The Guardian

Steve Witkoff’s flattery of the Russian leader could be just the start of a mendacious stratagem from a US president who says Moscow ‘has been fine on Ukraine’ They say the first casualty of war is truth. For the Trump administration, the road to peace with Russia now encompasses some extraordinary lies. Steve Witkoff delivered one as he sat down with Vladimir Putin in his native St Petersburg on…

US photojournalist describes ‘protective shield’, vows to return to work in West Bank and criticises Netanyahu comments on incident The Washington Post photojournalist who was attacked and seriously injured by Israeli settlers on the West Bank on Friday has described how she was saved with the help of local Palestinians. Heidi Levine sustained four fractured vertebrae, two broken ribs and four pu…

Jack Ross was filmed allegedly discussing with an undercover reporter violent options to deal with enemies A former Conservative election candidate has been suspended from the party after he was seemingly filmed discussing the cost of hiring contract killers and offering to “broker” the services of a far-right activist with alleged paramilitary links. Jack Ross was filmed apparently asking an und…

New Mexico lawsuit claims ‘in exchange for furthering Epstein’s criminal project, his associates received generous salaries’ The attorney general of New Mexico on Wednesday filed a civil lawsuit against Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime attorney, Darren Indyke, and Epstein’s longtime accountant, Richard Kahn, accusing them of having “facilitated and concealed” Epstein’s crimes, and is seeking to stop th…

No 10 declines to rule out watering down plans to extend waiting period for indefinite leave to remain as cabinet split widens Shabana Mahmood has been urged to “read the room” on Labour opposition to her immigration policy, as No 10 declined to rule out watering down her plans to make foreign workers wait 15 years to get permanent residency. Mahmood, the home secretary, is consulting on plans to…

Officials say the explosion released an airborne irritant that can cause burning of the eyes, nose, mouth and skin Officials are investigating a tank explosion in Toledo, Ohio, that released a chemical into the air, causing a mass evacuation in the area. One person, a first responder, was injured and taken to the hospital, but officials believe the injuries are non-life threatening. They are also…

SEIU Local 1000, representing nurses and teachers, pushing for higher wages, telework and affordable healthcare Thousands of California state workers began a sweeping, one-day strike on Wednesday, with workers set to rally outside government buildings in several cities, as tensions boiled over lapsed contract negotiations with Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration. SEIU Local 1000, a union that …

Hepatitis B study in Guinea-Bissau that was to be funded by CDC and that drew global backlash ‘will not move forward’ The US-backed hepatitis B vaccine trial in African newborns that drew global backlash was halted, the lead researcher said on Wednesday. It is “now clear” that the study “will not move forward in Guinea-Bissau”, Frederik Schaltz-Buchholzer, a Danish researcher, wrote on LinkedIn, …

Exclusive: Officials say Miatta Fahnbulleh minded not to give approval in victory for climate campaigners Miatta Fahnbulleh is minded to reject the giant Rosebank oilfield, sources have told the Guardian, in what would be a blow for the North Sea energy industry and a major victory for climate campaigners. After approving the smaller Jackdaw gasfield on Wednesday, officials say the energy secreta…

Government decision is about how much oil and gas is sensible for UK to produce on the way to net zero Business live – latest updates Andy Burnham hit the nail on the (well)head in his first fortnight as prime minister when he said : “The question isn’t whether Britain will still be using oil and gas, the question is, where does it come from?” It was a nod towards several awkward energy facts. Fi…

Wedgewood Polls said project was designed to highlight lack of scrutiny over polling sector by mainstream media A polling firm has admitted to using fabricated data in surveys that were picked up by national media outlets in the US, claiming the project was a “social experiment” designed to expose the lack of scrutiny over the sector. Wedgewood Polls released a statement on Tuesday on social medi…

Person named ‘K’ from China paid five defendants to injure Huang Yi-hao, New Taipei prosecutors say Taiwanese prosecutors have charged five men over a plot to ram a car into a comedian who made fun of the Chinese Communist party and Xi Jinping. Taiwan has repeatedly accused China of transnational repression to silence critics on the self-governed island, which Beijing claims as its territory and …

Russia frees Stephen Hubbard after US request while Steve Witkoff praises Putin, wanted by ICC as war criminal, as a ‘humanitarian’ Europe live – latest updates US politics live – latest updates Vladimir Putin ordered the release of an American from a Russian jail as he met Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg on Wednesday for fresh talks on ending the war in Ukraine, amid increasi…

Measures would remove some penalties for those helping women access abortion but are ‘small-scale step’, say campaigners Poland’s lower house of parliament has approved two bills aimed at loosening a near-total ban on abortions, in what campaigners have described as a “small-scale step” ahead of protests calling on the government to fulfil its promises to overhaul the country’s laws. The new meas…

European Commission calls accommodation website’s approach to fraudulent listings and phishing scams as ‘absolutely substandard’ EU regulators have opened an investigation into Booking.com, alleging that the accommodation website has not done enough to protect consumers from fake listings and scams. The European Commission, which regulates the world’s biggest tech companies operating in the EU, s…