The Guardian

Electoral Commission says tools to detect AI-generated content could be in place before campaigns beginElection officials are working “at speed” with the Home Office on a pilot project to combat the use of deepfakes to target candidates standing in this year’s Scottish and Welsh elections.Officials at the Electoral Commission in Scotland said they and the Home Office expected software capable of detecting AI-generated deepfake videos and images to be operational before election campaigns begin in late March. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jan/08/pilot-software-tackle-deepfakes-scottish-welsh-elections Author : Severin Carrell Scotland editor Publish date : 2026-01-08 18:07:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to

Director general says BBC needs to reach young audiences online amid pressure to leave Elon Musk-owned siteThe BBC’s director general, Tim Davie, has said he will not be taking the broadcaster off Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, saying that its presence is needed to resist a flood of global misinformation.Davie said he had come under pressure to withdraw from the platform, given numerous complaints that it has shifted significantly to the right under Musk’s ownership. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/jan/08/tom-davie-says-bbc-will-stay-on-x-to-try-to-stem-flood-of-global-misinformation Author : Michael Savage Media editor Publish date : 2026-01-08 15:40:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the

Louise Haigh says use of Elon Musk’s social media platform ‘unconscionable’ amid proliferation of abuse imageryHelena Horton is a Guardian environment reporter.Emma Reynolds, the environment secretary, has insisted “that is it” in response to farmers claiming the inheritance tax U-turn does not go far enough.Since starting this role in September I’ve listened to farmers and stakeholders about your cncerns on proposed changes to inheritance tax. You told me the threshold was too low. You told me it would hit small family farms. We listened, and we are making changes.In terms of inheritance tax changes, that is it. I also say

Satat Sampada founders Harjeet Singh and Jyoti Aswathi say allegations are ‘baseless, biased and misleading’Police have raided the home of one of India’s leading environmental activists over claims his campaigning for a treaty to cut the use of fossil fuels was undermining the national interest.Investigators from India’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) claim Harjeet Singh and his wife, Jyoti Awasthi, co-founders of Satat Sampada (Nature Forever), were paid almost £500,000 to advocate for a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty (FFNPT). Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/07/indian-police-raid-home-of-environmental-activists-over-anti-fossil-fuel-campaign Author : Damien Gayle Environment correspondent Publish date : 2026-01-08 10:40:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to

Up to 30cm of snow forecast in Midlands while 90mph gusts could batter more exposed areas of countryAmber weather warnings have been issued across the UK with Storm Goretti expected to bring heavy snowfall and strong winds.As much as 30cm of snow could fall in the Midlands while gusts of up to 90mph could batter more exposed areas as the weather brings a potential risk to life in parts of the country. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jan/08/amber-weather-warnings-uk-storm-goretti-snow-wind Author : PA Media Publish date : 2026-01-08 07:55:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Temperatures recorded by Thursday lunchtime included 44.9C at Tarcoola in SA, 45.8C at Hopetoun airport in Victoria, 43.7C at Paraburdoo, WA and 43C at Hay, NSWFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastVictoria’s Hume Highway has closed, regional trains have been cancelled and firefighters from at least two states are battling blazes in the worst heatwave to descend on Australia since 2019-20.As Melbourne prepares for a forecast of 41C day on Friday, the acting premier, Ben Carroll, described Victoria as “one of the most bushfire-prone areas in the world”.

Chen founded the Prince Group, a multinational conglomerate authorities allege served as a front for ‘one of Asia’s largest transnational criminal organisations’Chinese-born tycoon Chen Zhi, who was indicted by the US on fraud and money-laundering charges for running a multibillion-dollar online scam network from Cambodia, has been arrested there and extradited to China, Phnom Penh said.Chen allegedly directed operations of forced labour compounds across Cambodia, where trafficked workers were held in prison-like facilities surrounded by high walls and barbed wire, according to US prosecutors. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/08/alleged-scam-kingpin-chen-zhi-extradited-china-cambodia-arrest Author : Agence France Press Publish date : 2026-01-08 03:01:00

Bat Rescue South Australia reports a few hundred juveniles lost to heat. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAdelaide – a high of 39CCanberra – a high of 38CSydney – a high of 33CDarwin – a high of 32CMelbourne – a high of 31CBrisbane – a high of 29CPerth – a high of 28CHobart – a high of 25CThe NSW government says it has reduced funding uncertainty for domestic and sexual violence support, homelessness services and family programs, through an end to short-term contracts for the community services sector.We’re giving more security to

