2025-01-25 20:48

Zelenskiy says he believes Trump wants peace in Ukraine Says framework unclear, but Ukraine must be involved in any talks Promises coal to Moldova to solve its energy crisis KYIV, Jan 25 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump could fulfil his promise to end the war in Ukraine, but only if he includes Kyiv in any talks, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday. Zelenskiy also said the terms of any deal that might arise under Trump were still unclear - and might not even be clear to Trump himself - because Russian President Vladimir Putin had no interest in ending the war. Trump, who took office on Monday, promised during his election campaign to end the war within his first 24 hours in the White House, without saying how. Aides have since suggested that a deal could take months. Ending the war would not be possible unless Trump includes Ukraine itself in any negotiations, Zelenskiy told reporters alongside Moldova's president, Maia Sandu, a visiting ally. "Otherwise it will not work. Because Russia does not want to end the war, while Ukraine wants to end it," he said. In a separate interview broadcast later on Saturday, Zelenskiy said he believed Trump truly wanted to see an end to the war, nearing the three-year mark next month. "For now, we don't know how this will happen because we don't know the details," Zelenskiy told Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, who was released this month after being detained for 21 days in Iran. "I believe President Trump himself does not know all the details. Because I would say so much depends on what sort of just peace we can achieve. And whether Putin wants, in principle, to stop the war. I believe he doesn't want to." Trump, he said, understood all the challenges associated with the peace process "and he is simply saying this has to end or it will get worse." Trump has expressed willingness to speak to Putin about ending the war, a contrast with the outgoing administration of Joe Biden, who shunned the Russian leader. Kyiv, long worried about the prospect of its fate being decided by bigger powers without its participation, has said it is working to arrange a meeting between Zelenskiy and Trump. Addressing journalists earlier alongside Sandu, Zelenskiy said he believed European allies should also be included in any future peace talks. "As for what the set-up of the talks will be: Ukraine, I really hope Ukraine will be there, America, Europe and the Russians," Zelenskiy said. "Yes, I would really want that Europe would take part, because we will be members of the European Union," he said. Ukraine and Moldova both submitted applications to join the EU days after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. On Friday, Putin said he would like to meet Trump to talk about Ukraine. He cited a 2022 decree from Zelenskiy barring talks with Putin as a barrier to negotiations. Zelenskiy said on Saturday he had introduced this ban to stop Putin from forming channels of communication with other groups in Ukraine, which he said Russia had attempted, particularly those advocating separatist views. "I therefore took an absolutely fair decision," he said. "I am the president of Ukraine and the leader of these or any other talks and I banned all the others." Zelenskiy also said Ukraine was ready to offer coal to Moldova, which is gripped by an energy crisis after flows of Russian gas through Ukraine stopped in the new year. Moldova accuses Moscow of refusing to send gas by other routes. “Russia’s latest move has been to orchestrate an energy crisis," Sandu told reporters. She said energy prices had shot up in areas controlled by her government, and the situation was worse in a region held by pro-Russian separatists who relied on Russian energy and were subject to daily power cuts. Sandu said this was part of a calculated Russian strategy to sow chaos in Moldova and bring a pro-Russian government to power in Moldova. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/zelenskiy-hopes-europe-us-will-be-involved-any-ukraine-peace-talks-2025-01-25/

2025-01-25 11:43

KYIV, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Moldovan President Maia Sandu arrived in Kyiv on Saturday for talks with her Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy, she said in a post on the X social network. "We’ll discuss security, energy, infrastructure, trade, and mutual support on the EU path," she said. Moldova is facing an energy crisis after supply of Russian gas via Ukraine ended at the beginning of the year. Kyiv refused to enter talks to renew the gas transit deal due to Moscow's full-scale invasion, ongoing for nearly three years. Moldova says alternate supply routes exist, but Russia has refused to reroute gas flows until the payment of an alleged $709 million in arrears, a figure disputed by Chisinau. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/moldovan-president-sandu-arrives-kyiv-talks-with-zelenskiy-2025-01-25/

