Talks to end war in Ukraine move to US

The White House has confirmed that President Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff will meet Ukraine's top negotiator on Thursday to discuss Russia's reaction to the US-backed peace plan. Mr Witkoff met President Putin on Tuesday for talks the Kremlin said had been productive but which did not secure a breakthrough. On Newsday we've been looking at how Africans from across the continent have been recruited to Russian forces. Ukraine says some 1,400 citizens from 36 African countries are fighting for the Russians. We speak to the majority chief whip in the Kenyan parliament to ask what's being done to secure the safe return of his country's citizens.

Meanwhile the Russian President Vladimir Putin, fresh from talks with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, is keeping his focus on diplomacy. He’s now in India for meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

President Trump says he’s planning to deploy National Guard troops to New Orleans to crack down on crime. That comes as the Trump administration has paused all immigration applications from 19 countries it says are “high-risk.” US Citizenship and Immigration services released this memorandum on Tuesday directing agents to stop processing applications for individuals from countries that were already facing restrictions under a narrower travel ban the President issued in June. We find out what the climate is like in New Orleans.

Presenters: James Copnall and Anne Soy

(Photo: A handout still image taken from a video provided by the Russian Defence ministry press-service shows a Soviet self-propelled 203 mm cannon 2S7M 'Malka' fire towards Ukrainian army positions at an undisclosed location in Ukraine. Credit: Russian Defence Ministry Press Service via EPA)