Hump day recommendations, Jan. 8, 2025

Watch: Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.” Yes, the boys are back in town, and this time they’re struggling with an “emerging technology.” It’s been a few years since Nick Park’s last installment in the continuing adventures of daffy inventor Wallace and his loyal and absurdly inventive dog Gromit. I won’t spoil the plot for you. You can find it at your local cinema or streaming on Netflix. – Willis

Check out:The tattoos of Özge Kul. I’m on a real Turkish culture kick these days, and I have been enchanted by the work of this Istanbul-based artist. Her stunningly detailed linework on animal and plant motifs contrasts brilliantly with bold streaks of bright, saturated color, usually in just one or two tones, to emotional effect. Her work often reminds me of Japanese traditional tattoos and the tulip designs of Ottoman-era Iznik tiles, reimagined through a cubist lens in a style that is unmistakably unique. In Istanbul and interested in a piece of your own? Contact her here. – Matt

Read: “James.”This novel by Percival Everett grips the imagination with its retelling of the “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” (by Mark Twain, of course) as seen through the eyes of James, aka Jim, the slave. I need to go back now and reread the original Twain, but Everett’s version – complete with vivid scenes and dialog that challenges the racist philosophies of Enlightenment figures like Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Voltaire, and John Locke – will be hard to beat. – Tracy

Sit down: with Putin’s Rasputin.We are now in the 26th year of Vladimir Putin’s reign. What makes him tick? To answer that question, Giuliano da Empoli, an Italian political analyst, wrote a novel. “Wizard of the Kremlin” imagines a lengthy conversation with “Vadim Baranov,” a late-Soviet theater kid who becomes a TV producer in the 1990s and is recruited as a Putin aide. Baranov is modeled on the real-life character of Vladislav Surkov, an immensely powerful and famously cynical adviser who shaped Russian politics and media in the early 2000s. Da Empoli’s depiction of the chaos and rush of post-Soviet Russia, his grasp of the country’s culture and history, and his insights into Putinism are all superb. So too are his warnings. – Alex

Watch: “Black Doves.” The Netflix series with Keira Knightley is a spy romp through the corridors of power at Westminster, replete with murder, lust, and duplicity. Set in London at Christmas time, “Black Doves” follows Knightley as Helen, a devoted mother and secret spy, who teams up with suave assassin Sam, played by Ben Whishaw, to unravel a conspiracy after her lover and the Chinese ambassador to England are both murdered. Love, betrayal, and geopolitical chaos are all on the menu – and a second season is in the works. – Tasha

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The body of Pope Francis in the coffin exposed in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City on April 24, 2025. The funeral will be celebrated on Saturday in St. Peter's Square.
Pasquale Gargano/KONTROLAB/ipa-agency.net/IPA/Sipa USA

While the Catholic world prepares for the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday – the service begins at 10 a.m. local time, 4 a.m. ET – certain high-profile attendees may also have other things on their mind. Several world leaders will be on hand to pay their respects to the pontiff, but they could also find themselves involved in bilateral talks.

A Ukrainian rescue worker sits atop the rubble of a destroyed residential building during rescue operations, following a Russian missile strike on a residential apartment building block in Kyiv, Ukraine, on April 24, 2025.
Photo by Justin Yau/ Sipa USA
Members of the M23 rebel group stand guard at the opening ceremony of Caisse Generale d'epargne du Congo (CADECO) which will serve as the bank for the city of Goma where all banks have closed since the city was taken by the M23 rebels, in Goma, North Kivu province in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo, April 7, 2025.
REUTERS/Arlette Bashizi

The Democratic Republic of the Congo and an alliance of militias led by the notorious M23 rebels announced a ceasefire on Thursday after talks in Qatar and, after three years of violence, said they would work toward a permanent truce.

Students shout slogans and burn an effigy to protest the Pahalgam terror attack in Guwahati, Assam, India, on April 24, 2025. On April 22, a devastating terrorist attack occurs in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the deaths of at least 28 tourists.
Photo by David Talukdar/NurPhoto

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has blamed Pakistan for Tuesday’s deadly terrorist attack in Kashmir, and he’s takenaggressive action against its government.

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“When things are going fine, nobody really tests the skills and talents of their financial advisor, but this is a moment where really good advice can be extraordinarily powerful,” says Margaret Franklin, CFA Institute's CEO and President. In conversation with GZERO’s Tony Maciulis, Franklin describes the current financial climate as “maximum uncertainty,” rating it a 10 out of 10 on the risk scale.

President Donald Trump at a bilateral meeting with China's President Xi Jinping during the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 29, 2019.
REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

On Wednesday, Donald Trump said he would deliver a “fair deal” with China and that he’d be “very nice” to the country after meeting with major retailers. But Beijing denies that there are any ongoing talks and has told the US it must cancel its unilateral tariffs before China will broker any negotiations.