2025-01-25 11:15

Rain poses risk of spreading toxins from fire debris Efforts to prevent toxic runoff include barriers and filters Residents concerned about long-term health and environmental impacts LOS ANGELES, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Wearing a respirator, goggles, gloves and white protective booties, Shaun Kearney gazed at his house in Sunset Mesa, a coastal community next to Pacific Palisades. It survived the fires destroying Los Angeles, but the weekend forecast is for a different problem: rain. Kearney needs to seal a hole in the roof to stop precipitation that he fears will be laced with toxins. The hazardous chemicals belched from burning homes and cars are top of mind for Kearney as he thinks about recovery and rebuilding that he believes will take years. Most of the neighboring homes were built before 1979, when asbestos was freely used in construction and those houses were reduced to ash. "Even though our house is still standing, we obviously can't live here," said the fashion business executive, the CEO of Harry Styles' "Pleasing" brand. "It will be worse when they start removing the debris -- that's my biggest concern." The fires, which began on Jan. 7 and are still not fully contained, have killed 28 people and damaged or destroyed nearly 16,000 structures. The rain will bring cleaner air and improve fire-fighting conditions, but some authorities have expressed concern that overall rain will make things worse. Fire "ripped through homes, vehicles, electronics, plastics, chemicals, furniture, and countless everyday materials, creating a dangerous mix of toxins," LA Councilmember Traci Parks warned residents this week as she announced efforts to contain the runoff. "When it rains, they flow into our gutters, storm drains … eventually our beaches." On Friday, workers placed concrete barriers used to control highway traffic along the Pacific Coast Highway and in Palisades neighborhoods above the coastline to prevent landslides, like those that killed 21 and caused hundreds of millions of dollars of damage after a fire seven years ago in Santa Barbara County. Other workers put cloth covers and straw barriers around storm drains to filter out pollutants and slow water flow. Trucks hauled away burned-out cars, many of which are toxic messes. The work is far from done: hulls of incinerated cars line roadsides and fill driveways, and many drains appeared unprotected. Much of the work observable in the Palisades focused on capping broken gas and water pipes, repairing power lines and patching roads. President Donald Trump visited the area on Thursday. The forecast for Saturday, Sunday and Monday is light rain. Still, the U.S. Geological Survey says that short, intense rain can trigger debris flows, with a map showing that much of the area of the Palisades and Eaton fires would have a high likelihood of hazard with a 15-minute burst of rain dropping between a quarter and half an inch (6-13 mm). While toxins from burned houses are at least partially contained by their foundations, vehicles and mobile homes are typically parked on impermeable surfaces like asphalt, so when rainwater picks up metals from burned car batteries or tires, it can run straight into the storm sewers. "There is nothing containing that ash," says Jackson Webster, professor of civil engineering at California State University Chico, who studied the effects of the 2018 Camp Fire in Northern California. While the immediate danger to human health from dirty stormwater may be limited, he said, the impact on ecosystems including the ocean has not been well studied. Runoff could also sink into soil, contaminating gardens and once well-tended grounds. SOME POSITIVES In recent days police have escorted hundreds of residents like Kearney back into previously evacuated areas where, even blocks from the worst damage, there are still frequent whiffs of acrid ash. Rain will help, experts say. "There is no downside, from the air perspective ... a light rain like this is a good thing," says UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability Professor Suzanne Paulson, who studies air pollutants and says falling water captures airborne particles and deposits them in the soil where they cannot be breathed in. But to many residents, the risks from toxins are incalculable. "That is the reason we are not staying here. It is an unknown," said Jose Montelongo, 46, a general contractor whose rented home in the Pacific Palisades was not destroyed in the fire. They have a young son, he added. "It's not worth finding out." Daniel and Miriam Dvorsky, with their son Jake, were sifting through the ruins of their burned-out home a few blocks from Kearney's home in Sunset Mesa on Friday, looking for heirlooms passed down from grandparents. There was little to salvage. "We would like nothing more than to rebuild," said Daniel, who, along with his wife wore white coveralls and N95 masks provided by the Red Cross. He added, however, that he feels that political, economic and environmental constraints may make reconstruction difficult. A couple of firefighters drove by in a truck. "Anything I can help you with," one asked. Daniel, lounging on a blue lawn chair -- one of his only belongings that remained unscathed -- replied: "A Scotch, maybe." Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/fire-ravaged-los-angeles-braces-toxic-rain-runoff-2025-01-25/

