General news

• Two-year-old pool player breaks trick shot world record

  30-01-2026 23:44 via nbcnews.com
  Two-year-old pool player breaks trick shot world record
  
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• Atlanta FBI boss reportedly ousted after questioning DoJ’s renewed interest in 2020 election

  30-01-2026 23:34 via theguardian.com
  Paul W Brown reportedly voiced concerns about the FBI’s unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud in Fulton countyThe special agent in charge of the FBI’s Atlanta field office was reportedly removed from his post after questioning the Trump administration’s renewed interest in investigating the role of Fulton county, Georgia, in the 2020 election.The agent, Paul W Brown, had expressed concerns around the unsubstantiated allegations of voter fraud in Fulton county, which have been p
  
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• Labubu to open seven UK shops, after PM's China visit

  30-01-2026 23:31 via bbc.com
  The furry dolls have a signature spiky-toothed grin and became a viral purchase last summer.
  
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• More than 200 killed in coltan mine collapse in eastern DRC, officials say

  30-01-2026 23:11 via theguardian.com
  Rubaya mine produces about 15% of the world’s coltan, which is processed into tantalum, used in mobile phonesMore than 200 people were killed this week in a collapse at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Lumumba Kambere Muyisa, a spokesperson for the rebel-appointed governor of the province where the mine is located, told Reuters on Friday.Rubaya produces about 15% of the world’s coltan, which is processed into tantalum – a heat-resistant metal that
  
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• Chris Mason: What Starmer's China reset tells us about his foreign policy

  30-01-2026 22:38 via bbc.com
  The prime minister has set out his vision - and now begun to match it with actions and overseas visits.
  
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• Andrew went to intimate dinner with Epstein after his prison release, files suggest

  30-01-2026 22:09 via theguardian.com
  Famous figures including Woody Allen were invited to party with disgraced financier and Mountbatten-Windsor, documents indicateAndrew Mountbatten-Windsor attended an intimate party with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein months after he was released from prison, files suggest.The US justice department released another cache of documents relating to the disgraced financier on Friday.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email [email protected] or jo@s
  
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• Barcelona 'shakedown' offers first hints of F1 2026

  30-01-2026 21:12 via bbc.com
  Mercedes were pre-season favourites for 2026 long before any of the new cars ran on track, and nothing that happened in the Formula 1 'shakedown' in Spain this week has changed that.
  
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• Brook lied 'to protect' others after nightclub altercation

  30-01-2026 20:39 via bbc.com
  England white-ball captain Harry Brook says other players were present when he was involved in an altercation with a nightclub bouncer.
  
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• Ukraine races to bolster air defenses as Putin’s strike pause nears end

  30-01-2026 20:20 via foxnews.com
  
  Ukraine is racing to reinforce its air defenses as a brief pause in Russian strikes on Kyiv and other cities approaches its expiration, and military and diplomatic experts warn the move may do little to change conditions on the battlefield and could ultimately strengthen Moscow’s negotiating position.Earlier Friday, President Donald Trump said at the White House, "I think we’re getting very close to getting a settlement," expressing optimism about the upcoming Russia-Ukraine talks. "
  
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• Three reasons for the record rise in gold prices, and one why they are falling

  30-01-2026 20:11 via bbc.com
  Gold has fallen from recent highs but there are several reasons investors are still finding refuge in the precious metal.
  
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• This tiny Australian town is up for sale - but the locals don't want to leave

  30-01-2026 20:02 via bbc.com
  Residents say the sale of Licola - population, five - jeopardises its future.
  
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• Venezuela's acting president overhauls oil industry amid pressure from Trump administration

  30-01-2026 19:43 via foxnews.com
  
  Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez signed a law overhauling the nation's oil sector, opening it to privatization. The move reverses a core policy of the socialist movement that has ruled the country for more than two decades.Rodriguez's policy shift, aimed at luring the foreign investors needed to rework the industry, comes less than one month after the U.S. captured former Venezuelan dictatorial leader Nicolás Maduro. The acting president, who served as Maduro's vice president
  
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• Jeffrey Epstein sent money to Mandelson’s husband after prison release, emails suggest

  30-01-2026 19:43 via theguardian.com
  Child sex offender sent thousands of pounds to Reinaldo Avila da Silva, according to documents published by US justice departmentJeffrey Epstein sent thousands of pounds in bank transfers after his release from prison in 2009 to Peter Mandelson’s husband, according to emails published by the US Department of Justice on Friday.The latest documents raise fresh questions about Epstein’s relationship with Mandelson, who was sacked as the UK’s ambassador to Washington when details o
  
