Ukrainian president’s challenge comes after Donald Trump tells him to take up Moscow’s offer of direct negotiations in Istanbul. What we know on day 1,173
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has demanded Russia observe a ceasefire beginning on Monday and challenged Vladimir Putin to meet in person for peace talks in Istanbul on Thursday. The comments came on Sunday after the Russian president rejected a demand from Ukraine and European allies to sign up to a 30-day ceasefire, but said Russia was ready for direct negotiations with Ukraine in Turkey.
“We await a full and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow [Monday], to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy,” the Ukrainian president said in a statement. “There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will be waiting for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday. Personally. I hope that this time the Russians will not look for excuses.”
It was not clear if Zelenskyy was conditioning his presence in Istanbul on the Monday ceasefire holding, and there was no immediate comment from the Kremlin on whether Putin would go. In the early hours of Sunday, Putin had rejected a proposal by Kyiv and its European allies for a 30-day ceasefire, instead demanding direct talks with Ukraine without preconditions. He did not say who would attend.
US President Donald Trump had put pressure on Zelenskyy to take up the offer of talks, posting “HAVE THE MEETING, NOW!!!” on his Truth Social platform. Zelenskyy’s comments came shortly afterwards. Trump wrote: “President Putin of Russia doesn’t want to have a Cease Fire Agreement with Ukraine, but rather wants to meet on Thursday, in Turkey, to negotiate a possible end to the BLOODBATH. Ukraine should agree to this, IMMEDIATELY. At least they will be able to determine whether or not a deal is possible, and if it is not, European leaders, and the U.S., will know where everything stands, and can proceed accordingly!”
Ukraine’s European allies insisted on a ceasefire being implemented before any direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow. Russia’s offer to negotiate directly with Ukraine was “a good sign” but “far from sufficient”, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Sunday. “We expect Moscow to agree to a ceasefire that allows real talks to take place. First the weapons must be silenced, then the discussions can begin,” he said in a statement. French President Emmanuel Macron also insisted on “the necessity for a ceasefire”, the Élysée Palace said adding that Macron had spoken earlier on Sunday to his German, British and Polish counterparts, as well as Trump and Zelenskyy.
Russian secret services were behind a massive fire that nearly completely destroyed a Warsaw shopping centre in May 2024, Polish prime minister Donald Tusk said on Sunday after a year of investigation into the case. “We already know for sure that the large fire on Marywilska was the result of arson ordered by Russian services. The actions were coordinated by a person staying in Russia. Some of the perpetrators are already in custody, the rest have been identified and are being sought,” Tusk said on X.
Pope Leo XIV has called for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and pleaded for an end to global conflicts in his first Sunday address at the Vatican. “I carry in my heart the sufferings of the beloved Ukrainian people,” he said. “Let everything possible be done to achieve genuine, just and lasting peace as soon as possible.”
Kyiv on Sunday said that Moscow had launched more than 100 drones into Ukraine at night, shortly after a Russian 72-hour ceasefire – which both sides said was not properly observed – had ended at midnight. “On the night of 11 May (from 2:00 am on 11 May), the enemy attacked with 108 Shahed attack drones and various types of imitator drones,” Kyiv’s air force said, adding that it had downed 60 of them.
Group, including families and small children, departed for US after Trump order created relocation program
A group of 49 white South Africans departed their homeland on Sunday for the United States on a private charter plane having been offered refugee status by the Trump administration under a new program announced in February.
The group, which included families and small children, was due to arrive at Dulles international airport outside Washington DC on Monday morning local time, according to Collen Mbisi, a spokesperson for South Africa’s transport ministry.
The Englishman, who has battled back from severe anxiety and burnout, finished six shots back as young Frenchman Martin Couvra secured a breakthrough victory at the Turkish Airlines Open
Julian Kingma travelled Australia photographing the lives and deaths of people who accessed assisted dying, and those who care for them. He thinks about death differently now
In this regard, perhaps the award-winning portrait photographer is not much different from the rest of us. But Kingma’s obsession with mortality had stalked him since childhood – and spilled over into adulthood.
The mayor, who was arrested on Tuesday, has vowed to take legal action against an immigration detention facility in New Jersey – key US politics stories from Saturday 10 May at a glance
The battle with the Trump administration over illegal immigration continues, with Newark mayor Ras Baraka saying he would fight his arrest in court.
The mayor was arrested on Tuesday after joining three members of Congress at a protest and press conference outside a new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) detention facility in Newark called Delaney Hall. The mayor was released about five hours later and charged with trespassing.
People exiting the United States by vehicle could be photographed at the border crossings, WIRED reported on Friday. No timeline was provided for when this system comes into effect. Read More
Years after giving up her newborn for adoption, a mother is miraculously reunited with her son. This is all thanks to a chance connection and a nurse who never forgot a mother's love.
With Apple's developer conference where it will show off iOS 19 just a month away, the company is wrapping up work on iOS 18.5 ahead of an imminent release to deliver a few new features and updates.
This week also saw a number of iPhone-related rumors, encompassing not only this year's iPhone 17 lineup but also Apple's plans for 2026 and 2027, even as Apple's Eddy Cue suggested AI could make the iPhone obsolete within a decade, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more!
Here Are Apple's Full iOS 18.5 Release Notes
The release of iOS 18.5 and related operating system updates appears imminent, as Apple this week seeded release candidate versions of them for final testing.
