Biden and Putin begin face-to-face talks in Geneva

The two leaders will have face-to-face talks for a few hours and focus on a range of issues. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- What The World is following Biden and Putin begin face-to-face talks in Geneva [President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin, arrive to meet at the 'Villa la Grange', Wednesday, June 16, 2021, in Geneva, Switzerland.] Credit: Patrick Semansky/AP Biden-Putin summit The summit between President Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin [is underway in Geneva](, at a time when relations between the US and Russia are at a low point. The two leaders will have face-to-face talks for a few hours and [focus on a range of issues, including]( recent hacking — that the US says originated in Russia — arms control, human rights and climate change. For months, Biden and Putin have traded sharp rhetoric over Russian interference in US elections and cyberattacks — both claims denied by the Kremlin — and Washington accusing Moscow of disregarding free speech and democracy with the jailing of Putin’s foe, Alexei Navalny. Israel strikes Gaza Israeli planes [struck the Gaza Strip overnight](, in the first raid since the fragile ceasefire with Hamas began last month, after Palestinian groups sent incendiary balloons into southern Israel. The military says they targeted facilities used by Hamas for meetings and planning attacks. The latest spat followed [Tuesday’s Israeli ultranationalist march](, where hundreds paraded through predominantly Palestinian areas of East Jerusalem to commemorate Israel’s capture of the area in 1967. Palestinians considered the march a provocation. Peru election Leftist candidate Pedro Castillo, a former school teacher and union leader, [has won the most votes]( by a tight margin in the Peruvian presidential elections. With all ballots counted, Castillo has just over 50% of the votes and is ahead of Keiko Fujimori by 44,000 votes, in a race where 18.8 million Peruvians cast their ballots — a nearly 75% turnout. However, Castillo cannot yet be declared the winner until legal challenges presented by Fujimori are cleared. While observers from the Organization of American States said they found no irregularities, Fujimori has alleged electoral fraud, [but has yet to present detailed evidence]( of those claims. --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [Russia's vote at UN could cut off humanitarian aid to northwest Syria]( [In this handout file photo provided by the US Embassy in Turkey, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US Ambassador to the United Nations, examines aid materials at the Bab al-Hawa border crossing between Turkey and Syria, June 3, 2021.]( Credit: US Embassy in Turkey via AP Millions of people could be cut off from assistance if the Bab al-Hawa crossing, along the border between Turkey and Syria, closes. It's the only border crossing for humanitarian aid through northwest Syria. Russia has the power to veto a UN Security Council vote next month, something it's done in the past to restrict aid. "There's absolutely no substitute for the cross-border mechanism," Basma Alloush, a policy and advocacy adviser for the Norwegian Refugee Council, [told The World](. [Students push for adding Asian American history to school curriculums across the US]( [Students walk past a display for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month at Farmington High School in Farmington, Connecticut. The year of anti-Asian violence has led students and teachers to advocate for reexamining how Asian American studies and history are taught in public schools, May 10, 2021.]( Credit: Jessica Hill/AP/File photo Asian Americans face growing discrimination over COVID-19, but racism against the community in the US is nothing new. Now, students are pushing for better representation in the classroom. One student has been lobbying lawmakers to make Asian American history [mandatory]( in Illinois public schools, with similar efforts taking place across the United States. --------------------------------------------------------------- Bright Spot Peruvians [are restoring a centuries-old bridge]( made entirely of ropes of woven grass. They're using traditional weaving techniques to repair the 500-year-old Q’eswachaka hanging bridge that spans the Apurimac river. It's 118 feet long, hangs 60 feet above the river and is the last remaining Incan rope bridge. [Twitter screenshot]( Credit: Twitter --------------------------------------------------------------- In case you missed it from The World --------------------------------------------------------------- - [The music you hear in the Netflix series ‘Babylon Berlin’ takes you back to the Weimar Republic]( - [For the first time, NATO is focusing on China]( - [Meet the medical team vaccinating people in Turkey’s eastern mountains]( - [Humanitarian aid to northwest Syria hinges on Russia vote at UN]( - [Climate change tipping point?]( - [Americans face changes in Carlos Ghosn escape]( - [Acropolis renovations face global backlash]( - [Biden tackles domestic terrorism]( Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. 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