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Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that his army will struggle to fight on effectively if a crunch European summit ends without a solution to an imminent deficit in Kyiv's finances.

Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin has referred to European leaders as "piglets" as he dismissed any peace deal which does not "unconditionally" satisfy Russia's pre-invasion aims. The Russian president is yet to be presented with the latest US-led proposal on how to end the war in Ukraine, after Donald Trump spoke positively about progress made during multilateral talks in Berlin.

This week, Lucy is joined in the studio by the BBC’s chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet, security correspondent Frank Gardner, and Europe digital editor Paul Kirby, to answer your questions. Could a plan to redeploy frozen Russian assets crash Europe’s economy? Which competing visions are at play inside the White House as the US ramps up peace efforts? And what would make China speak up on behalf of Ukraine?

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BREAKING NEWS: Thousands of documents from two criminal investigations into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have been released in the United States.  

Among the files are details of Epstein's contacts book, revealing new details of his association with wealthy and powerful people.

The first folder released on the Department of Justice website

contains photographs taken during an FBI search of Epstein's Manhattan home. One image shows black-gloved hands holding up a piece of paper with the address of what was Epstein's primary residence.

Among the files are many new photographs. Some show the former US president Bill Clinton, apparently in a hot tub and also in a swimming pool. Another shows Mr Clinton alongside Epstein. The former president has never been accused of wrongdoing by survivors of Epstein’s abuse.

Other photographs shows Epstein with Mick Jagger and the Microsoft boss Bill Gates. Being named or pictured in the files is not an indication of wrongdoing. Many of those identified in other releases have denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.

There are new pictures of Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s former partner and confidante, who is serving a 20-year jail sentence for sex trafficking.

Epstein was convicted of soliciting prostitution in 2008. Later allegations were not brought to trial, because he was found dead in his jail cell in New York in 2019.

The files were released on the day of a legal deadline for the Justice Department to make the information public. However the US Deputy Attorney-General said not all the files are being released.

Jane Hill presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Tom Bateman and Andrew Verity.

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The US justice department has just released a tranche of files related to its investigations into late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

It's not yet clear whether this is a full or partial release of the files held by the justice department.

The justice department faced a legal deadline to release the files by Friday, following months of pressure on Trump from both inside and outside his party.

The documents will likely contain redactions, and some may not be made public if they relate to an active criminal investigation, identify victims, or contain images of abuse

Being named or pictured in the files is not an indication of wrongdoing. Many of those identified in other releases have denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.

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EU leaders have struck a deal to give Ukraine a $105bn loan, after failing to agree on using frozen Russian assets.

Ukraine’s President Zelensky called the funding a significant support that strengthened Kyiv's resilience and said the loan signalled to the Russians there was no point in continuing the war, because Ukraine was financially supported.

But, how will it be spent and how much difference will it make?

The Global News Podcast spoke to Mikey Kay, the co-host of the BBC's The Security Brief and a former assault helicopter pilot in the British Military who has just returned from Kyiv.

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Susie Wiles has hit back at Vanity Fair after giving rare interviews.

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Susie Wiles is widely credited as being the mastermind behind Donald Trump’s successful presidential campaign last year. The White House Chief of Staff, referred to by the president as the “most powerful woman in the world”, is the gatekeeper to the Oval Office and a crucial figure in delivering Trump’s national agenda.

She also rarely speaks to the media, making her an elusive figure in the president’s top team despite her significant influence. But in a series of interviews for Vanity Fair, she refers to Donald Trump as having an “alcoholic’s personality”, describes JD Vance as a “conspiracy theorist” and Elon Musk as an “odd, odd duck”. The White House has described the articles as a “framed hit piece” and accused Vanity Fair of taking statements out of context.

In today’s podcast, Justin and Anthony go through some of the most revealing lines from the interviews, and speak to the journalist who sat down with Susie Wiles - Chris Whipple - to find out why he thinks Wiles wanted to speak with him, and how he responds to White House criticism of the interviews.

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This year, Sudan's civil war has continued with both sides accused of committing war crimes.

As international efforts continue to end the hostilities, there's been a focus on the roles that other countries may be playing in the conflict.

One has come under particular scrutiny - the United Arab Emirates. It's faced allegations of supporting the RSF - the paramilitary group that is fighting the Sudanese military - which it strongly denies.

The BBC's Analysis Editor Ros Atkins looks at the links between the UAE and Sudan.

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As Russian President Vladimir Putin escalates threats against Europe, what can allies learn from the ongoing war in Ukraine?

The Security Brief has exclusive footage from inside the battle, as helicopter crews targeted drones flying just metres above civilians.

And the EU approves a loan of €90bn for Ukraine, but what can that money buy?

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What can we expect from the Epstein files release? | BBC News

Friday 19 December is the legal deadline for the US department of justice to release its files pertaining to its investigations into late convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein.

At various stages over the years, some materials have been put into the public domain. The contents of the unreleased documents remain unknown.

The files will be released on Friday - except for those that relate to an active criminal investigation, identify victims of Epstein's abuse or invade their privacy, or contain images of physical and child sex abuse, death, or injury.

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Jack Hoxby was one of 31 employees dismissed by Rockstar North in October for gross misconduct.

Jack and some of the other employees were accused of being behind leaks of Rockstar projects, but the employees allege it was because they wanted to join a union.

In an interview with BBC Newsbeat, Jack discusses the fact it was a dream job, and all he would want is to have it back, but it's important for people in the industry to be able to join a union.

Rockstar North said it was incorrect to suggest the dismissals were linked to union membership or activities. It said it took action after staff discussed confidential information, including specific game features from upcoming titles, in a public forum.

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Credit: Rockstar Games

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European Union leaders have struck a deal to give Ukraine a €90bn (£79bn; $105bn) loan after failing to agree on using frozen Russian assets.

The agreement, which leaders said would meet Ukraine's military and economic needs for the next two years, came after more than a day of talks at a summit in Brussels.

"We committed, we delivered," EU chief Antonio Costa wrote on X as he announced the deal to provide a loan backed by the bloc's common budget.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the support "truly strengthens our resilience", adding that Russian assets should remain "immobilised".

Meanwhile, Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev said the decision not to use frozen Russian assets is a "major blow to EU warmongers" and adds "law and sanity win… for now".

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