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The US attorney general announced Thursday the arrest of two women who allegedly disturbed a church service while protesting the massive immigration crackdown in Minnesota, as Vice President JD Vance prepared to visit the state.Nekima Levy Armstrong and Chauntyll Louisa Allen were arrested in connection with a Sunday protest at Cities Church in the state capital St. Paul, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on X.St. Paul and the neighboring metropolis of Minneapolis have been the epicenter of a major deployment of federal agents by the Trump administration to the Democratic-led northern US state.Tensions have flared in the state over a wave of arrests and the killing of protester Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent.Vance, who has aggressively defended the officer who killed Good, was due in Minnesota later Thursday and is expected to meet ICE officers, as well as community and business figures.Good, 37, was shot dead in her car by the ICE officer on January 7.Homeland Security Investigations and FBI “agents executed an arrest in Minnesota,” US Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on X.”So far, we have arrested Nekima Levy Armstrong, who allegedly played a key role in organizing the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. We will share more updates as they become available. Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP.” She later wrote that officers had also arrested Allen for the action where an immigration official was apparently leading a service, according to US media.”WE WILL PROTECT OUR HOUSES OF WORSHIP,” she posted.FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X that Armstrong had been arrested under the FACE Act, a law intended to protect those seeking to access abortion clinics and places of worship.Minnesota has sought a temporary restraining order for the ICE operation in the state which, if granted by a federal judge, would pause the sweeps. There will be a hearing on the application Monday.There have been confrontations between federal agents and protesters who have demanded a full investigation of Good’s killing, with officers frequently deploying pepper spray and tear gas.A number of school children have walked out of classes in protest at the ICE operation in the city.The officer who fired the shots that killed Good, Jonathan Ross, has neither been suspended nor charged with any crime. Trump and his officials quickly defended his actions as being legitimately made in self-defense.The federal immigration sweeps in Minneapolis occurred amid a highly politicized fraud investigation in Minnesota.

A day after US President Donald Trump and NATO’s chief purportedly struck a deal on Greenland, residents expressed anger and frustration that the Danish territory was again being sidelined in talks about its future.Carrying two steaming cappuccinos from a popular American coffee chain on Thursday, Niels Berthelsen took the time to stop despite the icy cold winds whipping the streets of Nuuk, the Greenlandic capital.”If they want to make deals about Greenland, they have to invite Greenland to the negotiating table,” the 49-year-old skipper told AFP.”Nothing about Greenland without Greenland,” he insisted repeatedly.Trump backed down on threats to seize Greenland by force after meeting NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Wednesday, saying they had reached a “framework” deal on the Danish autonomous territory.While details of the agreement made at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort of Davos remained scant, many Greenlanders, who fiercely defend their right to self-determination, were disappointed.”It’s obviously a good thing that the military threat has gone down,” Berthelsen said.”But they could just as easily have reached an agreement by inviting Greenland to the table, rather than having Mark Rutte negotiate a deal with Trump by himself. I find that very disrespectful on Mark Rutte’s part.”Fellow Nuuk resident Esther Jensen agreed.”I’m very disappointed, because Rutte cannot make any kind of agreement with Trump without Denmark or Greenland, and Denmark cannot make any decision without Greenland either. So we are very disappointed,” said Jensen.Greenland’s prime minister said he was not aware of the contents of the framework agreement, but stressed no deal could be made without involving the island.”Nobody else than Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark have the mandate to make deals or agreements about Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark without us,” Jens-Frederik Nielsen told a press conference.”We have some red lines… We have to respect our territorial integrity. We have to respect international law, sovereignty.”Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Rutte had coordinated with her and the Greenlandic government — though Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said on social media that Rutte “cannot negotiate an agreement on behalf of Denmark or Greenland”.