🇺🇦Mineral deal 'ready to sign', says Zelensky
President Zelensky has told the BBC the minerals deal between the US and Ukraine remains "ready" to sign despite the public showdown between him and the Trump administration on Friday.
He was asked about the future of the deal, which would grant the US access to Ukraine's rare mineral reserves, by Laura Kuenssberg.
"It is our policy to continue what happened in the past, we're constructive," he continues, "if we agreed to sign the minerals deal, we're ready to sign it."
"The agreement that's on the table will be signed if the parties are ready," he concludes.
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🇺🇸Former Governor Andrew Cuomo announces run for New York City mayor
Andrew Cuomo, who resigned four years ago as New York governor under a cloud of scandal, has declared he is running for mayor of New York City.
"Our city is in crisis," Cuomo posted in a 17-minute video on X, adding: "We need government to work. We need effective leadership."
It heralds a potential political comeback in this year's election for the Democrat, who quit in 2021 amid sexual misconduct allegations and scrutiny of his handling of the Covid pandemic.
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🇪🇺European leaders back Zelensky after Trump clash
European leaders have rallied behind Volodymyr Zelensky after Donald Trump's furious exchange with the Ukrainian president in the White House.
The leaders of Germany, France, Spain, Poland and the Netherlands were among those who posted social media messages backing Ukraine - with Zelensky responding directly to each one to thank them for their support.
The Ukrainian president has arrived in London to attend a summit hosted by UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer who "retains unwavering support for Ukraine", Downing Street said.
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🇺🇸🇺🇦How the Trump-Zelensky talks collapsed in 10 fiery minutes
Ukraine's president had been hoping to leave the White House on Friday after positive talks with Donald Trump, capped with the signing of a minerals deal giving the US a real stake in his country's future, if not an outright security guarantee.
Instead Volodymyr Zelensky faced an extraordinary dressing down in front of the world's media, after President Trump and his Vice-President JD Vance demanded that he show more gratitude for years of US support.
The Ukrainian president pushed back at suggestions from his more powerful partners that he should work harder to agree a ceasefire with Vladimir Putin. They responded that he was being "disrespectful".
Zelensky was eventually told to leave the White House early before he and Trump could even take the stage for a scheduled news conference.
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💵Crypto sleuths join hunt for $1.5bn stolen in biggest ever heist
Last week, hackers believed to be from North Korea's notorious Lazarus Group stole $1.46bn (£1.1bn) of cryptocurrency from ByBit, a crypto trading platform.
The criminals are trying to rapidly cash out the hoard through a complex online money laundering process.
ByBit is now offering cash rewards to anyone who spots and prevents them from cashing out.
"Join us on war against Lazarus" the company's CEO Ben Zhou posted online with a link to a new website offering a bounty to anyone who can help.
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🇺🇸🇬🇧US needs role in Ukraine to deter Putin, says PM
Sir Keir Starmer has reiterated his call for a US security guarantee in Ukraine to deter Vladimir Putin from invading again, as he prepares to meet Donald Trump.
Speaking on the plane to Washington DC, Sir Keir said he hopes the UK-US relationship could go from "strength to strength"
But the two leaders appear to be at odds over the importance of US security guarantees for Ukraine as part of any peace deal there.
Sir Keir said discussions about potentially sending British troops to Ukraine were ongoing but he re-emphasised his belief in the importance of a so-called US "backstop".
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🇺🇸US House narrowly passes Trump-backed spending bill
Republicans in the US House of Representatives narrowly passed a multi-trillion dollar government spending bill on Tuesday, a major boost for President Donald Trump that advances his 2025 agenda.
The 217-215 vote was seen as a key early test for Republican House speaker Mike Johnson, who cancelled an earlier vote as it appeared he did not have enough support.
Several Republicans wanted more fiscal discipline from a budget that includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, funded partially by spending cuts but also by potentially increasing the US government's substantial debt pile.