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• Trump says he believes Iran wants to make deal as he extols size of US ‘armada’

  30-01-2026 19:38 via theguardian.com
  US president declines to say whether he plans Venezuela-like operation, after Tehran signalled it was ready for talksKilling Khamenei? Hitting military sites? It is unclear what a US attack on Iran would achieveDonald Trump has said he believes Tehran wants to make a deal to head off a regional conflict, as he claimed the US “armada” near Iran was bigger than the task force deployed to topple Venezuela’s leader.“We have a large armada, flotilla, call it whatever you want,
  
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• Israel set to reopen Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt for first time since May 2024

  30-01-2026 19:34 via foxnews.com
  
  Israel announced Thursday that it will reopen the Rafah border crossing for people to travel between Gaza and Egypt for the first time since May 2024. Israel’s Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which oversees humanitarian and civil efforts in Gaza, said the crossing "will open this coming Sunday (February 1st) in both directions, for limited movement of people only." "The return of residents from Egypt to the Gaza Strip will be permitted, in c
  
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• Mexico president says Trump tariffs on Cuba’s oil suppliers could trigger humanitarian crisis

  30-01-2026 19:08 via theguardian.com
  Island country only has oil enough to last 15-20 days, and 12-hour blackouts have become commonplaceMexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, has warned that Donald Trump’s move to slap new tariffs on countries sending oil to Cuba could trigger a humanitarian crisis on the island, which is already suffering from chronic fuel shortages and regular blackouts.The US president signed an executive order on Thursday declaring a national emergency and laying the groundwork for such tariffs, ra
  
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• Israel accepts health authorities’ Gaza death toll is broadly accurate, saying 70,000 have died

  30-01-2026 19:06 via theguardian.com
  Israeli military’s U-turn in accepting official figures comes after years of attacking data as ‘Hamas propaganda’Israel’s military has accepted the death toll compiled by health authorities in Gaza is broadly accurate, marking a U-turn after years of official attacks on the data.A senior security official briefed Israeli journalists, saying about 70,000 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli attacks on the territory since October 2023, excluding those missing. Continue r
  
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• UN faces severe cash crisis as Trump admin ramps up pressure on world body

  30-01-2026 18:53 via foxnews.com
  
  As the Trump administration slashes funding and exits multiple international bodies over criticism that the U.N. has failed to promote U.S. interests, the United Nations is warning it could face a cash crisis by July. In a Jan. 28 letter from U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres to ambassadors, he cited record unpaid dues and rigid budget rules that have left the organization exposed.Guterres said the U.N. is trapped in a "Kafkaesque cycle" in which rigid budget rules force it to
  
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• Labour accuses Reform candidate of ‘toxic politics’ after Tommy Robinson endorsement

  30-01-2026 18:19 via theguardian.com
  Far-right activist tells X followers to vote for Reform’s Gorton and Denton candidate, Matthew GoodwinLabour have accused the Reform UK candidate for the Gorton and Denton byelection, Matthew Goodwin, of representing “toxic politics” after he was endorsed by the far-right agitator Tommy Robinson.The move will be uncomfortable for Nigel Farage, who has consistently kept the parties he leads separate from Robinson, an anti-Islam campaigner and one of the UK’s leading far-ri
  
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• Fire near rail line in north London brings travel disruption across England

  30-01-2026 18:16 via theguardian.com
  Services running normally again after trains into Euston on UK’s main intercity line held up as far back as Warrington Train services on Britain’s main intercity rail line are running normally again after being disrupted for much of Friday because of a fire close to the tracks in north London.Trains to and from London Euston serving Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow were among those suspended due to the blaze in Primrose Hill, Camden. Continue reading...
  
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• UK politics: Starmer shrugs off Trump’s criticism of ‘very dangerous’ deal with China – as it happened

  30-01-2026 18:10 via theguardian.com
  Prime minister suggests US president was ‘talking more about Canada’ when asked for reaction to Beijing visitProminent Hong Kong and Uyghur activists living in exile in the UK have accused Starmer of seeking China’s desperate approval, after the prime minister visited Beijing for the first time in eight years this week.Pro-democracy campaigner and prominent critic of the Communist Party, Finn Lau said the Hong Kong community is disappointed by Starmer’s visit, but unsurpr
  
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• WATCH: Mom shares how she read more than 200 books in 1 year

  30-01-2026 17:20 via abcnews.go.com
  Plus, The Book Case podcast hosts Kate and Charlie Gibson offer tips to help you meet your reading goals in the new year.
  
