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24 minutes ago
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Trump gives Putin 'peace letter' from wife Melania
US President Donald Trump handed Vladimir Putin a special item at their Alaska summit: a letter written by his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, pleading for the Russian leader to make peace in the name of children. The first lady's office on Saturday reposted a Fox News article on X containing the short letter, a day after Trump and Putin failed to find a breakthrough at their high-stakes meeting. Putin read the "peace letter" immediately after Trump handed it to him, while delegations from both sides looked on, according to Fox News. "In today's world, some children are forced to carry a quiet laughter, untouched by the darkness around them," read the letter, which was signed by the first lady and did not mention Ukraine by name. "Mr Putin, you can singlehandedly restore their melodic laughter," it added. "In protecting the innocence of these children, you will do more than serve Russia alone -- you serve humanity itself." "Such a bold idea transcends all human division, and you, Mr Putin, are fit to implement this vision with a stroke of the pen today," the letter read. "It is time." In July, the US president had said that his wife, who was born in Slovenia, had helped change his thinking about Putin. "I go home, I tell the first lady, 'you know, I spoke to Vladimir today, we had a wonderful conversation,'" Trump said. "And she said, 'Oh really? Another city was just hit.'" Trump attempted a rapprochement with Putin shortly after starting his second term, having campaigned on a pledge to end the Ukraine war within 24 hours. During the early months of his new term, he largely directed anger at Ukraine for the lack of a deal, but gradually began expressing frustration that Putin continued his attacks on Ukraine. Before the summit in Alaska, Trump had warned of "severe consequences" if Russia did not accept a ceasefire. However after meeting with Putin, Trump dropped his demand for a ceasefire, saying the best way to end the war "is to go directly to a peace agreement." Putin has long argued for negotiations on a final peace deal -- a strategy that Ukraine and its European allies have criticized as a way to buy time and press Russia's battlefield advances. dl/des
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Israeli government official arrested in Nevada sex crimes operation
A cybersecurity official for the Israeli government was arrested in Nevada during an operation targeting child sex predators. Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, 38, was arrested earlier this month and is facing a felony charge of luring a child with a computer for a sex act, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said Friday. He has since been released from custody after posting a $10,000 bail, court records show. Alexandrovich was one of eight people arrested in the past two weeks as a result of the operation, police said. The Israeli government's website refers to the 38-year-old as head of the Technological Defense Division at the Israel National Cyber Directorate, which is the government agency responsible 'for all aspects of cyber defense in the civilian sphere.' Alexandrovich's LinkedIn Profile, which has since been deleted, also described him as an agency official, Mediaite reported. Screenshots from his account suggest he was in Las Vegas to attend Black Hat USA, a six-day event that includes conferences and cybersecurity trainings. He posted a photo of himself at the event on LinkedIn and wrote an emoji-rich caption: 'Two things you can't escape at Black Hat 2025: the relentless buzz of Generative Al [and] and the sound of Hebrew…in every corridor.' Under Nevada law, the crime of cyber luring carries a sentence of one to 10 years behind bars. The police said Alexandrovich and six others arrested during the undercover operation were booked into the Henderson Detention Center. He was released from custody after posting bond on August 7, court records show. The Independent has asked the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for more information about Alexandrovich's whereabouts. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office denied that a government employee was arrested. 'A state employee who traveled to the U.S. for professional matters was questioned by American authorities during his stay,' the prime minister's office said, in a statement to Mediaite. 'The employee, who does not hold a diplomatic visa, was not arrested and returned to Israel as scheduled.' Israeli news site Ynet reported that an Israel National Cyber Directorate employee was 'briefly detained for questioning during a professional conference' in the U.S. before returning to his hotel and flying back to Israel two days later.
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
West Virginia governor to deploy National Guard troops to US capital
By AJ Vicens (Reuters) -West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey is deploying 300 to 400 National Guard troops to the District of Columbia at the request of the Trump administration, the governor's office said on Saturday. The deployment is "a show of commitment to public safety and regional cooperation" and will include providing equipment and specialized training alongside the "approximately 300-400 skilled personnel as directed," Morrisey's office said in a statement. Drew Galang, a spokesperson for Morrisey, said the state's National Guard received the order to send equipment and personnel to D.C. late on Friday and was working to organize the deployment. Earlier this week, President Donald Trump said he was deploying hundreds of National Guard troops to Washington and temporarily taking over the city's police department to curb what he depicted as a crime and homelessness emergency in the nation's capital. A White House official said on Saturday that more National Guard troops would be called in to Washington to "protect federal assets, create a safe environment for law enforcement officials to carry out their duties when required, and provide a visible presence to deter crime." A U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said a formal order was expected to go out that would authorize National Guard troops in D.C. to carry firearms. The official said this order would affect mostly military police officers with sidearms. Reuters has previously reported that the National Guard troops would have weapons nearby, such as in their vehicles. The White House said on Saturday that D.C. National Guard members have conducted patrols on foot and in vehicles around the National Mall and Union Station. The White House said the National Guard troops are not making arrests at this time, and that they may be armed. NEGOTIATED DEAL According to U.S. Justice Department data, violent crime in 2024 hit a 30-year low in Washington, technically a self-governing federal district under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Congress. District of Columbia officials and the Trump administration negotiated a deal on Friday to keep D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser's appointed police chief, Pamela Smith, in charge of the police department after D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit to block the federal takeover of the department. Trump, a Republican who has suggested he could take similar actions in other Democratic-controlled cities, has sought to expand the powers of the presidency in his second term, inserting himself into the affairs of major banks, law firms and elite universities. It is not clear how the administration could deploy National Guard troops elsewhere. A federal judge in San Francisco is expected in the coming weeks to issue a ruling on whether Trump violated the law by deploying National Guard troops to Los Angeles in June without the approval of California Governor Gavin Newsom. The National Guard serves as a militia that answers to the governors of the 50 states except when called into federal service. The D.C. National Guard, however, reports directly to the president. Solve the daily Crossword
