📌 Russia’s Demands, G7 Meeting, EPA

Russia has presented the US with a list of demands for a deal to end its war against Ukraine and reset relations with Washington.

Sources “familiar with the matter” said it is not clear what Moscow included on its list or whether it is willing to engage in peace talks with Kyiv before their acceptance. Russian and American officials discussed the terms during in-person and virtual conversations over the last three weeks, the sources said.

They described the Kremlin's terms as broad and similar to demands it has presented to Ukraine, the US and NATO — no NATO membership for Kyiv, an agreement not to deploy foreign troops in Ukraine, and international recognition that Crimea and four provinces belong to Russia.

President Donald Trump is awaiting word from Russian President Vladimir Putin on whether he will agree to a 30-day truce that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he would accept as a first step toward peace talks.

Putin made a surprise visit late Wednesday to western Kursk, where Kremlin forces have been battling a Ukrainian incursion since August. The Kremlin occupies about 20% of Ukraine, including its eastern territories taken since Putin's invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, and Crimea, which it annexed in 2014.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio may walk into unusually unfriendly territory when he meets with his G7 counterparts.

Hours after Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs kicked in — prompting responses from the European Union and Canada and threatening to ignite trade wars — Rubio arrived at La Malbaie, Quebec, for two days of talks with ministers of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.

Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly, the official host who will see each participant separately, said that “in every single meeting, I will raise the issue of tariffs to coordinate a response with the Europeans and to put pressure on the Americans.”

On tariffs, Rubio said G7 partners should understand that these are a “policy decision” by Trump to protect American competitiveness. The G7 grouping “is not a meeting about how we’re going to take over Canada,” Rubio said, noting that they would focus on Ukraine issues and other common topics.

The agenda for the G7 meeting includes discussions on China and the Indo-Pacific; Ukraine and Europe; stability in the Americas; the Middle East; maritime security; Africa; and China, North Korea, Iran and Russia.

Rubio said his goal was not to antagonize Russia as it considers the ceasefire proposal “by issuing statements abrasive in any way.” He noted that all of the sanctions against Russia remain in place but that new threats of action could be counterproductive to getting Putin on board with the US peace plan.

Regulations on power plant and automobile emissions and protections for waterways were rolled back on Wednesday.

The announcements of over 30 deregulatory measures from Trump's Environmental Protection Agency align with the president's vows to slash regulations to boost industries from coal to manufacturing and ramp up oil and minerals production.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin started the day by saying he will narrow the definition of waterways that receive protection under the Clean Water Act — a move that could ease limits on runoff pollution from agriculture, mining, and petrochemicals.

The agency said it would review the clean power plant rule that seeks to reduce carbon emissions from power plants to fight global warming and would also roll back greenhouse gas emissions standards for heavy- and light-duty vehicles for model year 2027 and later.

"EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin is driving a dagger straight into the heart of public health," said Abel Russ, a director at the Environmental Integrity Project. Industry groups expressed support for the announcements. "Voters sent a clear message in support of affordable, reliable and secure American energy, and the Trump administration is answering the call," said Mike Sommers, president of the American Petroleum Institute.

A study finds some animals have evolved natural biological defenses against cancer that could inspire treatments for people.

The study explored the relationship among diet, blood sugar (specifically glucose) and cancer prevalence across a broad range of vertebrate species.

The study found that primary carnivores had a higher tumor prevalence than herbivores. One possible explanation is that harmful compounds accumulate in the food chain, making vertebrate meat consumption a potential risk for tumor development.

Birds, despite having significantly higher blood sugar and living longer than similarly sized mammals and reptiles, were found to have lower cancer prevalence.

The researchers say birds may have evolved cancer defenses potentially related to their high metabolic rate, reliance on fat metabolism over glucose, and cellular adaptations that limit oxidative damage. Understanding these adaptations could provide insights into how they evolve natural cancer defenses.

Apple's AI efforts, including the Apple Intelligence platform, are struggling, with iPhone sales declining year over year.

The release of a smarter version of Siri has been delayed, impacting Apple's AI strategy and iPhone upgrade cycles. Apple is facing challenges in launching Apple Intelligence in China, a key market where local competitors are gaining ground.

”It kind of shocks the system for Apple to have a delay of about a year,” Deepwater Asset Management managing partner Gene Munster said. ”Above the surface, the message is Apple intelligence is ... going to be great. And below the surface, they've got a lot of work to do.”

Critics argue that Apple was unprepared for the AI hype, releasing a half-baked product that failed to meet expectations. Competitors like Samsung and Google continue to enhance their AI functionalities, putting additional pressure on Apple.

”I don't think there are any short-term fixes here,” said Moor Insights & Strategy founder and chief analyst Patrick Moorhead. ”Even in 2026, I'll be surprised if all the capabilities are there.”

Nostalgic people are likely to have larger and closer groups of friends that can lead to better health and well-being, a study finds.

The study of 1,500 respondents in the US and Europe found that nostalgia — memories of happy times with close friends or relatives, such as childhood moments or key events such as weddings and birthdays — drives people to maintain social networks.

They were also asked about their motivation to make new friends, such as whether they were eager to make friends, wanted to meet new people and were excited to meet new people.

People who scored high or medium for nostalgia kept the same number of strong social ties over the six-year study, while those with low nostalgia scores had 18% fewer close relationships over the same period.

One researcher commented: ”People who feel nostalgic more often and value those memories are more aware of their important relationships and the need to nurture them. This means these friendships may be more likely to last, even as we get older and our lives, interests and responsibilities, change.”

In Denmark, the remnants of a ritual circle henge of wooden posts has archaeologists excited.

Its connection with Neolithic structures in the vicinity and its similarities with henges in Britain point to inter-connected Northern European beliefs and even organization. It dates 4,000 years ago to the late Neolithic, early Bronze Age period. It was found in the town of Aars during recent construction work.

Forty-five timber posts once formed a circle that may have been aligned with celestial events, but they’ve long disintegrated. In their place, a circle of post holes hint at their presence, as well as the possibility there may have been later modifications to the site.

The timber circle is located in a ritual landscape that includes one of the few already known woodhenges from Denmark, 1.2 miles to the northwest, a significant burial ground with burial mounds from the late Neolithic and several settlements from the same period.

There is also a striking parity with a known woodhenge in England, near Wiltshire. The henge in Wiltshire is believed to have served the same purpose for local people as that which Stonehenge provided for the Neolithic Britons on the Salisbury Plain — a center for ceremony, perhaps festivities, and funerals.

”It shows us that [prehistoric Britons and Danes] are sharing the same worldviews … on how to be farmers, how society connects with the supernatural,” said Sidsel Wåhlin, a curator at the Vesthimmerland Museum in Aars.