Donald Trumpappears to have warmed to Volodymyr Zelenskyy after the two presidents met at the Vatican, with the US leader emerging from talks with a plea for Vladimir Putin: “stop shooting”.
Trump on Sunday said Zelenskyy “wants to do something good” for Ukraine and is “working hard”, adding he was also “surprised and disappointed” thatRussiacontinued to strike Ukraine after discussions between his peace envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Putin.
Asked what he wants Putin to do, Trump replied: “Well, I want him to stop shooting,” he told reporters. “Sit down and sign the deal. We have the confines of a deal, I believe, and I want him to sign it and be done with it.”
While speaking to reporters, Trump hinted at a two-week deadline to strike or at least make progress on a peace deal. Trump has previously threatened to walk away from negotiations if a swift agreement is not reached.
When asked if he trusted Putin, Trump replied, “I’ll let you know in about two weeks.” Pressed to elaborate on what he expects to happen in two weeks, he evaded the question. “Two weeks or less,” he said, vaguely, “but you know they’re losing a lot of people. We have 3, 4,000 people dying every week.”
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More than 300 law enforcement officers from at least 10 federal agencies raided an illegal after-hours nightclub inColoradoSprings early on Sunday, arresting more than 100 people authorities said were undocumented immigrants and seizing guns, cocaine, meth and pink cocaine. More than a dozen active-duty military members were detained as well, authorities said.
The federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)posted a video on X of the post-raid scene, with dozens of partygoers holding their hands up. Another videoshoweddozens of people fleeing the building through its entrance after federal agents smashed a window.
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The US treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, said “there is a path” to an agreement withChinaovertariffsafter he had interactions with his Chinese counterparts last week in Washington, but he continued to defend Trump’s trade plan as “strategic uncertainty” amid accusations the White House was sending mixed signals over its policy.
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Trump’s private golf resort in South Florida will next week host one of the world’s leading purveyors of chlorine dioxide, a potentially life-threatening form of industrial bleach that is claimed without evidence to be a cure for cancer, Covid and autism.
Andreas Kalcker is among50 listed speakersat the “Truth Seekers Conference”, a two-day event opening on Thursday at the US president’s resort, Trump National Doral Miami. The event features several anti-vaxxers and other conspiracy theorists who have been brought together by the far-right commentator Charlie Ward.
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House minority leaderHakeem Jeffriesand New Jersey senatorCory Bookerwere holding a sit-in protest and discussion on Sunday on the steps of the US Capitol in opposition to theRepublicans’ proposed budget plan. Billed as an “Urgent Conversation with the American People”,the livestreamed discussioncomes before Congress’s return to session on Monday, where Democrats hope to stall Republicans’ economic legislative agenda.
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Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the theft last week of the US homeland security secretaryKristi Noem’s purse as she ate at a Washington DC restaurant, officials said on Sunday.
Noem’s purse was nabbed on Easter Sunday and reportedly contained about $3,000 in cash and her keys, driver’s license, passport and homeland security badge. The homeland security department said Noem had cash in her purse to pay for gifts, dinner and other activities for her family on Easter.
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Anti-Trump “hands off” protests grew from tens of thousands of people on 5 February to millions around the country by April. Demonstrations on 19 April were also well attended nationwide. “It’s gone from a trickle to a tidal wave really quickly,” said Hunter Dunn, national press coordinator for the movement 50501, short for 50 protests, 50 states, one day.
Here’s how the movement grew.
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Trump said he would restore Columbus Dayin full and shirk Joe Biden’s practice of celebrating an Indigenous People’s Day in parallel to the public holiday. “I’m bringing Columbus Day back from the ashes,” he wrote on social media, accusing Democrats of trying to “destroy Christopher Columbus, his reputation, and all of the Italians that love him so much.”
Americans anxious about their country’s slide into authoritarianismfound some solacein the past week over what appears to begrowing pushback by American universitiesagainst Trump’s assault on higher education.
Environmentalconservationgroups are expressing major concernsover Trump’s recentproclamationtoreverse fishing regulations across the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine national monument, a federally protected area in the central Pacific Ocean spanning nearly 500,000 sq miles.
Catching up?Here’s what happened on26 April 2025.