Good morning.
The White House posted a digitally altered image of a woman who was arrested on Thursday in a case touted by the US attorney general, Pam Bondi, to make it seem as if she was dramatically crying, a Guardian analysis of the image has found.
The woman, Nekima Levy Armstrong, also appears to have darker skin in the altered image. Armstrong was one of three people arrested on Thursday in connection with a demonstration that disrupted church services in St Paul, Minnesota, on Sunday.
The White House X account, which has about 3.5m followers, has made at least 14 posts that used AI since the start of Donald Trump’s second term, the Poynter Institute reported in October.
What did the White House say? Asked whether the image had been digitally altered, the White House responded by sending a post on X from Kaelan Dorr, the deputy communications director. “YET AGAIN to the people who feel the need to reflexively defend perpetrators of heinous crimes in our country I share with you this message: Enforcement of the law will continue. The memes will continue. Thank you for your attention to this matter,” he said.
Trump prompts outrage with claim Nato troops avoided frontline in Afghanistan
Donald Trump has provoked outrage among British MPs and veterans after claiming Nato troops stayed away from the frontline in Afghanistan.
The president made his comments in an interview with Fox News in which he reiterated his suggestion that Nato would not support the US if asked.
His remarks drew condemnation from across the political spectrum, with critics pointing to the 457 British deaths in Afghanistan and highlighting Trump’s avoidance of military service in Vietnam.
How many Nato deaths were there? A total of 3,486 Nato troops died in the 20-year conflict, of which 2,461 were US service personnel. Canada recorded 165 deaths, including civilians. Denmark had 44 combat deaths in Afghanistan, the most per capita outside the US.
US, Ukraine and Russia to hold first trilateral talks
Ukraine, Russia and the US are to hold three-way talks in Abu Dhabi, marking the first time the three countries have sat down together since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
The meeting was confirmed in the early hours of Friday after talks at the Kremlin between the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, the US envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
The Kremlin’s diplomatic adviser, Yuri Ushakov, told reporters those talks were “useful in every respect”, adding that it was “agreed that the first meeting of a trilateral working group on security issues will take place today in Abu Dhabi”.
What do we know about the talks? The full details are unclear, including whether Russian and Ukrainian officials would meet face to face. The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said the talks would last two days.
In other news …
A fundraiser for the family of a five-year-old Minneapolis boy seized by immigration officers has raised more than $110,000. Liam Ramos was transported with his father to a detention center in Texas.
Executives from five of the country’s largest health insurance companies appeared before Congress yesterday as lawmakers examined why healthcare has become increasingly difficult for Americans to afford.
Donald Trump has withdrawn an invitation for Canada to join his “board of peace” aimed at resolving global conflicts. Trump launched the initiative at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Stat of the day: Gold approaches $5,000
Gold has hit yet another record high today, at $4,967 an ounce, pushed up by geopolitical risks, concerns about the independence of the US central bank, and anxiety that high debt levels may lead to currency debasement.
Culture Pick: ‘I can understand being brought to your knees’ – Amanda Seyfried on obsession, devotion and the joy of socks
Heady and rapturous, The Testament of Ann Lee is an all-round odd duck of a movie, the sort of go-for-broke phantasmagoria – an 18th-century musical biopic complete with feverish visions and levitating – that was once typical of Lars von Trier or Bruno Dumont. Its star, Amanda Seyfried, and writer-director, Mona Fastvold, talk fear, bonding – and not needing an Oscar.
Don’t miss this: How to recover from burnout
What do you do when you come to a hard stop? When work has got too much, even friendships feel like a drain and you feel like you simply can’t keep going with your life as it currently is? Here, writer Emma Gannon shares her tips for coming back to life after burnout.
… or this: ‘I’d give anything just to see her again’ – owners’ grief for their beloved pets
Grief over the death of a pet could be as chronic as that for a human family member, according to research. The study, published in the academic journal PLOS One, suggests grieving pet owners can suffer from prolonged grief disorder (PGD). Three owners spoke about their experiences of grief for a beloved pet.
Climate check: Dramatic rise in water-related violence recorded since 2022
Water-related violence has almost doubled since 2022 and little is being done to understand and address the trend, experts have said. There were 419 incidents of water-related violence recorded in 2024, up from 235 in 2022, according to the Pacific Institute, a US-based thinktank. The climate crisis, corruption and lack or misuse of infrastructure among factors driving water conflicts.
Last Thing: Liza Minnelli uses AI to release first new music in 13 years
Liza Minnelli has released her first new music in 13 years, adding vocals to an AI-created dance track. It is an unexpected foray into deep house for the 79-year-old, who adds a handful of spoken declarations to the pumping backing track, She expressed great faith in the potential for AI-created music.
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