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‘It’s time to move forward,’ Kellogg says following London peace talks

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Ukraine can be split like postwar Germany after peace deal, Kellogg suggests


U.S. Special Envoy Keith Kellogg called for a peace deal to end Russia’s war against Ukraine on April 23, following his participation in a London meeting on Ukraine.

“It’s time to move forward on (U.S.) President (Donald) Trump’s (Ukraine-Russia) war directive: stop the killing, achieve peace, and put America First,” Kellogg said in a post to social media.

The London meeting comes as the U.S. intensifies efforts to broker a deal between Ukraine and Russia, following failed efforts to reach a ceasefire. White House officials have repeatedly warned that Washington would abandon the peace efforts if a deal is not reached soon.

Kellogg noted the talks in London with Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak were “positive.”

The meeting was originally meant to be a ministerial-level summit involving the U.S., U.K., Germany, France, and Ukraine. The gathering was notably downgraded when U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff declined to participate.

Earlier on April 23, U.S. Vice President JD Vance said that the U.S. presented a “very explicit proposal” to Ukraine and Russia on a peace deal.

Vance repeated warnings that the U.S. might drop its peace efforts if both sides refuse to settle a peace deal.

The U.S. is reportedly considering recognizing Moscow’s illegal occupation of Crimea as part of a peace deal, despite Russia’s annexation violating international law.

Zelensky has said Ukraine will not legally recognize Crimea as Russian territory.

Moscow has shown signs it is unwilling to move forward on a peace deal with Ukraine. Russian authorities have listed maximalist demands in ceasefire negotiations with Ukraine and the U.S.

Ukraine has already agreed to a U.S.-proposed full 30-day ceasefire, saying on March 11 that Kyiv is ready if Russia also agrees to the terms. So far, Moscow has refused.

Ukraine has no great options if Trump recognizes Crimea as Russian

Ukraine is facing a crossroads in its fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion, with the possibility of being forced to reject an unfavorable peace deal being imposed under huge pressure from the U.S.

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Trump commutes former gang leader’s sentence: Who is Larry Hoover?

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Trump commutes former gang leader’s sentence: Who is Larry Hoover?


President Trump on Wednesday commuted a federal sentence for Larry Hoover, who is credited for founding the Gangster Disciples, a Chicago gang known for heinous murders, violent robberies and international narcotic sales.  Despite Trump’s decision, Hoover will remain in prison unless his legal team succeeds in its push for clemency from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker…

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Teen arrested after woman, 86, struck and killed while ‘using zebra crossing’ | UK News

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Gloria Stephenson died while using a pedestrian crossing. Pic: Northumbria Police



A teenager has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving after an 86-year-old woman was struck and killed while using a zebra crossing, police have said.

Gloria Stephenson, from Silksworth, Sunderland, was using “a zebra crossing when she was struck by a black Sur-Ron electric motorcycle” on the city’s Burdon Road on 16 May, Northumbria Police said.

The electric motorbike was travelling in a southbound direction when it allegedly hit Ms Stephenson, the force added.

The 86-year-old woman’s daughter and grandson were also at the scene, according to a family statement.

The rider drove away from the scene and was later arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, police said, adding that the bike was recovered.

The teenager has since been released on police bail pending further inquiries.

Ms Stephenson’s family paid tribute to the “amazing” pensioner, saying she was “full of life”.

“We are all devastated at the loss of our vibrant, active, beautiful, and intelligent mam, grandma, mother-in-law and great grandma,” the family said.

They added: “She was active, fit, healthy, and had years left to give her love and share her energy and zest for life with everyone who knew her.

“The family want to express their heartfelt thanks and gratitude to everyone who supported mam, and her daughter and grandson at the scene.”

Read more from Sky News:
Age range of Liverpool crash victims released
Drought declared in North West England

Northumbria Police has urged witnesses to contact them with information and footage of the collision.

Sergeant Russell Surrey, of Northumbria Police, said: “Our thoughts remain with all of Gloria’s family and loved ones as they try to process what has happened.

“We will support them in any way that we can, as we look to get them the answers they deserve.”



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Supreme Court narrows federal environmental reviews for major energy projects

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Supreme Court narrows federal environmental reviews for major energy projects

The Supreme Court placed new limits on the bedrock environmental law that has, for decades, required federal agencies to study the environmental effects of energy and infrastructure projects such as pipelines, transmission lines, and highways. 

In an 8-0 ruling, the high court determined that courts should narrow the scope of reviews required by the National Environmental Policy Act to just the environmental effects of projects, and not consider broader downstream effects. The ruling could give a boost to the Trump administration’s efforts to ease major infrastructure projects.

The decision overturned a lower appeals court ruling that sided with environmentalists who accused federal regulators of failing to assess the risks to the broader environment by building an 88-mile rail line in Utah designed to transport crude oil to refineries along the Gulf Coast. 

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit previously ruled that the Surface Transportation Board was required to evaluate these broader effects, as the projects could contribute to greater Gulf Coast air pollution and other environmental concerns.

Thursday’s Supreme Court ruling rolled back that decision. 

“Simply stated, NEPA is a procedural cross-check, not a substantive roadblock,” Justice Brett Kavanaugh said in the opinion. 

“The goal of the law is to inform agency decision-making, not to paralyze it,” he said. 

Kavanaugh emphasized that under the 55-year-old law, federal agencies are only required to focus on the environmental effects of projects — in this case, the rail line. 

He said the law does not require the Surface Transportation Board’s environmental review, also referred to as an environmental impact statement, to address the upstream or downstream effects of oil refining. 

“Rather, it needed to address only the effects of the 88-mile railroad line,” the opinion said. “And the Board’s EIS did so.” 

All three liberal judges on the bench agreed with the final ruling, but offered a different reason. 

In a separate concurring opinion, Justice Sonia Sotomayor insisted that NEPA reviews conducted by federal agencies should be limited to the scope of their own sector. Therefore, in the case of the Surface Transportation Board, which has expertise in transportation, it would not be required to consider the effects of oil drilling and refining. 

“Under NEPA, agencies must consider the environmental impacts for which their decisions would be responsible,” Sotomayor said. 

“Here, the Board correctly determined it would not be responsible for the consequences of oil production upstream or downstream from the Railway because it could not lawfully consider those consequences as part of the approval process,” she said. 

Justice Neil Gorsuch did not participate in the ruling as he recused himself from the case.

The ruling was a major win for the Trump administration and Republicans, who have blamed NEPA for causing undue delays, excessive litigation, and additional costs within the permitting process for large-scale energy projects.

Supporters of the law, enacted in 1970, have insisted that NEPA is critical to avoiding the endangerment of public lands and wildlife, as well as to efforts to combat climate change. 

TRUMP ORDER REQUIRES FASTER ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITTING PROCESS, ENDING PAPER APPLICATIONS

The law has remained at the forefront of the permitting reform debate in Washington, with both Republican members of Congress and President Donald Trump taking steps to simplify NEPA-required reviews. 

Most recently, Trump signed an executive memorandum aimed at quickening the permitting process by bolstering the technology used in issuing these environmental reviews. This includes eliminating the use of paper-based application and review processes, accelerating processing time, reducing the length of documents related to applications, increasing the accessibility of such documents, and improving transparency of permitting schedules.

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