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US President Donald Trump on Monday angrily dismissed concerns over his plans to receive a jet from Qatar to be used as Air Force One, saying it would be “stupid” not to accept such a gift.The offer from Qatar’s royal family to donate the $400 million 747-8 to be used as the US presidential plane raised major questions about ethics and security, but Trump played them down.”It’s a great gesture,” the 78-year-old billionaire told reporters at the White House when asked if the oil-rich Gulf state would expect anything in exchange.”I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer. I mean, I could be a stupid person (and) say ‘no we don’t want a free, very expensive airplane.'”Qatar’s offer came after Trump repeatedly complained of delays and cost overruns in aerospace giant Boeing’s contract to provide two new Air Force One jets to replace the current aging models.Trump responded particularly angrily when asked if he would use the jet in a personal capacity after he left the presidency.”You should be embarrassed asking that question,” Trump told a reporter. “They’re giving us a free jet. I could say, no, no, no, don’t give us I want to pay you $1 billion or $400 million, or whatever it is. Or I could say, thank you very much.”Trump said that instead it would be donated to his future presidential library as an exhibit, in the same way that Ronald Reagan’s library holds a former Air Force One jet.- ‘Nuclear-grade graft’ -Qatar swiftly sought to downplay the uproar, saying the jet would not be a gift.”The possible transfer of an aircraft for temporary use as Air Force One is currently under consideration between Qatar’s Ministry of Defense and the US Department of Defense,” said Ali Al-Ansari, Qatar’s media attache to Washington.But the plan has raised major ethical questions, as the US Constitution prohibits government officials from accepting gifts “from any King, Prince or foreign State.”It has also raised deep security concerns about using a plane donated by a foreign power for use as the ultra-sensitive Air Force One. The jet is designed to serve as a mobile command center for the president in case of an attack on America.Democrats slammed the plan.”Any president who accepts this kind of gift, valued at $400 million, from a foreign government creates a clear conflict of interest,” said a statement by four members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.The statement by Senators Cory Booker, Brian Schatz, Chris Coons and Chris Murphy said it also “raises serious national security questions, invites foreign influence, and undermines public trust in our government.” Murphy said separately that he would also block any arms sale to a “nation that is doing direct personal business with Trump,” describing Qatar’s proposed gift as “nuclear-grade graft.”- ‘Utmost transparency’ -Trump and the White House however claim the Qatari jet would be a gift to the US Department of Defense, which would also get around constitutional concerns.White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Qatar had “graciously offered” to donate a plane to the Pentagon but that the “legal details of that are still being worked out.””Any donation to this government is always done in full compliance with the law, and we commit ourselves to the utmost transparency, and we will continue to do that,” she told Fox News.Trump has long been unhappy with the current Air Force One jets — two highly customized Boeing 747-200B series aircraft that entered service in 1990 under president George H.W. Bush.Earlier this year Trump said his administration was “looking at alternatives” to Boeing following delays in the delivery of two new 747-8 aircraft.Trump also has a model of the future Air Force One in his handpicked red, white and blue colors on the coffee table in the Oval Office, in front of where he sits with foreign leaders.

