The Guardian
‘A true life force’
The British-American novelist, playwright and commentator Bonnie Greer has died aged 77. In a statement, her husband David Hutchins said that she died on Tuesday evening following a brief illness. Greer’s “intelligence, courage and distinctive voice...
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Matthew Rhys makes Emmys history
When Matthew Rhys made history as the first actor ever to win two best lead Emmy awards in one night, he paid tribute to his roots. “To the great and good people of Wales, who were as much a nurturer as anyone else,” said the proud Welshman now living...
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Ministers seek law change to make £72m donations to Reform illegal
Andy Burnham’s government could thwart Reform UK’s unprecedented £72m donations with retrospective restrictions on political donors that will include tough new residency requirements, ministers have announced. In a move that is likely to set off...
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Reform’s £72m in donations ‘may be caught by new bill’
Unions, MPs and donors have urged ministers to look again at party funding rules, after Reform UK insisted £72m in donations from two crypto billionaires were within the law. Andy Burnham, a previous backer of caps on domestic donations, has so far...
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Narrow defeat for new bill to legalise assisted dying
A renewed attempt to legalise assisted dying has been voted down by MPs in a decision that is likely to scupper the idea for a political generation, sparking anger among supporters after an earlier bill was blocked by the Lords. A private member’s...
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‘A hammer blow’: plan for English tourist tax angers hotel industry
Ministers are facing outrage from the hospitality industry after they announced mayors in England would be given sweeping powers to levy taxes on holiday accommodation such as hotels and Airbnbs. The plan, unveiled yesterday by Angela Rayner, the...
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Police launch inquiry into alleged overseas donations to Reform UK
The financial scandal around Reform UK deepened last night as the police expanded their investigation into allegations of illegal foreign donations. Police confirmed they would broaden their inquiries into Reform after Channel 4 News broadcast an...
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UK condemns ‘ethnic cleansing by Israeli terrorists’ in West Bank
Settler terrorists supported by Benjamin Netanyahu’s government were committing ethnic cleansing in the West Bank, Ed Miliband, the foreign secretary, said yesterday, in the UK’s starkest condemnation since the foundation of the Israeli state. Andy...
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UK hardens stance on Israel with ban on illegal settlements trade
Ed Miliband will announce what he has described as a broad reset of the UK’s relations with Israel today, promising the government will take a more active approach in supporting the Palestinian cause. In an intervention expected to draw fierce...
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Far-right AfD wins German state poll
The populist far-right, anti-immigration Alternative für Deutschland has emerged as the winner in a crucial state election in Germany, securing a historic result as it more than doubled its support, and appears to be on the brink of becoming the first...
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Pressure on Farage as donor scandal engulfs Reform UK
Nigel Farage sought to shore up his damaged leadership yesterday by trying to distance himself from two of his most senior officials reported to the police for apparently plotting to evade the law on foreign donations. As the scandal engulfed Reform...
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Trailblazing feminist campaigner Gloria Steinem dies aged 92
Gloria Steinem, the American feminist and journalist whose activism helped push through greater rights for women around the world has died, aged 92. She “passed away peacefully at her home in New York City, surrounded by some of the many who loved...
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Thousands still missing in devastated communities
Searching for the body of his wife in the mud, Dil Bahadur Shrestha laments that he does not even have a shovel left. He has been using his hands to try to find her as he picks through the ruins of his house. On Wednesday morning last week, Jamuna...
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Brexit and Thatcher to blame for UK’s era of low growth, says PM
Andy Burnham has blamed Brexit and Margaret Thatcher for a decade of low growth in the UK, arguing that Britain needs to be brutally honest about having taken “a series of wrong turns” in the last 40 years. In his first Commons appearance since he...
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‘Nothing more to give’
Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football seven weeks after Argentina were beaten by Spain in the World Cup final in the US. The 39-year-old captained Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022 and two Copa América titles after...
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Burnham keeps PC’s killers in jail but fears grow over prison capacity
PC Andrew Harper’s killers will remain behind bars after a critical intervention by Andy Burnham, but the move has prompted warnings that overcrowded prisons would be left “one major event away from disaster”. Announcing a major U-turn on the early...
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‘We have nothing left. The flood took away everything’
The three women sat together in the army tent and wept. They cried out for their sons, their husbands, their homes. On Wednesday morning, flash floods had coursed through the Himalayan mountains, and a monstrous black wave had taken everything from...
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Race to get aid to Nepal and Tibet amid warnings of further floods
The international community was scrambling yesterday to get aid into flood-stricken parts of Nepal and Tibet as authorities warned that a lake that had formed at the site where the deadly torrents occurred was rising and at risk of bursting. The flash...
