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US President Donald Trump has backed away — for now — from imposing steep levies on the European Union, two days after he threatened the bloc with 50 percent tariffs. On Sunday, Trump agreed to extend his deadline for trade talks until July 9, from the June 1 deadline he set on Friday, after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc needed more time to “reach a good deal”. Von der Leyen reportedly told Trump during a phone call that the EU needed more time to come to an agreement and asked him to delay the trade…

Russia and Ukraine have launched a wave of drone attacks against each other overnight, even as Moscow claimed it was finalising a peace proposal to end the war. Ukrainian air force officials said on Tuesday that Russia deployed 60 drones across multiple regions through the night, injuring 10 people. Kyiv’s air defences intercepted 43 of them – 35 were shot down while eight were diverted using electronic warfare systems. In Dnipropetrovsk, central Ukraine, Governor Serhiy Lysak reported damage to residential properties and an agricultural site after Russian drones led to fires during the night. In Kherson, a southern city frequently…

Kristina Smithe was running the California International Marathon in 2019, grabbing cups of water to stay hydrated, when she started to think about how much waste such events produce. On the flight home, she did the math: 9,000 runners, 17 aid stations and something like 150,000 cups used once and thrown away.“I was just shocked that, even in California, it’s not sustainable,” Smithe said. That sparked her idea for something more durable — a lightweight, pliable silicone cup that could be used again and again. After working out a design, Smithe ordered her first shipment and tested them at a…

At Armando al Pantheon, a trattoria in Rome, meals often are punctuated with a slice of torta antica roma— a rustic tart inspired by the traditional Roman combination of ricotta and cherries.It’s exceptionally light, with milky-sweet ricotta balanced by tangy, brightly hued fruit preserves. The base is a tender, buttery, almost cake-like crust, and the topping is a crumby mixture of the same composition. Sandwiched between is a layer of jam on a bed of ricotta dotted with poppy and sesame seeds. In this recipe from our cookbook “ Milk Street Backroads Italy,” we devised a dough that gets flavor…

What’s the deal with the Chelsea Chop? Are you gardeners familiar with it?After hearing about it recently, I did a bit of research. The earliest reference I could find dates back to the early 2000s, so it might appear I’m late to the party, but I’m not — and you might not be, either.After all, the pruning method, named for the Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show, which is held every May in the U.K., is one I’ve been practicing and advocating for all along, without the garden show tie-in. But things with catchy names tend to take on a…

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is asking federal agencies to cancel remaining contracts with Harvard University, a senior administration official said Tuesday.The government already has canceled more than $2.6 billion in federal research grants for the Ivy League school, which has pushed back on the administration’s demands for changes to several of its policies. Cuts to contracts could take away millions more from Harvard’s budget. A draft letter from the General Services Administration directs agencies to review contracts with the university and seek alternate vendors. The administration is planning to send a version of the letter Tuesday, the official…

It’s the last day to book a flight on Southwest Airlines without being hit with a fee to check bags after the airline abandoned a decades-long luggage policy that executives had described last fall as key to differentiating the budget carrier from its rivals.The airline announced the change in March, saying at the time that the the new policy would start with flights booked on Wednesday.Southwest said Tuesday that it will be charging $35 for a first checked bag and $45 for a second checked bag. Weight and size limits will apply for bags. Southwest had built years of advertising…

Hamas has agreed to a ceasefire proposal put forth by the United States for Gaza, according to Al Jazeera’s sources, but an American official rejected the claim and said the deal being discussed was “unacceptable” and “disappointing”. Israeli officials also denied that the proposal was from the US, saying on Monday that no Israeli government could accept it, according to the Reuters news agency. The conflicting reports came as Israeli forces kept up their relentless bombardment of starving Palestinians in Gaza, and continued to severely restrict the entry of aid into the besieged enclave. Medical sources say at least 81…

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s first locally born giant pandas have finally been named and introduced as Jia Jia and De De. The names of the cubs, affectionately known as “Elder Sister” and “Little Brother,” were announced Tuesday in a ceremony at Ocean Park, the theme park housing them, their parents and two other giant pandas that arrived from mainland China last year. The names were the winning suggestions from residents in a naming contest that drew more than 35,700 entries. The Chinese character “Jia,” from the female cub’s name “Jia Jia,” carries a message of support and features…

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says the US president ‘wants peace’ but will not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon.Washington, DC – United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem says she delivered a message from President Donald Trump to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the two countries should be aligned on how to approach Iran. Noem, who concluded a visit to Israel on Monday, told Fox News that her talks with Netanyahu were “candid and direct”. Her comments come days after US and Iranian officials held their fifth round of nuclear talks in Rome. “President Trump specifically…