It is arguably the world’s most iconic plane, an instantly recognizable symbol of the US presidency. But now Air Force One — like many other American institutions once considered sacred — is getting the Donald Trump treatment.- A name, not a plane – Technically Air Force One is the callsign for whichever US Air Force plane, no matter how small, is carrying the US president.But most people identify it with the two heavily modified versions of the Boeing 747-200 jet liner that usually shuttle the US president around the world.The two current models, called the VC-25A in military speak, both entered service in 1990 during the presidency of George H.W. Bush.With its classic blue and white livery the current jumbo jet has become so famous that it even spawned a Hollywood thriller named after it, starring Harrison Ford.Sometimes presidents use smaller planes based on Boeing 757s for shorter flights, dubbed “Baby Air Force One.”- Presidential suite -“Big Air Force One” boasts luxury features fit for a commander-in-chief.The president himself has a large suite that includes an office with leather chairs and a polished wooden desk — a space Trump used for a press conference to sign a proclamation renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.A medical suite on board can also function as an operating room, should the worst happen.There are special cabins for senior advisors, Secret Service members and 13 traveling press. It has two galleys that can feed 100 people at a time, all on specially branded crockery.- Special features – But the plane’s main role is keeping the US president safe.Inflight refueling capability means it can stay in the air almost indefinitely.A hardened electronics system protects against electromagnetic pulses — whether from nuclear explosions or hostile jammers — “allowing the aircraft to function as a mobile command center in the event of an attack on the United States,” the White House said.Those communications also keep Trump constantly in touch with the ground — and able to send social media posts in mid-air.The jet also has top secret air defenses, according to aviation specialists.These reportedly include countermeasures that can jam enemy radars and infrared tracking systems, plus dispensers for chaff — metal shavings that distract radar-guided missiles — and flares that blind heat-seeking missiles.- Historic roles – Inevitably, Air Force One has also played its role in history.The first specially-designed jets were brought in by John F. Kennedy in 1962, using modified Boeing 707s. One of those jets brought Kennedy’s body back to Washington after his assassination in Dallas in 1963.Then in 2001, George W. Bush took to the skies aboard Air Force One after the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington.- Trump obsession – But Trump has long had something of an obsession with the presidential jets.The Republican has consistently sought to upgrade them, agreeing a deal with Boeing in 2018 during his first term for two new models based on the newer 747-8 jet.He also dreamed up a new color scheme — replacing the one largely in place since Kennedy’s time — with a deep red stripe down the middle of the aircraft and a dark blue underbelly.Trump likes the new look so much that he still has a model of it on his coffee table in the Oval Office, and showed it off at his inauguration for a second term.But now he has repeatedly complained about delays and cost overruns.”We’re very disappointed that it’s taking Boeing so long… We have an Air Force one that’s 40 years old,” Trump said on Monday.”You look at some of the Arab countries and the planes they have parked alongside of the United States of America plane, it’s like from a different planet.”One of those same Arab countries, Qatar, has now offered the United States a Boeing 747-8 from the royal family to use as a stopgap Air Force One.But with ethical concerns and security worries about using a plane from a foreign power for such an ultra-sensitive purpose, it’s unclear whether the scheme will ever leave the ground.

Rapper Tory Lanez, who was convicted over the 2020 shooting of Megan Thee Stallion, was hospitalized after getting attacked in a California prison, authorities said Monday.Lanez, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, was rushed to the hospital following the early morning assault by another prisoner at the institution in Tehachapi, 70 miles (110 kilometers) north of Los Angeles.There was no official comment on the severity of his injuries, but entertainment outlet TMZ, citing sources, reported he was expected to survive what it said was a stabbing.”At approximately 7:20am today, Daystar Peterson was attacked by another inmate at a housing unit in the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi,” said a statement from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.”Staff immediately responded, activated 911 and began medical aid. Peterson was subsequently transported to an outside medical facility for further treatment.”Prison authorities have begun an investigation into the attack, working alongside the district attorney’s office in Kern County, they said.In 2023 Lanez was sentenced to 10 years in prison after a closely followed trial in Los Angeles in which he denied shooting at Megan Thee Stallion.A jury had heard how the Canadian rapper had ordered the “Savage” star to dance as he shot repeatedly at her feet.Megan Thee Stallion — whose real name is Megan Pete — had been in a car with Lanez, his bodyguard and her friend Kelsey Harris after a party at Kylie Jenner’s luxury home in July 2020.She and Lanez had developed an intimate relationship in the months before the incident.Harris, who only learned of the sexual relationship that night, had a crush on Lanez, she had told the court, and an argument then erupted in the car, with Megan Thee Stallion demanding to be let out of the vehicle.The “Hot Girl Summer” singer said she suffered injuries to her feet that affected her ability to walk after the attack.