We've still got months to go before the new iPhone 17 models come out, but a combination of dummy models and leaks have given us some insight into what we can expect in terms of camera changes, so be sure to check out what we're expecting with the iPhone 17, "iPhone 17 Air," iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Apple Plans Split iPhone Launch Strategy: Pro and Foldable in Fall 2026, Standard in Spring 2027
Apple's traditional September iPhone launch will reportedly see a shakeup in 2026 when a foldable device is added to the lineup, with Apple reportedly aiming to release the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone 18 Air, and a new foldable iPhone at that time while holding the cheaper iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e models for a spring 2027 debut.
It's been nearly two months since the M4 MacBook Air launched, so we thought we'd take another look at the machine now that it's been out long enough to do some serious testing with it.
Introduced in March, the MacBook Air is equipped with Apple's latest and greatest M4 chip, so it's more than capable of handling day-to-day tasks from web browsing and watching videos to getting work done. It's even powerful enough for photo editing and some light video editing work.
That late 2027 iPhone release cycle may also see an "iPhone 19 Air" with a larger screen size than the 6.6-inch display we're expecting with the first Air model coming later this year.
Apple's Eddy Cue: AI Could Replace iPhone in 10 Years
As part of his testimony in the ongoing Google antitrust trial, Apple's Eddy Cue acknowledged that AI is advancing so rapidly that it could lead to the iPhone becoming obsolete within ten years. With AI making its way into wearables and other devices, we'll be able to do more and more without the need for a traditional smartphone.
Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.
As he turns 99, the natural historian makes a passionate case for the planet’s oceans and the TikTok star returns with more pithy pop music. Here’s the pick of the week’s culture, taken from the Guardian’s best-rated reviews
Exasperated by turmoil dogging defense secretary, the White House will block his new choice, sources say – key US politics stories from 9 May 2025 at a glance
Exasperated by the turmoil that has dogged Pete Hegseth’s office in recent weeks, the White House will block the US defense secretary’s choice of chief of staff and select a candidate of its own, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Hegseth had suggested giving the chief of staff position to Marine Col Ricky Buria after the first person in the role, Joe Kasper, left last month in the wake of a contentious leak investigation that brought the ouster of three other senior aides. But the White House has made clear to Hegseth that Buria will not be elevated.
Meeting aimed at de-escalating trade war after Chinese exports beat expectations despite slump in trade
Donald Trump has floated cutting tariffs on China from 145% to 80% before a weekend meeting as he looks to de-escalate the trade war.
Top US officials are expected to meet a high-level Chinese delegation this weekend in Switzerland in the first significant talks between the two nations since Trump provoked a trade war with stiff tariffs on imports.
Buoyed by supreme court ruling, Pentagon will remove as many as 1,000 service members. Key US politics stories from Thursday 8 May at a glance
“No More Trans @ DoD,” Pete Hegseth, the US defense secretary, posted after the supreme court allowed the Trump administration’s ousting of transgender troops to go forward. As of Thursday, the orders have been issued to identify and involuntarily force trans people out of service.
Department officials have said it is difficult to determine exactly how many transgender service members there are, but medical records will show those who have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria, show symptoms or are being treated. Those troops would then be forced out.
In his first address, the newly elected Robert Francis Prevost, who will now be known as Pope Leo XIV, appeared before a crowd on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on Thursday. His speech has been translated to English from Italian. Here's what he said. Read More
Joe Rogan can’t pronounce Pierre Poilievre’s surname, but the podcaster said this week that he’d invited the Conservative Party of Canada leader to be a guest on his show. Read More
Health officials in Ontario's Peel Region are investigating a new case of measles, warning that some people who were at Toronto Pearson Airport over the weekend could have been exposed to the highly contagious disease. Read More
When Tania Franco Klein began feeling unmoored and depressed, she realised many of her friends were in the same boat. Her photographs explore the peculiar unease of modern life
Quebec became the first Canadian province to enact legislation stipulating that recommended tip amounts on payment terminals must be calculated using the subtotal — the price before the GST (five per cent) and the province’s sales tax (9.975 per cent) are applied. Read More
Canadian actor and comedian William Shatner had a counter-offer to President Donald Trump's suggestion of turning Canada into the 51st state. Read More
Chewy’s owner was detained and a bulk amount of methamphetamine was discovered in vehicle, officials say
Police in Ohio were surprised to discover a pet raccoon called Chewy with a meth pipe in its mouth during a traffic stop in the town of Springfield.
In a statement, Springfield Township police department said that one of its officers, Austin Branham, made the stop after spotting a vehicle whose owner had an active warrant and a suspended driver’s license.
Chris Pelkey was killed in a road rage shooting in Chandler, Arizona, in 2021. Three-and-a-half years later, Pelkey appeared in an Arizona court to address his killer. Sort of. 'To Gabriel Horcasitas, the man who shot me, it is a shame we encountered each other that day in those circumstances,' says a video recording of Pelkey. 'In another life, we probably could have been friends.' Pelkey continues: 'I believe in forgiveness, and a God who forgives. I always have, and I still do.' Pelkey was 37 years old, devoutly religious and an army combat veteran. Horcasitas shot Pelkey at a red light in 2021 after Pelkey exited his vehicle and walked back towards Horcasitas’s car. Pelkey’s appearance from beyond the grave was made possible by artificial intelligence in what could be the first use of AI to deliver a victim impact statement.
They like ice-cream – but only homemade. Carrots – but only served whole. And don’t even think of cooking with any herb or spice livelier than parsley ...
Looking for a new reading recommendation? Here are some wonderful new paperbacks, from a genre-bending memoir to a sexy novel about finding meaning in life
From spirituality captured on a smartphone to childhood photos conjured up by AI, the Photo London x Hahnemühle student award has unearthed some astonishing talent
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