World

Colombian authorities have blamed the two incidents on separate dissident factions of FARC, the disbanded leftist guerrilla group. At least five people died in a suspected truck bomb that exploded mid-afternoon Thursday near a military base in Cali, Columbia’s third most populated city. Dozens of people were injured in the explosion, which struck on a road adjacent…

Though the US imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on India for its energy ties with Russia, it has not initiated similar actions against China, the largest buyer of Russian crude oil. Calling India the “Maharaj” of tariffs, US President Donald Trump’s trade adviser, Peter Navarro, accused New Delhi of running a “profiteering scheme” by continuing…

South Korea vowed on Friday to make investment in artificial intelligence a top policy priority, as the government slashed its economic growth projection for this year due to trade headwinds caused by U.S. tariffs. In the first bi-annual economic policy plan under President Lee Jae Myung’s new administration, the finance ministry said it would introduce from the…

Preliminary findings indicated that the fire involved a personal mobility aid. Three people were taken to hospital and 50 others were evacuated from their homes after a fire broke out in a flat in Toa Payoh early on Friday (Aug 22) morning. Preliminary investigations indicated that the fire involved a personal mobility aid. The Singapore Civil Defence…

Former Vice President Kamala Harris was dragged online Thursday after announcing an international tour to promote her new book recounting her failed 2024 presidential campaign. The unemployed 60-year-old will kick off a 15-city tour on Sept. 24, a day after releasing her memoir “107 Days,” which offers a “behind-the-scenes” look at what the Democrat calls “the shortest…

A baby bottle, a squeaky toy and a schoolbag are among items that have surfaced from a mass grave site in Sri Lanka’s formerly war-torn northern region, along with 141 human skeletons including some that appear to be of children of different ages. The findings were made at a cremation ground in the Chemmani area near Jaffna…

Chinese leader Xi Jinping made a rare visit to Tibet on Wednesday to mark the 60th anniversary of the consolidation of Beijing’s long-contested rule over the Himalayan territory. Xi arrived in Tibet’s regional capital of Lhasa, where he “received a warm welcome from people of various ethnic groups” who waved bouquets of flowers and danced “to joyful…

Two homes on the North Carolina Outer Banks sit precariously in the high waves with their days seemingly numbered. Since 2020, 11 neighboring homes have fallen into the Atlantic Ocean. While the swells from storms like Hurricane Erin make things worse, the conditions threatening the houses are always present — beach erosion and climate change are sending…

The Texas House on Wednesday approved redrawn congressional maps that would give Republicans a bigger edge in 2026, muscling through a partisan gerrymander that launched weeks of protests by Democrats and a widening national battle over redistricting. The approval came at the urging of President Donald Trump, who pushed for the extraordinary mid-decade revision of congressional maps…

Prince Philip was intensely relieved once Prince Harry and Meghan Marke’s nuptials were over, a royal biographer claims. “Once all the formalities were over, we watched as the happy couple, and then the other members of the Royal Family, filed out of the chapel,” former royal butler Grant Harrold writes an upcoming memoir, according to an excerpt…

Japanese police have said that an elderly man who they had believed was killed by a bear had in fact been stabbed to death by his son. Fujiyuki Shindo, 51, was arrested in the northern Akita prefecture on Tuesday for allegedly murdering his 93-year-old father Fujiyoshi, local media reports. Police sent out a bear attack warning mail…

A key takeaway from the summit in Alaska is that Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly wants to freeze the war in Ukraine along its current front line in return for the surrender of the rest of Donetsk region. Russia holds about 70% of the region (oblast), including the regional capital of the same name, after more than…

Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands recently fell victim to a deepfake porn attack. Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands recently fell victim to a deepfake porn attack. The 21-year-old’s face was morphed onto the bodies of porn actors using AI, and the resulting videos were circulated on platforms like MrDeepFakes – which has now been shut down. The…

AI-related fraud attempts surged by nearly 200 per cent in 2024, according to a cybersecurity firm. CNA takes a closer look at deepfake voice phishing, an increasingly common method used by scammers. “Hi, how have you been? So I heard about this restaurant that just recently opened up. Want to go check it out the next time…

