5 h. ago Merz’s manoeuvres on world stage fail to quell doubts about his leadership

The German chancellor’s high-wire statesmanship on Ukraine has done little to alleviate his domestic woesEurope live – latest updatesFriedrich Merz hosted the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Wednesday as a weakened leader 100 days into his term, with his attempts to rally western support for Kyiv and wrangle Donald Trump failing to silence his domestic critics.The German chancellor took the initiative for Wednesday’s lightning round of telephone conferences bringing in EU leaders, Trump and his vice-president, JD Vance. Zelenskyy’s surprise arrival in Berlin to sit in on the calls underlined Merz’s starring role in the diplomatic efforts. Continue reading...

Politics

7 h. ago Bipartisan group plans to bring Epstein victims to capital to speak out on files and push Congress to release them

GOP Rep. Thomas Massie and Democrat Ro Khanna announced they will hold a press conference with Epstein survivors

Events

26 h. ago Republican’s town hall descends into chaos as angry voters rage over Epstein files and Trump agenda

Voters called the California lawmaker a ‘liar’ and launched expletives at him throughout Monday’s event

Politics

28 h. ago Ukraine will not cede land that could be Russian springboard for new war, Zelenskyy says

Ukrainian leader sees no sign of Russia preparing for ceasefire after reports of frontline breach in DonbasVolodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukraine could not agree to a Russian proposal to give up more of his country’s territory in exchange for a ceasefire because Moscow would use what it gained as a springboard to start a future war.The Ukrainian president said he did not believe that Donald Trump supported Russia’s demands, and he expressed hope the US leader would act as an honest mediator when he meets Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. Continue reading...

Events

31 h. ago Trump live: Democrats label president’s DC takeover a ‘distraction’ from Epstein files and rising cost for Americans

The president has placed the DC Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control – but is already facing a backlash

Politics

32 h. ago Democrats call Trump’s DC police takeover ‘a distraction’ from Epstein files, tariffs and tax bill – live updates

Chuck Schumer called Trump’s decision to federalize the DC police and deploy national guard to the city ‘attempted distraction’ from ‘other scandals’Later on, we’ll hear from the Trump administration for the second day in a row. The president won’t make an appearance, but press secretary Karoline Leavitt will hold a White House briefing at 1pm ET.Defense secretary Pete Hegseth says he’s proud to be part of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, an archconservative network of Christian congregations.Pastor Doug Wilson, a CREC co-founder, leads Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho, the network’s flagship location. Jovial and media-friendly, Wilson is no stranger to stirring controversy with his church’s hard-line theology and its embrace of patriarchy and Christian nationalism.Wilson told The Associated Press on Monday he was grateful Hegseth shared the video. He noted Hegseth’s post was labeled with Christ Church’s motto: “All of Christ for All of Life.” Continue reading...

Politics

41 h. ago Trump’s federal forces are ‘hitting the streets’ of DC while critics claim takeover is attempted distraction from the ‘Epstein files’

‘He needs to get his base talking and thinking about something besides his refusal to open up the Epstein files because he's mixed up in them,’ former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said.

Politics

53 h. ago Judge denies release of sealed Maxwell files as Trump dragged back into Epstein scandal

The US Justice Department sought the unsealing of grand jury material related to Maxwell and Epstein after harsh criticism of the Trump administration’s decision to not publicly release the investigative file on Epstein

Politics

61 h. ago JD Vance unwittingly sparks new wave of calls to release the Epstein files in Fox interview

VP’s attempt to shift narrative away from disgraced financier only succeeds in attracting further attention

Politics

3 d. ago JD Vance’s attempt to link Democrats to Epstein renews calls to ‘release the files’

Vice-president tries to deflect criticism and blames Biden for doing ‘absolutely nothing’ about convicted sex offenderFour days after JD Vance reportedly asked top Trump administration officials to come up with a new communications strategy for dealing with the scandal around the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, he appears to have put his foot in it, sparking a new round of online outrage even as he tried to defuse the furor.In an interview with Fox News broadcast on Sunday, the vice-president tried to deflect criticism of the administration’s refusal to release the Epstein files by blaming Democrats. He accused Joe Biden of doing “absolutely nothing” about the scandal when he was in the White House. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Zelenskyy welcomes European leaders’ insistence on Ukraine role at peace talks