A delivery driver dropped off more than an Amazon package on her weekend route when she stopped to relieve herself outside two different houses.Security camera footage captured the courier, wearing an Amazon vest, climbing the steps of a home in Los Angeles with a parcel in hand.When she walked away from the front porch — pulling up her shorts — a human poop was left on the bottom step.Homeowner Tamara Bedoy told broadcaster KTLA her husband was confronted with the mess when he went to get her a Mothers’ Day coffee and to pick up the gift that had been delivered.”He went downstairs and was greeted by not only one package, but a second inappropriate, disgusting package, which was essentially human feces and what looked to be urination,” Bedoy said.”I was really disgusted. It was a horrible experience.”Barely half an hour later, the same driver was seen on another home’s security camera dropping her pants and urinating close to the package she had just delivered.A spokesman for Amazon told AFP that the driver, who was an independent contractor, was no longer delivering for the company.”We’re deeply disturbed by the unacceptable behavior of this delivery driver and apologize to the customers involved,” Richard Rocha said.

Republicans in Congress raced Monday to put the final touches on US President Donald Trump’s sprawling domestic policy mega-bill, which would slash social safety net programs to pay for $5 trillion in tax cuts.Lawmakers in the House of Representatives are aiming to usher into law Trump’s pledges to widen and extend his 2017 tax relief program, while boosting border security and defense and shrinking the government.But independent analysts have warned that the proposals could see millions of low-income Americans losing health insurance, while Democrats say the tax reforms will largely benefit the ultra-wealthy.”This is not trimming fat from around the edges, it’s cutting to the bone,” said Frank Pallone, the top Democrat on the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee.”The overwhelming majority of the savings in this bill will come from taking health care away from millions of Americans.”Republicans have scheduled committee votes Tuesday on the much-touted “big, beautiful bill” encompassing most of Trump’s domestic agenda, with final House passage before May 26 and Senate approval by July 4.The process will test Trump’s sway over his party, with lawmakers determined to help the Republican leader cement his legacy but queasy over big benefits cuts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.The president took to social media on Monday to call on Republicans to unite behind the chairmen of the three committees crafting the legislation.”Remember, these are men that truly strive to do what is RIGHT for America,” he posted on Truth Social. “The Democrats, on the other hand, want to DESTROY our Country.”The Republicans do not need Democratic support to pass the package, but their slim majorities in both chambers of Congress mean they will have to demonstrate almost perfect unity.- Marathon session -Already facing fury over sweeping federal cuts led by tech billionaire Elon Musk and blowback over Trump’s tariffs regime, they are deeply divided over how much further to squeeze spending.Democrats released an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Sunday stating that $715 billion would be cut from health spending over a decade — resulting in 8.6 million more Americans being uninsured.On the conservative flank, more than 30 House Republicans signed a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson warning that the package cannot add to the deficit and must include $2 trillion in savings.The House Ways and Means Committee on Monday released its 389-page plan for tax cuts — and some revenue increases — on the eve of a marathon session Tuesday to finalize the text.The price tag is expected to swell to $5 trillion over a decade, according to the nonpartisan CBO, exceeding the $4.5 trillion permitted by a budget resolution Republicans adopted earlier this year.The legislation seeks to make good on some of the president’s headline election campaign pledges, including eliminating taxes on tips and overtime pay.But it includes a major tax hike on the earnings of the largest university endowments — currently just 1.4 percent — that would bring it in line with the corporate tax rate of 21 percent.Religious universities would be exempted.The House Agriculture Committee — which is looking for $230 billion in savings — also considers its portion of the package on Tuesday.Moderate Republicans on the panel have been alarmed by proposals to offload more of the costs for the federal food aid program — the nation’s largest anti-hunger initiative — onto the states.