But the bill eventually passed along party lines, with all Democrats voting against and just one Republican opposing it.
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🇬🇧🇮🇳UK and India relaunch trade talks in Delhi
India and the UK have restarted free trade talks, nearly a year after negotiations were paused ahead of general elections in both countries.
Jonathan Reynolds, the UK's business and trade secretary, met his Indian counterpart Piyush Goyal in Delhi on Monday and kicked off the two-day discussions.
The talks focused on "advancing" the negotiations and ensuring that the deal was "balanced, ambitious and mutually beneficial", Goyal wrote on X.
The countries have held more than a dozen rounds of negotiations since 2022, but an agreement has remained out of reach.
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🇺🇦Zelensky willing to give up presidency in exchange for Nato membership
Volodymyr Zelensky said he would be willing to "give up" his presidency in exchange for peace ahead of the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
"If to achieve peace you really need me to give up my post – I'm ready. I can trade it for Nato membership, if there are such conditions," the Ukrainian president said in response to a question during a news conference.
His comments came after US President Donald Trump called Zelensky a "dictator without elections" earlier in the week.
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💵Cryptocurrency theft of £1.1bn could be biggest ever
Cryptocurrency firm Bybit said hackers stole $1.5bn (£1.1bn) worth of digital currency in what could be the biggest crypto theft in history.
The Dubai-based company's founder told users that their funds were "safe" and that it would refund any of those affected.
It said hackers stole from its Ethereum coin digital wallet. Ethereum is the second largest cryptocurrency by value after Bitcoin.
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🇺🇸California asks US government for billions in fire relief funds
California Governor Gavin Newsom has asked the US federal government for $40 billion (£31.6b) in funds to help rebuild areas of Los Angeles devastated by January fires.
Newsom sent the request to congressional leaders in a letter on Friday. He said the funds would help both immediate and long-term recovery work.
"I'm asking Congress to have the back of the American people and provide disaster funding to help Californians recover and rebuild as soon as possible," he wrote on social media.
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🇫🇷French far-right leader cancels speech, accusing Bannon of 'Nazi' gesture
French far-right leader Jordan Bardella has cancelled a planned speech in the US, after President Donald Trump's former top adviser made a hand gesture that some likened to a Nazi salute.
Steve Bannon yelled "fight, fight, fight" before extending his right arm, fingers pointed and palm down, during his speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (Cpac) near Washington DC on Thursday evening.
Bardella, who leads France's National Rally party, was scheduled to speak at the event on Friday. He said in a statement that he was cancelling his appearance over what he called a "gesture referring to Nazi ideology".
Bannon denied the Nazi comparison and called the gesture a "wave", saying it was the "exact same wave" he did on stage at a speech seven years ago in France to Bardella's party.
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🇳🇬Nigeria ex-military leader for first time admits regret over cancelled poll
Nigeria's ex-military ruler Gen Ibrahim Babangida has expressed deep regret for the first time for annulling the results of the 1993 presidential election.
The poll was supposed to bring about an end to military rule after 10 years and the cancellation of the outcome threw the country into turmoil. The date of the vote – 12 June - is now remembered in Nigeria as Democracy Day.
Gen Babangida was forced to resign. Moshood Abiola, widely believed to have won the election, was later imprisoned and his wife assassinated.
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🇿🇦South Africa's finance minister fails to unveil budget after tax row
South Africa's Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has been forced to postpone the unveiling of the national budget following sharp disagreements within the coalition government.
Coalition partners derailed his budget after opposing his plan to raise value-added-tax (VAT), which would have seen the prices of goods go up at a time when South Africans are hard-hit by the cost-of-living crisis.
Godongwana is a member of the African National Congress (ANC), which was forced to enter into a coalition after losing its parliamentary majority in elections last year.
His failure to table the budget sent shockwaves in South Africa, as it has never happened since the end of white-minority rule in 1994.