2025-01-25 06:47

Jan 24 (Reuters) - California firefighters could make more headway in containing three major wildfires burning in and around Los Angeles on Friday, as the latest round of blistering winds dissipates and the area's first rainfall in months arrives over the weekend. The improved outlook comes after weeks of frustration in snuffing out the crisis, as crews contended with water shortages, gale-force winds, bone-dry air, and a steady outbreak of new fires that have stretched resources thin. The fresh optimism coincides with a planned visit by President Donald Trump later on Friday to survey the destruction. Trump has sharply criticized local and state officials for their handling of the massive fires, which have incinerated entire neighborhoods, killing 28 people and damaging or destroying nearly 16,000 structures. As much as 1.5 inches of rain was expected to fall this weekend as hot, dry Santa Ana winds eased, said Rich Otto, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center. After gusts of 60 mph on Thursday, winds would top out at 25-to-40 mph on Friday and diminish through the day. "It'll be a cold rain starting late Saturday and continuing into Monday, with some snow in higher elevations, but the concern is areas with burn scars from the fires," he said. But the region's first significant rainfall in months would also increase the risk of dangerous mudslides on hillsides denuded of vegetation by fires over the past two weeks. Red flag warnings, signaling extreme fire danger, are set to expire in the Southern California area at 10 a.m. local time, said Andrew Orrison, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. "Basically, the reason is because of the slackening winds," he said. "The changing conditions will also bring higher humidity which should help fire containment." The latest big fire to break out in the Los Angeles area has already scorched 10,300 acres in the San Fernando Valley but firefighters managed to achieve 36 percent control of the Hughes Fire's perimeter by late Thursday, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said on its website. The Eaton and Palisades fires - on the eastern and western flanks of the metropolis - have burned for 18 days. The Eaton Fire, which destroyed much of the Altadena community near Pasadena, was 95% contained, raising hope that firefighters could encircle its entirety on Friday. The Palisades Fire, which has devastated the affluent Pacific Palisades enclave near Santa Monica, was 72% contained, Cal Fire said, late on Thursday. A series of smaller fires also menaced the area in recent days. The Sepulveda Fire, which began early Thursday morning, has burned 45 acres along the 405 freeway near the Getty Center museum - home to numerous art treasures through 45 acres. Now 60% contained, the fore briefly caused part of the busy highway to be closed and forced some evacuations. Two new blazes erupted on Thursday in the San Diego area. Evacuation orders were ordered but later lifted on Thursday in the La Jolla enclave near the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, after a two-acre brush fire erupted. A second fire, further south near the U.S.-Mexico border, spread through the Otay Mountain Wilderness, and was reported at 4,250 acres and zero percent contained late on Thursday. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/with-rain-forecast-weary-los-angeles-hopeful-progress-against-wildfires-2025-01-24/

