General news

• Mitch McConnell Moves to Expand Bill Barr’s Surveillance Powers

  11-05-2020 23:04 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Days after the Justice Department controversially dropped charges against Mike Flynn, Senate GOP Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is set to expand a highly politicized Justice Department’s surveillance authority during a vote this week to renew the 2001 PATRIOT Act. Under cover of redressing what President Donald Trump and his allies call the FBI’s “witch hunt” over collusion with the Kremlin, McConnell, via an amendment to the PATRIOT Act, will expressly permi
  
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• Trump claims to have cancelled ‘previously expected’ second wave of attacks on Venezuela – US politics live

  09-01-2026 11:14 via theguardian.com
  US president says move was reaction to Caracas releasing large numbers of political prisoners as ‘sign of seeking peace’Good morning. Posting on his social media platform, Truth Social, in the early hours of this morning, Donald Trump claimed that he had cancelled a second wave of attacks on Venezuela that would have followed Saturday’s raid, in which the US seized the country’s president, Nicolás Maduro.The US president wrote:Venezuela is releasing large numbers o
  
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• Syria announces ceasefire in Aleppo after three days of clashes with Kurds

  09-01-2026 11:14 via theguardian.com
  US envoy welcomes pause in hostilities in contested region although it is unclear whether deal will holdSyria’s government has announced a ceasefire after three days of clashes with Kurdish fighters in Aleppo, which has led to more than 140,000 people being displaced.The pause in the fighting, which was the most intense in the country for more than six months, came into effect at 3am local time (midnight GMT). Under the terms of the ceasefire, Kurdish militants were to leave the three cont
  
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• Kyiv urges stronger action against ‘shadow fleet’ after Russia strikes Ukraine overnight – Europe live

  09-01-2026 11:14 via theguardian.com
  Zelenskyy calls for ‘clear reaction’ from world after strikes including missile attack about 50 miles from Ukraine’s border with Nato member PolandPope Leo also chooses to express a view on the recent events in Venezuela, calling for world governments – I think he means US president Donald Trump in particular – to “respect the will” of the Venezuelan people.Goes without saying that it’s particularly important coming from the first US pope.“I
  
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• Storm Goretti live: rail services suspended, flights cancelled and schools closed across UK as 380,000 homes in France lose power

  09-01-2026 11:04 via theguardian.com
  Road, rail and air travel disrupted across the UK as Storm Goretti brings wind, rain and snow to the UK and parts of EuropeTell us: how have you been affected by Storm Goretti?Officials in the West Midlands have warned of the “worst snowfall in a decade” as parts of England and Wales prepare to be hit with 5-10cm of snow on Friday, and up to 15-25cm in some areas.In a statement on Wednesday, Stoke-on-Trent city council reassured residents it had not run out of grit after “misin
  
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• One awards battle after another: A-listers face off at this year’s Golden Globes

  09-01-2026 11:03 via theguardian.com
  Big names from Leonardo DiCaprio to Timothée Chalamet are aiming for a win at Hollywood’s most important Oscars precursorHollywood’s A-list will assemble this weekend for the 83rd Golden Globes ceremony, a night that will reveal where this year’s Oscars race is headed.Stars including Leonardo DiCaprio, Timothée Chalamet, Jennifer Lawrence, Emma Stone, Michael B Jordan and Ariana Grande are among those nominated for film awards while small screen nominees include H
  
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• White House unleashes torrent of untruths after woman shot dead by ICE

  09-01-2026 11:00 via theguardian.com
  Victim-blaming began almost as soon as Renee Nicole Good was killed – we examine the claims and the realityThe killing of a US citizen by a federal immigration agent in Minneapolis was a five-alarm fire for the Trump administration. But a torrent of untruths, half-truths, smears, and innuendo has been unleashed by the White House, and amplified by its social media and cable television acolytes, in an attempt to douse the flames.Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic House minority leader, called
  
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• ‘We are not for sale’: chair of Greenland’s top labor union rebukes Trump’s call for annexation

  09-01-2026 11:00 via theguardian.com
  Exclusive: SIK leader Jess Berthelsen rejects Trump claim that the US needs Greenland for ‘national security’Greenland “will not be annexed”, the longtime leader of its largest labor union has declared, refuting Donald Trump’s claims that the Arctic territory’s current status poses a national security threat to the US.In an interview with the Guardian, Jess Berthelsen, chair of SIK, Greenland’s national trade union confederation, said people in the terri
  
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• Alzheimer’s therapies should target a particular gene, researchers say

  09-01-2026 11:00 via theguardian.com
  Scientists at UCL say drug developers should focus on two risk-raising variants of the Apoe geneNew therapies for Alzheimer’s disease should target a particular gene linked to the condition, according to researchers who said most cases would never arise if its harmful effects were neutralised.The call to action follows the arrival of the first wave of drugs that aim to treat Alzheimer’s patients by removing toxic proteins from the brain. While the drugs slow the disease down, the ben
  
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• Starmer warned of £28bn defence funding shortfall by head of UK military – UK politics live