The new office features a Zoom Experience Hub that is more than two times larger than its previous iteration. Zoom Communications, the company behind the widely used video-conferencing platform, opened its new Singapore office in Marina Bay on Thursday (Aug 21). Located on the 24th floor of IOI Central Boulevard (West Tower), it will replace the company’s…

BELOVED Justice Frank Caprio, who went viral on social media as the “nicest judge in the world,” has died at age 88 following a battle with pancreatic cancer. Caprio died on Wednesday less than 24 hours after he shared a video from his hospital bed on Instagram, asking for prayers. “Beloved for his compassion, humility, and unwavering…

AN actress, known for her roles in a string of ’90s films and TV shows, has resurfaced years after stepping out of the spotlight. The actress – famously credited for her award-winning performance in the 1993 film Short Cuts, among other titles – was spotted on a rare outing on Tuesday. Photos and video exclusively obtained by…

Following talks about Ukraine in Washington early this week, Western states are working to fine tune the details of the much-discussed “security guarantees” for Ukraine. One important question is how a possible ceasefire could be secured along the more than 1,000-kilometer-long (621 miles) front line in eastern Ukraine. Another is which countries would be prepared to send…

The personal luxury fashion market is losing its luster. Recent sales figures show that the industry, which proved resilient after pandemic lockdowns, is slowing down. Is luxury finally going out of style? When athletes started to return their 2024 Paris Olympic medals after they began to corrode, it was an omen of things to come. The medals…

After meeting with President Trump, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated he was ready to talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized the need for thorough preparations. Russian airstrikes have devastated the village of Raiske in eastern Ukraine, near Sloviansk, leaving homes destroyed and residents grieving. Amid ongoing drone and missile attacks, even central cities…

Armed men have stormed a mosque in Nigeria’s Katsina state during morning prayers, killing at least a dozen people. Officials say the assault may have been a reprisal following earlier clashes. Gunmen attacked a mosque in the northern Nigerian town of Unguwan Mantau in Katsina state on Tuesday morning, killing at least 13 people during prayers, local…

Divorce laws and social norms still largely disadvantage women in many Asian societies, causing severe emotional and financial strain. Zoya Ahmed, 33, is going through a messy divorce in Karachi, Pakistan. Her decision to end the marriage triggered a retaliatory campaign by her husband, who she said filed false police reports, including a criminal complaint alleging an…

Turkey plans to launch a long-awaited 5G frequency tender in October with initial service expected to be available in 2026, its transport and infrastructure minister said on Tuesday. Abdulkadir Uraloglu said Turkey had consulted with its three major telecom operators and studied global 5G models, particularly in Europe. All three operators – government-controlled Turkcell and Turk Telekom…

North Korea’s Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un, said South Korea and its President Lee Jae Myung had a “dual personality” by talking about wanting to pursue peace while continuing joint military drills with the US, state media KCNA said on Wednesday (Aug 20). South Korea and its ally, the United States,…

He’s only human. Joe Jonas revealed he accidentally gave a flight attendant a high-five on his way out of the bathroom after joining the mile-high club. “I was wearing contacts,” Jonas said during the on-camera interview for the “Are You Okay?” show. “I left the bathroom. I thought I was high-fiving my drummer,” he recalled in the…

Tamar Braxton revealed that she woke up in a pool of blood after a mysterious near-fatal accident left her with a fractured nose and missing teeth. “I struggled to write this but everyone keeps calling me and honestly, I can’t even really talk anymore, I’m so weak,” the singer wrote via her Instagram Stories Tuesday. “I almost…

KYLIE Jenner and Timothee Chalamet have responded to breakup rumors as they reunited at a Budapest coffee shop. It comes as the Hollywood power couple recently had fans speculating they could be going their separate ways after some “tell-tale signs.” Kylie, 28, and Timothee, 29, who have been dating since 2023, put any rumors of a break-up…

Russia struck the central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk overnight, leaving a thick column of smoke hovering over the city in an attack that the local mayor called a sign that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not want peace. The bombardment on that city as well as other locations in Ukraine was Russia’s largest so far in August,…