A group of around 50 white South Africans arrived on Monday for resettlement in the United States after President Donald Trump granted them refugee status as victims of what he called a “genocide.”Trump essentially halted refugee arrivals after taking office, but is making an exception for the Afrikaners despite Pretoria’s insistence that they do not face persecution in their homeland.”Welcome to the land of the free,” Deputy Secretary of State Chris Landau said as he greeted the South Africans, several of whom were waving small American flags, at Dulles Airport in Virginia following their flight from Johannesburg.”We’re sending a clear message that the United States really rejects the egregious persecution of people on the basis of race in South Africa,” Landau said.Speaking at the White House shortly before the group’s arrival, Trump, who is expected to meet with South African leaders next week, said the Afrikaners were fleeing a “terrible situation” back home.Trump, whose tycoon ally Elon Musk was born in South Africa, said white farmers were being killed in the country and repeated an allegation of “genocide” that has been widely dismissed as absurd.”It’s a terrible situation taking place,” the president said. “So we’ve essentially extended citizenship to those people to escape from that violence and come here.”Those being resettled just “happen to be white, but whether they’re white or black makes no difference to me,” Trump said.South African President Cyril Ramaphosa dismissed claims Afrikaners were being persecuted and said he recently told Trump what he is being told about their situation “is not true.””A refugee is someone who has to leave their country out of fear of political persecution, religious persecution, or economic persecution,” Ramaphosa said. “And they don’t fit that bill.””We’re the only country on the continent where the colonizers came to stay and we have never driven them out of our country,” he added at a forum in Abidjan.South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola also scoffed at claims that white Afrikaners face persecution or are being targeted for murder.Most victims of killings in South Africa are young black men in urban areas, according to official data.”The crime that we have in South Africa affects everyone irrespective of race and gender,” Lamola said.- ‘Beyond absurd’ -Under eligibility guidelines published by the US embassy, applicants for US resettlement must either be of Afrikaner ethnicity or belong to a racial minority in South Africa.They  must also “be able to articulate a past experience of persecution or fear of future persecution.”Trump and Musk have accused South Africa’s government of targeting Afrikaners with a controversial land seizure law enacted this year.On Monday, Trump threatened to not attend an upcoming G20 summit in South Africa unless the “situation is taken care of.”America’s biggest trading partner in Africa is also under fire from Washington for leading a case at the International Court of Justice accusing US ally Israel of “genocidal” acts in its Gaza offensive, a claim Israel denies.Many have expressed bemusement that whites could be assigned victim status in South Africa.Prominent Afrikaner author Max du Preez said the resettlement was “beyond absurd.””This is about Trump and MAGA, not about us. It’s about their hatred for DEI,” he told AFP, referring to diversity, equity and inclusion programs that have become a favorite Trump target.”The people who have now fled have probably been motivated by financial considerations and/or an unwillingness to live in a post-apartheid society where whites no longer call the shots,” he said.Whites, who make up 7.3 percent of the population, generally enjoy a higher standard of living than the black majority. They still own two-thirds of farmland and on average earn three times as much as black South Africans.Mainly Afrikaner-led governments imposed the race-based apartheid system that denied black people political and economic rights until it was voted out in 1994.