- Longing for quieter times -A Danish colony for three centuries, Greenland, which today has around 57,000 inhabitants, gradually gained autonomy in the second half of the 20th century.But Denmark’s assimilation policies — including de facto bans on the Inuit language and forced sterilisations — have left Greenlanders bitter and angry.”Our country will neither be given away, nor will our future be gambled with,” Greenland’s Deputy Prime Minister Mute Egede said in a post on Facebook.”It is unacceptable to attempt to hand our land to others. This is our land — we are the ones who shape its future.”In Nuuk, some residents wondered what really went down in Davos.”We know all too well that Trump has a tendency to read too much into some things,” said 80-year-old pensioner Arkalo Abelsen.”When Rutte… says that they’ve spoken about some possible solutions, in Trump’s mind, that becomes a deal,” Abelsen said, leaning on a crutch.”That’s not a deal. There’s no agreement.”The unwelcome surge of interest in Greenland, and the turbulence caused by recent events, has tested locals’ tranquil temperament.”Ever since Trump was re-elected president, we never know what’s going to happen from one day to the next,” said Abelsen.”Especially when he goes after our country like it’s a piece of ice drifting in the sea. It’s very destabilising. We feel powerless.”My wife and I speak about it every day. We say, ‘If only we could go back to the days before Trump.’ Back then, we knew what was going to happen.”Susan Gudmundsdottir Johnsen, a 52-year-old travel agency employee, also said she longed for quieter times.”From now on, we need peace and quiet.”

Vampire period horror film “Sinners” smashed the all-time Oscars record with 16 nominations, the Academy announced Thursday.The blues-inflected race allegory from director Ryan Coogler scored nominations in nearly every category possible, including best picture.In doing so, “Sinners” blasted past the previous record of 14, jointly held by “Titanic,” “La La Land” and “All About Eve.”Coogler told industry website Deadline that the “pretty crazy” record haul of nominations was “so rewarding.” A rare original Hollywood film that is not based on any existing franchise, “Sinners” was viewed with skepticism by many in the business before its April release, but became a $360 million global hit.Coogler said he “did not have any expectations” for awards, adding that “people just showing up to the movies and having a good time, that would’ve been enough.”But its huge tally included a best actor nomination for Michael B. Jordan — who plays twins returning home to the 1930s segregated US South — plus nods for everything from screenplay to score.There was also a nomination for best casting, the first new category to be added to Hollywood’s most prestigious awards in more than two decades.”One Battle After Another” came in second place with 13 nods including best picture, best actor for Leonardo DiCaprio and best director for Paul Thomas Anderson.But its female lead, 25-year-old newcomer Chase Infiniti, was surprisingly snubbed by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voters.Both of the top two nomination getters came from Warner Bros, the movie studio that is currently the target of a bidding war between Netflix and Paramount.Guillermo del Toro’s monster epic “Frankenstein,” Timothee Chalamet’s ping-pong drama “Marty Supreme” and Norwegian arthouse favorite “Sentimental Value” each bagged nine nominations.”Hamnet,” a period drama in which William Shakespeare and his wife struggle to cope with the loss of their son in plague-ravaged Elizabethan England, secured eight.Jessie Buckley was nominated for playing the Bard’s long-suffering wife Agnes, though the film’s male lead Paul Mescal missed out.”There’s no part of Agnes that exists without Paul… and what he poured into this story,” Buckley told The Hollywood Reporter after the announcement.- Acting races -The nominations set the stage for the 98th Oscars ceremony on March 15.While “Sinners” tops the nominations, “One Battle” remains the frontrunner to win best picture, having won almost every precursor prize going so far this awards season.The zany thriller about a retired revolutionary looking for his teen daughter against a wild backdrop of radical violence, immigration raids and white supremacists broke the all-time record for nominations by Hollywood’s Screen Actors Guild.DiCaprio, Chalamet and Jordan will do battle for the best actor Oscar, along with Ethan Hawke for Broadway period drama “Blue Moon,” and Wagner Moura from Brazilian political thriller “The Secret Agent.”For best actress, Buckley will compete with Emma Stone playing an alien — or is she? — in conspiracy theorist drama “Bugonia,” Renate Reinsve in “Sentimental Value,” Kate Hudson in quirky music biopic “Song Sung Blue,” and Rose Byrne as a struggling mom in indie hit “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.”- International voters -With the Academy’s overseas voter base rapidly expanding, both “Sentimental Value” and “The Secret Agent” were nominated for best picture.But Persian-language Palme d’Or winner “It Was Just An Accident” missed out in the top category, and will compete for best international film, along with Spain’s nomadic hippie odyssey “Sirat” and heart-wrenching Palestinian docudrama “The Voice of Hind Rajab.”Pop megastar Ariana Grande surprisingly missed out on a best supporting actress nomination for her portrayal of Glinda in “Wicked: For Good,” which failed to pick up any nods.Recently appointed Academy president Lynette Howell Taylor opened the early-morning announcement in Los Angeles with a warning about the threat of artificial intelligence.”We live in a time of limitless technology that enables us to push the boundaries of our cinematic experience,” she said.”And our profound belief is that the heartbeat of film is and will always remain unmistakably human.”

