Newshour

An Israeli-Russian woman held for two and half years by militants in Iraq has told the BBC how she was trussed and hung from the ceiling, whipped, sexually abused and electrocuted. Elizabeth Tsurkov, who was freed in September, suffered extreme abuse for over 100 days, leaving her physically and mentally scarred. Elizabeth believes she was held by members of Kataib Hezbollah, one of the most powerful Iran-back militias in Iraq, des...

Syria celebrates a year since the fall of Assad, and an end to a brutal fifty-year dictatorship. But what sort of rule and what sort of future does Syria face?

Also in the programme: Ukraine's President Zelensky pleads for Europe and the US to remain to united over ending the war with Russia – we hear from former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt; how China's trade surplus hit a trillion dollars; and the blind football fan who says...

UN human rights investigators have said that the cycles of vengeance and reprisal must be brought to an end in Syria, as the country commemorates the first anniversary of the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad. A UN independent commission of inquiry commended the steps taken by Syria's new leadership to address the crimes and abuses of the Assad era. But it said violent incidents in the past year had raised worries about the future dir...

Will the recent deadly fire at a housing complex in Hong Kong - and the angry response to it - have an impact on today's elections to the Legislative Council?

Also on the programme: a failed coup attempt in the west African country of Benin; we'll be in Syria - a year on from the ousting of the Assad regime - and the prison diaries of Nicolas Sarkozy - written after a mere three weeks behind bars.

(Image: A voter checks on the cand...

It's the most widely viewed sporting event in the world. The 2026 World Cup will be played across Canada, Mexico and the United States. Today fans and teams discovered where matches will be played and at what sorts of temperatures.

Also today: A survivor of Sri Lanka's devastating floods tells us how he ran up a hill, carrying his grandmother, as water rose around him; and Bethlehem celebrates Christmas lighting for the first time s...

Fifa's president gave Mr Trump the award at the draw for the 2026 World Cup. It was widely expected that the US president would receive the award, but for critics the move is a threat to Fifa's commitment to political neutrality.

Also in the programme: We reflect on the life and legacy of one of the world's most acclaimed architects, Frank Gehry, who has died, and we head to Bethlehem where, for the first time since 2022, the tradit...

Groups for the next men's world cup are revealed at a glitzy gala - and President Trump gets the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize. We hear about the teams and matches, and speak to Politico reporter Sophia Cai about the warm relationship between Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

Also in the programme: Netflix agrees to buy Warner Bros in major media deal; and the acclaimed architect Frank Gehry has died at the age of 96.

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A new US security strategy warns that Europe faces “civilisational erasure” and calls on Europeans to shoulder more of the burden for defence. It comes as the German parliament votes to introduce voluntary military service; we hear from a student protesting the change.

Also, a big deal in Hollywood, as Netflix agrees to buy the film and streaming services of Warner Bros; and travel chaos in India as the country's largest airline Ind...

Broadcasters in Ireland, The Netherlands, Slovenia and in Spain announced that they would neither show nor take part in next year’s competition, due to be held in Vienna. Members of the European Broadcasting Union, which organises the contest, had earlier decided not to hold a vote on barring Israel from competing.

Also on the programme: Vladimir Putin is feted by Narendra Modi on his visit to India; and we hear what the late Steve...

As President Putin arrives for talks with Prime Minister Modi, will India's imports of cheap Russian crude oil scupper its relationship with the US, which says they are fuelling the war in Ukraine?

Also in the programme: what will the publication of tens of thousands of new photos and files mean for the Syrian families still looking for answers about their missing relatives? And we remember the American guitarist Steve Cropper, the ...

US President Donald Trump has said he does not want Somali immigrants in the US. There are threats of further immigration raids in Minnesota, home to one third of America's Somali community.

Also on the programme: the EU Commissioner for Energy and Housing on Europe’s plan to stop importing Russian gas but not until the end of 2027; and how does it feel when the remains of a giant octopus wash up on your shore?

(Photo: US President D...

The European Union has reached an agreement to phase out its remaining imports of Russian gas by 2027. The decision came after a lengthy meeting in Moscow between US and Russian representatives resulted in no breakthrough to end the war in Ukraine. The sovereignty of the eastern region of Donbas, largely controlled by Russia, is at the heart of the negotiations, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky refusing to cede the terri...

President Vladimir Putin has accused European countries of being on the side of war and putting forward proposals to end the conflict in Ukraine that they knew would be unacceptable. He added that Russia was ready for a wider war with Europe if that's what they wanted. Mr Putin was speaking shortly before he started talks with President Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner in Moscow.

Also in the programme: a ri...

The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has insisted that President Trump's 28 point plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war was drawn up by the US -- contradicting senators who said he told them it was a Russian "wish list". We look into that suggestion.

Also in the programme: What do the bandits kidnapping schoolchildren in Nigeria really want? How a celebrated Argentinian writer discovered that her nanny was a KGB agent; and the BBC's c...

Amid the devastation in Gaza, remarkable stories of hope and resilience do emerge. Sixteen-year-old Sama Nijm, a gifted violinist from Gaza, is using music to bring comfort and healing to the youngest victims of the conflict. Some of the children have lost their parents, and in some cases, their limbs or arms.

BBC Newsday's Charlene Rodrigues spoke to Sama, and began by asking her what inspired her to become a violin teacher in the...

Nine people have been killed and many injured in a school shooting in the southern Austrian city of Graz. The shooter also killed himself, and has been identified as a former pupil.

Also, Donald Trump sends in the Marines as the president's crackdown on undocumented migrants clashes with California's policy as a Sanctuary State, Syria's jailers under President Assad speak to the BBC anonymously about what they did and those who suf...