BBC News Briefing

25 February, 2025

Sofia has long brown hair and brown eyes and is wearing a green top

Sofia Lotto Persio

Hello. A UN vote on the war in Ukraine has highlighted a massive shift in US foreign policy. Correspondent Nada Tawfik reports on a dramatic day of high-stake diplomacy. We also hear from American scientists concerned about the Trump administration's cuts to research funding. And finally, we share tips on how to best enjoy a rare seven-planet alignment in the night sky.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

US vote on Ukraine war surprises Europe

Barbara Woodward, Permanent Ambassador to the UN from the United Kingdom, raises her hand to vote during a United Nations Security Council meeting. She is sat next to US Deputy Permanent Representative Dorothy Shea, whose arms are down.

The US worked against its closest allies and sided with Russia to pass resolutions on the conflict in Ukraine. Credit: Getty Images

A symbolic UN resolution expressing support for Ukraine on the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion passed on Monday with fewer votes in favour than in past years. Many members of the General Assembly abstained to avoid a tricky tension created by the US, which submitted a competing resolution that took a neutral stance on the war, without blaming Russia, and called for a swift end with a lasting peace to follow. Washington's diplomats introduced the text both in the General Assembly, where every nation's vote is equal, and in the more powerful Security Council. The move caught Europe off guard, Nada Tawfik reports.

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GET UP TO SPEED

Nadine wears a green hoodie over her head. She has brown eyes. She is standing among the ruins of what used of be a prison cell.

Survivors recall horror of DR Congo jailbreak

Orla Guerin speaks to some of the women who survived the sexual violence and the fire that followed a jailbreak in Goma.

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Members of South Africa's white Afrikaans population are seen with their arms raised during a protest outside the US embassy in South Africa

White genocide in South Africa 'not real', court rules

A South African court has dismissed claims of a white genocide in the country as "clearly imagined" and "not real".

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Magatte N'Diaye and Ibrahima Diack pose on either side of mayor Inés Rey in the city council hall room. Each men holds a wooden and gold plaque in their hand.

City 'adopts' migrants who tried to stop hate crime

Spain's A Coruña has honoured two Senegalese men who tried to save a gay man from a homophobic mob.

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AT THE SCENE

Boston, US

How scientists plan to fight Doge cuts

Researchers, academics and protesters rally outside the Health and Human Services (HHS) Building against US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) funding freezes on research and higher education in Washington, DC, USA, 19 February 2025

Protesters rally against the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) funding freezes on research. Credit: EPA-EFE

From Our Own Correspondent: Scientists across the US are concerned about what the Trump administration's cost-cutting drive means for the funding system that has underpinned America’s world-class research for decades. The subject dampened the mood at a recent gathering of one of the country’s oldest scientific societies in Boston.

Sandra Kanthal, BBC News

One attendee told me how their organisation, and others they’d heard about, were affected after a visit from Doge. They detailed the way programmes were cut indiscriminately, and how human capital was being tossed away - firing anyone hired in the last two years. They were clearly very worried about the future - and what, if anything, could be done about it.

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At the stand for the Union of Concerned Scientists, three enthusiastic young women were keen to tell me about the fightback they were mounting. Though their strategy seemed heavily focused around a letter writing campaign to Congress – I couldn’t help thinking that strongly worded missives may be insufficient for this moment. But others told me resistance is coming.

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The Sydney Opera House's iconic white roof, which mimicks a ship's sails, appears in stark contrast against the sunset.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

A tumultuous history

The Sydney Opera House was plagued by issues during construction.

What happened

And finally... in the night sky

Look up at the night's sky over the next few days to view a rare phenomenon that won't be visible again for 15 years. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights, seven planets - Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Venus, Neptune, Mercury, and Saturn - will all be briefly visible, four of them to the naked eye. Find all the details here, including the best time to spot the "planetary parade".