Celia Hatton

Many would say that the escalation that had happened at the start of the year when the rebel forces, the M23, had taken over vast swathes of the eastern part of the country and they were threatening to move on Kinshasa in a

really statements that would have destabilized the country as a whole, that when the U.S.

stepped in to offer this mediation role, that that halted the progression of the M23.

But what we've seen over the last week or so is that just days before this peace agreement is signed between the two leaders, that the

They've been trading insults on both sides in the sense that the Congolese army has accused the M23 of taking over certain villages and the M23 has accused the Congolese government of bombing, of carrying out air raids and trying to sabotage this peace deal.

Over the last 30 years or so of this conflict, there have been many, many attempts at mediation, at dialogue.

There's been military intervention by the African countries, the regional countries that surround both countries, as well as the African Union.

And all of those deals have fallen apart.

I think there is optimism in the sense that many are hoping that

President Trump might be able to exert pressure by threatening sanctions on the leaders if they do fail to adhere to these commitments.

But I think it's also important to note that this peace deal is being signed by the Congolese government as well as the Rwandese government.

Whereas the M23 is neither of those, even though it's backed by Rwanda.

So, you know, the main fighting force in the eastern part of the country is not party to this peace deal.

There's a separate parallel process that's being mediated by the Qatari government.

But it's a very kind of haphazard approach to peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Shingai Nyoka.

Here in the UK, a public inquiry has found the Russian leader Vladimir Putin bears moral responsibility for the poisoning death of a British woman near the city of Salisbury in 2018.

Don Sturgis died from exposure to the chemical Novichok, which had been used by Russian agents targeting the former spy, Sergei Skripal.

He and his daughter Yulia fell seriously ill but survived the attack.

The UK's Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, said the report was a grave reminder of the Kremlin's reckless aggression and disregard for innocent lives.