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• WATCH: Unrivaled surprise for Philadelphia high school basketball players

  30-01-2026 17:19 via abcnews.go.com
  Robin Roberts is live in Philadelphia with surprise tickets for local high school players attending tonight’s sold-out Unrivaled doubleheader.
  
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• Islamic State claims attack on international airport and airbase in Niger

  30-01-2026 16:57 via theguardian.com
  Motorcycle-riding militants launch strikes using heavy weaponry and drones, damaging planes belonging to Ivorian carrier and Togolese airlineIslamic State in the Sahel has claimed responsibility for an audacious assault at the international airport and adjacent air force base in Niamey, the capital of Niger, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks jihadist activity and communications worldwide.The attack, which began shortly after midnight on Thursday, reportedly involved motorcyc
  
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• Hungary doubles down on opposition to Ukraine’s EU accession as Zelenskyy aims for 2027 – as it happened

  30-01-2026 16:40 via theguardian.com
  Viktor Orbán reiterates stance on EU membership as spokesperson claims Brussels wants to give Ukraine access to next budgetBut just as Volodymyr Zelenskyy doubles down on his 2027 accession target, so is Hungary’s Viktor Orbán in opposing the move.In clips published by Hungary’s international spokesperson Zoltán Kovács, Orbán has claimed that during the last EU summit the leaders were given a document describing Brussels plans to admit Ukraine in 20
  
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• ‘Deeply ideological’: the rationale behind Iran’s insistence on uranium enrichment

  30-01-2026 16:31 via theguardian.com
  Tehran’s nuclear ambitions date back to the shah and the 1970s and remains undimmed despite the damage caused by sanctionsA desperate effort to avert war between the US and Iran is once again under way, but trying to locate common ground between the two countries over Tehran’s nuclear programme has been made more difficult by escalating US demands, and by Iran’s ideological, deeply nationalist attachment to the right to enrich uranium.Iran’s ambitions to run its own nucle
  
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• Syrian government and Kurdish forces reach deal on permanent truce

  30-01-2026 15:56 via theguardian.com
  Milestone appears to resolve escalating tensions over the question of Kurdish autonomy in north-east SyriaThe Syrian government and Kurdish-led forces have reached an agreement to extend a fragile ceasefire into a permanent truce, laying a framework for integrating Kurdish forces into the state and ending nearly a month of fighting.The agreement on Friday appeared to resolve escalating tensions between the two sides over the question of Kurdish autonomy in north-east Syria and paved a way for th
  
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• China has lifted sanctions from six serving British MPs and peers, Starmer says

  30-01-2026 15:37 via theguardian.com
  Starmer confirms immediate removal, but it is unclear if sanctions remain on former MP, academic and barristerChina has lifted the sanctions it imposed on serving British MPs and peers in a significant sign of warming relations after Keir Starmer travelled to Beijing for landmark talks with Xi Jinping.Nine UK citizens were banned from China in 2021, including five Conservative MPs and two members of the House of Lords, targeted for highlighting human rights violations against the Muslim Uyghur c
  
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• South Africa expels top Israeli diplomat over ‘insulting attacks’ on president

  30-01-2026 15:11 via theguardian.com
  Ariel Seidman declared persona non grata and given 72 hours to leave country after remarks on social mediaSouth Africa and Israel have engaged in a tit-for-tat expulsion of senior diplomats, after South Africa ordered Israel’s chargé d’affaires to leave within 72 hours, citing “insulting attacks” on South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, on social media.Ariel Seidman, the chargé d’affaires at Israel’s embassy in Pretoria, was declared p
  
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• Queensland police scrap specialist unit providing support for domestic and family violence cases

  30-01-2026 15:00 via theguardian.com
  Change comes after 100-day review that found domestic violence case management was not ‘core’ police businessGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Queensland police service plans to disband a specialist unit that provided statewide support for domestic and family violence cases, prompting concern from frontline workers that the loss of an “important resource” would place women at greater risk.The QPS confirmed to Guardian Australia on Friday it wo
  
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• Day and night, there’s no relief: five ways this heatwave is one of Australia’s worst on record

