The Guardian

Russians are increasingly tired of the conflict and the time to end it is now, Ukraine’s president tells his Russian counterpart in an open letter Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in an open letter to the Vladimir Putin, has called for a face-to-face meeting with the Russian president to end his war against Ukraine. The letter sets out Zelenskyy’s view of the four-year-old conflict and says that while Ukrain…

Sky News host Andrew Bolt says MP ‘had no idea what Pauline Hanson’s policy was’ after politician said permanent residents could have homes ‘repossessed’ Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Barnaby Joyce has corrected himself regarding a key One Nation housing policy after telling Sky News his party would force perman…

US secretary of state Marco Rubio says anyone providing services to sanctioned actors ‘is at risk of sanctions themselves’ The United States has announced fresh economic sanctions on Cuba’s president and some of his immediate family, alongside members of the Castro family, in Washington’s latest ramping up of pressure on its communist-led neighbour. Among those targeted were the son and a grandso…

Legislation would also sanction key segments of Russian economy, overriding objections from Republican leaders The House passed legislation Thursday that would aid Ukraine and sanction key segments of the Russian economy, overriding objections from Republican leaders who warned the bill would undermine negotiations designed to achieve a comparable but stronger result. The 226-195 vote is a sign o…

The invertebrates were likely destined for the pet trade, including as reptile food More than 100,000 live, exotic cockroaches have been seized from a commercial breeder in New South Wales in a record-breaking bust linked to the pet trade. Biosecurity officials seized the animals, which have a commercial value of up to $200,000, from a commercial breeder in Bathurst in the state’s central west th…

Platner says claims in New York Times article of physical misconduct and offensive remarks ‘politically motivated’ Graham Platner, a Democratic candidate for the US Senate, has rejected an explosive new report about his treatment of women, insisting that allegations of abusive behavior are “politically motivated”. Platner, a progressive running for election in Maine, was responding to a New York …

US president’s appointee for acting director of national intelligence has sparked bipartisan criticism Donald Trump has suggested his controversial ally Bill Pulte will investigate “rigged elections” while serving as the country’s top intelligence official, as the US president continues to make unfounded allegations about voting. But Pulte, whom Trump appointed as acting director of national inte…

Blanche, whom Trump plans to nominate to replace ex-attorney general, served as Bondi’s deputy at DoJ Former attorney general Pam Bondi told lawmakers that Todd Blanche, the man Donald Trump has lined up to replace her, was “in charge” of the US Department of Justice’s controversial handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case. Appearing before the House oversight and reform committee, which is investiga…

Ukrainian president proposes meeting in neutral third country as Trump says both sides have to ‘make compromises’ The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has called for face-to-face negotiations in a public letter addressed directly to the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. The letter, the first public letter Zelenskyy has written directly to Putin since Russia launched its full-scale invas…

Announcement seeks to close a difficult chapter for the company after the Guardian revealed its platform was used in mass surveillance of Palestinians Microsoft has said it will tighten human-rights controls when working with national security agencies after an inquiry into how the Israeli military used its cloud technology for the mass surveillance of Palestinians. On Thursday, Microsoft announc…

Announcement follows DoJ’s recent findings that medical schools at UCLA and Yale illegally used race in admissions The US Department of Justice’s civil rights division has launched investigations into 15 medical schools over allegations of potential race discrimination in their admissions processes. Thursday’s announcement follows the DoJ’s recent findings that the medical schools at the Universi…

Follow today’s news live Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Homelessness is soaring in regional areas as advocates plead for more funding to stop simply shifting the problem and start solving it, Australian Associated Press reports. The number of people sleeping rough in New South Wales has increased 75% in six years, according to a Homelessness NSW report that relies on…

Policy agreement means trans people will continue to have access to Kenwood Ladies’ and Highgate Men’s ponds in north-west London The bathing ponds at Hampstead Heath in north-west London will remain trans-inclusive after a public consultation overwhelmingly favoured its existing rules. There are gender-segregated ponds for men and women, with trans people able to swim in whichever they feel most…

Mother demands overhaul of maternity care after settling case over birth at Queen’s hospital in Romford in 2019 The family of a girl left brain-damaged at birth have agreed to accept £28m in damages after the NHS trust involved admitted that its mistakes led to the tragedy. Barking, Havering and Redbridge university hospitals NHS trust failed to monitor the baby’s heart rate while her mother was …

Exclusive: Greater Lincolnshire mayor walks out on cabinet minister after row over social media role in community tensions Andrea Jenkyns walked out of a meeting with a cabinet minister and several other metropolitan mayors on Thursday after a heated discussion about the murder of Henry Nowak and the civil unrest that has followed. The Reform mayor of Greater Lincolnshire walked out of the meetin…