an entirely different prospect follows.
Having been a second-string in the first two Tests, Australia's bowling attack is back to near full strength with captain Pat Cummins fit again and spinner Nathan Lyon recalled.
No bowler has taken more than Lyon's 63 wickets at the Adelaide Oval - a ground he knows from his 15 Tests but also his time working on the groundstaff.
Lyon's old boss is still the curator in Adelaide. Even more reason to score your runs before the ball turns big.
"England are going to have to go big because the main difference is Nathan Lyon," said former Australia opener Justin Langer on TNT Sports.
"Even [England spinner] Will Jacks got a few to spin but it's going to be 40 degrees tomorrow and will start spinning so England have to capitalise on this very flat wicket.
"England have to be thinking they'll only bat once, it's that flat a wicket. I didn't see a ball swing or seam all day. This is a batting paradise."
Nato countries' pledge to spend 5% of their economic output on defence is Donald Trump's "biggest foreign policy success," the alliance's chief has said.
In an interview with the BBC, Mark Rutte said it was thanks to Donald Trump that Nato was "stronger than it ever was", adding that Trump "is good news for collective defence, for Nato and for Ukraine".
The US leader has harshly criticised European allies for spending very little on defence - even threatening to withdraw US protection if they fail to do so.
"I've said it repeatedly - it's a lie, nonsense, pure nonsense, about some imaginary Russian threat to European countries," Putin told defence officials in Moscow.
After Putin launched Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, he announced the annexation of four Ukrainian regions - Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. Russia had already annexed Crimea in 2014.
It now occupies most of Luhansk, and is understood to demand Ukraine's withdrawal from all of Donetsk, too, even though Ukraine still controls up to 23% of the eastern region.
Putin said the goals of what he calls "the special military operation" would be achieved.
He said he preferred to do it through diplomacy, before warning that, "if the opposing side and their foreign patrons refuse to engage in substantive discussions, Russia will achieve the liberation of its historical lands by military means".
In his interview with the BBC Radio 4's PM programme, the Nato secretary general said it was "insane" that Putin's pursuit of his "historical idea that you want to regain access to Ukraine" - or over the entire territory that used to constitute the former Soviet Union - had caused the death or serious injury to 1.1m of his people.
Mark Rutte praised Trump's efforts to find an end to the war.
US envoys have been conducting intense negotiations with Ukrainian officials over a Trump-proposed peace plan whose initial draft was seen as favouring Russia.
It envisages ceding control of territory in the east of the country to Russia, as well as security guarantees for Kyiv to forestall future Russian aggression.
US officials say Washington is ready to offer Ukraine guarantees modelled on Nato's Article 5 clause of mutual protection.
European allies who met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday in the German capital, Berlin, said a European-led "multinational force Ukraine" was also envisaged to "assist in the regeneration of Ukraine's forces, in securing Ukraine's skies, and in supporting safer seas, including through operating inside Ukraine".
The Nato chief told the BBC that "Russia will see that, with the security guarantees in place, he should never ever try again to attack Ukraine because our reaction will be devastating and that's exactly what we are now discussing".
Putin has opposed any such ideas.
He has also warned that Russia does not seek conflict with Europe, but is ready "right now" if Europe wants to - or starts a war.
Similar reassurances were given by Moscow in 2022, just before 200,000 Russian troops crossed the border and invaded Ukraine.
Russia's economy has been on a war footing for more than three years now - its factories churn out ever more supplies of drones, missiles and artillery shells.
According to a recent report by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, Russia has been producing each month around 150 tanks, 550 infantry fighting vehicles, 120 Lancet drones and more than 50 artillery pieces.
The UK, and most of its Western allies, are not anywhere near this point.
Analysts say it would take years for Western Europe's factories to come close to matching Russia's mass-production of weapons.
France and Germany have both recently moved to revive a system of voluntary military service for 18-year-olds.
Nato includes 30 European countries - as well as Canada and the US, the alliance's most powerful military member.
Under pressure from Trump, its members pledged during their summit in The Hague in June to increase military spending to 5% of their gross domestic product by 2035 - because of "long-term threat posed by Russia" and terrorism, among others.
"Now we are stronger, but if we do not implement the Hague decisions, we would be weaker than the Russians in a couple of years and that is extremely dangerous," Mark Rutte said in his BBC interview.
Researchers tracking wild polar bears in northern Canada witnessed something exceedingly rare this fall: a mother bear adopting a cub that was not biologically her own.
The five-year-old mother bear and her 10- to 11-month-old cubs were observed and captured on camera during the annual polar bear migration along the Western Hudson Bay near Churchill, Manitoba, a town known for its polar bear population.
"It's unusual," Alyssa McCall, a scientist at Polar Bears International, said in a video. "We don't really know why it happens...but we know it doesn't happen often at all."
It's only the 13th known case of adoption out of the 4,600 bears studied for nearly five decades in the area.