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Hundreds feared dead in Nepal flash floods
More than 150 people had been confirmed dead last night and hundreds were missing after flash floods hit the Himalayan border areas of Nepal and Tibet in China, with officials saying areas of India were also at risk. The disaster was caused by a...
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Dolly Parton 1946-2026
Dolly Parton, one of the greatest singer-songwriters in country music who was also much cherished for her philanthropy, has died aged 80. The star’s death was announced by her nephew Brian Seaver on Instagram. “I have imagined the heaviness of this...
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Burnham accuses Kremlin of ‘outrageous’ threats to Britain
Andy Burnham has accused the Kremlin of “outrageous threats to my country” as Russia warned of an escalation in tensions after the UK’s decision to present Ukraine with newly declassified blueprints to allow Kyiv to improve its production of long-range...
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Britain will help Ukraine make its own long-range missiles, says PM
Britain will boost Ukraine’s capacity to make its own long-range missiles, Andy Burnham will announce today, as he travels to Kyiv on his first foreign visit as prime minister. Burnham will arrive in Ukraine on its independence day at a crucial time...
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MPs have already accepted £400k of freebies this year
MPs have been accused of failing to learn their lesson over freebies after taking almost £400,000 of hospitality to concerts and sporting events this year, with Louise Haigh, Lucy Powell and Wes Streeting among those accepting tickets. Despite the...
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Night of strikes on Kyiv kills at least 15
A heavy Russian missile and drone bombardment killed at least 15 people around Kyiv yesterday in one of the biggest aerial attacks on Ukraine’s capital since the start of the war. Vitali Klitschko, the city’s mayor, said homes, a school and a...
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Burnham pledges to get all rough sleepers off streets by Christmas
Andy Burnham has urged local leaders to offer all rough sleepers in England a route off the streets by Christmas, as he pledges another £100m to end street homelessness. Telling the Guardian that rough sleeping has become so common he worried it now...
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Boost special needs internships to tackle youth jobs crisis – Milburn
Specialist internships designed to secure work for young people with special educational needs should be put on “turbocharge” to help tackle the growing youth jobs crisis, a government review is to propose. Alan Milburn who is leading a review of...
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Former Cambridge professor Jason Arday found dead
Jason Arday, the black academic who resigned last week as a professor at the University of Cambridge, was found dead at his home in south London yesterday. The Metropolitan police said officers were called to Arday’s address by the London ambulance...
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Temperatures hit 38.1C as fifth heatwave peaks
The UK recorded its hottest day of the year yesterday, with a provisional temperature of 38.1C (100.6F) in southern England as Europe sweltered under a major heat dome. As temperatures on the continent approached 40C at the peak of the summer’s fifth...
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Labour wants ‘deeper’ ties to EU under Burnham, says minister
The UK will move faster and be more ambitious on achieving closer ties with Europe under Andy Burnham’s government, his new chief post-Brexit negotiator has said. Hamish Falconer, the cabinet minister in charge of the EU reset talks, said there was...
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Two-thirds of NHS trusts set to cut mental health care
Millions of adults and children in England face having to wait longer for mental health care as more than two-thirds of NHS providers are planning to reduce or shut services this year, the Guardian can reveal. With mental health services already under...
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Toxic pollution in every body of water in England
Every single English water body is polluted with toxic chemicals, new government data shows, while just 14.3% of surface waters achieved good ecological status. Each of the country’s rivers, lakes and estuaries was assessed by the Environment Agency...
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Four injured in Covent Garden stabbing
A woman has been arrested after four men were stabbed in Covent Garden, central London, police said. The Metropolitan police said the men, aged 34, 39, 42 and 52, were found with stab wounds. They were taken to a major trauma centre after the...
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Oil giants make $90bn from price surge as climate crisis engulfs Europe
Eight of the biggest oil companies amassed profits of more than $90bn in just three months as the Iran conflict sent energy prices soaring and the emissions-fuelled climate crisis caused deadly heatwaves. The windfall war profits have reignited calls...
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Greece fires spread as a continent waits for rain
Farmers across Europe are warning of a slump in food production and rising prices as crops suffer as a result of extreme heat, drought and wildfires. The vegetable growers association Légumes de France has warned that thousands of tonnes of products...
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UK facing food shortages due to drought, say farmers
Britain could face shortages of certain foods after parts of England faced a punishing drought, the president of the National Farmers’ Union has warned. Farms across the country faced floods over the winter, making planting extremely difficult, and...
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Burnham ‘risks his first revolt’ over North Sea oil
Andy Burnham was warned last night that he could face the first revolt of his premiership, as Labour MPs and climate experts condemned his apparent support for renewed drilling for North Sea oil and gas. The prime minister gave the strongest...
