Senior American and Russian officials, including the countries’ top diplomats, will hold talks on improving their ties and negotiating an end to the war in Ukraine, officials said Monday, in what would be the most significant meeting between the sides since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor nearly three years ago. The talks, scheduled for Tuesday in Saudi Arabia, mark another pivotal step by the Trump administration to reverse U.S. policy on isolating Russia, and are meant to pave the way for a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The recent U.S. diplomatic blitz on…
Author: MAK Gojar
Shiori Itō’s directorial debut, Black Box Diaries, has won acclaim around the world since its debut at last year’s Sundance Film Festival, recently earning an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Feature. But there’s one place it hasn’t been seen: in the director’s native Japan. The film, distributed in 58 countries globally and by MTV Documentary […]Shiori Itō’s directorial debut, Black Box Diaries, has won acclaim around the world since its debut at last year’s Sundance Film Festival, recently earning an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Feature. But there’s one place it hasn’t been seen: in the director’s native Japan. The…
Alexa Young and Wilmer Tejada spent most of their 20s bouncing around different rentals. When they both turned 30 last year, they decided to plant some Bay Area roots and buy a place of their own. Wilmer Tejada and Alexa Young visit their new home in San Leandro, Calif., Friday, Feb. 7, 2025. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group) Alexa Young and Wilmer Tejada met as students at UC Santa Barbara and spent most of their 20s bouncing around different Bay Area rentals. When they both turned 30 last year, they decided to plant some roots and buy a place of…
The Peegs.com team just revealed their top candidates to replace Mike Woodson, who will resign at the end of this season The Peegs.com team just revealed their top candidates to replace Mike Woodson, who will resign at the end of this season USATSI Mike Woodson’s fifth season with the Indiana Hoosiers will be his last after the recent announcement that he’ll resign at the end of the 2024-25 campaign. Indiana made two NCAA Tournaments and is in the hunt for a third this year, but the Hoosiers have been far from the college basketball power they were from the late…
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the leader of the United Arab Emirates on Monday as momentum grows for potential peace talks ending Moscow’s war on the country. U.S. President Donald Trump last week suggested he would be meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saudi Arabia. The UAE, home to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, has long been floated as a possible site for peace talks as well, given the large population of Russian and Ukrainian expatriates who have flooded the country since the war began, and due to the Emirates’ work on prisoner exchanges…
After he was injured, Stewart O’Leary had to get the bus full of basketball players to safety. After he was injured, Stewart O’Leary had to get the bus full of basketball players to safety. After he was injured, Stewart O’Leary had to get the bus full of basketball players to safety.
As Germany heads into a key general election on February 23, there’s a cloud of uncertainty hanging over the country’s film industry. Europe’s largest economy is facing a third consecutive year of recession, which is having a stark knock-on effect on the German media landscape as inflation and cost of energy prices hit the production […]As Germany heads into a key general election on February 23, there’s a cloud of uncertainty hanging over the country’s film industry. Europe’s largest economy is facing a third consecutive year of recession, which is having a stark knock-on effect on the German media landscape…
A self-reported odometer reading may be the solution to replace Washington’s dwindling gas-tax revenue. A self-reported odometer reading may be the solution to replace Washington’s dwindling gas-tax revenue. A self-reported odometer reading may be the solution to replace Washington’s dwindling gas-tax revenue.
