Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday declared he will do all he can to end the war in Ukraine next year – and Donald Trump in the White House will make it happen ‘faster’. In an interview with Ukrainian radio, the country’s president urged the US to maintain its position that the Kremlin had violated Ukraine’s territorial integrity and international law – as Donald Trump prepares to return as US President in January. Mr Zelensky said: ‘We must do everything we can to ensure this war ends next year. We have to end it by diplomatic means.’

Gladiator II critics have declared that Denzel Washington ‘stole the entire’ picture as they heaped praise on his electrifying performance. Though Irish actor Paul Mescal, 28, takes the lead in the action-packed blockbuster as the vengeful Roman Empire heir-turned-Gladiator, it’s Denzel’s portrayal as the sly and ambitious Mecrinus that has everyone talking. The Hollywood star, 69, has been lauded for his ‘pure camp’ line delivery, with it being said that Denzel is ‘palpably revelling’ in playing the ‘smug, self-satisfied schemer.’

During his time in office, President Joe Biden boasted that ‘America is back.’ On Saturday, America was relegated to the back row. Biden’s ‘super lame duck’ status was on full display when he was positioned in the back and off to the side in the APEC leaders’ family photo in Lima.

Nancy Pelosi is under fire from her own Democratic lawmakers, who are annoyed with her public complaints about what the party did wrong in the election that resulted in their loss of the White House, Senate and House of Representatives. Several Democratic lawmakers complained anonymously to Axios about the former speaker. ‘She needs to take a seat,’ said one senior Democrat. ‘Making scattershot comments is not just unhelpful, it’s damaging.’

The scale of Donald Trump’s election win was a jaw dropping in surprise to many across America on November 5. But not for Ashley Hayek, the executive director of America First Works (AFW), a pro-Trump non-profit, who accuses the ‘establishment media’ of ‘gaslighting’ voters with talk of a tight race. Hayek says the early vote tallies suggested Republican women were showing up while their Democratic counterparts were not, and that all swing states were winnable.

Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump has said his son Barron deserves ‘serious credit’ for his father’s election win. Lara, 42, who is married to Eric Trump, had been speaking with Patrick Bet-David on his podcast when she made the comments concerning her younger brother-in-law. She told Bet-David: ‘Barron Trump is so cool. He’s like the sleeper. He’s kind of stayed out of the spotlight intentionally.