Good morning.
Vladimir Putin has agreed to face-to-face talks with Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss a peace deal in Ukraine, according to Donald Trump and European leaders, although Moscow has not confirmed the meeting.
The potential breakthrough came after a day of tense diplomacy at the White House in which Trump ruled out a ceasefire while Zelenskyy and his allies pushed for US-backed security guarantees as part of any long-term agreement. The Ukrainian president said that security guarantees for Kyiv would be “formalized” within 10 days.
What was the mood of the talks? Trump’s initial conversation with Zelenskyy went more smoothly than their first encounter in the Oval Office six months ago, when the Ukrainian leader was berated by Trump and vice-president JD Vance. This time, doubtless to the relief of European leaders, Zelenskyy gave Trump effusive thanks for the invitation and the pair shared good-humored banter.
What was discussed? After meeting the leaders of Germany, Britain, France, Italy, Finland, the European Union and Nato, Trump wrote on Truth Social that there had been discussion of security guarantees and “which guarantees would be provided by the European countries”. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, said the talks did not include Kyiv surrendering territory to Russia.
Hamas says it accepts proposal for Gaza ceasefire and release of hostages
Hamas officials say they have accepted a proposal for a Gaza ceasefire deal that would include the release of half of the approximately 20 remaining living Israeli hostages as part of a phased resolution to the war, as Gaza health officials said 62,000 Palestinians had now been killed in the 22 months of war.
The proposed deal follows negotiations between Hamas and Egyptian and Qatari officials that have been taking place in Cairo in recent days, and comes after the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was confronted on Sunday by Israel’s biggest protests of the war, which called for a deal to secure the release of the hostages.
What are the details of the potential ceasefire? The latest Gaza ceasefire proposal agreed by Hamas includes a suspension of military operations for 60 days and could be seen as a path to reaching a comprehensive deal to end the nearly two-year-long war, according to Egyptian sources. During the period of suspension, Palestinian prisoners would be exchanged in return for half of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
What is the situation with evacuating sick Gazan children? An aid group that coordinates medical care in the United States for badly injured children from Gaza has said it is “distressed” by the US state department’s decision to stop issuing visitor visas for Palestinians after far-right influencer Laura Loomer complained directly to the secretary of state about their work.
Democrats return to Texas as California kicks off push to pass new electoral map
Texas Democrats returned to their state on Monday as California lawmakers kicked off a rapid push for voters to approve a new congressional map that could add as many as five Democratic seats in the House of Representatives.
The Texas Democrats’ return ends a two-week walkout that stalled the Republican effort to redraw the state’s congressional districts to satisfy Donald Trump’s demands to reshape the House map in his favor ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The California plan was drafted in response to Texas’s push to redraw the congressional map there.
What’s the context? The protest began on 3 August, when dozens of Texas Democrats left the state for Illinois and other blue states in a high-stakes bid to deny their Republican colleagues the quorum needed to approve the redrawn maps. Although the Democrats’ return allows Republicans to advance their redistricting plan, the quorum-breakers have declared their two-week walkout a strategic success that set off a “redistricting arms race”.
In other news …
Jasveen Sangha became the fifth and final defendant charged in the overdose death of Matthew Perry to strike a plea deal on Monday, as she agreed to plead guilty to selling the Friends star the drug that killed him.
Donald Trump announced yesterday that lawyers are drafting an executive order to eliminate mail-in voting, days after Vladimir Putin told him US elections were rigged because of postal ballots.
Bolivia’s presidential election will go to a runoff for the first time with two rightwing candidates competing, marking the end of nearly 20 years of leftist dominance.
Stat of the day: Newsmax to pay $67m to Dominion to settle 2020 election defamation lawsuit
The conservative outlet Newsmax has agreed to pay $67m to Dominion Voting Systems to settle a defamation lawsuit over lies about voting in the 2020 election. Lies about the security of Dominion voting machines became central to Donald Trump’s false claim that the election was stolen from him.
Don’t miss this: Eva Victor on sexual assault drama Sorry, Baby
The actor’s directing debut has been acclaimed for reimagining the “trauma plot”. Eva Victor talks to the Guardian about standup, bootcamp with Barry Jenkins – and what you can learn from working in a bridal shop.
Climate check: Wildfires in Canada are now burning where they never used to
In recent weeks, tens of thousands of people in Canada have been evacuated from their homes due to the wildfires. But this time the worst fires have been concentrated in the prairie provinces and the Atlantic region. Saskatchewan and Manitoba have been the worst hit, covering more than 60% of the area burned in Canada.
Last Thing: How did BuzzBallz become the undisputed drink of the summer?
When Merrilee Kick invented BuzzBallz in 2009, she was a 47-year-old teacher from Texas who needed money. Since then, BuzzBallz has grown to become the US’s biggest-selling single-serve premixed cocktail. Emma Russell explores how it became the essential alcopop at this summer’s picnics, parties and festivals.
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