Mayor says ICE claims incident was self-defense are not true, and tells agency to ‘get the fuck out of Minneapolis’Minnesota Democrats voice outrage after fatal ICE shooting: ‘Leave our state immediately’Federal agents shot and killed a woman during a large-scale immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis on Wednesday.Ilhan Omar, the Democratic Minnesota congresswoman, said the victim was “a legal observer” of action by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which had sent a surge of agents into the city in recent days tied in part to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/07/minneapolis-shooting-immigration-crackdown Author : Richard Luscombe,

The White House’s official retelling of the January 6 insurrection strains credulityThis was originally published in This Week in Trumpland; sign up to receive it in your inbox every WednesdayAccording to Donald Trump, it was a day of love. For those who watched the violent insurrection on January 6, and for the more than 140 law enforcement officers injured that day, it didn’t seem like there was much love on show.Live video footage showed scores of Trump supporters smashing windows, beating police officers and scrambling over each other as they broke into the Capitol building, in an attempt to overturn

Stonewall’s corporate funding halves against backdrop of US attacks on DEI and freezing of aid for LGBTQ+ causesLGBTQ+ charities in the UK are operating in a newly “hostile environment”, experts have warned, as the ripple effect of Donald Trump’s attacks on equalities programmes sharpens financial pressures.The concerns come as yearly accounts submitted by Stonewall, the UK’s biggest LGBTQ+ charity, revealed corporate donations had more than halved in the last financial year, falling from £348,636 in 2024 to £143,149 in 2025. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jan/07/uk-lgbtq-charities-are-in-hostile-environment-amid-falling-donations-experts-warn Author : Libby Brooks Publish date : 2026-01-07 16:59:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs

Tories confirm Lord Wolfson will step back following criticism from Starmer at PMQs over his work with Roman AbramovichFarage is now talking about London, where council elections are taking place.He says that Sadiq Khan has said he will run for a fourth term as mayor. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/jan/07/pmqs-live-uk-politics-latest-news-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-nigel-farage Author : Andrew Sparrow Publish date : 2026-01-07 14:06:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Ageing vessel had previously been involved in Venezuelan oil exportsPeople in Greenland, share your views on Donald Trump’s commentsMeanwhile, in the UK, Nigel Farage has offered his take on Trump’s plans to control Greenland, saying it would be “outrageous” for the US to seize it from Denmark.Farage says he agrees with Starmer that the fate of Greenland must be decided by Greenland and Denmark, not the US – but sided with Trump on “some genuine security concerns” that require further presence there.“What I will say is this. There are some genuine security concerns around Greenland and that becomes ever more

Statement on supposed agreement with Venezuelan government follows Trump’s threats of further military interventionThe Trump administration has sent more immigration agents to Minnesota, part of escalating attacks and rhetoric against the state and its immigrant populations in what immigration officials are saying is the agency’s “largest operation to date”.“A 100% chance of ICE in the Twin Cities – our largest operation to date,” the official Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) account on X wrote on Tuesday afternoon. “If you’re a criminal illegal alien and/or you are engaged in fraud, expect a visit from ICE.” Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2026/jan/07/donald-trump-venezuela-greenland-oil-childcare-us-politics-live

In today’s newsletter: Leaders’ refusal to condemn the US’s intervention in Caracas shows a desperation to keep the White House on side – but a red line might not be far awayGood morning. The dramatic seizure of Nicolás Maduro from Caracas by US forces, to face trial in New York, has sent diplomatic shock waves around the world. For European leaders, it has exposed an uncomfortable dilemma: how to welcome the removal of an authoritarian ruler without endorsing an action that many legal experts say tramples over international law.Politicians in opposition, of course, are freer to speak their minds. In

Democrats condemn move in California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York, calling it ‘vindictive’ and ‘cruel’Donald Trump’s administration is freezing more than $10bn in federal childcare and family assistance funds to California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said, citing what it called concerns about fraud and misuse.“For too long, Democrat-led states and Governors have been complicit in allowing massive amounts of fraud to occur under their watch,” Andrew Nixon, HHS spokesperson, said in a statement. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/06/trump-administration-childcare-freeze Author : Guardian staff and agencies Publish date : 2026-01-07