Dave Sandford / Discover Churchill
The mother bear was first captured as she emerged from her maternity den this spring. At the time, she had one cub, which scientists tagged for study.
In the fall, she was seen again, but this time with two cubs - the original cub that had been tagged and another without a tag. Researchers aren't sure what happened to the new cub's biological mother, but they are trying to identify her with genetic samples.
"The bears need all the help they can get these days with climate change," Evan Richardson, a polar bear scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, said in a video statement. "If females have the opportunity to pick up another cub and care for it and successfully wean it, it's a good thing for bears in Churchill."
Polar bears in the wild only have a 50% chance of surviving into adulthood, but having a mother caring for them improves their odds.
The cubs appear to be healthy, researchers said, and they will likely stay with their mother until they are about two-and-a-half years old.
Next, the family is expected to head out to sea ice, where the cubs will learn from their mother how to hunt seals and survive on their own.
"It's just nice to know that the bears are looking out for each other," Richardson said.
Former Special Counsel Jack Smith (left) arrives on Capitol Hill to testify about his criminal investigations of Donald Trump.
Former Special Counsel Jack Smith appeared on Capitol Hill on Wednesday for a high-stakes, closed door hearing about his two defunct criminal investigations into President Donald Trump.
In his opening statement, he told Congress his team "developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt" that Trump "engaged in a criminal scheme" to overturn the 2020 election results. Smith also charged Trump for allegedly mishandling classified documents.
Trump pleaded not guilty in both cases, and the prosecutions ended after his re-election.
Since returning to office, Trump has demanded investigations of officials who criminally charged him.
House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, a staunch Trump ally, called Smith's investigations "partisan and politically motivated".
In an October letter to Smith, Jordan accused the career prosecutor of using "disturbing tactics".
Republicans also expressed alarm at the decision to subpoena the phone records of several Republican lawmakers as part of his election investigation.
Smith is testifying in a closed setting on Wednesday, meaning that the public will not be able to hear from him in real time.
According to sections of his opening statement obtained by the BBC's US partner CBS News, Smith told lawmakers that in both of his investigations, the "basis for those charges rests entirely with President Trump and his actions".
Smith also said the investigators found "powerful evidence" that Trump had retained classified documents and obstructed efforts to return them to the government.
He will likely face tough questions from the Republican-controlled committee, currently chaired by Jordan, a long-time Trump ally who was a staunch defender of the president during both of his impeachment inquiries.
Democrats on the panel said they wanted to learn more about the results of Smith's inquiries.
"We want to hear exactly what he found, and what he did," Congressman Jamie Raskin the top House Judiciary Democrat, told Politico.
According to Smith's attorney Peter Koski, the special counsel had volunteered to testify in an open hearing.
Smith, was "disappointed that offer was rejected, and that the American people will be denied the opportunity to hear directly from Jack on these topics," Koski told Politico earlier this month.
The stakes are high for Smith, who Trump has deemed a "criminal" and suggested should be "investigated and put in prison" along with other Department of Justice officials involved in the 2020 election inquiry.
In September, the Department of Justice indicted former FBI Director James Comey based on testimony he gave to Congress in 2019. In November, a federal judge tossed out the case after finding the prosecutor who brought it was improperly appointed.
Warner Bros Discovery will urge its shareholders to reject Paramount Skydance's $108.4bn (£80.75bn) takeover bid as soon as Wednesday, according to reports.
Paramount has said its offer is "superior" to a $72bn deal that Warner Bros struck with Netflix for its film and streaming businesses.
At the same time, a key backer of Paramount's attempt to buy Warner Bros, Affinity Partners, has reportedly pulled out of the bid, citing the involvement of "two strong competitors". Affinity was founded by US businessman and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Warner Bros declined to comment when contacted by the BBC. Paramount and Affinity have also been asked for a response to the reports.
Warner Bros will advise its shareholders to reject Paramount's offer for a number of reasons including concerns over how the deal would be financed, according to the Financial Times.
The media giant put itself up for sale in October after receiving "multiple" expressions of interest from potential buyers, including approaches from Paramount Skydance.
Paramount is backed by the billionaire Ellison family, which has close ties to the president.
A takeover of Warner Bros is expected to face scrutiny from competition regulators in the US and Europe.
A new owner of Warner Bros would gain a significant edge in the highly competitive streaming market. It would get a huge library of films and TV shows, including Harry Potter, Friends and the HBO Max streaming service.
Some in the film industry have criticised the deal. The Writers Guild of America's East and West branches called for the merger to be blocked, arguing that it would result in lower wages and job cuts.
The volume of content for viewers would also be reduced, it said.
National Guard troops in Washington in August. A lower court judge had ordered that the troops be removed from the city, but the appeals court previously stayed the ruling while it considered the matter.
National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., is responsible for many of the biggest scientific advances in humanity’s understanding of weather and climate since its founding in 1960.
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