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🇧🇷Brazil prosecutor charges ex-President Bolsonaro over alleged coup plot
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been charged by the country's chief prosecutor with attempting a coup after he was defeated in the 2022 presidential election.
The 69-year-old was handed five charges over the alleged bid to prevent his successor, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, from taking office after a bitter election race.
The charges include allegations that he planned to poison Lula and shoot dead Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
Bolsonaro denies wrongdoing and says he is the victim of political persecution.
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⚠️Starmer announces 'coalition of the willing' to guarantee Ukraine peace
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a four-point plan to work with Ukraine to end the war and defend the country from Russia.
The UK, France and other countries will step up their efforts in a "coalition of the willing" and seek to involve the US in their support for Ukraine, he said on Sunday - after calling a summit of 18 leaders - mostly from Europe and including Volodymyr Zelensky - three days earlier.
"We are at a crossroads in history today," Starmer said after the summit while Zelensky said Kyiv felt "strong support" and the gathering showed "European unity at an extremely high level not seen for a long time".
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🇳🇦'End of era' for Africa as Namibia buries founding father
Namibia's founding father Sam Nujoma was "a giant among leaders" and left behind "the most precious gift of… freedom", the country's President, Nangolo Mbumba, has said.
He was speaking in front of the large crowd at Heroes' Acre, where the country's most revered citizens are buried, before Nujoma was laid to rest in a mausoleum.
The leader of Namibia's independence struggle against apartheid South Africa died last month at the age of 95.
Nujoma was seen as the last of a generation of African figures who headed anti-colonial movements and fought for freedom.
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🇹🇷Kurdish group PKK declares ceasefire with Turkey
Outlawed Kurdish group the PKK has declared a ceasefire with Turkey after its jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan called on the movement to lay down its arms and dissolve itself.
In a statement on Saturday, the PKK said it hoped Turkey would release Ocalan, who has been imprisoned in solitary confinement since 1999, so he can lead a process of disarmament.
It follows his call this week aimed at ending four decades of armed struggle in south-eastern Turkey in which tens of thousands of people have been killed.
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📱Microsoft announces Skype will close in May
Skype, the video-calling service that had hundreds of millions of users, is closing in May, its owner Microsoft has said.
It was once one of the world's most popular websites and allowed people to make voice calls via their computers to friends and family all over the globe for free.
Skype was not the first or only company offering this service but by allowing the public to make computer-to-computer calls free, it helped popularise the concept.
In an announcement on X, Skype said users can sign in to Microsoft Teams with their account to stay connected with all their chats and contacts.
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🇷🇴Romanian far-right presidential hopeful detained on street and indicted
Far-right populist Calin Georgescu, who came from nowhere to win the first round of last year's presidential election, has been detained by police and is facing criminal proceedings on a series of charges.
Georgescu was stopped in traffic in the capital, Bucharest, on his way to register as a candidate for new elections in May, after last December's second-round run-off was annulled by the constitutional court.
Prosecutors said one of the charges involved attempted "incitement to actions against the constitutional order".
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🇺🇦🇺🇸Ukraine official says minerals deal agreed with US
Ukraine has agreed the terms of a major minerals deal with the US, a senior official in Kyiv has told the BBC.
"We have indeed agreed it with a number of good amendments and see it as a positive outcome," the official said, without providing any further details.
Media reports say Washington has dropped initial demands for a right to $500bn (£395bn) in potential revenue from utilising the natural resources but has not given firm security guarantees to war-torn Ukraine - a key Ukrainian demand.
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🇬🇧BP to slash green investment and ramp up gas and oil
BP is expected to announce it will slash its renewable energy investments and instead focus on increasing oil and gas production.
The energy giant will outline its strategy later following pressure from some investors unhappy its profits and share price have been much lower than its rivals.
Shell and Norwegian company Equinor have already scaled back their plans to invest in green energy. Meanwhile US President Donald Trump's "drill baby drill" comments have encouraged investment in fossil fuels and a move away from low carbon projects.
