
Russia Hits Kyiv with Missile Wave After Putin Vowed Reprisals
Russian drone and missile attacks killed at least three people in Kyiv and wounded more than a dozen others, in a wave of overnight strikes including civilian targets that followed President Vladimir Putin's vow to retaliate for a Ukrainian drone attack on Russian air bases.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv military administration, posted the casualty figures on Telegram. Kyiv Metro — whose deep tunnels are used as shelters — said that its infrastructure had been damaged and one of the key lines was partially closed, with repairs expected to take 24 hours.

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24 minutes ago
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White House tries to water down Russia sanctions
Donald Trump is pressuring a US senator to weaken a Bill that would impose sweeping sanctions on Russia. White House officials hoping to mend relations with Moscow have been quietly contacting senator Lindsey Graham's office urging him to water down his Bill, which aims to cripple Vladimir Putin with huge sanctions. The Bill, backed by nearly the entire Senate, would impose 500 per cent tariffs on countries that continue to buy Russian oil and gas, which bankrolls Putin's war effort. Officials have been demanding the Bill include waivers that would allow Mr Trump to choose who or what was sanctioned, congressional aides told the Wall Street Journal. Other attempts to weaken the legislation include softening the language, replacing 'shall' with 'may' to avoid making the reprimands mandatory. Removing the mandatory nature of the sanctions would render the Bill effectively toothless and do little to hamper Putin's war machine, aides fear. 'We're moving ahead and the White House is included in our conversations,' Richard Blumenthal, senator and lead Democratic co-sponsor of the Bill, told the paper. Russia's war effort is funded by fossil-fuel exports. Moscow has adapted to existing sanctions with relative ease, turning to North Korea and China for support. Fearing the impact on pump prices, Joe Biden, former president, was unwilling to crack down on Russian energy exports. Mr Trump, has threatened to impose sanctions on Ukraine, as well as Russia, if the two sides fail to reach a peace agreement. 'Any sanction package must provide complete flexibility for the president to continue to pursue his desired foreign policy,' a White House official said. They added that the constitution 'vests the president with the authority to conduct diplomacy with foreign nations'. Speaking in the Oval Office alongside Friedrich Merz, German chancellor, on Thursday, the US president said that the Bill should not move forward without his express approval. 'They'll be guided by me. That's how it's supposed to be,' he told reporters. 'They're waiting for me to decide on what to do.' Last week, Mr Graham and Mr Blumenthal visited Ukraine where they applauded the country's drone attack that destroyed 40 aircraft deep inside Russian territory. However, they were ridiculed and accused of 'stirring up' the conflict by key allies of Mr Trump, including Steve Bannon. 'By trying to engage Putin – by being friendly and enticing – it's become painfully clear [Putin's] not interested in ending this war,' Mr Graham said earlier this week. '[Putin] needs to see and hear that message as well from us, from the American people,' said Mr Blumenthal. Both said that failing to act now could pull the US deeper into the conflict later. If Putin isn't stopped in Ukraine, Mr Blumenthal said, Nato treaty obligations could compel US troops into battle. Earlier this week, Russian negotiators tabled a long memorandum, resembling a complete capitulation for Ukraine, in a second round of direct talks with Kyiv in Istanbul. They demanded Ukraine must withdraw its troops from four eastern regions that Russia only partially occupies and that international recognition of Russian sovereignty over them and Crimea must be granted. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.

