Preparations are underway for a highly anticipated phone call today between President Trump and President Vladimir Putin. The call would be the first known conversation between the two leaders since Ukraine agreed to support a U.S.-backed monthlong cease-fire.

On Sunday, Trump suggested that a cease-fire and the fate of Ukrainian power plants would be on the agenda, and he noted that “dividing up certain assets” had been discussed. The Kremlin would not confirm any specific agenda.

While Trump has stated his desire to broker some sort of truce between Russia and Ukraine as quickly as possible, Putin seems to be seeking to exploit the moment to win more concessions. Putin has not yet agreed to the cease-fire and has laid out conditions that could delay or derail a truce.

Crimes against Ukraine: The U.S. is withdrawing from a multinational group created to investigate leaders responsible for the invasion of Ukraine, including Putin, a letter shows. It is the latest indication that the White House is moving away from a commitment to hold Putin accountable.

Comfort food: Sushi has long been popular in Ukraine, and for people in the frontline town of Sloviansk, the treat provides a sense of normalcy.

President Trump’s so-called border czar, Tom Homan, said yesterday that the administration planned to continue deportations of migrants despite a court order — an action that could thrust the U.S. into a constitutional crisis.

“We’re not stopping,” Homan said in an interview. “I don’t care what the judges think.”

The judge who issued the order blocking deportations scheduled a hearing to press officials for details, and denied a last-minute request by the Trump administration that it be canceled. The Justice Department also wrote a letter to the court that sits over the judge, asking it to remove him from the case entirely. Here’s the latest.

Background: Over the weekend, the U.S. flew more than 200 immigrants, including people the Trump administration has accused of being gang members, to El Salvador — a move the judge had ordered to stop. The judge wants to know where the planes were at the time of his order, issued on Saturday.

The E.U., at the urging of Belgium, yesterday imposed sanctions on Rwandan military and government officials for their role in the invasion of the Democratic Republic of Congo. In response, Rwanda severed diplomatic ties with Belgium, its former colonial ruler, and gave the country’s diplomats 48 hours to leave.

The E.U. has accused Rwanda of funding the armed rebel group M23, which has fought government forces in Congo for more than a decade. The sanctions were Europe’s first step to increase pressure on Rwanda over the conflict. Also in response, M23 leaders said they would not take part in peace talks this week with Congolese officials.

Where do you retire if you’re a penguin? Ideally, to your own island. Six geriatric African penguins at a Boston aquarium are enjoying their golden years on an island designed to address the pains of aging. They are kept separate from younger, boisterous penguins, are given plenty of fish and even have access to physical therapy.

The aquarium’s curator described the island as a “country club for older animals.”

Lives lived: Lee Shau-kee, a Hong Kong real estate tycoon who made billions initially building apartments for descendants of refugees from mainland China, died at 97.

  • Short cut or wrong turn?: TikTok users claim that standing on a vibrating platform will have you shedding kilos in no time. It’s not a new claim. Here’s the data.

  • Off with his … : A raucously political rap trio brought what appeared to be the missing head of a King George V statue onstage.

  • Where big cats hold sway: In one small corner of Brazil’s wetlands, the normally shy jaguar takes center stage.

Spider-Man has been swinging across television screens for decades, and every new series has had a fresh take on the hero and his world. The most recent one, “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man,” on Disney+, puts a new spin on a classic.

The original show in 1967 had blocky outlines and flat backgrounds, and its Spider-Man was nondescript. The new series uses 3-D animation that evokes classic designs in what the showrunner called a “moving comic book.” Swing along as we take a look at the evolution of a hero.



Source link