Plus: How Kentucky bourbon went from boom to bust ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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| Hello. US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin have met and shaken hands after arriving in Alaska for talks to end the war in Ukraine. My colleagues bring you the latest. In Israel, international editor Jeremy Bowen explores how the war in Gaza has deepened divisions among citizens. And finally, dozens of WW2 bombs are unearthed at a children's park in England. Don't forget to test your knowledge of the week's events in our news quiz. | |
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TOP OF THE AGENDA | Warm greeting ahead of Ukraine talks |
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|  | The Kremlin said it expected the talks between Trump and Putin to last up to seven hours. Credit: Reuters | Ahead of their closed-door meeting, Trump and Putin posed for pictures in front of a backdrop that read "Pursuing Peace". Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was not invited to the talks, said his country was "counting on America". BBC Verify's Nick Beake recapped the events that led to this summit. North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher and Russia editor Steve Rosenberg discussed how the two leaders are approaching the high stakes meeting. On the streets of Ukraine's capital, few residents expressed much interest or faith in the talks, reports correspondent Joel Gunter. |
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| DC sues US government over police takeover | The city's attorney general has alleged that the US government's takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department is illegal. | What to know > |
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| Danish train hits tanker and derails | At least one person has died and several others were injured in the incident, officials said. | More details > |
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| Heavy monsoon causes deadly floods in Pakistan | At least 194 people have died in the last 24 hours in floods and landslides in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. | Read more > |
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| Royals and veterans mark VJ Day, 80 years on | King Charles III and Queen Camilla have joined WW2 veterans for a remembrance service to mark the occasion. | What happened > |
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| Gaza war deepens divisions in Israel |  | Around 20 Israeli hostages are believed to still be alive in Gaza. Credit: Hostages and missing families forum | Travelling through Israel, Jeremy Bowen has heard views on the war in Gaza from all sides. Ultimately, he finds that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a divisive figure even before the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023, is presiding over a country that is as divided now as any time in its history. |
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| | Jeremy Bowen, international editor |
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| | Avrum Burg, a former speaker of parliament and a strong critic of Netanyahu, thinks Israelis are "somewhere between religious excitement and psychological despair". In the last three weeks I have travelled between the two sides of Israel. Leftists in Tel Aviv silently protest the killing of Palestinian children, displaying the "psychological despair" described by Burg.
On the other side of Israel, I have witnessed an overwhelming sense that the country should ignore the mounting pressure and condemnation by some of its allies as well as its enemies, a feeling that its actions are justified by everything Hamas did on 7 October and the continued imprisonment of Israeli hostages in brutal conditions in tunnels. |
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PICK OF THE WEEK | A dispiriting market for Kentucky bourbon |
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|  | Bulleit Bourbon reported a more than 7% sales drop this fiscal year. Credit: Getty Images | Kentucky bourbon is one of the most recognisable products associated with the US state, and with American spirits overall. But after a boom in sales between 2011 and 2020, new challenges, including changing drinking habits and the prospect of multiple trade wars, are giving producers a hangover. |
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