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Top US diplomat Wendy Sherman has refused to be drawn on exactly what Joe Biden’s vision of a Russian “pullout” of Ukraine would be.

The US president said last week, for the first time since the invasion of Ukraine, that he would be willing to speak to Vladimir Putin if he truly wanted to end the war.

He said: “There’s one way for this war to end – the rational way. Putin to pull out of Ukraine, number one.”

But when pressed by Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby, US deputy secretary of state Wendy Sherman would not be drawn on whether a “pullout” also included withdrawal from Crimea, illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.

Wendy Sherman
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Ms Sherman spoke to Sky News political editor Beth Rigby

She reminded the diplomat that Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy had made it clear that “territorial integrity” would include Crimea and asked her if the UK supported his ambition.

But speaking on the Beth Rigby Interviews… programme, Ms Sherman would only say: “We support President Zelenskyy, we support the Ukrainian people. It’s not for us to decide what any negotiated solution would be at the end. It is really up to the Ukrainians.”

Ukraine war latest live: Kremlin admits ‘lots of work ahead’

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Ms Sherman went on: “I think that we have always said nothing about Ukraine, without Ukraine and the United States and the United Kingdom.

“Great Britain have been side-by-side in this effort. I’m really just so grateful for everything that Britain has done to support the Ukrainians…. we have a lot ahead of us.

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the 10th National Congress of Judges, in Moscow, Russia

“And what’s important here is there is one aggressor and that’s Vladimir Putin and one victim and that’s Ukraine.

“We’ve seen the Ukrainians will not be victims. They’re going to fight for their country. And it’s why we all support them in every way we possibly can… This can end if Vladimir Putin pulls his troops out.”

Crimea is a huge part of Russia’s history, and Russia has never believed the territory was not Russian.

Read more:
Explainer: Why is Crimea so important to Russia?

Moscow shows no signs of yielding its control over Crimea.

The Kremlin has long said Ukraine must accept Russian conditions to end the fighting, which is now in its 10th month.

It has demanded that Kyiv recognises Crimea as part of Russia and also recognises other annexations by Moscow.

Mr Zelenskyy and his officials have repeatedly rejected those conditions, saying the war will end when the occupied territories are retaken or Russian forces leave them.

Last month, Ukrainian deputy defence minister Volodymyr Havrylov told Sky News, Ukrainian forces could be back in Crimea by the end of December.

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Former US president Joe Biden diagnosed with ‘aggressive’ form of prostate cancer

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Former US president Joe Biden diagnosed with 'aggressive' form of prostate cancer

Former US president Joe Biden has prostate cancer, his office has said. 

The statement said Mr Biden, who left the White House in January, is reviewing options for treatment with his physicians.

It read: “Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms.

“On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterised by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone.

“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management.

“The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers a speech at the State Department in Washington, U.S. January 13, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
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File pic: Reuters

According to Cancer Research UK, a Gleason score of 9 means the cancerous cells “look very abnormal” and the disease is “likely to grow quickly”.

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A source familiar with Mr Biden and his family’s thinking has told Sky’s US partner network, NBC News, that the former president is considering “multiple treatment options” – including hormone treatment for the cancer.

They added he is at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, and that as of now, it is unclear where the former president will be treated.

Mr Biden, 82, was the oldest person to ever serve as president, with concerns about his health raised regularly during his campaign for re-election last year.

After a poor debate against Donald Trump in June, he withdrew from the 2024 election and endorsed his vice president Kamala Harris.

In February 2023, he had a skin lesion removed from his chest that was a basal cell carcinoma, a common form of skin cancer.

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Mexican navy training vessel hits New York’s Brooklyn Bridge – as reports say three injured

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Mexican navy training vessel hits New York's Brooklyn Bridge - as reports say three injured

A Mexican navy ship has hit the Brooklyn Bridge during a promotional tour in New York City.

The New York Fire Department said authorities were responding to injuries but had no details about how many people might have been hurt or whether they were on the vessel or on the bridge.

Sky’s US partner network NBC News reports that at least three people were seriously injured in the incident.

The Mexican navy said in a post on X that the Cuauhtemoc, an academy training vessel, was damaged in the accident, which has prevented it from continuing its voyage.

Eyewitness video of the collision posted online showed the mast of the ship, which was flying a large Mexican flag, scraping the underneath of the bridge.

Pic: AP
Image:
Pic: AP

The vessel then drifted toward the edge of the river as onlookers scrambled away from shore.

The Mexican navy said the status of personnel and material was under review by naval and local authorities, which were providing assistance.

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The Cuauhtemoc is about 297ft long and 40ft wide, according to the Mexican navy. It sailed for the first time in 1982.

A New York Police Department harbour unit prepares to board the Cuauhtemoc. Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

Each year, it sets out at the end of classes at the naval military school to finish cadets’ training.

It left the Mexican port of Acapulco, on the Pacific coast, on 6 April with 277 people onboard, the navy said at the time.

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One person dead after explosion outside fertility clinic in California

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One person dead after explosion outside fertility clinic in California

One person has died in a bomb explosion near a reproductive health clinic in California, authorities have said.

The incident took place in Palm Springs, a city two hours east of Los Angeles, and is being investigated as a possible car explosion.

The city’s mayor Ron DeHarte said one person died in the blast, adding that the bomb was “either in or near” a vehicle. The deceased’s identity is not known, Palm Springs police said.

Dr Maher Abdallah, who runs the American Reproductive Centers clinic, told the Associated Press his facility was damaged but all staff were safe and accounted for.

The explosion damaged the office space where the practice conducts patient consultations, but the IVF lab and stored embryos were unharmed, he added.

“I really have no clue what happened,” he said. “Thank God today happened to be a day that we have no patients.”

Debris covers the ground after an explosion on Saturday, May 17, 2025 in Palm Springs, Calif.  (ABC7 Los Angeles via AP)
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Debris covers the ground after the explosion. Pic: ABC7 Los Angeles/AP

In a statement posted on Facebook the clinic said it was “heartbroken” to learn someone died in the explosion and added: “Our deepest condolences go out to the individuals and families affected.”

It continued: “Our mission has always been to help build families, and in times like these, we are reminded of just how fragile and precious life is.

“In the face of this tragedy, we remain committed to creating hope – because we believe that healing begins with community, compassion, and care.

The clinic will be fully operational on Monday, it added.

“This moment has shaken us – but it has not stopped us. We will continue to serve with strength, love, and the hope that brings new life into the world,” the statement concluded.

Debris covers the ground after an explosion on Saturday, May 17, 2025 in Palm Springs, Calif.  (ABC7 Los Angeles via AP)
Image:
Pic: ABC7 Los Angeles/AP

The Palm Springs city government said in a post on Facebook that the explosion happened on North Indian Canyon Drive, near East Tachevah Drive, before 11am local time (6pm GMT).

A burned-out car can be seen in a parking lot behind the building in aerial footage.

The blast caved in the clinic’s roof and blew debris across four lanes of the road.

Another person said he was inside a cannabis dispensary nearby when he felt a massive explosion.

Nima Tabrizi said: “The building just shook, and we go outside and there’s massive cloud smoke.”

Investigators from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are travelling to the scene to help assess what happened.

California governor Gavin Newsom has been briefed on the explosion, his press office said.

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