  09-01-2026 10:42 via theguardian.com
  Prime minister expected to order fresh overhaul of defence investment plan, already delayed from expected autumn releaseKeir Starmer has been warned by the UK’s top military chief that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) could face a £28bn funding shortfall in the next four years, PA Media reports. PA says:Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton reportedly told the prime minister that an MoD assessment made last year showed a £28bn shortfall between now and 2030.The chancellor and def
  
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• Victorian premier warns next few hours ‘most dangerous and difficult’ as three people remain missing in bushfires

  09-01-2026 09:57 via theguardian.com
  A man, woman and child remain unaccounted for, authorities say, as the Longwood bushfire continues to burn out of control Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Victorian premier has warned that the few hours into Friday night will be the “most dangerous and difficult” as a wind change impacts bushfires across the state, with three people still unaccounted for and properties destroyed.On Friday evening, Jac
  
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• ‘Toughest conditions imaginable’: Victorians urged to shelter inside from heatwave as tropical cyclone heads for Queensland

  09-01-2026 09:56 via theguardian.com
  Heatwave warnings in place for nearly all states and territories as Sydney braces for 43C forecast on SaturdayFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA heatwave engulfing much of Australia pushed Melbourne’s mercury past 42C, as authorities urged Victorians to stay indoors on Friday. The extreme heat is forecast to descend on Sydney on Saturday.Anthony Albanese met officials in Canberra for a briefing on the extreme c
  
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• Russia fires hypersonic Oreshnik missile at Ukraine in massive attack

  09-01-2026 09:43 via theguardian.com
  Kyiv dismisses as ‘absurd’ Moscow’s attempt to portray missile launch as retaliation for supposed attempted drone strike on Putin residenceEurope live – latest updatesRussia’s military has said it fired its new hypersonic Oreshnik missile at a target in Ukraine during a massive overnight strike.Ukraine confirmed the attack, saying it took place in the west of the country near the European Union border. Moscow said the launch of the intermediate-range ballistic missi
  
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• Sainsbury’s blames ‘significant headwinds’ for drop in Argos sales at Christmas

  09-01-2026 09:31 via theguardian.com
  Online competition and weak consumer confidence behind fall, although sales at group’s supermarkets roseBusiness live – latest updatesSainsbury’s has blamed “significant headwinds” from weak consumer confidence, heavy online competition and widespread discounting for a fall in sales at its Argos chain over the all-important Christmas quarter.The UK’s second-largest grocer said its supermarkets increased sales by 3.4% at established stores in the three months t
  
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• Almost 50 writers boycott Adelaide festival after it dumps pro-Palestine academic Randa Abdel-Fattah

  09-01-2026 09:21 via theguardian.com
  Helen Garner and Miles Franklin winner Michelle de Kretser among 47 people who have pulled out of annual writers’ festival to protest Abdel-Fattah’s axingFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Adelaide festival has pulled down part of its website as dozens of speakers said they were boycotting writers’ week, after Palestinian Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah was dumped from the lineup with the boa
  
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• Mining firms Rio Tinto and Glencore restart $260bn merger talks

  09-01-2026 09:09 via theguardian.com
  Deal would create world’s largest mining company and come almost a year after previous discussions failedBusiness live – latest updatesRio Tinto and Glencore have restarted talks over a merger that would create the world’s largest mining company.The talks come almost a year after previous discussions between the two mining companies collapsed. If a deal is agreed, it would create a global mining business with an enterprise value of more than $260bn (£193bn). Continue read
  
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• Storm Goretti batters UK with heavy winds and snow

  09-01-2026 08:36 via theguardian.com
  Met Office issues rare red warning as winter storm causes power cuts, travel disruption and school closuresStorm Goretti has battered the UK, with tens of thousands of Britons across the country facing widespread power cuts, travel disruption and school closures.The winter storm brought 99mph winds and a rare red warning was issued by the Met Office for “dangerous, stormy” winds in the south-west. Continue reading...
  
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• Black Saturday-affected towns told to leave before predicted wind change causes ‘dangerous’ fire conditions – as it happened

  09-01-2026 08:10 via theguardian.com
  This blog is now closedWind change sparks new fires amid extreme hot weather in Victoria as three people remain missingGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAttorney general says PM took ‘time to get this right’ before calling Bondi royal commissionMichelle Rowland, the attorney general, said the prime minister had taken “time to get this right” as the government prepared to call a federal royal commission after the Bondi terror attack.The prime minis
  
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• Friday briefing: Trump tactics could leave office with him – or the US could descend into a rogue state

  09-01-2026 07:45 via theguardian.com
  In today’s newsletter: In just one year, this administration has lurched from one bewildering decision to another. Will things go back to normal after Trump’s term, or are we seeing a broader erosion of western democratic norms?Good morning. Paramilitary-style troops deployed on the streets of major cities fatally shooting citizens; vessels seized in international waters; a foreign head of state captured; cherished cultural institutions dismantled; a judiciary installed and seemingly
  
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• Home Office tells Gaza academic his bid to bring family to UK not urgent

