Like the majority of western news organisations, the Guardian has had no correspondent or reporter in Moscow since the invasion of Ukraine. But the Kremlin’s efforts to shut down outside media coverage has not stopped us from taking the political temperature of Russia. Indeed, as Pjotr Sauer and Shaun Walker report, attempts to close off the country have lost Vladimir Putin support among both the elites and ordinary citizens.
Talking to contacts made from many years working inside Russia, Pjotr and Shaun detail a shifting mood as the invasion drags on into its fourth summer with the economic and personal costs being increasingly felt at home. As one insider explains, “there is profound disappointment in Putin”, accompanied by “a growing sense that some kind of catastrophe is looming”.
The narrative of a bunkered ruler surrounded by underlings too scared to tell them the truth historically leads to putsch or revolution but our analysis shows that at present, though the winds may be chilling at home, Putin is far from being frozen out of power.
Spotlight | Ebola: ‘Out of control’ A new strain of virus, aid cuts and conflict in parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo have hampered efforts to halt the spread of the virus, report Prosper Heri Ngorora in Goma and Carlos Mureithi
Science | Here be monsters An exhibition, Jurassic Oceans, at London’s Natural History Museum, showcases the fearsome creatures that once lurked below the surface – and offers a stark warning about the impact of warming waters on marine ecosystems today. Matthew Pearce dives in
Feature | When the lights went out in Berlin Earlier this year power was cut to a swathe of the German capital. A shadowy organisation, Volcano Group, claimed responsibility. But in the absence of any leads, theories of eco-terrorism, Russian meddling and far-right activity have flourished, discovers Ben Knight
Opinion | Victory doesn’t happen overnight Arsenal’s careful planning to regain the Premier League title is a lesson in long-term thinking that the Labour party, and Arsenal fan Keir Starmer, should pay attention to, argues Jonathan Freedland
Culture | Back to black with Whistler What does restoring Arrangement in Grey and Black No 1, or Whistler’s Mother, teach you about the artist who heralded a century of great American artists and about the craft of painting colour? Sarah Walden uncovers it all
The U.S. said Iran had launched a ballistic missile toward Kuwait. Iran said it had targeted an unspecified U.S. base in retaliation for earlier strikes
Israeli strikes killed at least 31 people in Lebanon on Tuesday, the country’s health ministry said, as Israel intensified attacks against Hezbollah. The fighting cast further doubt on fragile negotiations to end the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
After three months, the government is letting people connect with the world again. But not everyone has access, and those who do wonder how long it will last.
Inside Xi Jinping’s Strategy to Export Ideas on State Control
When a remote Pacific village asked for help with rowdy youth, the Chinese police arrived with a surveillance system. Then came the backlash.
As Trump Politicizes Justice Dept., Prosecutors Struggle With Grand Juries
Judges and grand juries have increasingly lost faith in the Justice Department as President Trump uses it to reward his friends and go after his opponents.
Aspects such as drone technology and diplomacy show how the wars intersect on the battlefield and in global alignments, providing a model for future conflicts.
The outbreaks of hantavirus and Ebola expose the shortsightedness of America’s retreat, under the Trump Administration, from its role as a global-health leader. By Dhruv Khullar
The Trump-Epstein Files: Look but Don’t Touch
The Donald J. Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Memorial Reading Room, in Tribeca, housed three and a half million bound files, along with a handy time line charting the ickiness. By Charlotte Goddu
How Problematic Is Patriotism?
National pride in America has plummeted in the Trump era. Is it worth trying to salvage? By Arthur Krystal
President Trump gave conflicting signals over how much progress had been made in the talks. Both the U.S. and Iran suggested that a breakthrough was not imminent.
President Trump seems focused on anything other than keeping Republican control of Congress. “The stupid stuff is killing our chances,” said a retiring senator.
The U.S. oil blockade has left millions without cooking gas. In Santiago de Cuba, the cradle of the Cuban revolution, apartment tower residents resort to charcoal and firewood.
By invoking the American Revolution, twentieth-century anticolonial figures connected their project with the movement for civil rights in the United States. Adom Getachew
President Trump has alternated between bullying the justices and cozying up to them as the court prepares to announce rulings that will affect his agenda.
Buildings rattled in the Ukrainian capital for hours early Sunday. It was unclear if Russia’s Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile had been used.
A decision to stave off litigation between Fox and FIFA turned into a bonanza worth hundreds of millions of dollars in discounted World Cup rights to the broadcaster.
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