The Guardian

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

Former Liberal staffer alleges argued that initial findings against him were ‘compromised’ in latest chapter of high profile legal caseBruce Lehrmann has made a last-ditch effort to clear his name of findings that, on the balance of probabilities, he raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in 2019.The alleged incident has spawned more than a dozen legal cases. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jan/06/bruce-lehrmann-makes-last-ditch-legal-effort-to-appeal-finding-ntwnfb Author : Tory Shepherd Publish date : 2026-01-06 03:04:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Lack of verified information and rapidly advanced AI tools make it difficult to separate fact from fiction on US attackMinutes after Donald Trump announced a “large-scale strike” against Venezuela early on Saturday morning, false and misleading AI-generated images began flooding social media. There were fake photos of Nicolás Maduro being escorted off a plane by US law enforcement agents, images of jubilant Venezuelans pouring into the streets of Caracas and videos of missiles raining down on the city – all fake.The fabricated content intermixed with real videos and photos of US aircraft flying over the Venezuelan capital and explosions lighting

Police commissioner Mal Lanyon’s current declaration restricts public assemblies in Sydney’s south-west, north-west and central metropolitan areas. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIndependent senator David Pocock said he believes the prime minister should have already announced plans to bring federal parliament back early to address the Bondi beach terror attack.Pocock spoke to RN Breakfast this morning, saying:I take the point that drafting takes time, but we’ve seen plenty of times previously where government can pull together legislation very quickly when it wants to. … I think coming back early really sends a

Forecast of Europe’s ‘civilisational erasure’ was part of call for pro-growth reform, says Trump officialDonald Trump’s administration has doubled down on its recent attack on Europe, saying last month’s US national security strategy was an attempt to “jolt” an ally back to economic life.The document was widely condemned in Europe as representing a seismic shift in the 70-year transatlantic alliance with its dark references to a purported threat of “civilisational erasure” with migration and censorship creating “strife”, “cratering birthrates” and “loss of national identities”. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/05/a-warning-not-an-insult-us-doubles-down-on-attack-on-europe Author : Lisa O’Carroll Publish date : 2026-01-05 19:35:00 Copyright

Trial is the most severe criminal case brought against US students who staged protests against Israel’s war in GazaFive Stanford University students are facing trial beginning on Monday over felony charges stemming from a pro-Palestinian protest on campus – the most severe criminal case brought against some of the thousands of students who staged nationwide protests and encampments against Israel’s war in Gaza.The northern California students are part of a group of 12 who were charged with felony conspiracy to trespass and felony vandalism in connection to an hour-long, June 2024 occupation during which the group barricaded themselves inside the

Snowfall will be increasingly confined to far north of Scotland but ice risk to linger across many areasThe full list of train disruptions and timetable changes can be viewed on the National Rail site here.Timeframes for the delays are being amended all the time – and on some routes, bus alternatives are also being offered, so it’s worth checking back in regularly. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/live/2026/jan/05/uk-weather-snow-ice-scotland-northern-ireland-wales-england-latest-news-updates Author : Yohannes Lowe (now) and Frances Mao (earlier) Publish date : 2026-01-05 14:28:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Keir Starmer says he ‘stands’ with Denmark after Donald Trump threatened to annex GreenlandAt the weekend Mette Frederiksen, the Danish prime minister, said Donald Trump has no right to annex Greenland.Asked about her comments today, Keir Starmer said:Well, I stand with her, and she’s right about the future of Greenland.Yes. Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark are to decide the future of Greenland, and only Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark.Denmark is a close ally in Europe, it is a Nato ally, and it’s very important the future of Greenland is, as I say, for the Kingdom of Denmark, and

Danish PM backed by regional leaders as Trump doubles down on claim that Greenland should become part of USDiplomatic editorEuropean leaders emerged divided and torn as they tried to welcome the ejection of Venezuela’s authoritarian president, but still uphold the principles of international law that did not appear to allow Donald Trump to seize Nicolás Maduro, let alone declare that the US will run Venezuela and control its oil industry. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/jan/05/europe-greenland-denmark-eu-venezuela-trump-latest-news-updates Author : Jakub Krupa Publish date : 2026-01-05 09:19:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Delcy Rodríguez adopts conciliatory tone as she stands in for Nicolás Maduro after Venezuelan leader captured by American forces and brought to USTense calm spreads at border with Colombia after Maduro captureAnalysis: European leaders appear torn in face of new world orderColombian president Gustavo Petro has rejected threats by Donald Trump and the US president’s accusations that he is drug trafficker.Trump on Sunday threatened Colombia with similar military action to the weekend raid against Venezuela, saying Colombia was “run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States” but that he “is not going

The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, was captured, flown to the US and is facing trial in New York. What does it mean for the country – and the world?In the early hours of Saturday morning, scenes unfolded on the streets of the Venezuelan capital Caracas that could have come from a blockbuster movie. The power was cut, explosions ripped through the city and the US military swept in. The country’s president, Nicolás Maduro, was snatched from his home … and from power.For months Trump has been waging a maximum pressure campaign against Maduro. He accused him of being responsible

Nationals leader David Littleproud warns against prolonged Iraq-style operation in VenezuelaGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Australian government says it is waiting for the United States to “set out the facts” on the operation to capture the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro.The Labor minister Tim Ayres on Monday stressed the importance of international law after the US military intervention. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jan/05/australian-government-view-trump-capture-of-maduro Author : Josh Butler Publish date : 2026-01-05 01:30:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Marvel, Lost and Hobbit actor says ‘almost every area in my brain is functioning at a decreased capacity’ after she fainted and fell face-first into a boulderEvangeline Lilly has revealed she has brain damage, months after she suffered a concussion when she fainted and fell face-first into a boulder.The 46-year-old Canadian actor, known for her roles in Lost, The Hobbit films and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, shared the “bad news” video on her Instagram, one of many updates she has shared since she suffered the traumatic brain injury (TBI) in May, when she fainted on a beach and hit her

Washington keeping 15,000-strong military presence in Caribbean in case interim president hinders US objectivesUS politics liveThe prospect of the United States seizing direct control of Venezuela appeared to recede on Sunday after the shocking seizure of President Nicolás Maduro – but US officials said Washington was keeping a 15,000-strong force in the Caribbean and might make a fresh military intervention if Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, did not accommodate their demands.While Rodriguez kept up a defiant tone in public, the substance of conversations she had had in private with US officials was not clear. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/04/us-running-venezuela-now-seems-less-likely-but-second-intervention-possible

Lawmakers call US intervention and capture of Maduro ‘wildly illegal’ and say it lacked congressional approvalTrump’s Venezuela intervention: latest updatesDemocratic leaders responded with fury on Sunday to Donald Trump’s military intervention in Venezuela, slamming it as an illegal act carried out in the absence of required congressional approval that would lead to disaster for the American people.Top Democrats took to the Sunday TV political talk shows to express their dismay at the lack of any prior notification of lawmakers about the audacious military raid 24 hours earlier. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/04/democrats-trump-white-house-venezuela Author : Ed Pilkington in New York