by Andrew Sparrow on January 5, 2026 at 12:11 pm
Keir Starmer says he ‘stands’ with Denmark after Donald Trump threatened to annex GreenlandSpeaking to reporters this morning, Keir Starmer said Nicolás Maduro, who was president of Venezuela until he was arrested by the Americans on Saturday and taken to a US jail, was not a legitimate ruler. He said:What’s happened here in Venezuela is obviously really important. We have long championed a peaceful transition to democracy, because the president was illegitimate.International law is really important. It’s the framework, and it’s for the US to set out its justifications for the actions that it’s taken. But it is a complicated situation. It remains a complicated situation. The most important thing is stability and that peaceful transition to democracy …I think the vast majority of Labour MPs would say that they want to see democracy in Venezuela. That is hugely important. Continue reading…
by Jakub Krupa on January 5, 2026 at 12:11 pm
European Commission spokesperson also declines to rule on whether US intervention in Venezuela was legalin ParisLate last year, Brigitte Macron’s daughter has told a Paris court that false claims online that the French first lady was born a man had damaged her mother’s quality of life, leaving her worrying every day about the clothes she wears and how she stands. Continue reading…
by Frances Mao on January 5, 2026 at 12:04 pm
Scotland bearing the brunt of the weather with up to 30cm of snow expectedSome pictures of the freezeScotland train disruptionsLNER says it will not be travelling to any stations north of Edinburgh – a pause expected to last until at least 2pm todayLNER advising customers not to travel between Edinburgh and Aberdeen/Inverness. No rail replacement buses are being provided.Disruption to journeys in northern Scotland is expected to continue until the end of Tuesday, 6 January says National Rail Continue reading…
by Sam Levine in New York on January 5, 2026 at 12:00 pm
Voters will choose secretaries of state in contests that could play key role in outcome of 2028 presidential electionWhen Americans go to cast ballots in the midterm elections in 2026, much of the attention is likely to be on races for the US House, Senate and governorships – contests that will serve as a referendum on Donald Trump’s first two years in office and determine the trajectories of the final ones.But further down the ballot, voters will choose secretaries of state in key races that could have a major effect on how elections are run in many US states, including several battleground states that are key to the 2028 presidential race. Twenty-six states are set to choose secretaries of state next year, including the presidential battlegrounds of Nevada, Arizona and Michigan. Continue reading…
by Yohannes Lowe (now); Vicky Graham and Adam Fulton (earlier) on January 5, 2026 at 11:59 am
Vice-president to become country’s new leader after calling for ‘balanced and respectful’ relationship with USTense calm spreads at border with Colombia after Maduro captureAnalysis: European leaders appear torn in face of new world orderA UK minister would not be drawn into saying whether his government believes the US capture of Venezuela’s president was influenced by the country’s rich oil reserves.Asked on Sky News why he thought Donald Trump had captured Nicolás Maduro and said America would “run” Venezuela, Home Office minister Mike Tapp said:This is for Donald Trump to answer, and I think he has said in his press conference, which I watched with interest around narco-terrorism and that threat. Continue reading…
by Clea Skopeliti on January 5, 2026 at 11:29 am
US officials have warned of further military intervention if Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, fails to meet their demands. Plus, how gun-safety advocates are riding a ‘seismic’ wave to US legislaturesDon’t already get First Thing in your inbox? Sign up hereGood morning.Nicolás Maduro, the deposed Venezuelan president, is expected to appear in Manhattan federal court on Monday afternoon on drugs and weapons charges after US special forces seized him in a shocking raid at the weekend.What is the reaction in Caracas? While some quietly rejoiced at Maduro’s demise, the traumatic night-time assault on the city prompted stockpiling, uncertainty and fear.What’s the global impact of Trump’s slashing of climate science? It’s substantial. Scientists and forecasters around the world depend on US satellites and studies to track extreme weather in Europe, plan disaster responses in the Caribbean and monitor deforestation in the Amazon. Continue reading…
by Miranda Bryant Nordic correspondent on January 5, 2026 at 11:24 am