Ukrainian leader ‘fully supports’ statement before Trump-Putin summit that Kyiv must be part of ‘path to peace’The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has welcomed a statement from European allies that insists the “path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine”, before a planned summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.In a joint statement issued on Saturday night, leaders from the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Poland and Finland, along with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, stressed Kyiv must be included in any peace talks with Russia. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Zelenskyy welcomes European leaders’ statement on Ukraine role in peace talks

Ukrainian leader ‘fully supports’ insistence before Trump-Putin summit that Kyiv must be involved in ‘path to peace’The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has welcomed a statement from European allies insisting that the “path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine”, before a planned summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.In a joint statement issued on Saturday night, leaders from the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Poland and Finland, along with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, stressed that Kyiv must be included in any peace talks with Russia. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Father of Diddy defense lawyer claims music mogul would support Trump if pardoned

Podcast host and celebrity lawyer Mark Geragos denied that the support would be out of a sense of ‘fealty’

Politics

4 d. ago Diddy would be vocal Trump supporter if pardoned because of shared ‘affinity’ with president, claims lawyer

Mark Geragos denied that the support would be out of a sense of ‘fealty’

Politics

4 d. ago Keir Starmer offers 'unwavering support' after Zelensky angrily rejects Trump peace plan

Mr Zelensky angrily ruled out suggestions Ukraine and Russia could "swap" territory - and said any deal drawn up without Ukraine's input would be a non-starter

Politics

4 d. ago Bolsonaro supporters pray for Trump rescue as coup plot trial verdict nears

Far-right ex-president’s devotees pin hopes on pressure campaign but tariffs and sanctions appear likely to failEach morning, Edite Costa steps out of her bungalow on Brasília’s sun-baked savannah, stands beneath a mango tree and lifts her hands to the sky in prayer. “I ask God to work so that not just Trump but all Americans come to help us rip out the evil that has taken hold of the country I love,” said the 66-year-old Baptist, who is a fervent supporter of Brazil’s far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro.Bolsonaro could face decades in jail for allegedly leading a murderous conspiracy to seize power after his leftwing rival Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva beat him in the 2022 presidential election. But Costa believes her populist leader can still be saved – if her prayers are answered and Donald Trump intervenes. Continue reading...

Events

5 d. ago Pam Bondi was a regular on Fox News – but hasn’t appeared since the Epstein files backlash started

US Attorney General has not been a guest on the network since June 30

Politics

5 d. ago Trump officials reportedly met at White House to discuss strategy around Epstein files

Legal group sues for records related to officials’ correspondence about Epstein documents and about Epstein and Trump’s relationshipAn advocacy group sued the US justice department and the FBI on Friday for records detailing their handling of the sex-trafficking investigation into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.The legal organization Democracy Forward is seeking records related to senior administration officials’ communication about Epstein documents and any regarding correspondence between Epstein and Donald Trump. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Trump’s attempts to distance himself from the Epstein files are failing | Sidney Blumenthal

The president has tried to distract from the Epstein story – but his ill-conceived Mar-a-Lago tale has undermined himOne of Trump’s preternatural abilities is his apparent animal instinct to lie on the spot whenever he senses he might be cornered. His initial Pavlovian training by his mob lawyer Roy Cohn and subsequent experience in more than 4,000 lawsuits and countless scandals seem to have ingrained in him that lying, the more outrageous the better, buys him time, plays to his credulous followers as insouciant defiance, and wears down his accusers.When Trump’s distractions failed to distract from the Jeffrey Epstein files, he offered a story without missing a beat to distance himself from any taint. In his tale, he was traduced by Epstein. Trump was taken advantage of, violated, despoiled. There could be no guilt by association; Trump was a victim, too. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Canadian cities cancel US Christian nationalist’s performances

Eight cities have revoked permits for Sean Feucht, a pro-Trump preacher and singer, sparking free speech debateEight Canadian cities have revoked performance permits for Sean Feucht, a Trump-supporting Christian nationalist preacher and musician, who led anti-gay demonstrations outside Disneyland and protested against mask mandates during the Covid-19 pandemic.Over the past two weeks, performances by Feucht, have been cancelled in Halifax, Nova Scotia; Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; Moncton, New Brunswick; Quebec City, Quebec; Vaughan, Ontario; and Abbotsford, British Columbia. Local authorities cited safety concerns or code of conduct violations as reasons for cancelling his appearances. The municipal government in Winnipeg, Manitoba, denied Feucht a permit to perform due to “operational challenges”. Continue reading...

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