
Lavrov, Rubio discuss settlement of war in Ukraine, forthcoming talks, agencies report
"The situation linked to the Ukraine crisis was discussed," the ministry said in a statement on its website.
"S.V. Lavrov and M. Rubio also exchanged views on various initiatives concerning a settlement of the Ukraine crisis, including plans to resume direct Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul on June 2."
The U.S. State Department, which noted the call was at Russia's request, said Rubio reiterated U.S. President Donald Trump's call for continued direct talks between Russia and Ukraine to achieve "a lasting peace."
The ministry also said that during the conversation Rubio expressed condolences over deaths that occurred when two bridges were blown up in separate Russian regions bordering Ukraine.
"It was stressed on the Russian side that competent bodies will proceed with a thorough investigation and the results will be published. The guilty parties will be identified and will without doubt be subject to a worthy punishment."
Russian officials said at least seven people were killed and 69 injured when the two bridges were blown up on Saturday.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Independent
22 minutes ago
- The Independent
Alligator Alcatraz will get the thumbs up from Trump's Maga supporters
In Ancient Rome, a popular form of entertainment for the masses were the venationes, in which criminals, captives and sometimes gladiators fought battles with wild beasts. Lions, tigers, bears, wolves, even elephants and ostriches would be used in such gruesome displays. On special occasions, vast amphitheatres would be filled with water and real boats used to stage mock naval battles, and with hippopotamuses and crocodiles thrown in for a bit of added jeopardy. The Coliseum itself would be used for such a naumachia, with fleets of vessels battling it out. You can imagine the glee in crowds with which some poor unfortunate would lose his footing and be consumed by a hungry croc, screaming in agony, blood and giblets everywhere. Such elaborate games were one method by which an emperor could show off his wealth and power, at the same time as giving the people he ruled something to take their minds off their more mundane problems, with some free grain to show he cared. 'Bread and circuses', as the ruling strategy was called. Now, I'm no Mary Beard, and I'm not saying this is what Donald Trump is doing in the Florida Everglades at the moment, but the performative cruelty is more than a little reminiscent of a Roman emperor seeking ways to entertain himself and his people. His new facility for detaining deportees, 'Alligator Alcatraz' comes from an imagination every bit as sadistic as any in the ancient world. Indeed, it is far grander than anything Nero or Claudius ever dreamt up. The 39-square-mile site was grabbed with imperial ease using emergency powers and will house some 5,000 detainees in tents and cages. It's a swampland with temperatures reaching 38 degrees on a regular, sustained basis. America's new model penitentiary will be surrounded by alligators, Burmese pythons and swarms of mosquitos. Escape means near-certain death. If the heat doesn't get you, the animals will. What's more, Trump likes it that way. He thinks it's amusing. 'We're going to teach them how to run away from an alligator if they escape prison. 'Don't run in a straight line, run like this…'' (Trump's tiny hand makes a zig-zag motion) 'And, you know what? Your chances go up about one per cent.' Human despair and suffering. Hilarious. Trump's house of horrors also goes one better than the Roman emperors, because there's now Alligator Alcatraz merch – baseball caps, T-shirts and, who knows, latex alligator head masks – all to celebrate the terror of people whose only crime was to seek a better life and are being deported without due process. On his tour of Alligator Alcatraz, Trump – again, like the most nonchalant Roman tyrant – said he could start deporting criminals who had been naturalised as Americans: 'It's controversial, but I couldn't care less.' All the guy needs now is a toga. They probably don't need to, but the entire site could be fitted with CCTV, plus a whole squadron of drones with cameras and night-vision capability. It'll also have those swamp patrol baits with the huge propellers on the back. They could have cameras, too. All you need, in other words, for a new reality TV show. Any escapee could be filmed trying to find freedom before getting crushed to death by a python, say, and it can all be packaged up for a weekly slot for Fox News, with clips rights going to Truth Social: 'Escape from Alligator Alcatraz (Or Not)'. The shame of all this isn't that what Trump is doing is horrid and senseless, or that it's just another expensive stunt: the capacity is too small to make much difference to what Karoline Leavitt, consul to emperor Trump, calls 'the largest mass deportation campaign in American history'. We're used to Trump doing stuff like that. The sobering thing is that it is precisely what the president's base desires. It's what they voted for. When people say that it allows us to treat human beings that way, the Maga people reply that they're fine with it. If you say it's fascist, then they're happy to take a slice of that, with Donald's special dressings on top. A good half or so of the American electorate decided to put this guy in power, not once but twice, and almost three times – even after they discovered what a monster he was. Actually, because they discovered what a monster he was. They are cool with it – just as they aren't bothered about the rest of the world, what it thinks or what goes on there. As long as they get their bread and circuses, Trump can give a thumbs down to human rights as much as he likes. Don't be surprised if they turn out to be unreliable allies. They're busy enjoying the Alligator Alcatraz show.