Leader of former Danish colony, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, condemns US ‘threats’ as Nordic neighbours offer supportVenezuela live – latest updatesEurope live – latest updatesGreenland has urged Donald Trump to give up his “fantasies about annexation” after the US president, fresh from his military operation in Venezuela, again threatened to take over the Arctic territory.In a bracingly direct statement, the Greenlandic prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, accused the US of “completely and utterly unacceptable” rhetoric, declaring: “Enough is enough.” Continue reading…
by Angelique Chrisafis in Paris on January 5, 2026 at 11:22 am
Teacher and publicist among those convicted of maliciously posting or sharing false claims French first lady is a manEurope live – latest updatesA Paris court has found 10 people guilty of online harassment of the French first lady, Brigitte Macron, by posting or reposting malicious comments on social media that claimed falsely that she was a man.Eight men and two women, aged 41 to 60, including a school sports teacher, an art gallery owner and a publicist, were on Monday given sentences ranging from a compulsory course in understanding online harassment to an eight-month suspended prison sentence. One man, a property developer, who was absent from the trial hearings, was given a six-month prison sentence. Continue reading…
by Ed Pilkington on January 5, 2026 at 11:00 am
Maj Gen Paul Eaton says US president’s effort to bend military to his will could have dire long-term consequencesDonald Trump and his defense secretary Pete Hegseth are mounting an aggressive push to politicise the top ranks of the US military – a push that smacks of Stalinism and could take years to repair, the former infantry chief who trained troops to invade Iraq has warned.Maj Gen Paul Eaton has sounded the alarm, saying in an interview with the Guardian that the effort to bend the higher echelons of the military to the US president’s will was unparalleled in recent history and could have long-term dire consequences. He warned that both the reputation and efficiency of the world’s most powerful fighting force was in the balance. Continue reading…
by Lauren Almeida on January 5, 2026 at 10:38 am
Crude oil falls amid fears US president’s pledge to run country and unlock vast reserves could deepen global supply glutBusiness live – latest updatesVenezuela crisis – latest updatesThe price of oil has fallen as investors digested the impact of the US capture of the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, while a former Chevron executive has said he is already seeking to raise $2bn (£1.5bn) to invest in oil projects in the country.Brent crude dropped by 0.7% to $60.33 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate crude fell 0.54% to $56.01 a barrel in early trading on Monday, after Donald Trump pledged to unlock Venezuela’s vast oil reserves. It later recovered some ground, down 0.1%. Continue reading…
by Julia Kollewe on January 5, 2026 at 10:16 am
UK’s fourth-largest supermarket’s sales rose 3% with 5.5m bottles of fizz and 500,000 turkeys soldBusiness live – latest updatesAldi has reported record Christmas sales as cost-conscious shoppers aimed to cut their festive grocery spending.The UK arm of the German discounter said sales rose by 3% year-on-year in the four weeks to 24 December to £1.65bn, with a 5% surge of £500m in the final week. Continue reading…
by Diane Taylor on January 5, 2026 at 10:06 am
Detainees being held under controversial scheme say Home Office has caused them ‘severe psychological harm’UK politics live – latest updatesEighty asylum seekers detained in preparation for being returned to France under the UK government’s controversial “one in, one out” scheme have called on UN bodies to investigate their treatment. claiming they have suffered “fear, humiliation, and psychological distress” at the hands of the Home Office since arriving in the UK in small boats.The detainees have compiled a document, “Report on conditions and treatment at Harmondsworth immigration removal centre”, which claims they have been treated unjustly by the Home Office since arriving in the UK on small boats. Harmondsworth is one of two detention centres close to Heathrow airport in London. Continue reading…
by Deepa Parent on January 5, 2026 at 10:06 am
Escalating protests sparked by economic chaos have seen at least 20 people killed and nearly 1,000 arrested, say human rights groupsAt least three children are reported to have been killed and more than 40 minors arrested after eight days of the ongoing protests across Iran, as human rights groups accuse the regime’s security forces of “indiscriminate targeting of civilians”.The nationwide uprising sparked by the collapse of the country’s currency and rising living costs has spread to at least 78 cities and 222 locations, with demonstrators calling for the end of the regime, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI). Continue reading…
