Zelensky to speak to Trump after US proposes Russia-Ukraine peace plan
Volodymyr Zelensky will speak to Donald Trump after the US presented Ukraine with a draft peace plan to end the war with Russia, BBC reported.
The plan was reportedly drafted by US special envoy Steve Witkoff and his Russian counterpart Kirill Dmitriev, without Ukraine's involvement.
In a statement, Zelensky's office said the US believed the draft plan could "help reinvigorate diplomacy" and added that Ukraine had "agreed to work on the plan's provisions in a way that would bring about a just end to the war".
Philippines sentences 'Chinese spy mayor' to life in jail
A former Philippines mayor who was accused of spying for China has been found guilty of human trafficking for her role in running a scam centre, BBC reported.
On Thursday, she and three others were sentenced to life in prison and a fine of 2m pesos ($33,832; £25,942).
The case of Alice Guo has gripped the Philippines for years, after authorities uncovered one of the country's biggest scam centres in her small town of Bamban. Some 800 Filipinos and foreigners were later rescued from the scam hub after a raid, with many of them saying they were forced to run "pig butchering" scams, according to BBC.
Turkey set to host COP31 after reaching compromise with Australia
The COP31 climate meeting is now expected to be held in Turkey after Australia dropped its bid to host the annual event, BBC reported.
Under the UN rules, the right to host the COP in 2026 falls to a group of countries made up of Western Europe, Australia and others.
A consensus must be reached but neither country had been willing to concede. Australia has now agreed to support the Turkish bid in return for their minister chairing the talks following negotiations at COP30, currently being held in Brazil, according to BBC.
US military officials in Ukraine amid reports of Russia peace plan
Senior Pentagon officials have arrived in Ukraine to "discuss efforts to end the war" with Russia, the US military has said, BBC reported.
The team, led by US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, is expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Thursday when he returns from a trip to Turkey.
Reports began surfacing on Wednesday that the US and Russia had prepared a new peace plan, containing major concessions from Ukraine. Neither Washington nor Moscow has officially confirmed the plan, according to BBC.
