While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, July 17

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (right) offers a ball of the 2018 World Cup to US President Donald Trump during a joint press conference after a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, on July 16, 2018. PHOTO: AFP

Trump, Putin say summit 'went very well'

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met at the presidential palace in Finland's capital Helsinki on Monday (July 16) for a summit with Mr Trump dogged by criticism at home over his stand on Russia.

"Diplomacy and engagement is preferable to conflict and hostility," President Trump told reporters at a joint press briefing, pushing back at objections at home to his meeting with Mr Putin.

"Disagreements between our two countries are well known and president Putin and I discussed them at length today," he added. "Our relationship has never been worse than it is now, however that changed as of four hours ago."

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Mixed signals: Putin-Trump meeting deconstructed

What are the "tells" when two of the world's most powerful leaders meet? A British expert found mixed signals in the body language of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin on Monday (July 16).

British behavioural psychologist Peter Collett found both dominance and vulnerability among the tell-tale signs shown by the Russian and US presidents ahead of their talks in Helsinki.

"It's not as though one is trying to lord it over the other and the other is being obsequious... What we have is the two men producing mixed signals," Collett said.

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French fans give hero welcome to 'Les Bleus' World Cup champions


Hundreds of thousands of ecstatic French fans celebrated the return of their World Cup winning football team on Monday (July 16), jumping and chanting "We Are The Champions" as their bus paraded down the Champs Elysees before a special presidential reception.

"Les Bleus", a dynamic, young team that won an open, fast-paced final 4-2 with Croatia in Moscow, appeared at the Elysee palace, where they burst into a spontaneous rendition of the "La Marseillaise" national anthem with President Emmanuel Macron and his wife.

"Thank you for having made us proud," Macron told the players in the presidential palace's gardens. "Never forget where you come from: all the clubs across France that trained you."

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'Different' Ronaldo aiming for Champions League success with Juventus


Cristiano Ronaldo said Monday (July 16) that he's "different" from other players of his age who move to China or Qatar for mega-money deals, during an official unveiling as a Juventus player in which he said he wanted to help bring Champions League success to his new club.

With the World Cup over, the superstar attacker's 100 million-euro (S$160 million) move from European champions Real Madrid has put all eyes on the Italian champions and Serie A, and Ronaldo said that he wasn't "here on holiday".

"I'm different from other players who think their careers are over when they're my age," said the 33-year-old Portugal captain.

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Russia jails Pussy Riot members for World Cup pitch invasion

Russia on Monday (July 16) jailed members of Pussy Riot feminist punk group for 15 days after they invaded the pitch during the World Cup final dressed in police uniforms.

A Moscow court sentenced Veronika Nikulshina, Olga Kuracheva and Pyotr Verzilov to 15 days in police cells and also banned them from visiting sports events for three years, Mediazona court news site reported.

They were found guilty of "grossly violating the rules for spectators' behaviour" and given the maximum punishment possible under the charge.

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