2025-01-24 23:42

Boeing dips on warning of wider-than-expected Q4 loss Verizon rises on upbeat Q4 subscriber additions American Express falls after Q4 results US business activity at nine-month low in January Indexes off: Dow 0.32%, S&P 500 0.29%, Nasdaq 0.50% Jan 24 (Reuters) - Wall Street's main indexes closed lower on Friday as investors stepped back while they digested a mixed bag of economic data and earnings reports and prepared for a week filled with economic releases and a Federal Reserve meeting. The technology sector (.SPLRCT) , opens new tab was the biggest drag on the market as megacap stocks, including artificial intelligence chip leader Nvidia (NVDA.O) , opens new tab, reversed a sharp rally earlier in the week. The housing market data was hotter than expected, while an S&P Global survey showed business activity slowing to a nine-month low in January as prices rose. However, firms reported increased hiring, supporting the Federal Reserve's cautious approach to monetary policy this year. The University of Michigan's final estimate on consumer sentiment dropped to 71.1 from a previous estimate of 73.2. At the end of a relatively light week for data, traders were betting the Fed would keep borrowing costs unchanged at its Jan. 28-29 meeting and expect its first rate cut in June, the latest data from CME Group's FedWatch tool showed. "It really boils down to some mixed economics and earnings news," said Scott Helfstein, head of investment strategy at ETF company Global X. Investors are bracing for next week's slew of key inflation and economic growth data as well as the Fed meeting, while waiting for policy updates from the Trump administration. "There is anticipation of a really big news week ahead. And there is lingering policy uncertainty with the new administration's first week on the job, which is likely to persist for the next few weeks," he said. Investors worry that U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed tariffs could exacerbate inflationary pressures and slow Fed rate cuts, after he referred to trade policy multiple times this week without providing concrete details of his plans. Trump has said tariffs on Mexico, Canada, China and the European Union could be announced on Feb. 1, but analysts say major plans could be announced on April 1. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) , opens new tab fell 140.82 points, or 0.32%, to 44,424.25, the S&P 500 (.SPX) , opens new tab lost 17.47 points, or 0.29%, to 6,101.24 and the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC) , opens new tab lost 99.38 points, or 0.50%, to 19,954.30. The indexes advanced for the second week in a row, with the S&P 500 up 1.74%, while the Nasdaq rose 1.65% and the Dow climbed 2.15%. Six of the 11 S&P 500 industry sectors rose, with communications services (.SPLRCL) , opens new tab up 1.09% to lead gains, just ahead of utilities (.SPLRCU) , opens new tab, which rose 1.07%. Utilities' biggest advancer, NextEra Energy Inc (NEE.N) , opens new tab, rose about 5.2% and was also the S&P 500's biggest gainer on the day. The benchmark S&P 500 (.SPX) , opens new tab had ended Thursday with a record closing high for the first time since early December after Trump called for taxes, oil prices and interest rates to be lowered during his first international appearance this term at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. On Wednesday the market had been bolstered by a sharp rally in technology stocks. But on Friday tech was the weakest sector, with a 7.2% tumble in shares of chip maker Texas Instruments , which forecast a first-quarter profit below Street estimates as it grapples with an inventory buildup in its key automotive and industrial markets. The S&P 500's biggest drag was Nvidia, which lost 3.1%. Other heavyweight laggards were Microsoft (MSFT.O) , opens new tab, down 0.6% and Tesla (TSLA.O) , opens new tab, which fell 1.4%. In other sectors, American Express (AXP.N) , opens new tab reported a 12% jump in fourth-quarter profit but its shares fell 1.4% to weigh on the blue-chip Dow. Also dragging on the Dow was Boeing (BA.N) , opens new tab, which lost 1.4% after the planemaker warned of a fourth-quarter loss of about $4 billion. Boeing is due to report results on Tuesday. Verizon (VZ.N) , opens new tab shares rose 0.9% after the cellphone service provider reported higher-than-expected quarterly subscriber additions. Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 1.45-to-1 ratio on the NYSE where there were 249 new highs and 32 new lows. On the Nasdaq, 2,242 stocks rose and 2,140 fell as advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 1.05-to-1 ratio. The S&P 500 posted 20 new 52-week highs and two new lows while the Nasdaq Composite recorded 79 new highs and 64 new lows. On U.S. exchanges 14.02 billion shares changed hands compared with the 14.90 billion average for the last 20 sessions. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/futures-dip-trump-policy-uncertainty-data-earnings-awaited-2025-01-24/

