First Thing: Kremlin confirms Trump-Putin call to go ahead

Good morning.

The Kremlin has confirmed that Vladimir Putin will talk to Donald Trump by phone tomorrow about the Russia-Ukraine ceasefire talks. As Washington gears up for the call, European leaders are scrambling to prepare for what comes next, fearing unpredictable and controversial concessions from the US president.

EU foreign ministers are meeting this morning in Brussels to discuss what else they can do to help Ukraine. Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, sought to ramp up pressure on Russia as she arrived for the meeting, saying: “The ball is in Russia’s court and what kind of conditions they are presenting, which is [a] big question whether they want peace.”

• What is on the agenda for the call between Putin and Trump? Trump said he planned to discuss ending the war in Ukraine with the Russian president, and that negotiators had already discussed “dividing up certain assets”.

Democrats demand investigation into Musk over possible criminal corruption

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Leading Democrats today demanded an investigation of possible criminal corruption involving Elon Musk, the tech billionaire and world’s richest man who was tasked by Donald Trump with slashing the federal government.

The investigation should involve “the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision to cancel a $2.4bn contract with Verizon to upgrade air traffic control communications, and to pay … Musk’s Starlink to help manage US airspace”, senators Chris Van Hollen, Richard Blumenthal and Elizabeth Warren wrote to Pam Bondi, the attorney general, and Mitch Behm, acting inspector general of the transportation department.

• What do Democrats want to be investigated? An investigation, the letter said, would determine whether Musk, “in his capacity as a special government employee in the White House … has participated in any particular matter in which he has a financial interest, which would violate the criminal conflict-of-interest statute”.

Houthis and US both vow escalation after wave of deadly American airstrikes in Yemen

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The US and the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen are both vowing escalation after the US launched a wave of deadly airstrikes on Saturday with the stated aim of deterring the rebel group from attacking Red Sea shipping.

Updating an earlier death toll, the Houthi health ministry spokesperson Anis al-Asbahi said 53 people had been killed including “five children and two women”, and that 98 people had been injured.

The airstrikes hit in the capital, Sana’a, and other provinces, including Saada, the Houthi rebels’ stronghold on the border with Saudi Arabia.

In other news …

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• The US defense department webpage celebrating an army general who was awarded the country’s highest military decoration has been removed and the letters “DEI” added to the site’s address.

• Donald Trump will visit the renowned John F Kennedy Center arts institution after ousting its leadership, taking over as chair and seeking to put his stamp on the programming.

• The US deported more than 250 mainly Venezuelan alleged gang members to El Salvador despite a US judge’s ruling to halt the flights after Donald Trump controversially invoked the Alien Enemies Act.

• Several states remained under a National Weather Service watch for damaging wind and tornadoes, as the death toll from weekend storms rose to 36.

Stat of the day: Jury awards $50m to man disfigured by scalding tea from Starbucks

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A delivery driver was awarded $50m in a lawsuit after being seriously burned when a Starbucks drink spilled in his lap at a California drive-through, court records show. A Los Angeles county jury found on Friday for Michael Garcia, who underwent skin grafts and other procedures on his genitals and suffered permanent and life-changing disfigurement after a venti-size drink spilled just after he collected it on 8 February 2020.

Don’t miss this: The look of the Irish – a ‘green wave’ takes over pop culture and fashion

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After decades of paddywhackery, Ireland has finally broken free from the cliches imposed upon it. From Paul Mescal, Cillian Murphy and Saoirse Ronan charming Hollywood to fashion falling for designers including Simone Rocha; from authors such as Sally Rooney and Paul Lynch scooping up literary prizes to the “Guinnaissance”, a new green wave is ruling pop culture. “There’s a real [gravitation] towards the Irish and Irish culture right now,” says Samantha Barry, the editor-in-chief of Glamour.

Last Thing: US astronauts stranded on ISS for nine months to return to Earth on Tuesday, Nasa says

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A pair of US astronauts stuck for more than nine months on the International Space Station will be returned to Earth on Tuesday evening, Nasa has said. Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Suni Williams are to be transported home onboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon craft. They have been on the ISS since June, after the Boeing Starliner spacecraft they were testing on its maiden crewed voyage suffered propulsion issues and was deemed unfit to fly them back to Earth.

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Stephen Collopy

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