Commerce chief Lutnick to face Epstein grilling in closed-door interview – US politics live

• Bahrain has accused Iran of launching a drone attack targeting the island kingdom, escalating tensions in the region. • The United States and Iran have exchanged military strikes following U.S. accusations that Tehran attacked a cargo ship, threatening a fragile ceasefire.

• Professor Michel Chossudovsky published an analysis on June 26, 2026, arguing that the United States has been engaged in a continuous conflict with Russia and the Soviet Union for over a century. • The article details a historical timeline of US-led wars and strategic initiatives aimed at destabilizing and eventually eliminating the Soviet Union from the global map.

• Venezuelan citizens are conducting their own search and rescue operations as the death toll continues to rise following a devastating earthquake. • The U.S. State Department announced the creation of a "Military Coordination Group for Lebanon" to implement a new strategic framework for the region.

• Saudi Arabia has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting stability in Sudan, focusing on securing a ceasefire and preserving the nation's territorial integrity and state institutions. • According to a statement released by the Saudi Press Agency on Saturday, the Kingdom emphasized that the crisis must be resolved through a Sudanese-led political solution.

• On Friday, June 26, 2026, the United States launched military strikes against Iran following threats from Donald Trump to respond to fires in the Gulf region. • The escalation occurs amidst a broader conflict involving a US-Israel war against Iran and ongoing Israeli military attacks targeting Lebanon.

Vice-president appeared on Bill Maher’s show hours before more military strikes were exchanged in strait of HormuzJD Vance said on Friday that the US wins “either way” regarding negotiations with Iran, pointing to what he called the destruction of its nuclear program and diminishment as a country.“If we make the final deal, then great,” the US vice-president told HBO’s Bill Maher. “If we don’t make the final deal, their nuclear program is still destroyed. They’re still much weaker as a country, so my attitude is America wins either way.” Continue reading...

Exclusive: Matthew Torbitt faces two counts by false representation in relation to travel and expense claimsA prominent political commentator has been charged with fraud in relation to his time as a Labour adviser, the Guardian can reveal.Matthew Torbitt, a regular guest pundit on GB News, faces two counts of fraud by false representation in relation to his travel and expenses claims while working in parliament. Continue reading...

Denmark experiences highest temperature on record on Saturday in eastward spread of weather systemEurope heatwave – latest updatesGermany ⁠and Italy endured sweltering conditions on Saturday as a heatwave linked to dozens of deaths in western Europe spread eastwards, after temperatures broke records above 40C (104F).Denmark registered its highest temperature on record on Saturday, according to the Danish Meteorological Institute. “With 36.6C north of Odense, we have the warmest day ever since measurements began in 1874,” it said in a post on X. Continue reading...

Agreement could also end hopes of ICC jurisdiction in Lebanon – a move advocates pushed for to prosecute Israel A new agreement between Lebanon and Israel could block victims of Israeli war crimes in Lebanon from pursuing accountability and hinder future efforts to give the international criminal court jurisdiction in the country, legal experts warned.Lebanon and Israel signed a 14-point framework agreement in Washington on Friday designed to work towards an end to fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Continue reading...

Candidates who believe Israel has committed genocide won big in New York – will it push the party to move their way?Regardless of which party wins control of Congress in November, New York City voters have all but ensured that next year a vocal bloc of new House Democrats will arrive on Capitol Hill, elected, in large part, because they believe Israel has committed a genocide in Gaza.That is an upshot of the primary elections held Tuesday in New York, where voters ousted two incumbent House Democrats and replaced a third who is retiring with progressives championed by Zohran Mamdani. Continue reading...

Cleanup under way after week-long fire at a Boyle Heights facility spoiled tens of millions of pounds of frozen foodSomething is rotten in the neighborhood of Boyle Heights.For a week, thick black smoke filled the air while a massive warehouse burned near downtown Los Angeles, prompting a state of emergency and evacuation orders in the immediate area as air quality worsened. Firefighters finally extinguished the flames on Wednesday, but not before half the warehouse’s 85m lbs of frozen food were lost in the fire – leaving roughly 40m lbs of food to rot. Continue reading...

Passengers report being stuck on grounded planes in sweltering conditions as severe weather causes travel disruption across EuropeEurope heatwave: latest updatesThunderstorms have caused severe delays to hundreds of flights at Heathrow and Gatwick airports, leaving passengers stuck on grounded planes for hours in the scorching heat.Overnight, downpours and thunderstorms lit up the skies of London after back-to-back days of 30C-plus weather as the UK and much of Europe experienced a record-breaking heatwave. Continue reading...