2025-01-24 22:41

Trump visits North Carolina and California First trip since reclaiming the presidency on Monday Criticizes FEMA's handling of Hurricane Helene recovery Says states should be given federal money to handle disasters LOS ANGELES, Jan 24 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday floated shuttering the Federal Emergency Management Agency during a trip to disaster areas in North Carolina and California, where he pledged government support and sparred with Democratic officials. Fresh from assuming office on Monday, Trump's visit showcased a desire to show up early in the two states, hit by a hurricane and massive wildfires, respectively. But he punctured the visits with criticism of FEMA, vowing to sign an executive order to overhaul or eliminate the main federal agency that responds to natural disasters. "FEMA has turned out to be a disaster," he said during a tour of a North Carolina neighborhood destroyed by September's Hurricane Helene. "I think we recommend that FEMA go away." Trump accused FEMA of bungling emergency relief efforts there and said he preferred that states be given federal money to handle disasters themselves. The president has also criticized California's response to the Los Angeles fires, which have caused widespread destruction, but he pledged to work with Governor Gavin Newsom and offered help to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass while visiting the state. "We're looking to get something completed. And the way you get it completed is to work together to govern the state, and we're going to get it completed. They're going to need a lot of federal help," Trump told reporters after Newsom met him on the tarmac when Air Force One landed later in Los Angeles. Three massive blazes still threaten the region. Newsom, a Democrat who has had a tense relationship with the Republican leader, told Trump that California would need his support. Trump has accused Newsom and Bass of "gross incompetence" and Republican colleagues in Congress have threatened to withhold disaster aid. During a meeting with California officials, Trump sparred with Bass and another Democratic lawmaker, pressing the mayor to use her emergency powers, let people get back to their properties quickly, and allow them to remove debris on their own. Bass emphasized the importance of safety and the lawmaker, Representative Brad Sherman, praised FEMA's work. Trump asked Richard Grenell, a former ambassador to Germany, to represent him in the response to the California fires. WATER FIGHT, FEMA SHUTDOWN? Trump has previously threatened to withhold aid to California and repeated in North Carolina a false claim that Newsom and other officials refused to provide water from the northern part of the state to fight the fires. Water shortages caused some hydrants to run dry in affluent Pacific Palisades, hindering the early response. When the fires broke out, one of the reservoirs that could have supplied more water to the area had been empty for a year. Officials have promised an investigation into why it was dry. Bass and fire officials have said the hydrants were not designed to deal with such a massive disaster, and stressed the unprecedented nature of the fires. Meanwhile, experts doubt that Trump alone can shut down FEMA. Rob Verchick, a former Obama administration official at the Environmental Protection Agency and now a professor at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, said eliminating FEMA most likely requires Congressional action. He said FEMA was created by former President Jimmy Carter by executive order but has been assigned roles and funding by Congress for the country's emergency response programs. FEMA brings in emergency personnel, supplies and equipment to help areas begin to recover from natural disasters. Funding for the agency has soared in recent years as extreme weather events have increased the demand for its services. The agency has 10 regional offices and employs more than 20,000 people across the country. FEMA was a target of Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump's second term prepared by his allies that the president distanced himself from during the election. The plan called for dismantling the Department of Homeland Security and relocating FEMA to the Department of Interior or the Department of Transportation. In addition, it suggested changing the formula that the agency uses to determine when federal disaster assistance is warranted, shifting the costs of preventing and responding to disasters to states. Trump complained that his predecessor Joe Biden did not do enough to help western North Carolina recover from Helene, an accusation the Biden administration rejected as misinformation. In an X post on Friday, Democratic U.S. Representative Deborah Ross of North Carolina said FEMA had been a crucial partner in the state's recovery from the hurricane. "I appreciate President Trump's concern about Western NC, but eliminating FEMA would be a disaster for our state," she said. The trip to North Carolina and California culminates a week during which Trump moved with stunning speed to meet campaign promises on illegal immigration, the size of the federal workforce, energy and the environment, gender and diversity policies, and pardons for supporters jailed for the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-visit-north-carolina-los-angeles-disaster-tour-2025-01-24/