Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a restructuring plan to cut 15% of the State Department’s workforce by closing and consolidating over 100 offices globally.

Elon Musk plans to reduce his time in Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to focus more on Tesla, amidst a 71% drop in the company’s first-quarter profits and ongoing sales challenges influenced by tariffs.

A recent meeting in Paris involved Marco Rubio, Steve Witkoff, and senior European officials, where they discussed the non-negotiable aspects of a potential Ukraine peace deal.

This week’s UK news is dominated by the death of Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday at the age of 88. The Pope had suffered with poor health in the last few months and died of a stroke and heart failure. As tributes are paid, many are reminiscing about the 88 year old pontiffs dedication to the people, with may dubbing him the People’s Pope.

Liverpool are one step closer to winning the Premier League title thanks to Trent Alexander Arnold’s goal against Leicester City – who now find themselves joining Southampton in being relegated. Burnley and Leeds have secured promotion to the Premier League.

There is ongoing coverage of the US stock markets and the decline in the US dollar following another turbulent few weeks under Donald Trump.

As of 22 April 2025, U.S. stock markets remain volatile following the April 2nd crash, which wiped over $3 trillion in value after President Trump’s sweeping tariffs—up to 125% on Chinese imports—sparked global trade tensions. 

The trade war with China continues to escalate, with the U.S. imposing steep port fees on Chinese-built vessels and restricting AI chip exports, prompting retaliatory tariffs from Beijing. China has also warned it will retaliate against countries that negotiate trade deals with the US “at the expense of China’s interests”, fuelling global tensions as the world’s two economic superpowers face off over tariffs.

These developments have contributed US dollar weakening with the Dollar Index hitting a three-year low amid investor concerns over Federal Reserve independence and economic outlook.

The White House has expressed support for Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth amid reports that he shared sensitive military details in a second Signal messaging chat with family members, following a prior incident where information was shared with senior Trump administration officials.