US President Donald Trump said Monday he was “thinking” about flying to Turkey for possible peace talks between Ukraine and Russia but the Kremlin was silent about whether Vladimir Putin would attend.The meeting in Istanbul would be the first direct negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian officials since the early months of Moscow’s invasion in 2022.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed he will join, saying earlier he wanted Trump to be there and was ready for “direct and substantive negotiations with Putin”.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he is ready to host and urged the warring sides on Monday to seize the “window of opportunity” to reach a peace settlement.Tens of thousands have been killed and millions forced to flee their homes since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, while Moscow’s army now controls around one-fifth of the country — including the Crimean peninsula, annexed in 2014.Putin proposed the direct meeting as a counteroffer to a 30-day ceasefire put forward by Kyiv and its allies over the weekend, which Ukraine accused Russia of “completely ignoring” on Monday.Trump told reporters earlier he would attend talks if he “thought it would be helpful”.”I was thinking about actually flying over there. There’s a possibility of it, I guess, if I think things can happen,” Trump told journalists at the White House prior to departing for a trip to the Middle East.- ‘How long can it last?’ -After Trump on Sunday publically called on Ukraine to sit down with Russia, Zelensky said he would be willing to meet Putin in Turkey “personally”.”We are ready for direct talks with Putin,” the Ukrainian leader confirmed again on Monday, after a call with Erdogan.But when asked who Russia would send to Istanbul, the Kremlin declined to comment.”We are focused on a serious search for ways to achieve a long-term peaceful settlement,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, without elaborating.Peskov had earlier criticised European countries for pressuring Russia to accept a 30-day ceasefire ahead of the proposed talks.”The language of ultimatums is unacceptable to Russia. It is not appropriate. You cannot talk to Russia in such a language,” Peskov told journalists.Russia fired more than 100 drones at eastern Ukraine overnight, killing one person and wounding six, as well as damaging railway infrastructure and residential buildings, local officials said.Residents in Bilytske, a small industrial town in east Ukraine, remained sceptical about the prospect of a ceasefire. “We don’t really believe, of course, but we hope,” Alla, who woke up to the sound of explosions, told AFP. Alyona, 39, standing next to her, said Putin and Zelensky needed to start negotiating.”How long can it last? It’s been three years already.”- ‘Root causes’ -Putin has said any direct talks with Ukraine should focus on the “root causes” of the conflict, and did not “exclude” a possible ceasefire coming out of any talks in Istanbul.Russia’s references to the “root causes” of the conflict typically refer to alleged grievances with Kyiv and the West that Moscow has put forward as justification for its invasion.They include pledges to “de-Nazify” and de-militarise Ukraine, protect Russian speakers in the country’s east and push back against NATO expansion.Kyiv and the West have rejected all of them, saying Russia’s invasion is nothing more than an imperial-style land grab.Russian and Ukrainian officials held talks in Istanbul in March 2022 aimed at halting the conflict but did not strike a deal.Contact between the warring sides has been extremely limited since, mainly dedicated to humanitarian issues like prisoner-of-war exchanges and the return of killed soldiers’ bodies.EU leaders, including France’s Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Friedrich Merz, have welcomed the prospect of direct talks, but pressed Russia to agree to a ceasefire first.Germany warned the “clock is ticking” for Russia to agree by the end of Monday to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine or face potential new sanctions.Russia’s key ally China on Monday called for a “binding peace agreement” that was “acceptable to all parties”.

A prosecutor painted Sean “Diddy” Combs at his trial Monday as an “unfaithful, jealous, and at times, angry” offender who used violence and threats to control women he abused over many years.Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty on all counts, which include a racketeering charge alleging the hip-hop pioneer led a sex crime ring that included drug-fueled sex parties by use of force, threats and violence.”He was… a cultural icon, a businessman, larger than life — but there was another side to him, a side that ran a criminal enterprise,” said prosecutor Emily Johnson.She alleged Combs “brutally” beat his former girlfriend, singer Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura, threatening to release videos of her participating in elaborate sexual “freak-offs” if she defied him.Johnson described Diddy as a violent offender who had set a man’s car ablaze and dangled a woman from a balcony, as well as making impossible demands of his lovers.”Let me be clear… this case is not about a celebrity’s private sexual preferences,” she said.”It’s coercive and criminal” in nature, she added as Combs watched intently.The panel of 12 jurors — eight men and four women — and six alternates responsible for determining Combs’s fate was finalized Monday.The selected jurors will remain anonymous, but not sequestered — meaning they must individually ensure they stay away from media coverage and social media commentary about the high-profile case.