Israel is studying Hamas’ response to a proposal for a 60-day ceasefire and release of half the hostages still held in Gaza, two Israeli officials said on Tuesday, although one source reiterated that all Israeli captives must be freed for the war to end. Efforts to pause the fighting gained new momentum over the past week after…

The Chinese statement comes after S Jaishankar and Wang Yi on Monday discussed border peace, trade issues and bilateral exchanges. Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said China and India should establish “correct strategic understanding” and regard each other as partners, a Chinese readout showed. The Chinese statement comes after external affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Wang Yi…

For Japanese people, KitKat became a lucky charm as its name sounded like Kitto Katsu, a phrase meaning “you will surely succeed”. KitKat may be a global favourite, enjoyed in over 100 countries, but in Japan, it carries a story like no other. When the product first arrived in 1973, it was simply another sweet treat, and…

Haunted doll fashion is Gen Z’s latest obsession, blending eerie lace, porcelain makeup, and ironic camp. Creepy yet chic, it’s redefining self-expression, turning horror-inspired style into 2025’s spookiest trend. The fashion world has always borrowed from the eerie and the unexpected, but 2025 has given us its strangest muse yet: haunted dolls. Once confined to creepy attic…

The incident is raising public concern about how Hong Kong authorities had missed telltale signs of a scam amounting to nearly US$7 million. Hong Kong police said on Aug 18 they have arrested two people over a suspected scam involving a water supplier that may have cheated the government in a contract worth nearly US$7 million. A…

The illegal migrant truck driver who allegedly killed three people after making a rogue U-turn on a Florida highway was handed work papers under the Biden administration after they were denied during President Trump’s first term, the Department of Homeland Security said Monday. Harjinder Singh crossed the southern border into California in September 2018 and was processed…

Hurricane Erin forced tourists to cut their vacations short on North Carolina’s Outer Banks even though the monster storm is expected to stay offshore after lashing part of the Caribbean with rain and wind on Monday. Evacuations were ordered on some barrier islands along the Carolina coast as authorities warned the storm could churn up dangerous rip…

Google has agreed to pay a 55 million Australian dollar ($36 million) fine for signing anticompetitive deals with Australia’s two largest telcos that banned the installation of competing search engines on some smartphones, the U.S. tech giant and Australia’s competition watchdog said. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said in a statement it had commenced proceedings in…

Rubio was speaking about the challenges of a ceasefire in connection to the war in Ukraine. United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday said that the US keeps an eye on what is happening between Pakistan and India “every single day”. Rubio, who was speaking about the challenges of a ceasefire in connection to the…

Downtown in the City of Angels is looking more and more like a ghost town. The famed Los Angeles neighborhood has become a shadow of its former glory — with rows of boarded up shops, chain stores leaving in droves and hoards of drug-using vagrants sparking major safety concerns for shoppers and business owners alike. The Post…

Hurricane Erin is likely to restrengthen again as it passes east of the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeast Bahamas on Monday after lashing the Caribbean with damaging winds and flooding rain. Eventually, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Erin’s impacts will spread to the entire US East Coast with life-threatening beach conditions later this week.…

A 63-year-old American tourist was severely injured after a shark attacked him while he was spearfishing in the Bahamas, according to authorities. The frightening encounter occurred just after 1 p.m. Sunday near Big Grand Cay, a remote stretch of the Abaco Islands, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said in a statement. The man, whose identity has not…

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum campaign group said protesters would “shut down the country today with one clear call: Bring back the 50 hostages, end the war”. Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered on Sunday (Aug 17) evening in Tel Aviv to call for an end to the war in Gaza and the release of hostages,…

US President Donald Trump could offer NATO-like protection of Ukraine, and Russia is open to the idea, one of his top foreign policy officials said on Sunday (Aug 17) ahead of a meeting with Ukraine and European leaders to hammer out details of possible security guarantees for Kyiv. “We were able to win the following concession, that…

Rescuers struggled to retrieve bodies from muddy debris on Saturday (Aug 16) after flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains across northern Pakistan killed at least 344 people in the past 48 hours, authorities said. The majority of deaths, 324, were reported in mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the National Disaster Management Authority said. Most were killed in…