  09-01-2026 07:00 via theguardian.com
  Bassem Abudagga losing hope after being told wife must go to visa application centre, of which none remain in GazaA Palestinian academic has failed in his latest attempt to be reunited with his family in the UK after the Home Office concluded their case was not urgent and it was more appropriate for his two children to remain with their mother in a tent in Gaza.Bassem Abudagga was also told in a letter from Home Office officials that no reason had been found that was “sufficiently compelli
  
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• Attempt to overturn the Gambia’s ban on FGM heard by supreme court

  09-01-2026 07:00 via theguardian.com
  Case brought by Muslim leaders and MP follows failed 2024 bid and seen as part of global anti-women’s rights backlashA group of religious leaders and an MP in the Gambia have launched efforts to overturn a ban on female genital mutilation at the country’s supreme court.The court case, due to resume this month, comes after two babies bled to death after undergoing FGM in the Gambia last year. Almameh Gibba, an MP and one of the plaintiffs, tabled a bill to decriminalise FGM that was r
  
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• Venezuela begins releasing political detainees to ‘consolidate peace’

  09-01-2026 06:41 via theguardian.com
  Opposition leader María Corina Machado hails move to tackle ‘injustice’ as Spain’s foreign ministry confirms release of five Spanish nationalsFive days after the US seized Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela has announced it is releasing an “important number” of detainees in what the congressional president characterised as a gesture to “consolidate peace”.Former opposition candidate Enrique Márquez was among those released from prison, accord
  
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• 2 shot by federal agent in 'targeted' stop, Portland mayor asks ICE halt operations

  09-01-2026 06:29 via abcnews.go.com
  Two people were injured in a shooting involving a federal agent in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday, authorities said.
  
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• Trump says he will meet Venezuela opposition leader Machado, and threatens drug cartel land strikes

  09-01-2026 06:10 via theguardian.com
  Trump was once dismissive of María Corina Machado but said it would be a ‘great honour’ to accept her Nobel peace prize if she made the offer Donald Trump has said he plans to meet Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, days after launching an attack that resulted in the capture of the country’s president, Nicolás Maduro, and threatened land strikes against drug cartels in Latin America.In the aftermath of that operation, the future governance o
  
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• Minneapolis ICE shooting live updates: Officer identified through court records

  09-01-2026 06:06 via abcnews.go.com
  Tensions are flaring in Minneapolis after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot a 37-year-old woman on Wednesday.
  
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• Whistle, crackle, banned: Dutch set to outlaw fireworks after more new year chaos

  09-01-2026 06:00 via theguardian.com
  Netherlands expected to join Ireland in prohibiting most consumer fireworks as other EU countries debate crackdownWindow-rattling explosions turned Yara Basta-Bos’s street into a “war zone” last week, but she was spared from the worst of the new year chaos she had seen in the past. A few years ago, the emergency doctor in Amsterdam had to treat a patient clutching their own eyeball after a firework blew it out of its socket.“It feels like such a waste,” said Basta-B
  
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• Miami beats Ole Miss behind Carson Beck's game-winning touchdown to reach CFP National Championship Game

  09-01-2026 05:51 via foxnews.com
  
  The Miami Hurricanes are heading to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, coming away with a narrow victory over Ole Miss, 31-27, in an all-time postseason contest. The Hurricanes will now await the winner of the other semifinal between the Indiana Hoosiers and Oregon Ducks to see who they will play on Jan. 19. But Miami will do so on their home turf, with the National Championship Game being played at Hard Rock Stadium – the site of their home games. The game
  
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• Trump plans to meet with Venezuela opposition leader Maria Corina Machado next week

  09-01-2026 05:41 via foxnews.com
  
  President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he plans to meet with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado in Washington next week.During an appearance on Fox News' "Hannity," Trump was asked if he intends to meet with Machado after the U.S. struck Venezuela and captured its president, Nicolás Maduro."Well, I understand she's coming in next week sometime, and I look forward to saying hello to her," Trump said.This will be Trump's first meeting with Machado, who the U.S. presiden
  
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• Trump discusses expansion of drug cartel crackdown, issues grim warning to Iran

  09-01-2026 05:33 via foxnews.com
  
  President Donald Trump said Thursday the United States will expand operations against drug cartels while touting his takedown of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro during an interview on "Hannity.""We've knocked out 97 percent of the drugs coming in by water, and we are going to start now hitting land," Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity. "The cartels are running Mexico, it’s very sad to watch, and see what’s happened to that country.""They’re killing 250,000, 300,000
  
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• US Olympic gold medal snowboarder Chloe Kim's Milan-Cortina hopes in doubt after shocking injury

  09-01-2026 05:16 via foxnews.com
  
  U.S. Winter Olympics star snowboarder Chloe Kim's hopes for a gold medal three-peat are in serious doubt after she suffered a surprising shoulder injury. Kim said Thursday that she took "the silliest fall" in training, which caused her to dislocate her shoulder, threatening her chance to win a third straight gold medal at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in February. Kim posted video of the accident in Laax, Switzerland, earlier this week as she practiced for a key Olympic tune-up the
  
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