- ‘Toxic relationship’ claim -Combs’s defense lawyer Teny Geragos told jurors the “case is about love, jealousy and infidelity and money.”Combs dramatically stood up and looked at the jury box when Geragos introduced him, his hands clasped.Geragos called Combs’s accusers “capable, strong, adult women,” and his situation with Ventura a “toxic relationship between two people who loved each other.””Being a willing participant in your own sex life is not sex trafficking,” she said, adding that the defense would admit there was domestic violence — but that Combs is not charged with domestic violence.Ventura is expected to testify in the next day or two.Combs, who was for decades one of music’s powerhouse figures, appears aged, his once jet-black hair now gray. Combs was joined at the courthouse by his mother Janice and 17-year-old twin daughters, and wore a white dress shirt under a beige sweatshirt with khaki pants and black-rimmed glasses.There was a scrum of journalists and curious members of the public braving tight security, eager to catch a glimpse of the fallen music mogul.If convicted, the one-time rap producer and global superstar, who is often credited for his role in bringing hip-hop into the mainstream, could spend the rest of his life in prison. Core to the case against Combs is his relationship with Ventura, who will be a key trial witness.A disturbing surveillance video from 2016 shows Combs physically assaulting Ventura at a hotel.It is unclear how much of the CNN video will be shown to jurors as evidence — the footage quality has been a sticking point between the opposing legal teams — but Judge Arun Subramanian has ruled that at least some of it will be admissible.The proceedings are expected to last eight to 10 weeks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday he wanted US counterpart Donald Trump to join peace talks with Russia in Turkey, but the Kremlin was silent about whether Russian President Vladimir Putin would attend.The negotiations, planned to take place in Istanbul on Thursday, would be the first direct meeting between Ukrainian and Russian officials since the early months of Moscow’s invasion in 2022.Putin proposed the talks as a counteroffer to a 30-day ceasefire put forward by Kyiv and its allies, but while Zelensky said he would attend “personally”, the Kremlin declined to say whom Russia would send.Trump told reporters earlier he would go if he “thought it would be helpful”.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged the warring sides on Monday to seize the “window of opportunity” to reach a peace settlement.Tens of thousands have been killed and millions forced to flee their homes since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, while Moscow’s army now controls around one-fifth of the country — including the Crimean peninsula, annexed in 2014.Kyiv’s allies had proposed a 30-day ceasefire starting from Monday, insisting that it be in place for talks to happen, but Moscow effectively ignored this call by launching a barrage of drones at Ukraine overnight.”Russians are completely ignoring the offer of a full and durable ceasefire starting on May 12,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said.”They continue to attack Ukrainian positions all along the frontline.”- ‘How long can it last?’ -Raising the stakes after a weekend of intense diplomacy, Zelensky said he would be willing to meet Putin in Turkey “personally”.”I have openly expressed my readiness to meet,” the Ukrainian leader said on Monday.”I hope that the Russians will not evade the meeting.”When asked whom Russia would send to Istanbul, the Kremlin declined to comment.”We are focused on a serious search for ways to achieve a long-term peaceful settlement,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, without elaborating.Peskov had earlier criticised European countries for pressuring Russia to accept a 30-day ceasefire ahead of the proposed talks.”The language of ultimatums is unacceptable to Russia. It is not appropriate. You cannot talk to Russia in such a language,” Peskov told journalists.Russia fired more than 100 drones at eastern Ukraine overnight, killing one person and wounding six, as well as damaging railway infrastructure and residential buildings, local officials said.Residents in Bilytske, a small industrial town in east Ukraine, remained sceptical about the prospect of a ceasefire. “We don’t really believe, of course, but we hope,” Alla, who woke up to the sound of explosions, told AFP. Alyona, 39, standing next to her, said Putin and Zelensky needed to start negotiating.”How long can it last? It’s been three years already.”- ‘Root causes’ -Putin has said any direct talks with Ukraine should focus on the “root causes” of the conflict, and did not “exclude” a possible ceasefire coming out of any talks in Istanbul.Russia’s references to the “root causes” of the conflict typically refer to alleged grievances with Kyiv and the West that Moscow has put forward as justification for its invasion.They include pledges to “de-Nazify” and de-militarise Ukraine, protect Russian speakers in the country’s east and push back against NATO expansion.Kyiv and the West have rejected all of them, saying Russia’s invasion is nothing more than an imperial-style land grab.Russian and Ukrainian officials held talks in Istanbul in March 2022 aimed at halting the conflict but did not strike a deal.Contact between the warring sides has been extremely limited since, mainly dedicated to humanitarian issues like prisoner-of-war exchanges and the return of killed soldiers’ bodies.EU leaders, including France’s Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Friedrich Merz, have welcomed the prospect of direct talks, but pressed Russia to agree to a ceasefire first.Germany warned the “clock is ticking” for Russia to agree by the end of Monday to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine or face potential new sanctions.Russia’s key ally China on Monday called for a “binding peace agreement” that was “acceptable to all parties”.