Been training for ages but still can’t see your abs? Find out why they’re so hard to achieve and why a strong core is more important than a chiselled midriff. We’re pretty hard on how our tummy looks, aren’t we? Too protruding, too saggy, too wrinkly… it’s always doing too much and not in the way we…

Set within the UNESCO Global Geopark of Belitung Island, Tanjung Kelayang Reserve is a 350-hectare sanctuary of sustainable luxury. With protected forests, crystal-clear waters, and ancient granite formations, it offers a rare blend of nature, heritage and mindful travel. The sun has just risen when we wade into the sea with our snorkel gear. Just metres from…

RAGING wildfires are reportedly out of control in Spain – with thousands evacuated and 500 troops deployed across holiday hotspots. Terrifying infernos spread across Galicia, Extremadura, Castilla and León, and Asturias – sparking alarming high-level alerts across the regions. In Galicia, the fires burned over 50,000 hectares of land – the most ever burned during a wildfire…

Spain battled 14 major fires driven by high winds and aggravated by heat on Friday as authorities warned of “unfavourable conditions” to tackle flames that have already killed seven people and burned an area the size of London. Firefighters have been battling to put out blazes across southern Europe in one of the worst summers for wildfires…

Hazy sunshine has replaced last week’s fierce heat in parts of the UK, and it’s down to how smoke particles break up rays of light, but along with the lower temperatures, there could be some memorable sunsets and sunrises. Smoke from wildfires in Spain and Portugal has brought hazy conditions to the UK, breaking up last week’s…

The US State Department announced it was halting all visitor visas for people from Gaza. The pause was issued to conduct a “full and thorough review of the process and procedures used to issue a small number of temporary medical-humanitarian visas in recent days,” the agency said on X. The decision has drawn condemnation from some Palestinian…

The Canadian government has intervened in the Air Canada strike, forcing both parties to the bargaining table as hundreds of flights were cancelled this weekend. Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu ordered binding arbitration between the airline and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (Cupe), which represents more than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants, hours after a strike began…

A Kenyan magistrate this week expressed the hope that a British property tycoon would finally “find rest in eternal peace”, after his body had spent 11 years in a mortuary. But this week’s conclusion to the decade-long inquest into Harry Roy Veevers’ death in 2013 still leaves many questions unanswered. It was a case that involved accusations…

PARENTS now face major consequences for their children’s actions, whether they are aware of them or not. One state is holding parents accountable for any laws their children, who are under the age of 18, break. Some parents will face fines or jail time if their children break any laws, ranging from drunkenness to felonies. The Gloucester…

Jeffrey Epstein’s mysterious death occurred six years ago this month — but the National Enquirer has discovered 22 people in the sketchy billionaire’s orbit have also died under murky circumstances, fueling fears of a cover-up by powerful figures seeking to erase potential witnesses. From the predator’s alleged victims to house managers, lawyers, accountants, investigative journalists and pimps,…

SCIENTISTS warn that future humans may go hairless and even lose four other body parts due to the way we live today. Experts say that changes in diet, technology, and environment could drive these drastic evolutionary shifts over thousands of years. Traits that were once essential for survival, like body hair or certain organs, may become redundant,…

A New Jersey man died on his way to meet a chatbot that looked like Kendall Jenner … and, his family insists it happened because the AI said multiple times it was a real person. Thongbue Wongbandue — a 76-year-old man known to his friends and family as “Bue” — died back in March after falling in…

Scroll down to see if you are impacted and what you should do OFFICIALS have issued the urgent recall of thousands of hair dryers sold at Walmart, Amazon, and Target. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) made the announcement on Thursday expressing concerns that the products post a “risk of death or serious injury”. Around 56,300 hair…

Erin is the Atlantic season’s first hurricane and is set to escalate over the weekend though the threat of direct impacts in the Bahamas and along the east coast of the US appears to be receding. Hurricane Erin strengthened into a category 5 hurricane, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Saturdauy. Erin is about 160…

