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Trump bemoans a portrait of him – but gets a new one from Putin
US President Donald Trump has been gifted a new portrait from his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin – while decrying an existing painting of him as “truly the worst”.
The new portrait has not been shown publicly. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described it as a “personal gift”, adding that only Putin himself had the right to disclose further details.
Meanwhile, Trump took to his Truth Social network to criticise an earlier picture of him that hangs in the Colorado State Capitol building.
The US president has paid close attention to cultivating his image, and made headlines in January by unveiling an official portrait that was variously described by critics as serious or ominous.
Ukraine: Russia accused of ‘hollow’ peace talks as fresh strike injures dozens
Russia must stop its attacks instead of “making hollow statements about peace”, Ukraine’s foreign minister has said, after a Russian missile strike injured dozens of people in the city of Sumy.
“Any diplomacy with Moscow must be backed by firepower, sanctions and pressure,” Andrii Sybiha said.
The attack, which Ukraine says targeted civilian infrastructure, took place as US and Russian negotiators met in Riyadh for talks aimed at pausing aspects of the war.
Top of the agenda is reportedly the revival of a 2022 grain deal allowing Kyiv to export across the Black Sea without Russian attacks. In return, Moscow is said to be seeking relief from Western sanctions, enabling it to export fertilisers.
Palestine: Israel kills Hamas official in strike on Gaza hospital
An Israeli air strike on a hospital in Gaza killed a senior Hamas leader and an aide on Sunday evening, a Hamas official told the BBC.
Ismail Barhoum, the group’s finance chief, was hit in Nasser Hospital, in Khan Younis.
Barhoum is one of the most senior Hamas figures killed since Israel resumed military action against the group last Tuesday, ending a two-month ceasefire.
Hamas said Barhoum was being treated in Nasser Hospital for wounds suffered in an air strike four days ago.
But Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Lt Col Nadav Shoshani said that was “completely false”. He said Barhoum was in the hospital “in order to commit acts of terrorism” and had been there for weeks.
Chad condemns Sudan’s airport threat as ‘declaration of war’
Chad has condemned a senior Sudanese general’s threat to target its airports, calling it a “declaration of war.”
Its foreign ministry said it would respond according to international law if a “square metre of Chadian territory is threatened”.
The warning follows comments from Lt-Gen Yasir al-Atta, the deputy commander of Sudan’s army, who said the UAE was using Chad’s airports to deliver weapons to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The Sudanese army has repeatedly accused the UAE of supporting its rival, the RSF, throughout the brutal two-year civil war, which has created the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
USA: Trump looms over Canada’s election as campaign begins
Canada’s newly appointed Prime Minister Mark Carney has called a snap election, sending the country to the polls on 28 April.
The election comes as Canada faces a trade war with the US and calls from President Donald Trump for it to become the 51st American state, issues which are expected to be top of mind for voters.
It also comes nine days after Carney, a Liberal, was sworn in as Canada’s prime minister following Justin Trudeau’s resignation.
Carney must now face Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, whose party had been leading in national polls since mid-2023, though recent polls suggest the race is now neck-and-neck.
South Korea: Court reinstates PM as acting leader
South Korea’s constitutional court has dismissed the impeachment of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, reinstating him as the country’s acting president.
Han took over as acting leader last December when President Yoon Suk Yeol was suspended from duties and impeached by parliament after he attempted to declare martial law.
However, Han only lasted two weeks in power before lawmakers voted to impeach him as well. Since then, South Korea has been led by deputy prime minister Choi Sang-mok.
South Korea has been roiled by political chaos since Yoon’s botched attempt to impose martial law.
Greenland: Politicians condemn planned visits by Usha Vance and Trump adviser
Greenland’s politicians have condemned plans for high-profile US visits, in the wake of President Donald Trump’s threats to take over the island.
Second Lady Usha Vance will make a cultural visit this week, and a separate trip is expected from Trump’s National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.
Outgoing Greenlandic Prime Minister Mute Egede described the plan as aggressive, and said the duo had not been invited for meetings. Meanwhile, the island’s likely next leader accused the US of showing a lack of respect.
Greenland – the world’s biggest island, situated between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans – has been controlled by Denmark, nearly 3,000km (1,860 miles) away, for about 300 years.
USA: Tiger Woods confirms relationship with Trump’s ex daughter-in-law
Golfer Tiger Woods has announced he is dating Vanessa Trump, the former daughter-in-law of US President Donald Trump.
Vanessa, 47, was married to Donald Trump Jr for 13 years. The pair, who have five children, divorced in 2018.
On Sunday, Woods, 49, posted pictures of Vanessa and himself on social media saying: “Love is in the air and life is better with you by my side! We look forward to our journey through life together.”
“At this time we would appreciate privacy for all those close to our hearts.”
It is unclear what prompted the public announcement, but rumours of their relationship had been reported in gossip magazines in recent weeks.
USA: Indian scholar arrested in US over father-in-law’s Hamas link
It was an invitation from a classmate 15 years ago that changed the life of Badar Khan Suri, an Indian scholar now facing deportation from the US over accusations he is linked to a Hamas member.
On that summer evening, Mr Suri had been sitting outside his department at Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia university when a classmate announced that an international aid convoy was set to go to Gaza -the Palestinian territory run by the armed Islamist group Hamas and under blockade by Israel.
To students of conflict studies, the caravan – of more than 150 people from several Asian countries – offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness one of the world’s most contentious disputes up close.
South Korea: NewJeans announce hiatus after setback in court battle
South Korean K-pop group NewJeans have announced they are taking a break from all activities, after a court ruled against them in their ongoing dispute with their record label Ador.
The five-piece, who have attempted to rebrand as NJZ, announced during a show at ComplexCon Hong Kong on Sunday that “this will be our last performance for a little while”, after debuting their new song Pit Stop.
The court ruling on Friday forbade the group from organising their own appearances, making music or signing advertising deals during their dispute with Ador.
NewJeans are seeking to cut ties with Ador after accusing them of mistreatment, and have said they will challenge the court’s ruling.
USA: Former US attorney for Eastern District of Virginia found dead
Jessica Aber, the former US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, was found dead at a residence on Saturday morning.
Police in Alexandria, Virginia, responded to reports of an unresponsive woman at about 09:18 local time (13:00 GMT) , the department said in a statement.
Officers then located a deceased woman, who they later identified as Ms Aber, police said.
Ms Aber, 43, was appointed by former President Joe Biden in 2021. She stepped down in January when Donald Trump took office.
UK: National Grid boss says Heathrow had ‘enough power’
National Grid’s chief executive has said Heathrow had “enough power” from other substations following Friday’s fire that caused the airport to shut down.
John Pettigrew told the Financial Times the fire that knocked out a substation was a “unique event”, but that two other substations remained operational and capable of powering the airport in west London.
Heathrow’s chief executive had already said the shutdown it caused was not due to a lack of power, but was due to the time it took to switch from the damaged substation to the other two.
Sir Keir Starmer said that he was “deeply concerned” about the incident, and that there were “questions that need to be answered” on how it occurred.
UK: Facebook to stop targeting ads at UK woman after legal fight
Facebook has agreed to stop targeting adverts at an individual user using personal data after she filed a lawsuit against its parent company, tech giant Meta.
Tanya O’Carroll, 37, who lives in London and works in the tech policy and human rights sector, said it would open a “gateway” for other people wanting to stop the social media company from serving them adverts based on their demographics and interests.
The Information Commissioner’s Office, the UK’s data watchdog, said online targeted advertising should be considered direct marketing.
In a statement, Meta said it provided “robust settings and tools for users to control their data and advertising preferences”.