Newshour

Zelensky and Trump hold peace plan talks in Florida. We hear reaction from Kyiv and from our correspondent in Washington.

Also on the programme: dark energy may change the fate of the Universe, ending in what astronomers call a "Big Crunch". And Brigitte Bardot, French screen legend, dies aged 91, we look at her legacy as a feminine icon.

(Photo: President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy upon his arrival for meetings at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., December 28, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)

Voting has ended in the initial phase of Myanmar's first election since the military seized power almost five years ago. Most opposition parties were banned, including that of the deposed democratic leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.

Also in the programme: The titan of French cinema, Brigitte Bardott has died aged 91; President Trump will meet Ukraine's leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, in Florida later on Sunday as efforts continue to reach a peace deal with Russia; and Sabalenka vs Kyrgios: in tennis - a true battle of the sexes or an opportunity for critics to belittle women's sport?

(Photo: Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing cast his ballot in the capital Nay Pyi Taw. Credit: Win Kyaw Thu/BBC)

In the coming hours, the people of Myanmar will get their first opportunity to vote in an election since the military seized power in a coup in 2021. The poll has been delayed several times by the ruling junta and many consider that a change is unlikely. We hear about the circumstances surrounding these elections in Myanmar and from a member of the Burmese resitance in exile.

Also in the programme: President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine is in Canada ahead of his meeting with Donald Trump on Sunday; China's first documented case of a tiger having quintuplets in the wild; and a tribute to Perry Bamonte, guitarist and keyboardist of The Cure who has died aged 65.

(PHOTO: People walk past an election banner ahead of a general election in Thingangyun Township, Yangon, Myanmar, December 27, 2025. CREDIT: REUTERS/Stringer)

A ceasefire has come into force along the border between Thailand and Cambodia, where weeks of clashes have forced a million people from their homes. The seventy- two- hour truce was agreed by the two countries' defence ministers following extensive diplomacy by Chinese officials.

Also in the programme: Saudi Arabia's defence minister has warned the main separatist movement in southern Yemen to withdraw from territory it's recently captured in two provinces, amid rising tensions in the area; Ukraine says overnight Russian air strikes in the capital Kyiv have injured at least eight people and caused power cuts; and ahead of the winter games in Italy - we meet Slovenia's world champion ski-jumpers targeting Olympic gold.

(Photo:Cambodia's Defence Minister Tea Seiha and Thailand's Defence Minister Natthaphon Narkphanit after the ceasefire was agreed during a special meeting at a border checkpoint in Chanthaburi province, Thailand. Credit: Reuters)

With Christmas Day missile strikes on sites linked to the Islamic State group, we hear from a Catholic priest in Nigeria.

Also in the programme: a BBC Persian TV documentary, in which one of Iran’s leading female actors renounces the compulsory hijab, has broken viewing records; and we look ahead to some of the more unusual sports in next year's Winter Olympics.

(Photo: A man standing amid a destroyed building following US strikes in Nigeria's Kwara State. Credit: REUTERS/Abdullahi Dare Akogun)

Nigeria's foreign minister has said US strikes against the Islamic State group were nothing to do with a particular religion, despite Donald Trump's assertions. He said that the attacks targeted militants killing Nigerians- irrespective of their faith.

Also in the programme: We head to the Netherlands to explore the Silicon Valley of farming; Malaysia's former prime minister Najib Razak has received a 15-year jail sentence over his involvement in one of the world's biggest corruption scandals; and could there be hope of a cure for dementia?

(Photo: The US defence department posted a short video that appears to show a missile being launched from a military vessel. Credit: US Department of Defense)

A senior leader of Bangladesh's biggest political group, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Tarique Rahman, has returned to the country after seventeen years in exile. He promised to unite people of all faiths and ensure their safety.

A senior leader of Bangladesh's biggest political group, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Tarique Rahman, has returned to the country after 17 years in exile. Mr Rahman is seen as the leading contender to become prime minister in this February's elections. Greeted by hundreds of thousands of people, Mr Rahman addressed a huge crowd and called on citizens from all ethnic and religious groups to join in creating a secular and inclusive nation.

Also in the programme: Pope Leo highlights the plight of the people of Gaza in a Christmas address; and a Christmas meeting between a bone marrow donor and a cancer survivor.

(Picture: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman addresses his supporters. Credit: REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain)

President Zelensky says he's prepared to withdraw Ukrainian troops from the eastern part of the country, if a demilitarised zone is created in its place. He gave details of an updated plan as "the main framework for ending the war", he said it proposed security guarantees from the US, Nato and Europeans for a co-ordinated military response if Russia invaded Ukraine again.

Also on the programme: European leaders have condemned a US visa ban on the official who drew up the bloc's tech regulations; and people in Bethlehem are celebrating Christmas Eve for the first time since the war began in Gaza.

(Photo: NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni take part in a family picture at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany. Credit: Clemens Bilan/Pool/EPA/Shutterstock)

President Zelensky has revealed a draft deal to end the war in Ukraine that has been negotiated with the US and is currently being reviewed by Moscow. The 20-point plan includes security guarantees for Kyiv from the US, NATO and Europe, but Mr Zelensky says the question of territory remains unresolved.

Also in the programme: the US denies visas to five Europeans accused of leading efforts to stifle Americans online; and Egypt begins restoring a 4,500-year-old boat that once belonged to King Khufu.

(Picture: Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky. Credit: SERGEY DOLZHENKO/EPA/Shutterstock)