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Russia and Ukraine ‘very close to a deal’, says Trump
US President Donald Trump has said Russia and Ukraine “are very close to a deal”, hours after his envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks in Moscow.
Trump said it had been a “good day” of negotiations, while the Kremlin described the talks – which Ukraine was not present at – as “constructive”.
Earlier, Trump said on social media that “most of the major points are agreed to,” and urged Russia and Ukraine to meet “at very high levels” and “to finish it [the deal] off”.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his video address late on Friday that “real pressure on Russia is needed” to accept an unconditional ceasefire.
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‘Productive’ Trump, Zelenskyy meeting in Rome, first since Oval Office spat
US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a “very productive” meeting in Rome, a White House official said – their first since a tense Oval Office meeting in February this year.
“President Trump and President Zelenskyy met privately today and had a very productive discussion. More details about the meeting will follow,” White House communications director Steven Cheung said on Saturday.
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All smiles in the Kremlin as Putin sits down with Trump’s deal-maker
It was all smiles in the Kremlin.
“It’s so good to see you,” gushed Steve Witkoff as he shook the hand of the Russian president.
From his broad smile you could tell that Donald Trump’s special envoy was indeed delighted to see Vladimir Putin.
In fact, he’s been seeing rather a lot of him.
This was their fourth meeting in just over two months.
In that period Witkoff has surely had more face time with Russia’s president than any other American.
The Kremlin released 27 seconds of video from the meeting. What caught my attention wasn’t so much the body language or the greetings – it was the table.
On one side sat the combined might of the Russian delegation: President Putin, flanked by his veteran foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, his envoy on foreign investment Kirill Dmitriev, plus an interpreter.
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‘We have more in common with America than the rest of Canada’
The threat to Canada’s sovereignty from US President Donald Trump has dominated the election, but the country also faces a challenge from within. Some western Canadians, fed up with a decade of Liberal rule, are openly calling for separation.
Standing in front of a crowd of about 100 squeezed into a small event hall in the city of Lethbridge, Dennis Modry is asking locals about Alberta’s future.
Who thinks Alberta should have a bigger role in Canada, he asks? A dozen or so raise their hands.
Who thinks the province should push for a split from Canada and form its own nation? About half the crowd raise their hands.
“How many people would like Alberta to join the US?” Another show of support from half the crowd.
Mr Modry, a retired heart surgeon, is a co-leader of the Alberta Prosperity Project, a grassroots organisation pushing for an independence referendum.
The possibility of a split has long been a talking point in this conservative-leaning province. But two factors have given it new momentum: Trump’s comments about making Canada the 51st US state, and the subsequent boost that has given the Liberal Party in the polls ahead of Monday’s federal election.
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How much has Elon Musk’s Doge cut from US government spending?
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) – set up to cut US government spending – claims to have saved, on average, more than $10bn a week since President Trump entered office.
“We’re talking about almost $200bn and rising fast,” Trump told the BBC when talking about Mr Musk’s cost-cutting drive on 23 April.
Doge’s website says it is focusing on cancelling contracts, grants and leases put in place by previous administrations, as well as tackling fraud and reducing the government workforce.
BBC Verify has looked at the agency’s biggest claimed savings, examining the figures and speaking to experts.
Our analysis found that behind some of the large numbers, there is a lack of evidence to back them up.
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US judge arrested after allegedly obstructing immigration agents
Federal agents arrested a Wisconsin judge and charged her with obstruction for allegedly trying to help an undocumented immigrant evade arrest.
Announcing her arrest, FBI director Kash Patel accused Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan of “intentionally misdirecting” immigration agents away from a Mexican man they were trying to arrest last week.
“Thankfully our agents chased down the perp on foot and he’s been in custody since, but the Judge’s obstruction created increased danger to the public,” Patel wrote on X.
During a preliminary court hearing on Friday, Dugan’s lawyer said she “wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest. It was not made in the interest of public safety”.
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Trump administration reverses termination foreign students’ visas
The Trump administration is restoring visas for hundreds of foreign students who had their legal status abruptly terminated stoking panic among many who feared immediate deportation, government officials have confirmed.
US Justice Department attorney Elizabeth Kurlan told a federal court that immigration officials are now working on a new system for reviewing and terminating visas for international students.
The announcement follows more than 100 lawsuits filed by students who were abruptly stripped of their legal right to study in US universities.
An estimated 1,800 students and 280 universities have been impacted, according to a tally from Inside Higher Ed.