US President Donald Trump on Monday left for Saudi Arabia on what he called a “historic” tour of the Middle East that will mix urgent diplomacy on Gaza and Iran with huge business deals.Air Force One took off on a journey that will include visits to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates — and possibly talks in Turkey on the Ukraine war.Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza will hang heavy over the first major tour of Trump’s second term — but in one sign of progress, US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander was handed over to the Red Cross just as the president boarded his plane.”It’s big news,” Trump said at the White House shortly before departing. “He’s coming home to his parents, which is really great news. They thought he was dead.”Trump has in recent weeks seemed to cool on his efforts to end the Gaza war — despite boasting before taking office that he would be able to bring the conflict to a swift end.He has also been increasingly at odds with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Gaza, as well as over strikes on Yemen’s Huthi rebels and on how to handle Iran’s nuclear program.Trump said there were “very good things happening” on talks between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear ambitions — though he added that Iran “can’t have a nuclear weapon.”- Air Force One ‘gift’ -The US president said that he hoped for more developments on Gaza during his trip to the Gulf, noting that his tour involved “three primary countries” in the region.”I hope that we’re going to have other hostages released too,” he said when asked if he expected further progress towards a ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave.Hamas asked Trump to “continue efforts” to end the war after freeing hostage Alexander, while Netanyahu said he would send mediators to Qatar on Tuesday for further negotiations.Qatar has played a key role as a middleman in talks on ending the war — but it also took a major role in a new ethics row erupting before Trump’s departure.The oil-rich state plans to donate a new Air Force One plane to Trump after he complained that replacements for the aging current aircraft — including the one he is traveling on Monday — were taking too long.When he asked if the proposed use of a foreign-donated plane would raise ethical and security questions, Trump said Monday it would be “stupid” not to accept such a gift.He also said he could change his plans and fly to Istanbul on Thursday if talks between Russia and Ukraine happen there and make progress.”I don’t know where I’m going to be at that particular point, I’ll be someplace in the Middle East. But I would, if I thought it would be helpful,” Trump told reporters Monday.Trump added that he thought both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin could attend — raising the prospect of a landmark summit.- ‘Happy place’ -Trump’s Middle East tour will start in Saudi Arabia — the same place he began his debut overseas trip in his first term in 2017, and memorably posed over a glowing orb with the leaders of Egypt and Saudi Arabia.But on that occasion he also visited Israel, whereas this time it is not on the itinerary.His decision to once more bypass traditional Western allies to visit the oil-rich Gulf states underscores their pivotal geopolitical role — as well as his own business ties there.”It’s hard for me to escape the idea that President Trump is going to the Gulf because this is his happy place,” said Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.Riyadh, Doha and Abu Dhabi are expected to pull out all the stops for Trump, who is making his first major overseas trip after briefly attending the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome.The wealthy Arab states will mix pomp and ceremony for the 78-year-old billionaire with deals that could span defense, aviation, energy and artificial intelligence.