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Wildfire in Suffolk burns near nuclear plant
Hundreds of people were evacuated and a major incident declared yesterday as a wildfire spread over more than 150 hectares on the coast of Suffolk, just a few miles from the Sizewell B nuclear power station. Meanwhile, amid the hot, dry and windy...
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Drought declared in half of England
Half of England is officially in drought, with July set to be the driest on record after winter floods, the Environment Agency has said. The “flash drought” developed quickly because of unusually low rainfall and high temperatures. The seven areas in...
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Burnham calls for consensus on ‘urgent’ fix for social care crisis
Andy Burnham has promised “problem-solving, not point-scoring” before a speech on social care today in which he will set out his strategy for resolving one of the most intractable issues in British politics. The prime minister has invited Kemi...
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‘He was an utter joy’
Bill Oddie, who found fame with the TV comedy The Goodies before establishing himself as an authority on wildlife, presenting television series including the BBC’s Springwatch, has died aged 85. Colleagues and old friends paid tribute yesterday, with...
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Miliband vows to give UK ‘global leadership’ role on climate crisis
The foreign secretary, Ed Miliband, is to indicate he will put the climate crisis and overseas development at the heart of UK international relations by taking up the country’s seat on the board at the World Bank. The position, which is usually...
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Water bosses’ pay rises despite ban on bonuses
Water company bosses’ total pay has risen over the past year despite a ban on bonuses and outrage over bills and pollution, the Guardian can reveal. One water boss, Mark Thurston of Anglian Water, received £1.9m – including a £500,000 “retention...
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Burnham: No 10 North is Britain’s biggest ever rebalancing of power
Regional mayors are to be given a leading role in UK economic policy, Andy Burnham said yesterday, as he declared the opening of No 10 North “the biggest rebalancing of power our country has seen”. The prime minister has revived the national economic...
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France had 5,700 excess deaths in June heat
France recorded more than 5,700 excess deaths during its June heatwave, the authorities said yesterday as swaths of southern Europe continued to endure another record-breaking period of extreme temperatures. The French national health agency said it...
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Burnham implores cabinet to find ways to tackle cost of living crisis
Andy Burnham is under mounting pressure to explain how he will pay for his policy pledges after imploring his new cabinet to examine “all possible ways” to tackle the cost of living crisis yesterday. On his first full day in power, the prime minister...
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Burnham arrives as PM with promise to ‘bring back hope’
Andy Burnham said his arrival in power would “bring back hope” to Britain yesterday as he launched his premiership with the surprise appointment of John Healey as chancellor and a promise to repair the damage caused to communities during the Thatcher...
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Time for UK to face up to its challenges – Burnham
Andy Burnham will warn today that Britain must be honest about the challenges it faces as he becomes its sixth prime minister in a decade. The Labour leader is preparing to introduce measures to ease the cost of living and allow more North Sea fossil...
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This is our last chance to beat the right – Burnham
Andy Burnham pledged to lead a united Labour government free of infighting and factional politics as he took over as leader, despite anxiety on the left of the party about the prospect of Shabana Mahmood as chancellor. The new Labour leader, who will...
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Trump’s Board of Peace drops ambitious plan to rebuild Gaza
The Gaza recovery plan being pursued by Donald Trump’s Board of Peace (BoP) has shrunk dramatically from an ambitious blueprint for the reconstruction of the whole territory to a small pilot project in the south of the strip. Even the envisaged pilot...
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Over and out
England 1 Gordon 55 Argentina 2 Fernández 85 Lautaro Martínez 90
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Police examine possible leftwing motive for Widdecombe murder
The police investigation into the death of Ann Widdecombe is examining whether a leftwing or single-issue cause may lie behind her killing. Counter-terrorism police yesterday said Widdecombe had been killed in a “targeted attack”. Among issues...
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Tributes as Jurassic Park star dies at 78
Sam Neill, the versatile New Zealand actor whose career spanned Oscarwinners and blockbusters including The Piano and Jurassic Park, has died aged 78, it was announced yesterday. No cause was given, but Neill had only recently revealed he was...
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World in emotion
It has been billed as one of the biggest grudge matches in the history of international football. After England’s players rode their luck against Erling Haaland’s Norway on a steamy night in Miami on Saturday, they spent yesterday recuperating at their...
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Politicians tell of shock at Widdecombe ‘killing’
A man was being held on suspicion of the murder of the former minister Ann Widdecombe last night, as political leaders across the spectrum expressed shock at her alleged killing. Widdecombe’s body was found with “serious injuries” by the ambulance...