New York City has sued to block a documentary about the police department fronted by celebrity psychologist Dr. Phil that local officials say is “extremely problematic.”In a lawsuit filed Wednesday, the city argues episodes of the documentary “Behind the Badge,” which was given the green light by former mayor Eric Adams, “pose an imminent threat to the life and safety of active NYPD officers.” “For example, the faces, voices, and names of undercover officers conducting operations in plainclothes are not obscured,” the complaint alleges.”There are numerous other pieces of harmful footage that cannot be released to the public. For example, the identities of individuals in NYPD custody are depicted in the rough cuts without any blurring or redactions applied to their faces.”The city, now led by Democratic mayor Zohran Mamdani, is asking the court to prohibit the sale, distribution, or broadcast of the material, which a New York State Supreme Court judge temporarily granted on Wednesday.Mamdani has sought to chart a starkly different course from his predecessor Adams, a flamboyant former police captain known for his idiosyncratic style and love of publicity.On Friday, a judge will hold a hearing on the documentary that is produced by TV talkshow host Dr. Phil’s son Jordan McGraw and his production company McGraw Media, court filings showed.

Former special counsel Jack Smith defiantly defended his prosecution of Donald Trump in a long-awaited showdown on Thursday with Republican critics in the US Congress, citing overwhelming evidence that he led a “criminal scheme” to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.Although Smith, who led two failed prosecutions against Trump, never got his day in court, the televised hearing before the House Judiciary Committee provided the opportunity he has long sought to make his case to the American public.A veteran federal attorney and former war crimes prosecutor in The Hague, Smith told lawmakers his team of investigators had “developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in criminal activity.””Rather than accept his defeat in the 2020 presidential election, President Trump engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results and prevent the lawful transfer of power,” he said.Smith said his decision to bring charges against Trump was taken “without regard to President Trump’s political association, activities, beliefs, or candidacy in the 2024 presidential election.”Smith was appointed special counsel in 2022 by attorney general Merrick Garland and charged Trump with plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden, and separately with mishandling classified documents.The Republican president denied both charges and sought to frame them as politically motivated, accusing the Justice Department of being weaponized against him.Neither case came to trial and Smith, in line with a Justice Department policy of not prosecuting a sitting president, dropped them both after Trump won the November 2024 vote.Smith said his decision to charge Trump was not motivated by politics.”If asked whether to prosecute a former president based on the same facts today, I would do so regardless of whether that president was a Democrat or a Republican,” he said.”No one should be above the law in this country and the law required that he be held to account,” he said. “President Trump was charged because the evidence established that he willfully broke the very laws that he took an oath to uphold.”