36 minutes ago
Social media users react to Musk-Trump feud
President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's war of words has left Washington analyzing how quickly their once close relationship deteriorated and the implications. But social media users around the world took out their popcorn, flocked to their devices, and chimed in as the feud played out on social media. From Musk and Trump's supporters cheering each of them on, with others telling them to cool things off, to memes from other internet users relishing in the back and forth, platforms like X, Truth Social, and BlueSky have allowed the public to watch it all unfold and weigh in in real time. "They see this as a catfight," Jennifer Grygiel, an associate professor of communications at Syracuse University, told ABC News. "The one reason people are tuning in is because we are watching mutual destruction." Grygiel noted that while some of the social media engagement might be all fun and games, it does speak to a larger issue about the public's dissatisfaction with the current state of politics and civic engagement. More important, the professor pointed out, it does distract from the bigger political issues and debates going on. As soon as Musk's and Trump's posts dropped Thursday afternoon, social media users started to post themselves. "This is like Drake and Kendrick Lamar but they're both Drake," Anna Hughes, a Canadian Ocean conservation researcher in a viral BlueSky post. One famous support of both Trump and Musk urged them to stop. "Broooos please noooooo 🫂 We love you both so much," rapper Ye posted on X. Others started making memes, some of which used AI-generated images, of Trump and Musk fighting or appearing as a couple breaking up. "LET ME HOST THE REUNION!" late night talk show host Andy Cohen posted on X. On the serious side, Republicans on the Hill, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and Vice President JD Vance, put out statements on X defending the president and the spending bill. "There are many lies the corporate media tells about President Trump. One of the most glaring is that he's impulsive or short-tempered. Anyone who has seen him operate under pressure knows that's ridiculous," Vance posted. Conservative commentator Jack Posobiec claimed in an X post that the pair's back-and-forth was blown out of proportion. "Some of y'all cant handle 2 high agency males going at it and it really shows," he said. Some Democrats took to social media to gloat. "Siri, play 'Bad Blood,'" Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer posted on BlueSky Thursday evening, referencing the Taylor Swift song about a relationship on the rocks. The online peanut gallery wasn't limited to American spectators. Dmitri Medvedev, the former Russian president and Russian prime minister, took to X early Friday morning with a georpolitical dose of sarcasm. "We are ready to facilitate the conclusion of a peace deal between D and E for a reasonable fee and to accept Starlink shares as payment. Don't fight, guys," he said. Grygiel said Trump and Musk knew they would stir up their political bases and the general public by taking their quarrels to their respective social media platforms, likening it to how media tycoons owners used the magazines and newspaper they owned at the turn of the 20th century. "It's almost like all of these social media platforms are sports teams, with their own personalities," they said. "If anything both men obviously know the importance of tweaking public opinion." Grant Reeher, professor of political science at Syracuse University, told ABC News that Musk and Trump's use of social media has encouraged this political engagement for years. "I think it's very emblematic of the whole process of a lot of big changes in political communication and campaigning rhetoric. Grygiel, however, said the posts and comments by some social media users show the public's increased distrust and frustration with their elected leaders. "The jokes speak to a lack of disengagement and how we feel like this is ridiculous," they said. Grygiel, however, warned the engagement over the spat is overall detrimental to the general public as other pressing issues, including Trump's budget cuts, which set off the feud in the first place. Connecticut Democrat Sen. Chris Murphy echoed this sentiment in a blunt BlueSky post Thursday. "When 15 million Americans lose their health care and plunge into personal crisis, none of them are going to give a s--- about a made-for-clicks Twitter fight between two billionaires arguing," he said.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Russia Offers Elon Musk Asylum as Fight With Trump Intensifies
Russian officials are gleefully offering Elon Musk asylum, a sarcastic gesture meant to sow further discord between the billionaire and President Trump as their alliance implodes. 'Elon @elonmusk, don't be upset! You are respected in Russia. If you encounter insurmountable problems in the US, come to us and become one of us - a 'Bars-Sarmat' fighter. Here you will find reliable comrades and complete freedom of technical creativity,' wrote Dmitry Rogozin, who formerly rivaled Musk as the head of Russia's space agency Roscosmos. 'We will, of course, resolve issues of citizenship and military ID. Please fill out the forms at this link. With respect to you.' Rogozin is now a senator in occupied Ukraine. 'We are ready to facilitate the conclusion of a peace deal between D and E for a reasonable fee and to accept Starlink shares as payment,' former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev wrote on X. 'Don't fight, guys😱!' Musk responded with a laughing emoji. Others noted that Musks's conflict with Trump mirrors the conflicts that President Putin has had with Russian businessmen, particularly Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner Group founder whose plane mysteriously exploded in mid-air in 2023 after he tried to usurp Putin. Musk has also been deeply anti-Ukraine sinceRussia's invasion, another point that will further please the Kremlin.