Hot conditions for NSW, Victoria, SA, the ACT, Tasmania and WA as authorities warn of high fire dangerFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLarge parts of South Australia and Victoria are expecting extreme fire conditions today as a dangerous heatwave moves east, pushing temperatures well into the 40s.By midday on Wednesday the mercury had hit 37C in Melbourne and 41C in Adelaide. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/07/severe-heatwave-hits-southern-australian-states-with-firefighters-warning-many-areas-ready-to-burn Author : Petra Stock Publish date : 2026-01-07 01:57:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

European leaders are pushing back against US president’s desire to seek takeover of the arctic territoryDonald Trump and his advisers are looking into “a range of options” in an effort to acquire Greenland, noting in a White House statement on Tuesday that using the US military to do so is “always an option”.“President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it’s vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region. The President and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal,

Temperatures to soar well into the 40s in nation’s south-east. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastWidespread parts of South Australia also under total fire banSouth Australia also has widespread fire bans across 15 districts, stretching from the state’s western border to the east with Victoria. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2026/jan/07/australia-news-live-heatwave-weather-bushfire-warning-anthony-albanese-antisemitism-bondi-royal-commission-inflation-abs-rba-interest-rates-ntwnfb Author : Nick Visser Publish date : 2026-01-06 20:45:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Morgan McSweeney says Labour needs ‘three Es’ of emotion, empathy and evidence, sources sayUK politics live – latest updatesThe government must find ways to reconnect emotionally with voters, Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, is said to have warned cabinet ministers, in a meeting where the prime minister said they were in “the fight of our lives”.The prime minister sought to rally his cabinet on Tuesday, telling them to ignore the polls and to prepare to take on Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jan/06/labour-government-emotion-link-starmer-mcsweeney Author : Jessica Elgot Deputy political editor Publish date : 2026-01-06

Tender posted for construction of 3,401 homes in settlement designed to ‘bury idea of a Palestinian state’Israel is moving to start construction on a vast illegal settlement in the heart of the West Bank, designed to “bury the idea of a Palestinian state”.The Israel Land Authority in mid-December quietly posted a tender for construction of 3,401 homes in the “E1” project, which will effectively sever the north and south of the occupied West Bank for Palestinians, and further cut off East Jerusalem. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/06/israel-vast-illegal-settlement-west-bank Author : Emma Graham-Harrison and Quique Kierszenbaum in Jerusalem Publish date :

Danish PM and leaders of UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland allude to Trump threats of takeover and say principles of UN charter must be upheldTheir statement also says they “will not stop defending” the UN Charter principles, “including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders”.Nato has made clear that the Arctic region is a priority and European allies are stepping up.” Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/jan/06/coalition-willing-paris-ukraine-zelenskyy-greenland-denmark-venezuela-trump-latest-news-updates Author : Frances Mao Publish date : 2026-01-06 13:04:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

María Corina Machado tells Fox News she would share her Nobel peace prize with US president after removal of Nicolás MaduroDeposed Maduro pleads not guilty after capture in shock US attack on VenezuelaUS foes and allies denounce Trump’s ‘crime of aggression’ in Venezuela at UN meetingMy colleague Sibylla Brodzinsky has reported on the relationship between the US and Colombia, home to significant oil reserves. Here is an extract from her story:Colombia has long been a close partner of the US in the fight against drug trafficking and enjoyed bipartisan support in Washington but relations have soured dramatically since Trump came

Retailer warns that growth this year will be slower amid continuing pressures on UK employmentBusiness live – latest updatesThe high street retailer Next expects its annual profits to top £1.1bn after it rang up much stronger sales than expected over Christmas – but it has warned that 2026 will be tougher amid “continuing pressures on UK employment”.The clothing and homewares retailer said it was improving annual profit forecasts by £15m, its fourth upgrade in nine months, after UK sales rose by 5.9% in the nine weeks to 27 December, far stronger than the 4.1% expected. Continue reading... Source link :

Law Council of Australia joined calls from families of victims, business community, sporting identities and some former Labor MPs to launch inquiryAnthony Albanese has softened his resistance to a royal commission into the alleged Bondi terror shooting, opening the door to a national inquiry amid growing pressure, including from families of victims and some former Labor MPs.While the prime minister insisted his priority was still on immediate steps, including a review of Australia’s intelligence and law enforcement agencies, he said he was speaking with Jewish community leaders to “examine everything else required” to respond to the 14 December attack, which