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🇺🇸🇷🇺US sides with Russia in UN resolutions on Ukraine
The US has twice sided with Russia in votes at the UN to mark the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, highlighting the Trump administration's change of stance on the war.
First the two countries opposed a European-drafted resolution condemning Moscow's actions and supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity, which was passed by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
Then they backed a US-drafted resolution at the UN Security Council calling for an end to the conflict but containing no criticism of Russia.
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🇱🇧Huge crowds gather for Hezbollah leader Nasrallah's funeral
Large crowds have gathered for the funeral of Hezbollah's former leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli air strike in Beirut in September.
Mourners dressed in black flocked to a stadium on the outskirts of the Lebanese capital on Sunday. They also paid their respects to Hashem Safieddine, Nasrallah's successor, who was killed in a separate Israeli strike before he could assume his post.
Nasrallah, the former leader of the Lebanese militant Shia Islamist group, was one of the most influential figures in the Middle East.
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🇬🇧🇺🇸I'll back Ukraine in talks with Trump, Starmer says
Sir Keir Starmer will discuss the importance of Ukraine's sovereignty in talks with Donald Trump next week, he said in a call with the country's president.
The UK prime minister reiterated the UK's "ironclad support" for Kyiv when he spoke to Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday.
The two leaders held their second telephone conversation in four days following US President Trump's decision to re-open relations with Russia and seek an end to the war in Ukraine.
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🇻🇦Pope remains in 'critical' condition after 'respiratory crisis'
Pope Francis's condition continues to be "critical" after suffering a "prolonged asthma-like respiratory crisis" earlier on Saturday, the Vatican has said.
The pontiff is "more unwell" than he was on Friday and has received blood transfusions, the statement said.
The Vatican said the 88-year-old was alert and in his armchair, but required a "high flow" of oxygen and his prognosis "remains guarded".
The Pope is being treated for pneumonia in both lungs at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome.
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💵Coinbase boss claims SEC will drop crypto lawsuit
Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has claimed that the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) plans to drop a lawsuit against the firm.
The US regulator alleged in 2023 that Coinbase had violated laws by offering investments that are subject to its rules, without properly registering.
Its boss Brian Armstrong said in a post on X on Friday that "an agreement" had been reached with the regulator's staff to dismiss the legal action which would see it pay no fines or make any changes to how it operates, when confirmed.
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🇺🇸Trump fires top US general CQ Brown in shake-up at Pentagon
US President Donald Trump has fired the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff CQ Brown, the highest-ranking officer in the country, as part of a major shake-up of top military leadership.
"I want to thank General Charles 'CQ' Brown for his over 40 years of service to our country," Trump posted on social media. He said five other top officers were also being replaced.
Gen Brown was the second black officer to hold the post, the holder of which advises both the president and the secretary of defence on national security.
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🇬🇪Georgia's richest man said to be moving funds to avoid US sanctions
Last spring, when tens of thousands of Georgians were protesting against what they saw as a clear sign of Russian influence on the country's politics, Georgia's parliament rushed through amendments to the nation's tax code.
Transparency International (TI) Georgia, the anti-corruption watchdog, wrote at the time that the change – which allows tax-free transfer of assets from offshore accounts to Georgia – may have been introduced to serve the interests of the country's richest person and former prime minister, Bidzina Ivanishvili.
He is the founder and honorary chairman of the country's ruling party, Georgian Dream.
"Now it is clear, those changes were made for him," says senior economics analyst at TI Georgia, Beso Namchavadze.
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🇬🇧UK inflation rate jumps to 10-month high of 3%
The UK's inflation rate jumps from 2.5% to 3.0% in January, the highest level in 10 months.
It means that, on average, something which cost £1 a year ago now costs £1.03 - here's what else it means for your money.
Today's figure was driven in part by air fares, food and private school fees, the Office for National Statistics says.
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