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In the news today: Putin meets Trump's envoys as the Kremlin says Ukraine settlement hinges on territory; TikTok finalizes a deal to form a new American entity; and states in the east of the U.S. prepare for a huge, dayslong winter storm threatening catastrophic damage. Also, the last stand for hummingbirds facing extinction. |
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, greets U.S. President Donald Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff, center, and Jared Kushner at the Senate Palace of the Kremlin, in Moscow, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (Alexander Kazakov/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) |
Territorial issue is key obstacle to Ukraine peace, Kremlin tells Trump envoys |
Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the peace settlement in Ukraine with U.S. President Donald Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner during marathon overnight talks in Moscow, and the Kremlin insisted that the territorial issue needs to be resolved to reach a deal. Read more. |
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- The territorial issue is a reference to Moscow's demand that Kyiv withdraw its troops from the areas in the east that Russia illegally annexed but never fully captured.
The meeting, which lasted past 3 a.m. Friday, came hours after Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sharply criticized his European allies for what he cast as their slow and fragmented response to Russia's nearly four-year full-scale invasion. "Europe looks lost," Zelenskyy said in his speech, urging the continent to become a global force.
- The issue of land concessions is expected to be the focus as Russian, Ukrainian and U.S. officials hold talks on security matters related to a prospective peace deal in the United Arab Emirates on Friday.
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TikTok finalizes a deal to form a new American entity |
The deal avoids the looming threat of a ban in the United States that has been in discussion for years on the platform now used by more than 200 million Americans. Read more. |
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The social video platform company signed agreements with major investors including Oracle, Silver Lake and the Emirati investment firm MGX to form the new U.S. joint venture. American TikTok users can continue using the same app.
Apart from an emphasis on data protection, the joint venture will also focus on TikTok's algorithm. The content recommendation formula, which feeds users specific videos tailored to their preferences and interests, will be retrained, tested and updated on U.S. user data, the company said in its announcement.
- China had maintained the algorithm must remain under Chinese control by law. Under the terms of this deal, previous owner ByteDance would license the algorithm to the U.S. entity for retraining.
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Texas and Oklahoma prepare for snow and ice as huge winter storm barrels toward east of US |
The heavy snow and ice could make roadways treacherous Friday in what forecasters predict will be some of the initial effects of a massive, dayslong winter storm threatening catastrophic damage, extensive power outages and bitterly cold weather to the eastern two-thirds of the U.S. Read more. |
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Forecasters are warning the damage, especially in areas pounded by ice, could rival a hurricane. About 160 million people were under winter storm or cold weather watches or warnings — and in many places both. Ice can add hundreds of pounds to power lines and branches and make them more susceptible to snapping, especially in windy weather.
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A Black-breasted Puffleg hummingbird sips from a feeder at the Yanacocha Reserve in Nono, Ecuador, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa) |
An ancient forest in Ecuador is the last stand for a tiny hummingbird facing extinction
Despite its beauty, the survival of the Black-breasted puffleg, a tiny hummingbird, is at risk as high-altitude forests are cleared for grazing and agriculture. On the slopes of the Pichincha volcano, conservationists are now racing to restore the cloud-shrouded Yanacocha Reserve for the "smallest fairies" of the Andes. |
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