Speaking at a security conference on Wednesday, the US vice-president,JD Vance,said of fruitless efforts to end the war in Ukraine: “Right now, the Russians are asking for a certain set of requirements, a certain set of concessions in order to end the conflict. We think they’re asking for too much.”
Asked about the comments later on Wednesday,Donald Trumpsaid: “It’s possible that’s right.”
Separately, Trump has nominated the wellness influencer Dr Casey Means for surgeon general after withdrawing his initial pick for the influential health post –Janette Nesheiwat, a former Fox News medical contributor. Means is linked to Trump’s vaccine sceptic health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, though she has mostly steered clear of his views on vaccination.
Here are the key stories at a glance:
JD Vance has said thatRussiais asking for “too much” in its negotiations withUkrainein the latest sign ofgrowing frustration from Washingtonwith ceasefire talks to end the war between the two countries.
During his remarks, Vance reiterated the threat that the White House would “walk away if [Trump] thinks he’s not making progress”.
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TheFederal Reservekept interest rates on holdand called out growing dangers in the US economy amidDonald Trump’serratic rollout of an aggressive trade strategy. Jerome Powell, the US central bank’s chair, cautioned that the president’s tariffs are likely to lift prices, weaken growth and increase unemployment if maintained.
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TheTrump administrationis planning to deport a group of migrants to Libya, according to reports, despite the state department’s previous condemnation of the “life-threatening” prison conditions in the country. Libya’s provisional government has denied the reports.
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A federal appeals court granted a judge’s order to bring a Turkish Tufts University student from aLouisianaimmigration detention center back to New England for hearings to determine whether her rights were violated.
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One America News (OAN), a hard-right,Trump-supporting US news network that perpetuated conspiracy theories about the2020 election, will provide news coverage for Voice of America (VoA), theTrump administrationsaid.
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Denmark has said that it will summon the US ambassador to Copenhagen to respond to reports that US intelligence agencies have been ordered to increase espionage inGreenland.
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Donald Trump has tapped Dr Casey Means – a wellness influencer with close ties to Robert F Kennedy Jr, the US health secretary – as nominee for surgeon general. Means has no government experience and dropped out of her surgical residency program to found a health tech company, and makes money promoting dietary supplements, creams and teas.
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The Republican candidate for a state supreme court race in North Carolina has concededthe electionafter more than six months of contesting the results.
The boss of BMW predicted that Trump’s tariffs on foreign carswill be lowered this summer as theGerman carmaker reported profits had tumbled by a quarter.
Trump plans to announce next week that the US will nowrefer to the Persian Gulf asthe “Arabian Gulf” or the “Gulf of Arabia”.
Catching up?Here’s what happened on6 May 2025.