STV News
28 minutes ago
- STV News
Smell of Victory: Donald Trump launches new fragrance that celebrates 'winning'
US President Donald Trump has announced the launch of his new fragrances that are 'all about winning'. The US President announced the latest instalment in a long line of Trump wares on his social media platform Truth Social. 'Trump Fragrances are here. They're called 'Victory 45-47' because they're all about Winning, Strength, and Success — For men and women,' wrote Trump. 'Get yourself a bottle, and don't forget to get one for your loved ones too. 'Enjoy, have fun, and keep winning!' The 45-47 represent Donald Trump's terms as US President. Trump announced the launch of the new fragrances on his social media platform, Truth Social / Credit: Truth Social / @realDonaldTrump The bottles are said to be limited edition and numbered collectables, featuring the 47th President in the form of a golden statue. The precise scent of the perfumes is not immediately obvious from the descriptions on the website. The male cologne is said to have 'rich, masculine notes', while the women's perfume has a 'sophisticated, subtly feminine scent'. Each bottle is listed as $249 (£181). The president himself is not personally involved in the fragrance creation. A disclaimer on the website reads: 'Trump Fragrances are not designed, manufactured, distributed or sold by Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization or any of their respective affiliates or principals. '45Footwear, LLC uses the Trump name, image and likeness under a license agreement which may be terminated or revoked according to its terms.' Trump has previously released two other fragrances: 'Fight! Fight! Fight!' and 'Victory' colognes were both released in 2024 under the Trump brand. Trump is often seen with his most identifiable piece of merchandise, the red MAGA hat. He has also released several other wares, including guitars, trainers, and the controversial 'God Bless the USA' bible. Donald Trump's 'God Bless the USA' bible / Credit: AP A mandatory financial disclosure report filed in June highlighted how much Donald Trump made from some of his merchandise ventures last year. Trump took in $3 million in revenue from selling 'Save America' coffee table books, $2.8 million from Trump watches, and $2.5 million from Trump-branded sneakers and fragrances. Additionally, he made $57 million last year from World Liberty Financial, a crypto company he and his sons helped launch in September. The president will even turn his lowest moments into a merchandising opportunity. His election campaign claimed they raised $7.1 million from his 2023 police mugshot, after his scowling face was emblazoned on T-shirts, mugs and even baby grows. The timing of the president's latest business venture comes as his 'big, beautiful' spending bill makes it through the Senate. The Senate bill included big funding cuts to Medicaid and food stamps, by imposing additional work requirements to make eligibility more stringent. The bill would infuse $350 million more into border and national security spending, including for deportations. The bill also includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, and the Congressional Budget Office projects that it will add around $3.3 trillion in federal deficits over the coming decade. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country


Daily Mail
32 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Trump's mass deportation plans for 520,000 Haitian migrants hit with major setback
Donald Trump 's plan to deport hundreds of thousands of illegal Haitian immigrants was shot down by a New York court. A federal district court judge in Brooklyn rejected President Trump's plans to end temporary protection status (TPS) for 520,000 Haitian migrants living in the U.S. The TPS designation was set to expire on August 3 and termination was meant to go into effect on September 2. But U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan said that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem went against the timeline set forth by Congress to reconsider the designation for migrants from the Caribbean island. 'Secretary Noem does not have statutory or inherent authority to partially vacate a country's TPS designation,' Cogan wrote in his Tuesday decision. He said that her actions to end the status were 'unlawful.' The federal government, however, can still freely enforce immigration laws and terminate TPS. The ruling came down the same day that Trump and Noem were in the Florida Everglades with Gov. Ron DeSantis to visit the new immigration detention center dubbed 'Alligator Alcatraz.' The facility is designed to hold up to 5,000 migrants and supports the administration's mass deportation agenda. DHS said days before Cogan's ruling that the decision to end the TPS for Haitians ensures it is only a temporary status and not a tool used to circumvent the traditional route to gain citizenship or other documentation to live and work in the U.S. They claim it restores integrity of the U.S. immigration system and legal pathways. 'The environmental situation in Haiti has improved enough that it is safe for Haitian citizens to return home,' a spokesperson said on Friday. 'We encourage these individuals to take advantage of the Department's resources in returning to Haiti, which can be arranged through the CBP Home app. Haitian nationals may pursue lawful status through other immigration benefit requests, if eligible.' The Immigration Act of 1990 created TPS with the intention of allowing residents of foreign countries to seek refuge in the U.S. while their home nations were facing war, natural disasters, political uprisings or other unsafe conditions. The program is able to be extended in 18-month increments. Haitians were first granted TPS by the U.S. in 2011 after two hurricanes rocked the poor island nation. In 2013 and 2015 the status was extended for 18-month periods each time. At the end of the 2015 decision to continue TPS, in 2017 it was extended for six more months with a termination of July 22, 2019. But that easy delayed by lawsuits. In May 2021 the TPS status was redesignated for 18 months due to the ongoing political crisis in Haiti along with human rights abuses and economic challenges. On December 5, 2022 it was extended again. The previous administration extended it on June 28, 2024 to expire on February 3, 2026 for any Haitians living in the U.S. as of June 3, 2024. But Noem amended this on February 20, 2025 an d set it to expire in August. Cogan claims that she cannot redesignate the expiration outside the 18-month extension period laid out by Congress. Cogan wrote in his decision that Haitians' interest in living and working in America 'far outweigh' potential harm to the U.S. government. It's unclear whether that's a sound legal justification for ruling against the federal-level decision to end TPS for Haitians and remove migrants living in the U.S. without permanent status. Noem originally decided to revoke TPS from these migrants after reviewing a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) report showing that Haiti no longer met the statutory requirements that grant foreign residents the ability to obtain this protection status. Haitians living in the U.S. under TPS are encouraged by DHS to use the CBP Home app to secure a complimentary ticket for a departure flight home to their island along with a $1,000 exit bonus for those who voluntarily leave.