- ‘Get President Trump’ -Smith’s appearance before the House Judiciary Committee comes a little over a month after he testified behind closed doors about his prosecution of Trump.Smith had requested that the deposition be delivered in public, but the Republican majority on the House panel declined his request.Republican committee chairman Jim Jordan accused Smith at Thursday’s hearing of seeking to “get President Trump” in an attempt to prevent him from running in the 2024 election.”He’s got to stop President Trump from running, tie him up in court,” Jordan said. “It was always about politics. The good news is the American people saw through it.”Since taking office for the second time, Trump has urged the Justice Department to bring cases against Smith and several other perceived political opponents.He did so again on Thursday, attacking Smith in a Truth Social post.”He destroyed many lives under the guise of legitimacy. Jack Smith is a deranged animal, who shouldn’t be allowed to practice Law,” Trump said. “Hopefully the Attorney General is looking at what he’s done.”Cases brought against Trump foes James Comey, a former FBI director, and New York Attorney General Letitia James collapsed last year after a judge ruled that the prosecutor who brought the charges was unlawfully appointed.Representative Jamie Raskin, the House committee’s top Democrat, defended Smith’s investigation at Thursday’s hearing.”Donald Trump says you’re a criminal and you belong in prison,” Raskin said. “Not because you did anything wrong, mind you, but because you did everything right. You pursued the facts, you followed the law.”

Former special counsel Jack Smith defended his prosecution of Donald Trump on Thursday, accusing him of engaging in a “criminal scheme” to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.Smith, in remarks to the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee, said his team of investigators had “developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in criminal activity.””Rather than accept his defeat in the 2020 presidential election, President Trump engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results and prevent the lawful transfer of power,” Smith told lawmakers.He said his decision to bring charges against Trump were taken “without regard to President Trump’s political association, activities, beliefs, or candidacy in the 2024 presidential election.”Smith was appointed special counsel in 2022, and charged Trump with plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 election and mishandling classified documents after leaving the White House.Trump denied both charges and sought to frame them as politically motivated, accusing the Justice Department of being weaponized against him.Neither case came to trial and Smith — in line with a Justice Department policy of not prosecuting a sitting president — dropped them both after Trump won the November 2024 presidential election.- ‘No one’ above law -Smith said his decision to charge Trump was not motivated by politics.”If asked whether to prosecute a former president based on the same facts today, I would do so regardless of whether that president was a Democrat or a Republican,” he said. “No one should be above the law in this country and the law required that he be held to account.”President Trump was charged because the evidence established that he willfully broke the very laws that he took an oath to uphold,” he said.Smith’s public appearance before the House panel comes a little over a month after he testified behind closed doors about his investigation and prosecution of Trump.Smith had requested that the initial deposition be delivered in public, but the Republican majority on the House Judiciary Committee declined his request.Since taking office for the second time, Trump has urged the Justice Department to bring cases against Smith and a number of other perceived political opponents.Trump has lashed out repeatedly at Smith over the years and he called him “deranged” and a “sick son of a bitch” at a press conference this week.Cases brought against Trump foes James Comey, a former FBI director, and New York Attorney General Letitia James collapsed last year after a judge ruled that the prosecutor who brought the charges was unlawfully appointed.

