This is What's Trending Today.
The world is getting its first look at Russian President Vladimir Putin's official 2017 calendar.
The calendar shows many sides of the Russian leader.
Vladimir Putin's 2017 calendar has been released - and pictures are fantastic https://t.co/5C979SeSED pic.twitter.com/uaInfKhWfr
— Daily Mirror (@DailyMirror) October 17, 2016
Some photographs show Putin doing hard things, such as sitting in a fighter airplane or climbing onto farm equipment.
Other photos seem to show his softer side. In one picture, the Russian leader is seen smiling while cuddling a cat. In another, he is holding a child while on a ski trip.
Other pictures show him standing by the sea in scuba diving equipment, riding a horse, sitting in a tree, and meeting with World War II veterans.
One photo seems like it would appear in a fashion magazine. In it, Putin is wearing dark sunglasses and the latest in men's clothing.
The BBC's Moscow correspondent, Steve Rosenberg, got one of the first copies of the new calendar. He made a short video of the photos, which he later posted to Twitter.
It's out! The Vladimir Putin 2017 calendar. pic.twitter.com/fEt2tI7Stg
— Steve Rosenberg (@BBCSteveR) October 15, 2016
“Putin with a candle, Putin with a child, with a kitten, Putin by himself, with war veterans, and so on and so on,” Rosenberg said in the video.
Rosenberg added that the 2017 calendar ends with a look ahead to 2018. He translated a statement from Russian into English. He read the statement, which the calendar says came from Putin himself.
“Russia is a peace-loving and self-sufficient country. We do not need other peoples' territories. We do not need other peoples' natural resources. But if we are threatened, we are prepared to use weapons to guarantee our security.”
And that's What's Trending Today.
Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English. His story was based on reports from VOA News and BBC. George Grow was the editor.
We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.
Words in This Story
calendar - n. something documenting the days, weeks and months of the year
cuddle - v. to hold someone or something to show affection
ski - n. two long, narrow pieces of wood that are used to slide on snow
scuba diving - n. sport in which people swim under water
veteran - n. person who served in the military
fashion - n. popular way of dressing in new styles of clothes
candle - n. stick of wax that you burn for light
kitten - n. young cat
self-sufficient - adj. able to meet your needs with your own resources
