Good morning. We're covering Trump's contentious meeting with South Africa's president and Gaza's wait for aid. Plus, everyone is moving to Chengdu.
Trump lectured South Africa's presidentDuring a White House meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, President Trump showed a video and waved around printouts of what he said was evidence of racial persecution of white South Africans. Trump has long spread false claims of land seizures and mass killings of Afrikaners. While a stunned Ramaphosa looked on, Trump began flipping through his printouts, repeating, "Death, death, death." He largely dismissed Ramaphosa's attempt to describe the situation in his own country. While watching the video, Ramaphosa questioned the locations being shown, which he said he didn't recognize as being in South Africa. The meeting "was a stark example of a foreign leader essentially trying to give a reality check to Trump, who instead amplified fringe theories," Zolan Kanno-Youngs, one of our White House reporters, said. Context: There have been killings of white South Africans, but police statistics show they are not killed at a higher rate than other South Africans. Here's else what to know. Background: The U.S. is welcoming white South Africans after suspending refugee programs for everyone else. Several factors have fueled the administration's hostile approach to South Africa's government.
Gazans are still waiting for foodThree days after Israel said that it had eased its blockade of Gaza to let aid trucks in, little, if any, of the urgently needed food, fuel and medicine appear to have reached Palestinians. Dozens of trucks ferrying supplies have crossed into Gaza at the Israeli-controlled border crossing of Kerem Shalom, according to Israel. But the U.N. has so far been unable to move any trucks from Kerem Shalom to warehouses inside the enclave, according to two U.N. officials. During his first general audience in St. Peter's Square, the newly anointed pope, Leo XIV, called for aid to be allowed into Gaza. He described the situation as "increasingly worrying and painful." Humanitarian crisis: A panel of U.N.-backed experts warned this month that Gazans were at "critical risk of famine," with tens of thousands of children facing acute malnutrition. Israel dismissed the report.
Inside Russia's spy factory in BrazilRussia used Brazil for years as an assembly line for creating its most elite intelligence officers, known as illegals, a Times investigation found. The spies shed their Russian pasts, started businesses, made friends and had love affairs; over many years, these building blocks became entirely new identities. Once they were cloaked in credible back stories, they would set off for the U.S., Europe or the Middle East and begin working in deep cover. Read how the operation fell apart.
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The Chinese city of Chengdu used to be dismissed as a haven for slackers, lacking the hardworking culture of hubs like Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Young people tended to leave the city to seek their fortunes elsewhere. Not anymore. Over the past five years, Chengdu's population has surged 30 percent and its real estate is booming. Its appeal reflects young people's disillusionment with the economy. And, of course, there are the pandas. Lives lived: George Wendt, who played Norm on "Cheers," died at 76. This is why everybody knew his name.
The secrets of a manga horror masterThe Japanese artist Junji Ito, creator of popular manga series like "Tomie" and "Uzumaki," is one of the genre's biggest stars. Part of the reason for his fame is his mastery of crescendo, especially in his short stories. Ito carefully builds suspense across pages of half-glimpsed monstrosities — which are always inventive and weird — until finally revealing some terrifying, indelible image. The big payoff in an Ito story lands with such force because of the careful way he nurtures his readers' discomfort. My colleagues from the Book Review walk you through some of Ito's most unsettling panels.
Cook: This stir-fried lettuce with crispy garlic and fried eggs is a simple meal with comforting flavors and textures. Read: The author Ashley Poston recommends 10 small-town romance novels. Watch: The Norwegian dramedy "Pernille" is about as lovely as shows get. Travel: Aix-en-Provence, where Cézanne spent most of his life, is celebrating the artist with a series of events. Wear: Our fashion critic has advice for making sense of the latest trends. Play: Spelling Bee, the Mini Crossword, Wordle and Sudoku. Find all our games here. That's it for today. See you tomorrow. — Emmett P.S. Have Trump's tariffs affected you? We want to hear from you. We welcome your feedback. Send us your suggestions at briefing@nytimes.com.
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