Pierce Brosnan may be unlocking the secret to why Irish men seem to possess enviable mops of hair. “I don’t know,” he told Page Six exclusively at the premiere of “The Thursday Murder Club” on (naturally) Thursday evening in New York when asked his theories. “It’s all in the hair, the old Celtic hair,” he shared before…

“Weapons” is still running around on top of box office charts in its second weekend, as Universal’s action sequel “Nobody 2” looks to debut in third place. The Bob Odenkirk-led “Nobody 2” beat into $3.8 million across Friday and preview screenings from 3,260 locations. That’s a notch above its 2021 predecessor’s $2.5 million opening day, though that…

Airports of Thailand (AoT) Plc said its official Facebook page, AOT Official, was hacked Saturday evening and it asked Meta to fix the issue. AoT said that the AOT Official page on Facebook was hacked at 4.20pm on Saturday and a hacker changed the name of the page to “Everyday Yum Recipes” and posted a “Hacked” message.…

Papers with U.S. State Department markings, found Friday morning in the business center of an Alaskan hotel, revealed previously undisclosed and potentially sensitive details about the Aug. 15 meetings between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir V. Putin in Anchorage. Eight pages, that appear to have been produced by U.S. staff and left behind accidentally, shared…

In President Donald Trump’s warm red-carpet greeting at the Alaska summit, Russians saw an opening to pull America away from its traditional allies in Europe. For Russia, the results of the Alaska summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin marked a turning point in relations with the United States, underlined by Trump subsequently abandoning…

When you give yourself nothing to do, you give yourself everything you need. Source : https://www.news18.com/photogallery/lifestyle/the-art-of-doing-nothing-why-your-brain-needs-boredom-time-9507017.html  

Some 365 people have fallen ill in an Indonesian town after eating school lunches, the largest spate of food poisonings to hit President Prabowo Subianto’s free meals programme so far. The meals have temporarily been suspended in Sragen, in central Java, as food samples are being tested for contamination, local authorities said. The program – which costs…

They say blondes have more fun — but they especially have fun when it’s Kim Kardashian. The “Kardashians” star took to Instagram Friday to debut her new blond ‘do with a sultry selfie. In the snap, Kardashian made a kissy face to the camera while she flaunted her ash blond locks and dark brown roots. She appeared…

Trump said he and Vladimir Putin did not reach an agreement on “probably the most significant” aspect of their meeting in Alaska, but they made progress in several areas. US President Donald Trump said his meeting with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin was ’10’ out of 10, adding that both sides agreed on a lot of points, although…

Suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is expected to appear before the Constitutional Court in person regarding the controversial audio clip case between her and Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen, according to her secretary. Dr Prommin Lertsuridej, the PM’s secretary-general, on Friday commented on the court’s decision to summon Ms Paetongtarn, who also serves as culture minister, and…

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung vowed Friday to “respect” North Korea’s political system and build “military trust”, a day after Pyongyang said it had no interest in improving relations with Seoul. Lee has pledged to reach out to the nuclear-armed North and pursue dialogue without preconditions since his election in June — a reversal from his…

THE investigation into the death of a young fashion designer on a yacht in the Hamptons has taken a fresh twist as her family shoots down claims that she had cancer before her passing. The grief-stricken mom of bikini designer Martha Nolan O’Slattara, 33, insisted her daughter was “perfectly healthy” before she was found unconscious on a…

Melania Trump sends letter to Putin on child abductions US First Lady, Melania Trump, raised the plight of children in Ukraine and Russia in a personal letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, two White House officials said. Officials told Reuters that President Donald Trump hand-delivered the letter to Putin during their talks in Alaska, with Slovenian-born Melania…

Despite running over Thursday’s deadline, representatives from 185 countries failed to reach a deal to bring the world closer to ending plastic pollution with a legally binding, global agreement.. “We will not have a treaty to end plastic pollution here in Geneva,” Norway’s negotiator said following talks in Geneva that went into the early hours of Friday.…

President Donald Trump has ended his high-stakes Russia summit without announcing a deal to end the war in Ukraine, despite rolling out the red carpet for Vladimir Putin and being the first U.S. president in years to invite him back to America. After a rare ride in the presidential limousine, a military flyover, and three hours of…