US President Donald Trump unveiled his new Board of Peace at Davos on Thursday, casting himself again as a global peacemaker despite widespread scepticism over a plan that aims to rewrite the world order.Trump officials also unveiled ambitious plans for a “New Gaza” during the ceremony at the World Economic Forum, with the US leader describing the devastated Palestinian territory as “great real estate.”Trump later met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, with both leaders describing their talks as good and the US leader saying Russia’s nearly four-year-old war with Kyiv “has to end”.The Board of Peace was created after Trump expressed frustration at failing to win the Nobel Peace Prize and ramped up his accusations that the United Nations had failed to resolve a host of international conflicts.”Well this is exciting,” Trump said as he was joined on stage by leaders and officials from 19 countries to sign the board’s founding charter in the Swiss ski resort.”This board has the chance to be one of the most consequential bodies ever created,” he said.The Board of Peace, of which Trump is the chairman, was initially designed to oversee the Gaza truce and the reconstruction of the strip after the war between Hamas and Israel.But its purpose has since morphed into resolving all sorts of international conflicts, sparking concerns that the US president wants to create a rival to the UN.Countries have been asked to pay $1 billion for permanent membership of the board.And the invitation for Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose country invaded Ukraine in 2022, has sparked controversy.- Gaza ‘master plan’ -Key US allies including France and Britain have expressed doubts, with London saying Thursday it would not attend the ceremony.Trump told the gathering of the global elite in the Swiss mountain resorts that the organisation would work “in conjunction” with the United Nations.A large part of the ceremony was devoted to talking about its plans for shattered Gaza.Gaza’s newly appointed administrator said in a video message that the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip will reopen in both directions next week.Then Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, like the president a former property developer, showed slides of what he billed as a “master plan” for Gaza’s reconstruction.The slides included maps of new settlements in the Gaza Strip and artist renderings of gleaming seafront hotels and apartments under the caption “New Gaza”.”It could be a hope. It could be a destination,” Kushner said.Trump told Hamas to disarm under the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire accord or it would be the “end of them”. He added that he was ready to “talk” with regional foe Iran.- ‘Not so popular’ -Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an International Criminal Court arrest warrant over the Gaza war, had said he would join, but was not at the ceremony.The representatives of the 19 countries on stage with Trump included two close populist allies, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Argentine President Javier Milei, and officials from a host of Middle Eastern monarchies keen to curry favour.Trump joked that they were “in most cases very popular leaders, some cases not so popular”.”That’s the way it goes in life,” he said.He said he expected around 50 countries to join, but the full extent of the board’s membership remains unclear.Egypt said President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had accepted Trump’s invitation to join, but he was not on stage.Trump said Putin had also agreed to join, though the Russian leader said he was still studying the invite.Zelensky has also been invited, but has said that he could not envisage working alongside arch-foe Putin.Trump said Thursday he was hopeful of a deal soon to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — which he admits he thought would be the easiest conflict to resolve but has proved the hardest.Zelensky told the World Economic Forum that documents being drafted with Washington to end the war were “nearly, nearly ready”.While Zelensky said his meeting with Trump was “positive”, the Ukrainian leader conceded that dialogue with the US president was “not simple”.Zelensky has voiced fears that Trump’s push to seize Greenland — which dominated Davos on Wednesday — could divert focus away from Russia’s invasion.Tensions over Greenland eased, however, after Trump announced a “framework of a future deal” over the Danish territory and dropped his threat to hit European allies with new tariffs.burs-dk-lt/jhb