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Police investigate donations from mother of Farage ally to Reform
Police are investigating donations worth £500,000 made to Reform UK by the mother of a convicted fraudster and ally of Nigel Farage. The investigation concerns two donations of £250,000 made by Fiona Cottrell, whose son George has often accompanied...
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More Reform transactions worth millions reported to crime agency
A host of transactions involving Reform UK’s most senior figures and donations to the party caused bankers to report potential moneylaundering concerns to the National Crime Agency, a Guardian investigation has found. On Tuesday, the Guardian revealed...
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Farage’s £5m gift reported over money laundering concerns
The £5m gift to Nigel Farage by a cryptocurrency billionaire was reported to the National Crime Agency by bankers who were concerned it may have been laundered money, the Guardian can reveal. The disclosure will put further pressure on the Reform UK...
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(What a story) Morning glory
• England savour best win since ’66 • Barney Ronay: ghosts laid to rest • Tuchel’s defensive masterclass • … now Haaland lies in wait
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Crackdown on donations as Farage faces new gift row
Ministers will launch a crackdown on large political donations today, as Nigel Farage faces a possible second investigation, this time into gifts he received from a convicted fraudster before becoming an MP. The government will announce a series of...
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Parents warned: don’t put images of children online
Parents should not put photographs of their children on public display online, according to landmark guidance issued to tackle the rise of AI-generated sexual abuse material. The recommendation has come from the National Crime Agency and the child...
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Spending cuts to fund defence plans ‘will cost 10,000 UK jobs’
Keir Starmer’s decision to cut billions of pounds of infrastructure spending to pay for more defence equipment will end up costing the UK 10,000 jobs, according to an analysis of the government’s own figures. The prime minister announced this week...
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Kane’s World Cup rescue puts England into last 16
Harry Kane came to England’s rescue yesterday as they avoided a seismic World Cup upset against the Democratic Republic of the Congo to set up a last-16 tie against co-hosts Mexico on home soil next week. The Bayern Munich striker scored twice in the...
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PM’s defence funding plan leaves Burnham with £5bn hole to plug
Andy Burnham will have to find an extra £4.7bn for defence in his first budget after Keir Starmer unveiled a £298bn defence investment plan without having fully identified how it would be funded. Sources close to the Makerfield MP said he would not try...
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Burnham puts No 10 North at heart of bid to ‘rewire’ Britain
Andy Burnham set out his blueprint to transform the UK yesterday with a promise to improve living standards and restore faith in politics through the “biggest rebalancing of power our country has ever seen”. The person widely expected to be the next...
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Ben Stokes’ retirement announced mid-match
In a move that surprised supporters and shocked even his own teammates Ben Stokes has announced his retirement as captain of England’s Test team, and from international cricket, effective as of the end of the third Test against New Zealand at Trent...
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Pressure on Mahmood over immigration bill
Shabana Mahmood is to seek to shore up support for her immigration bill on Labour’s progressive left with plans to speed up the opening of safe and legal routes that will permit thousands of refugees to reach the UK. Mahmood, the leading contender for...
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Why did a US pilot avoid UK trial after strangling a woman in England?
When Sarah Steele woke up on the morning of 2 December 2023, she found herself in a pool of cold water in a bathtub. She was naked and in the apartment of an American fighter pilot she had met in person for the first time the night before. She was...
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The new normal?
The UK has broken its all-time temperature record for June and France has recorded its hottest day ever for the second day running as a heatwave affecting more than 90 million people sweeps across Europe. As both the UK and France registered...
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England can’t find a way past Ghana in goalless draw
England 0 Ghana 0 It was a talking point beforehand in the England dressing room, Harry Kane bringing it up; a message with it, too. At each of the previous three tournaments, the team had spluttered in game two. The roll call of irritation took in...
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Starmer bows out ... as Burnham swoops in
Keir Starmer finally bowed to intense pressure to stand down yesterday as he conceded that he was no longer the right man to lead the country, leaving Andy Burnham all but certain to succeed him as prime minister. In an extraordinary day at...
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Starmer expected to announce exit to clear way for Burnham
Keir Starmer is expected to announce a timetable for his departure today, clearing the way for Andy Burnham to become prime minister without a formal contest by the autumn. Cabinet ministers say Starmer will set out his intentions outside Downing...
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Starmer exit ‘inevitable’ after Burnham victory
Cabinet ministers loyal to Keir Starmer have told him that he faces being forced out of office by his party if he does not set a timetable for his departure by the end of the weekend. Andy Burnham, who won a compelling majority in the Makerfield...
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Moscow hit by biggest Ukrainian drone raid
Ukrainian drones hit several locations across Moscow yesterday in Kyiv’s biggest air raid on the city since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, setting an oil refinery on fire and forcing evacuations at the country’s largest airport. Volodymyr...
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