  30-01-2026 15:00 via theguardian.com
  Soaring temperatures, heat at altitude and hot summer nights combine to create one of south-eastern Australia’s ‘most significant’ heatwaves Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastHeatwaves and hot days during an Australian summer may seem unremarkable. Days spent at the beach, sunburn and mosquitoes are part of the national psyche, along with outback pubs serving crisp lager as relief from searing afternoon heat.But when the opal mining town of Andamooka (p
  
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• Australia’s grid now relies on renewable energy as much as coal. Those who doubted it look foolish

  30-01-2026 15:00 via theguardian.com
  Solar met the majority of electricity demand between 9am and 6pm in the past week as much of the country cranked air conditionersGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia’s power grid is changing rapidly – so rapidly that it can feel difficult to keep up.This week, as an oppressive heatwave in the country’s south-east rewrote temperature records, there was also plenty of evidence demonstrating just how fast long-held assumptions about the electricity
  
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• Panama supreme court cancels Hong Kong company’s canal contracts

  30-01-2026 14:47 via theguardian.com
  Panama’s president says strategic waterway will operate as normal after ruling that advances US policy aimsPanama’s president said ports at each end of the Panama canal would operate as usual after the country’s supreme court ruled the concession held by a subsidiary of a Chinese company was unconstitutional.The court’s decision on Thursday, which helps US attempts to block any Chinese influence over the strategic waterway, immediately drew a sharp rebuke from Beijing. Co
  
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• Killing Khamenei? Hitting military sites? It is unclear what a US attack on Iran would achieve | Dan Sabbagh

  30-01-2026 14:00 via theguardian.com
  Donald Trump now has the firepower in place, but using it might not end wellA fortnight ago, when Donald Trump first threatened Iran’s regime, telling protesters in the country that “help is coming”, there were not enough US military assets in the Middle East to back up the rhetoric. That has now changed, although plenty of questions remain about what an attack on Iran could achieve.An aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, has arrived in the Indian Ocean, dispatched from t
  
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• Breakdown in cricket relations with Bangladesh rings alarm bells for India’s Olympic bid

  30-01-2026 13:58 via theguardian.com
  Concern raised over politicisation of sportBangladesh pulled out of men’s World T20 after rowBangladesh’s withdrawal from the men’s T20 World Cup could have implications for India’s 2036 Olympic bid amid concern at the International Olympic Committee over the potential politicisation of sport.Bangladesh pulled out of next month’s tournament last weekend after the International Cricket Council declined a request to move their group matches from India to the co-hosts
  
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• WATCH: 12-year-old girl to compete for best in show with her pooch

  30-01-2026 13:47 via abcnews.go.com
  ABC News' Danny New introduces 12-year-old Kennedy Green who will compete this weekend in the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show with her Pekingese, Lincoln.
  
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• The Week: Starmer Meets Xi, Trump Threatens Iran and More Defection Drama

  30-01-2026 13:46 via bbc.co.uk
  Adam and Alex wrap up the week with James Landale and Sarah Montague.
  
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• Trump says ‘very dangerous’ for UK to do business with China, after Starmer hails progress in Beijing

  30-01-2026 13:39 via theguardian.com
  US president warns against closer ties with China during British PM’s trip to secure lower tariffs and better market accessDonald Trump has warned the UK against doing business with China, just hours after Keir Starmer lauded the economic relationship during a landmark visit to Beijing.The US president said it was “very dangerous” for the UK to pursue closer ties with the rival superpower as the prime minister’s three-hour talks with Xi Jinping underlined a thaw in previo
  
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• Zelenskyy cautious on Russian bombing pause during extreme cold weather

  30-01-2026 13:07 via theguardian.com
  Ukraine president says he will wait to see if Putin complies with Trump request to halt strikes on energy infrastructureUkraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said he was waiting to see whether Russia would observe a proposed pause in strikes on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure, as Kyiv endures a spell of bitter winter cold.Donald Trump on Thursday claimed that Vladimir Putin had agreed to halt strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure for a week after he issued a perso
  
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• Venezuela approves bill to open oil sector to foreign investment after US pressure

  30-01-2026 12:54 via theguardian.com
  Law will give private companies more control but experts unsure whether changes go far enough for USVenezuela’s acting president has signed into law a bill making significant changes to the country’s oil sector after pressure from the US to open it up to foreign private investment.The new hydrocarbons law promises to give private companies control over oil production and sales, ease taxes and allow for independent arbitration of disputes, while largely maintaining state control over
  
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• Trump admin labels Israel 'model US ally' ahead of major military aid talks