“Sinners” set a new Oscars record with 16 nominations on Thursday, but that was not the only surprise from the Academy’s announcement.Here are five takeaways from this year’s Oscars nominations, ahead of the March 15 gala:- Snubs and surprises -Every year, the Oscars nominations bring hand-wringing over the names that were not read out.This year’s highest-profile “snub” was Ariana Grande. The pop sensation had earned a best supporting nod last year for the first “Wicked” film, but missed out this year despite taking a more prominent role in the Broadway adaptation’s second chapter.Indeed, there was no love at all for “Wicked: For Good,” which failed to earn any nominations — despite the first movie landing 10 nods, and winning two Oscars.Other notable omissions this year included “One Battle After Another” female star Chase Infiniti, and “Hamnet” male lead Paul Mescal.Among the surprises were supporting acting nominations for veteran Delroy Lindo (“Sinners”) and Elle Fanning in Norwegian dramedy “Sentimental Value.”- Warner swansong? -It is a rare feat for a single Hollywood studio to boast the two clear Oscar frontrunners.With “Sinners” (16 nominations) and “One Battle After Another” (13), Warner Bros has pulled that off. The studio has recently backed original fare from auteur filmmakers — like Zach Cregger’s horror hit “Weapons” (one nomination) and Bong Joon-ho’s “Mickey 17” — along with more commercial hits like “Superman” and “A Minecraft Movie.”Ironically, that success comes in what could be the century-old studio’s swansong year as an independent distributor.Warner Bros is the target of a fierce bidding war between Paramount Skydance and Netflix.- Records tumble -Sixteen nominations for “Sinners” was not the only record broken at Thursday’s announcement.In a sign of the increasingly global outlook of Oscars voters, a record four non-English-language acting performances are nominated this year.That includes three Norwegian actors from “Sentimental Value” — Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgard and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas — and Brazil’s Wagner Moura, the star of “The Secret Agent.”Meanwhile, “Hamnet” director Chloe Zhao became only the second woman to achieve multiple directing nominations, after Jane Campion. Zhao previously won the category with her best picture winner “Nomadland.”- Best casting -This year, the Oscars introduced a prize for best casting — the Academy’s first new category since the animated film award was created in 2002.With no precedent, it was unclear what exactly voters would be looking for — star power, new discoveries, or a cohesive ensemble.In the end, the category mostly mirrored the expected best picture frontrunners, with nominations going to “Hamnet,” “Marty Supreme,” “One Battle after Another,” “The Secret Agent” and “Sinners.” – Chalamet supreme -Timothee Chalamet is only 30, yet his Oscar nomination for “Marty Supreme” is his third for best actor — after “Call Me By Your Name” in 2018 and last year for playing Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown.”Arguably the biggest star of his generation, Chalamet also earned a nod for his role as a producer in best picture nominee “Marty Supreme,” the semi-fictional tale of a talented, always-hustling ping-pong player in 1950s New York and Japan.Will it be third time lucky for Chalamet, at the Oscars ceremony in March?Though up against Leonardo DiCaprio, Chalamet’s chances are boosted by a strong all-round showing for “Marty Supreme” at Thursday’s nominations announcement.The movie exceeded most pundits’ expectations with nine nods, including best director for Josh Safdie, best cinematography and best production design — suggesting Oscars voters are paying close attention.

Here are the nominees in key categories for the 98th Academy Awards, to be handed out in Hollywood on March 15.Vampire period horror film “Sinners” shattered the all-time record for nominations with 16, followed by “One Battle After Another” with 13. “Frankenstein,” “Marty Supreme” and “Sentimental Value” tied with nine nominations each.- Best picture -“Bugonia””F1″”Frankenstein””Hamnet””Marty Supreme” “One Battle After Another””The Secret Agent””Sentimental Value””Sinners””Train Dreams”- Best director – Paul Thomas Anderson, “One Battle After Another”Ryan Coogler, “Sinners”Josh Safdie, “Marty Supreme”Joachim Trier, “Sentimental Value”Chloe Zhao, “Hamnet”- Best actor – Timothee Chalamet, “Marty Supreme”Leonardo DiCaprio, “One Battle After Another”Ethan Hawke, “Blue Moon”Michael B. Jordan, “Sinners”Wagner Moura, “The Secret Agent”- Best actress -Jessie Buckley, “Hamnet”Rose Byrne, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”Kate Hudson, “Song Sung Blue”Renate Reinsve, “Sentimental Value”Emma Stone, “Bugonia”- Best supporting actor – Benicio Del Toro, “One Battle After Another”Jacob Elordi, “Frankenstein”Delroy Lindo, “Sinners”Sean Penn, “One Battle After Another”Stellan Skarsgard, “Sentimental Value”- Best supporting actress -Elle Fanning, “Sentimental Value”Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, “Sentimental Value”Amy Madigan, “Weapons”Wunmi Mosaku, “Sinners”Teyana Taylor, “One Battle After Another”- Best international feature film – “The Secret Agent” (Brazil)”It Was Just an Accident” (France)”Sentimental Value” (Norway)”Sirat” (Spain)”The Voice of Hind Rajab” (Tunisia)- Best animated feature – “Arco””Elio””Kpop Demon Hunters””Little Amelie or the Character of Rain””Zootopia 2”- Best documentary feature -“The Alabama Solution””Come See Me In The Good Light””Cutting Through Rocks””Mr. Nobody Against Putin””The Perfect Neighbor”- Films with eight or more nominations – “Sinners” – 16″One Battle After Another” – 13″Frankenstein” – 9″Marty Supreme” – 9″Sentimental Value” – 9″Hamnet” – 8