President Donald Trump literally rolled out the red carpet for Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. Trump, 79, veered from left to right as he walked on the carpet, unable to stay in its center, before reaching a set meeting point. Trump then stood and clapped as the American adversary, 72, approached him at Joint…

Former President Barack Obama offered a scathing summary of President Donald Trump’s return to office during a call with Texas state Democrats who skipped town to fight Republican efforts to redistrict the state. During a 30-minute Zoom meeting on Thursday, Obama spoke to dozens of members of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, who fled earlier this month…

Another tragedy in the bodybuilding world … champion performer Hayley McNeff has passed away at just 37. Tributes started pouring in on Wednesday after it was confirmed the Concord, Massachusetts native died on August 8. McNeff’s cause of death hasn’t been disclosed, but her obituary described her passing as “unexpected but peaceful.” Her funeral service will take…

Kevin Watson, a 42-year-old man, was fatally shot on Wednesday evening while doing a live stream on Facebook from his car in Chicago. The video has gone viral on social media. A 42-year-old man, Kevin Watson, was fatally shot on Wednesday evening while doing a live stream on Facebook from his car. The video of the livestream…

Closing arguments are due to begin in the national security trial of Jimmy Lai, 77, a fierce critic of China’s Communist Party. United States President Donald Trump has renewed his promise to “save” jailed Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai, who is on trial for alleged national security crimes over his pro-democracy activism and antipathy towards China’s Communist…

If you look at Pakistan and India… planes were being knocked out of the air. Six or seven planes came down. They were ready to go, maybe nuclear. We solved that, says U.S. President Donald Trump U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday (August 14, 2025) again repeated his claim that he solved the conflict between India and…

The Russian leader suggested a deal on nuclear arms control could also be part of talks that are expected to focus on ending the war in Ukraine. The Russian leader suggested a deal on nuclear arms control could also be part of talks that are expected to focus on ending the war in Ukraine. Russia’s Vladimir Putin…

Tom Cruise has declined a major Kennedy Center Award from Donald Trump, according to The Washington Post. Trump announced the honorees on Wednesday from the Center, also revealing that he would host the televised show in December. Trump had reportedly wanted to unveil Cruise alongside KISS, Michael Crawford, George Strait, Sylvester Stallone, and singer Gloria Gaynor. The…

Taylor Swift is tipping her hat to the late, great George Michael on her upcoming album “The Life of a Showgirl” with a track called “Father Figure” — and the icon’s former partner says George would’ve totally approved of it. Kenny Goss — George’s partner of 13 years — tells TMZ George would be proud of the…

A new legal front has opened in the Trump family’s never-ending war with the press — and this time, it’s First Lady Melania Trump at the center, brandishing an eye-popping $1 billion defamation cudgel. Her legal team is threatening lawsuits against anyone who dares to so much as mention her name in proximity to Jeffrey Epstein’s. The…

The president and his administration are struggling to bury the scandal around their handling of the convicted sex offender’s case Donald Trump, Republicans in Congress, and the president’s allies across right-wing media have been trying everything to make public backlash to their botched handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation go away, amid reports that Trump himself appears…

The Capitol Hill battle over Jeffrey Epstein is poised to heat up when Congress returns to Washington next month. While GOP leaders left town early to avoid the radioactive issue, the conspiracy-ridden saga is set to ramp back up come September for a number of reasons. A bipartisan pair of lawmakers have vowed to force a vote…

A London restaurant has been shut down after dog meat was allegedly found in the freezer. Pho Na, a Vietnamese restaurant on Old Kent Road, Southwark, closed after inspectors found the suspicious looking meat labelled as ‘goat wrapped in leaves’. But when it was sent for analysis it was confirmed it was dog meat. Inspectors also discovered…

The Russian leader suggested a deal on nuclear arms control could also be part of talks that are expected to focus on ending the war in Ukraine. Russia’s Vladimir Putin sounded positive Thursday on the eve of his talks with President Donald Trump in Alaska, saying he believed the American leader was making “quite energetic and sincere…