The Daily Populous

Friday August 15th, 2025 evening edition

image for Alaskans greet Putin with Ukrainian flags, protest ‘war criminal hanging out here’

“Ukraine and Alaska — Russian never again,” Ostap Yarysh, media advisor of Razom for Ukraine foundation, said in a post on X, along with footage of the protest.

The local organizers of the rally said "Alaska opposes tyranny" in a post on social media, calling on supporters to "come together in Anchorage, Alaska, to protest against an international war criminal hanging out here.".

“The decision to host Putin, a war criminal, on Alaskan soil is a betrayal of our history and the moral clarity demanded by the suffering of Ukraine and other occupied peoples,” the Native Movement NGO said in a statement, calling for Trump not to make a deal with Putin.

Trump said he planned to organize a trilateral meeting with the Ukrainian president and Putin soon after the Alaska meeting.

The U.S. president said there were “three ideas” for locations — and “by far the easiest” would be staying in Alaska.

Ukraine and its European allies have expressed some cautious optimism about the summit, after Trump hardened his criticism of Putin over his role in prolonging the war and floated the idea of U.S. security guarantees to facilitate a ceasefire, something he had previously rejected. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday confirmed that stance, saying in a press conference Thursday: “To achieve a peace, I think we all recognize that there’ll have to be some conversation about security guarantees.".

Though Trump initially floated the idea of Ukraine “swapping land for peace," he later promised Ukrainian and European leaders that he would not discuss the issue with Putin and without Zelenskyy. »

More than 400 people suspected to have died from extreme heat in Arizona county

Authored by theguardian.com
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More than 400 people are suspected to have died from extreme heat in Maricopa county, Arizona, so far this summer, according to official figures, as the brutal current heatwave enters its 12th day.

Another 369 suspected heat-related deaths remain under investigation, according to the county’s heat surveillance dashboard which is updated weekly.

Heat-related deaths have soared in Maricopa county over the past decade, with 645 in 2023 compared to 61 in 2014. »

Putin to present Trump with 'historical materials' framing Ukraine as artificial state, Kyiv claims

Authored by kyivindependent.com
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Russian President Vladimir Putin will present U.S. President Donald Trump with "historical materials" to frame Ukraine as an artificial state during their summit in Alaska, Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation claimed on Aug. 14.

According to the center, the package includes geographical maps intended to justify Russia's territorial claims and ongoing military aggression in Ukraine.

The claim comes a day before the first face-to-face meeting between Putin and Trump since the start of Trump's second term, talks the White House has described as part of Washington's push to end the war in Ukraine. »

Too-hot trucker jumps off bridge on Dutch highway, causing great alarm

Authored by nltimes.nl
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A Hungarian trucker seeking some relief from the hot summer weather caused great alarm in Dordrecht on Tuesday when he parked his truck on the shoulder of the A16 highway and jumped off the Moerdijk Bridge.

The emergency services, thinking it was a suicide attempt, responded in great numbers, the Dordrecht police wrote on Instagram.

The police, including a police helicopter, the fire brigade, an ambulance, and the sea rescue institute KNRM, responded to the scene. »

Trump plans red carpet treatment for Putin at Alaska meeting – NBC News

Authored by pravda.com.ua
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US President Donald Trump is preparing to roll out the red carpet for Russian leader Vladimir Putin's arrival at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska on 15 August.

Source: European Pravda; NBC News, an American broadcast television network, citing two senior administration officials.

Details: Trump plans to greet the Russian leader personally when he arrives. »