  30-01-2026 12:30 via foxnews.com
  
  Last week, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth released the 2026 National Defense Strategy (NDS), a Pentagon blueprint that elevates Israel as a "model ally" and translates President Donald Trump’s national security doctrine into concrete military policy."Israel has long demonstrated that it is both willing and able to defend itself with critical but limited support from the United States. Israel is a model ally, and we have an opportunity now to further empower it to defend itself and promote o
  
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• Weather tracker: Winter storms cause death and outages across eastern north America

  30-01-2026 11:45 via theguardian.com
  Millions told to stay home in US and more than a million are left without power, while Australia faces record heatwaveCold weather across a vast swathe of the eastern US has been the likely cause of at least 49 deaths in the past week.At one point, about 213 million people were under some sort of winter weather warnings, affecting areas from New Mexico to New England – a spread of about 2,000 miles (3,200km). Millions were told to stay at home, and at one point there were more than a milli
  
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• Four people, including two children, found dead in Perth in suspected murder-suicide

  30-01-2026 11:19 via theguardian.com
  WA police say both Mosman Park children had ‘significant health challenges’ and had been in contact with care servicesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTwo parents and their teenage children have been found dead in the affluent Perth suburb of Mosman Park in a suspected murder-suicide, Western Australian police say.At 8.15am on Friday, emergency services received a distressed call from a person known to the family who had gone to the home on Mott Close, in th
  
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• Junta-backed party secures sweeping victory in Myanmar’s ‘sham’ election

  30-01-2026 07:46 via theguardian.com
  Human rights groups and some western countries have denounced the election, the first held since the 2021 coup, describing it as neither free nor fairMyanmar’s military-backed party has completed a sweeping victory in the country’s three-phase general election, state media said, cementing an outcome long expected after a tightly controlled political process held during civil war and widespread repression.The Union and Solidarity Party (USDP) dominated all phases of the vote, winning
  
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• WATCH: US Coast Guard deploys ice breaking ships in New York City amid Arctic blast

  30-01-2026 06:53 via abcnews.go.com
  A fresh blast of life-threatening cold is impacting over 150 million – including those in New York City, which is in the grip of its deepest freeze in eight years.
  
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• Palau lawmakers vote to block controversial Trump deal to resettle migrants from US

  30-01-2026 05:27 via theguardian.com
  A plan to resettle third-country nationals from the US to the Pacific nation faces an uncertain future amid unease over the dealA controversial Trump administration deal to relocate deportees from the US to the small Pacific nation of Palau faces an uncertain future, after the senate voted to block the deal as concern about the agreement grows.The deal, which allows up to 75 third-country migrants facing removal from the US to live and work in Palau, was signed by president Surangel Whipps Jr in
  
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• Trump declares national emergency over Cuba, threatens tariffs on nations that supply oil to communist regime

  30-01-2026 04:04 via foxnews.com
  
  President Donald Trump on Thursday declared a national emergency via an executive order over Cuba, accusing the communist regime of aligning with hostile foreign powers and terrorist groups while moving to punish countries that supply the island nation with oil.Thursday's executive order states that the policies and actions of the Cuban government constitute "an unusual and extraordinary threat, which has its source in whole or substantial part outside the United States, to the national security
  
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• President and first lady attend 'Melania' premiere

  30-01-2026 03:41 via nbcnews.com
  President Donald Trump joined first lady Melania Trump at the premiere of her self-titled documentary, answering questions from NBC News' Chloe Melas as they walked into the event.
  
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• Hamas emerges as ‘ultimate spoiler’ in Gaza plan as Trump insists terror group will disarm

  30-01-2026 03:35 via foxnews.com
  
  President Donald Trump and his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, said Thursday they believe Hamas will disarm under a U.S.-backed Gaza ceasefire plan as it enters its second phase.But as regional analysts warned the terror group has no intention of disarming and could ultimately block Trump’s Gaza plan, Hamas officials also pushed back on Trump's claim.Speaking during his 10th Cabinet meeting of his second term, Trump appeared confident the Palestinian Islamist militant group would throw d
  
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• Keir Starmer opens door to UK visit by Xi Jinping after bilateral talks

  30-01-2026 03:19 via theguardian.com
  PM says trip to China has put relationship in stronger place, but possible return visit angers British criticsKeir Starmer has taken a big step towards rapprochement with China, opening the door to a UK visit from Xi Jinping in a move that drew immediate anger from British critics of Beijing.During the first visit by a UK prime minister to China in eight years – a period which Starmer has described as an “ice age” – he said talks with the Chinese president had left the bi
  
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