US President Donald Trump will show off his new “Board of Peace” at Davos on Thursday — burnishing his claim to be a peacemaker a day after backing off his own threats against Greenland.Trump will host a signing ceremony for the founding charter of his body for resolving international conflicts, which has a $1 billion price tag for permanent membership.That membership has however proved controversial, with the inclusion of leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin, who invaded Ukraine four years ago. Trump said Putin had agreed to join, while the Russian leader said he was still studying the invite.Other members include Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hungary’s Viktor Orban, while Pope Leo XVI has also been sent an invitation. “This is the greatest board ever assembled,” Trump, who is the chairman of the board, told reporters including AFP on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort.”Yeah, I have some controversial people on it but these are people who get the job done, these are people who have tremendous influence.”Originally meant to oversee the rebuilding of Gaza after the war between Hamas and Israel, the board’s charter does not limit its role to the Strip, and has sparked concerns that Trump wants it to rival the United Nations.”It’s going to get a lot of work done that the United Nations should have done,” added Trump.Key US allies including France and Britain have expressed skepticism, with the UK saying Thursday it would not attend the ceremony.But others have signed up, particularly in the Middle East where Trump-friendly Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt have agreed to join.About 35 world leaders have committed so far out of the 50 or so invitations that went out, a senior Trump administration official told reporters on Wednesday.The launch of the board comes against the backdrop of Trump’s frustration at having failed to win the Nobel Peace Prize, despite his disputed claim to have ended eight conflicts.- Trump to meet Zelensky -The inclusion of Putin has caused particular concern among US allies, but especially in Ukraine as it seeks an end to Moscow’s nearly four-year-old invasion.Trump said he would meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Davos after the “Board of Peace” ceremony to discuss a ceasefire in Ukraine — the major peace deal that continues to elude him. The two leaders will meet at 1:00 pm (1200 GMT), the Ukrainian presidency said, with Zelensky due to address the Davos forum some 90 minutes later.Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, who is due to travel to Moscow to meet Putin later Thursday, said in Davos that talks to end the war had made a “lot of progress” and were down to one issue.”I think we’ve got it down to one issue, and we have discussed iterations of that issue, and that means it’s solvable,” said Witkoff, without saying what the issue was.Witkoff added that he and the US leader’s son-in-law Jared Kushner would not stay in Moscow overnight but fly straight to Abu Dhabi for “military to military” talks.At Davos on Wednesday, Trump repeated his oft-stated belief that Putin and Zelensky were close to a deal, although he has veered between blaming one or the other for the lack of a ceasefire so far.Trump has long been a skeptic of US support for Ukraine and says that it is now up to NATO and Europe to back Kyiv. But his belief that he has a personal connection with Putin has not brought an end to the war so far.Zelensky has meanwhile voiced fears that Trump’s push to seize Greenland — which has dominated Davos so far and threatened to unravel the transatlantic alliance — could divert focus away from Russia’s invasion of his country.Trump however said late Wednesday he had reached a “framework of a future deal” after meeting NATO chief Mark Rutte, and that he would therefore waive tariffs scheduled to hit European allies on February 1.He gave no further details, leaving Europeans drawing only cautious sighs of relief. A source close to the talks told AFP that a 1951 Greenland defence pact would be renegotiated as part of the deal.Rutte told AFP in Davos that the meeting had been “very good” but that there was “still a lot of work to be done” on Greenland. Trump insists the mineral-rich Arctic island is vital for US and NATO security against Russia and China.