The decorated death penalty litigator talks about a need to move away from incarceration as the antidote to crime problems and for leaders to step up in face of ‘unprecedented’ threats to the rule of law. Bryan Stevenson, a renowned death penalty litigator and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative and National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama, speaks to an assembly of Santa Clara County prosecutors, law enforcement leaders and elected officials at the Board of Supervisors chambers in San Jose, Calif. on Feb. 12, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Kevin Hume/Santa Clara Co. District Attorney’s Office SAN…
PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron called leaders from key European Union nations and the United Kingdom to his ornate Elysee Palace on Monday for an emergency meeting on how to react to the U.S. diplomatic blitz on Ukraine, which left the once rock-solid partner as a potential political liability. Last week, top U.S. officials from the Trump administration made their first visit to Europe, leaving the impression that Washington was ready to embrace the Kremlin while it cold-shouldered many of its age-old European allies. Despite belligerent warnings for months ahead of Donald Trump’s reelection as U.S. president, EU leaders…
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Senior American and Russian officials, including the countries’ top diplomats, will hold talks on improving their ties and negotiating an end to the war in Ukraine, the Kremlin said Monday, in what would be the most significant meeting between the sides since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor nearly three years ago. The talks, scheduled for Tuesday in Saudi Arabia, mark another consequential step by the Trump administration to reverse U.S. policy on isolating Russia, and are meant to pave the way for a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The…
New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen is entering his fourth season on the job and is doing so with a tailwind that could take his team to future success. The Giants had a rough 2024, suffering some embarrassing blows both on and off the field leading to Schoen almost getting himself and head coach Brian Daboll fired after a 3-14 season. What is saving Schoen is his latest draft class — a group of six players who could become the core of the franchise. Round 1 – (No. 6) Malik Nabers, WR | 15 games/13 starts Round 2 –…
The Trump administration has halted the firings of hundreds of federal employees who were tasked with working on the nation’s nuclear weapons programs, in an about-face that has left workers confused and experts cautioning that DOGE’s blind cost cutting will put communities at risk. Three U.S. officials who spoke to The Associated Press said up to 350 employees at the National Nuclear Security Administration were abruptly laid off late Thursday, with some losing access to email before they’d learned they were fired, only to try to enter their offices on Friday morning to find they were locked out. The officials…
The center’s closure was previously set for Feb. 28. Everett’s mayor ordered the reprieve after supporters voiced concerns in public meetings and news stories. The center’s closure was previously set for Feb. 28. Everett’s mayor ordered the reprieve after supporters voiced concerns in public meetings and news stories. The center’s closure was previously set for Feb. 28. Everett’s mayor ordered the reprieve after supporters voiced concerns in public meetings and news stories.
The regular season is almost upon us and managers are getting their ducks (and rotations) in a row The regular season is almost upon us and managers are getting their ducks (and rotations) in a row Getty Images Spring training is underway and Major League Baseball’s 2025 regular season is fast approaching. As such, it is never too early to keep tabs on each team’s Opening Day starter. These announcements come in throughout spring training and sometimes before camp even opens. With that in mind, here is our living document chronicling every team’s Opening Day starter situation. These announcements are…
Readers share travel tips. Worshippers attend a Mass in the Sagrada Familia basilica in Barcelona, Spain, July 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, file) Our readers have been pretty much everywhere these last few months. They’ve explored Maine’s Acadia National Park, ridden the Inca Rail to Machu Picchu, made paella in Barcelona. And once back home, they shared their travel tales and dished up advice. Read on for a Concord couple’s trek to Morocco, then find more reader travel inspiration at www.mercurynews.com/tag/wish-you-were-here/. Wish You Were Here Concord residents Jane and Jim Young’s recent trip to Europe included stops in Spain, Portugal…
An Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon on Monday killed the head of Hamas’ military operations in the country, Israel’s army said. The strike came as an Israeli official said that Israeli forces will remain in five strategic locations in southern Lebanon near the border after Tuesday’s deadline for their full withdrawal. The pullout is supposed to take place under the ceasefire agreement in November that ended the 14-month war between Israel and Hezbollah. Lebanon’s government has opposed any further delay in the Israeli withdrawal. The Israeli military said the drone strike killed Mohammad Shaheen, the head of Hamas’ operations…
SEOUL, South Korea — DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence startup, has temporarily paused downloads of its chatbot apps in South Korea while it works with local authorities to address privacy concerns, South Korean officials said Monday. South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission said DeepSeek’s apps were removed from the local versions of Apple’s App Store and Google Play on Saturday evening and that the company agreed to work with the agency to strengthen privacy protections before relaunching the apps. The action does not affect users who have already downloaded DeepSeek on their phones or use it on personal computers. Nam…
Just four months after he got a new contract, Seattle Superintendent Brent Jones gets a one-year extension to 2027. Just four months after he got a new contract, Seattle Superintendent Brent Jones gets a one-year extension to 2027. Just four months after he got a new contract, Seattle Superintendent Brent Jones gets a one-year extension to 2027.
For the second time this season, Blakes has broken the SEC’s freshman single-game scoring record For the second time this season, Blakes has broken the SEC’s freshman single-game scoring record Getty Images Mikayla Blakes is the gift that keeps on giving. The Vanderbilt freshman is putting up astronomical numbers, breaking her own records in the process. For this week’s women’s college basketball Freshmen Tracker, we give Blakes her well-deserved flowers. We also highlight a dominant performance from Sarah Strong that helped lift UConn to a historic victory over South Carolina. Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt It’s rare in any sport that a…