Russia unleashed a huge drone barrage on Ukraine
Russia bombarded Ukraine with drones yesterday, in an apparent show of force only a day before President Trump is expected to talk with President Vladimir Putin of Russia about a cease-fire with Ukraine. Trump also said he would call President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, as well as leaders of NATO. Here’s what to know.
The drone barrage, in which an estimated 273 exploding drones and decoys were recorded in the skies across Ukraine, killed a woman and injured several other people.
Next steps: Friedrich Merz, Germany’s new chancellor, told reporters yesterday that he had spoken with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and that Merz and the leaders of France and Britain were trying to speak with Trump before the call with Putin.
Diplomacy: Zelensky met with Pope Leo XIV yesterday in private, after the pope offered on Friday to host Ukraine-Russia talks at the Vatican.
Biden was diagnosed with prostate cancer
Joe Biden was diagnosed on Friday with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones, according to a statement from the former president’s office. The cancer appears to be “hormone-sensitive, which allows for effective management,” the statement said. The diagnosis came after doctors found a “small nodule” on Biden’s prostate last week.
Context: Biden, 82, left office in January as the oldest-serving president in U.S. history. Throughout his presidency, he faced questions about his age and health that ultimately led him to abandon his re-election campaign.
| An Israeli military vehicle yesterday near the border with Gaza in southern Israel. Ariel Schalit/Associated Press |
Israel expanded ground operations in Gaza
The Israeli military announced yesterday that it had begun “extensive ground operations” throughout the northern and southern Gaza Strip, in an intensified campaign to move farther into the enclave and seize more land. At the same time, the Israeli government said it would allow “a basic quantity of food” to enter Gaza.
Officials said the new military operations would be carried out gradually, in stages that could be stopped should a deal with Hamas be reached. The move came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel signaled for the first time that his negotiators in Qatar were authorized to discuss terms for a broad deal to end the war.
Toll: More than 53,000 Gazans have been killed so far, including more than 90 since dawn on Sunday, according to Gazan health officials.
Diplomacy: Trump’s five-day tour through the Middle East last week underscored a new dynamic, one in which Israel and Netanyahu are something of an afterthought to the U.S.
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| Dave Sanders for The New York Times |
| New York: A Mexican Navy sailing ship smashed its masts into the Brooklyn Bridge, killing two crew members. U.S.: Multiple reported tornadoes caused damage in Colorado, as part of a severe storm system that was expected to threaten the Midwest through Monday. Deadly storms also hit the Central U.S. on Friday. Iran: Trump’s chief negotiator declared that the country must give up all enrichment of nuclear fuel. Tech: The Trump administration and U.S. officials may stand in the way of Apple’s ambition to make available a Chinese company’s A.I. on iPhones in China. Pakistan: The country’s military said that it expected a fragile truce with India to hold, as senior officers from both countries continue to talk. Medical science: Surgeons in Southern California performed the first human bladder transplant. |
News From Europe
| Vatican: Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, presided over his inaugural Mass in St. Peter’s Square yesterday. Romania: In an upset, Nicusor Dan, the centrist mayor of Bucharest and a former mathematics professor, won the presidential election, beating his hard-right opponent. Poland: Rafal Trzaskowski, the liberal mayor of Warsaw, appeared to narrowly win in the first round of the presidential election. U.K.: Three Iranian men appeared in court in London on Saturday, accused of helping Iran’s intelligence service by targeting individuals in Britain. Brexit: Prime Minister Keir Starmer attempts to edge closer to Europe face huge opposition in Britain’s right-wing national news media. Entertainment: At the Cannes Film Festival, Kristen Stewart’s directorial debut earned good notices, and Jennifer Lawrence debuted a darker, riskier role. Tom Cruise gave a master class in star power, our critic writes. |
| SPORTS NEWS |
| Soccer: Chelsea completed an utterly dominant season by beating Manchester United in the Women’s F.A. Cup final. Crime: Two people were arrested on charges of blackmailing Son Heung-min, the captain of Tottenham Hotspur, with paternity claims, the police said. F1: Max Verstappen’s dazzling passing was enough to help him win the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. Tennis: Jasmine Paolini won the Italian Open, becoming the first Italian winner in 40 years. |
| MORNING READ |
A lieutenant named Kateryna is Ukraine’s only female combat pilot. She has flown over 30 missions against Russian troops. Facing an urgent need for more soldiers, Kyiv’s military is finally working to recruit more women, but sexism remains an issue in the ranks.
“Guys always want to show that they’re heroes and protect you,” she said. “But I didn’t come here to be a girl. At some point, our army will get it.”
| CONVERSATION STARTERS |
| Breaking barriers: Saou Ichikawa, above, was the first author with a severe disability to win the Akutagawa Prize, one of Japan’s oldest and most prestigious literary awards. A global health obsession: Is the trillion-dollar wellness industry a wolf in sheep’s clothing? This book takes a deep dive. So many meals: A Times restaurant critic wanted to know what her job had done to her gut. So she consulted some scientists. |
| ARTS AND IDEAS |
Austria triumphs at Eurovision
Austria won a narrow victory at the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday, just beating Israel, which received the most points in the public vote. JJ, a classically trained singer, received 436 points to Israel’s 357 for “Wasted Love,” a dramatic song about heartbreak. Sweden, the pre-event favorite, came in fourth. Read more about the final.
JJ — whose real name is Johannes Pietsch — is a countertenor, with a vocal range similar to that of a female mezzo-soprano. He sings in the choir at the Opera School of the Vienna State Opera, and in recent months he has appeared in productions of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” and Benjamin Britten’s “Billy Budd.”
For more:
| Yuval Raphael, Israel’s contestant, was dancing with her friends when Hamas attacked the Nova music festival on Oct. 7. After she survived, she resolved to follow her singing dreams.Claude Kiambe’s journey to represent the Netherlands at the Eurovision stage started while he was living with his family in a center for asylum seekers.Erika Vikman of Finland said she wanted her song to show her “raw sexual power.” Her performance left nothing open to interpretation. |
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Cook: Savor a one-pot salmon dish flavored with miso and turmeric.
