First Thing: Zelenskyy ‘ready for elections’ after Trump questions Ukrainian democracy | US news

Good morning.

After Donald Trump accused him of clinging to power, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was ready to hold wartime elections within the next three months if Ukraine’s parliament and foreign allies allow it.

Although clearly annoyed by Trump’s interference, the Ukrainian president promised to explore ways to hold the vote in the coming months. “Since this question was raised today by our partners, the president of the United States, I will answer very briefly: Look, I am ready for the elections,” Zelenskyy said.

Trump made the comments in a rambling interview with Politico published early yesterday. “They haven’t held elections for a long time. You know, they talk about democracy, but it’s getting to the point where it’s no longer democracy,” he said.

• Why wasn’t there an election? Zelenskyy’s five-year term ended in May last year, but Ukraine’s constitution prohibits elections in wartime and even his political opponents have repeatedly said security and political concerns do not allow for votes to be held while the war is ongoing.

Trump rails against affordability ‘hoax’ and immigrants in rally-style speech

Donald Trump attempted to restart his troubled US presidency with a rally-style event with a series of false claims about the economy and xenophobic attacks on immigrants.

In the wake of Republican election defeats and criticism that he was out of touch with the nation’s affordability crisis, his speech in Pennsylvania yesterday was heralded as an opportunity to reinvigorate the economic narrative.

However, the president quickly returned to freewheeling campaign mode, frequently straying from his teleprompter for more than 90 minutes to hurl insults and call affordability a “hoax.”

• What else did he talk about? Familiar elements of the rally included a mocking impression of Joe Biden as well as the repetition of a racist lie about Minnesota Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar, a Muslim woman born in Somalia: “We should take her the fuck away! She married her brother… That’s why she’s here illegally.” The crowd chanted, “Send him back!” he chanted. Omar called the allegations against her brother “ridiculous.”

Eileen Higgins becomes Miami’s first Democratic mayor in 30 years

Democrat Eileen Higgins was elected mayor of Miami last night in a stunning victory that reversed Republican gains in Florida.

The election of Higgins, 61, a former county commissioner, also contributed to a string of Democratic victories across the country that served to underscore the growing level of resistance to Donald Trump in his second term as president.

• What did he campaign for? Higgins focused much of his campaign on affordability and immigration. He presented the election to voters as a referendum on the president’s policies. Their message resonated in Miami, where 57% of residents are foreign-born, according to the 2024 census.

In other news…

• SpaceX is preparing to list on the stock market next year It’s a move that could value the Elon Musk-led business at more than $1 trillion, according to reports.

• one shot pistols known as discouragers to have not widely used since then old west – but police allege a robber wearing pajama pants brandished one of them at a liquor store in Oklahoma recently.

• At least one student was killed and another was seriously injured Yesterday, a shooting took place in a dormitory at Kentucky State University. Authorities said a suspect who was not a student at the school was in custody.

• a right Activist in Hungary placed under investigation After organizing a peaceful Pride marchIt is in a situation that campaigners describe as “unprecedented and dangerous” for the EU.

Current situation: Just 0.001 percent have three times the wealth of the poorest half of humanity, report says

Less than 60,000 people (0.001% of the world’s population) control three times more wealth than the entire bottom half of humanity, according to a report arguing that global inequality has reached such extremes that urgent action is required.

In fact: Is your relationship solid or sinking? Bird theory thinks he knows

What would you say if your partner said he saw a bird today? Do you hum indifferently, or do you ask a follow-up question? If you choose the former, you might be surprised to know that thousands of people on TikTok and Instagram will judge you. But does this really reflect what we think of romance?

Don’t miss this: Matthew Perry’s secret life – ‘He used to say about himself: I need to stop and get help’

Matthew Perry’s manager, Doug Chapin, and publicist Lisa Kasteler-Calio have been working with the actor for more than 30 years. Here they discuss the man behind the headlines and why they continue their mission to help others struggling with addiction with the Matthew Perry Foundation.

…or this: ‘Hating football is more American than apple pie’ – Nobody wanted the USA to host the 1994 World Cup

Flashy draws, OJ-era chaos, turf laid on synthetic turf and the host country not really caring; The 1994 World Cup came amid suspicion and jokes. But it became a turning point that would change both U.S. sports and global soccer politics. As the United States prepares to co-host next year, Jonathan Wilson looks at the World Cup that no one wants the United States to host.

Climate control: Synthetic chemicals in the food system create a $2.2 trillion annual health burdenreport findings

Scientists have issued an urgent warning that some synthetic chemicals that help support the current food system are damaging the environment by disrupting the foundations of global agriculture and increasing rates of cancer and infertility.

Last Thing: Margot Robbie in red latex, Kate Bush impersonators and a pint of Emily beer – my crash course through Brontëmania

As Wuthering Heights gets a raunchy Hollywood remake for next Valentine’s Day, Hollie Richardson embarks on a pilgrimage to the UK village of Haworth, where its author lived, and finds her spirit still stirring up cobbled streets and windswept moors.

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