Trump walks back Greenland tariffs threat, citing vague ‘deal’ over territory 21. January 2026 (23:25) US president claims ‘framework’ of agreement in the works after ‘very productive’ meeting with Nato secretary generalDonald Trump has walked back his threat to impose sweeping US tariffs on eight European countries, claiming he had agreed “the framework of a future deal” on Greenland.Four days after vowing to introduce steep import duties on a string of US allies over their support for Greenland’s continued status as an autonomous Danish territory, the president backed down. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Museums must reach all parts of UK, says Nandy as £1.5bn of arts funding announced 21. January 2026 (23:00) Culture secretary says national institutions will receive £600m but they must extend influence outside LondonLondon-based museums need to ensure they reach every part of the country, according to Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, who on Wednesday announced a landmark £1.5bn funding package for the arts meant to restore national pride.National museums including the British Museum and the National Portrait Gallery will be handed a £600m package but the culture secretary has urged them to look outside the capital to extend their sphere of influence. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
ICE targets Somali communities in Maine in new Trump administration crackdown 21. January 2026 (22:55) Immigration enforcement has sent a surge of federal agents to the fishing state, with about 50 arrests so farThe Trump administration has begun another targeted immigration crackdown, sending a surge of federal personnel to Maine, an ocean fishing state, in a plan dubbed by the government Operation Catch of the Day.Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is aiming the push at Somali immigrants living in the north-eastern state, according to reporting by the New York Times. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
American democracy on the brink a year after Trump’s inauguration, experts say 21. January 2026 (22:24) Scale and speed of president’s moves have stunned observers of authoritarian regimes – is the US in democratic peril?Three hundred and sixty-five days after Donald Trump swore his oath of office and completed an extraordinary return to power, many historians, scholars and experts say his presidency has pushed American democracy to the brink – or beyond it.In the first year of Trump’s second term, the democratically elected US president has moved with startling speed to consolidate authority: dismantling federal agencies, purging the civil service, firing independent watchdogs, sidelining Congress, challenging judicial rulings, deploying federal force in blue cities, stifling dissent, persecuting political enemies, targeting immigrants, scapegoating marginalized groups, ordering the capture of a foreign leader, leveraging the presidency for profit, trampling academic freedom and escalating attacks on the news media. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Offshore gambling operators using Australian Open to promote illegal services 21. January 2026 (21:59) One offshore e-casino posted Instagram promotion featuring AO logo despite no affiliation with tournamentFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastOffshore gambling operators are using the Australian Open to promote their illegal services, sparking calls for sweeping bans on the unlicensed websites.Australian regulators and sporting professionals have expressed rising concern at the growth of offshore sites, where gamblers are not protected by Australian consumer law and have no guarantee they can withdraw their winnings. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Sheinbaum defends transfer of Mexican cartel members amid efforts to appease Trump 21. January 2026 (21:05) Analysts warn that Trump will probably demand more action from Mexico to counter drug-trafficking groupsMexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum has defended the latest transfer of 37 Mexican cartel operatives to the US as a “sovereign decision”, as her government strives to alleviate pressure from the Trump administration to do more against drug-trafficking groups.It was the third such flight in the year since Donald Trump returned to the White House, but analysts warn that while it remains an effective pressure valve, the returns may be diminishing. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
How Badenoch’s meeting with Mike Johnson led to Trump’s Chagos deal rant 21. January 2026 (21:00) A brief encounter set off a chain of events that culminated in a public rebuff to the US president from Keir StarmerWhen Kemi Badenoch met Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, on Monday evening, she pressed him on two issues: the Chagos Islands deal and North Sea oil drilling.Neither participant was part of their respective executive branch, and neither issue was at the centre of the crisis that has engulfed transatlantic politics. But before long, the meeting had some very real political consequences. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump says Canada should be grateful for ‘freebies’ it gets from the US 21. January 2026 (21:00) US president singles out Mark Carney day after prime minister warned world is undergoing geopolitical ‘rupture’Donald Trump has said Canada should be “grateful” for the “freebies” it gets from the US, a day after its prime minister, Mark Carney, warned the world was undergoing a geopolitical “rupture”.Speaking those attending the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Switzerland, the US president singled out Carney’s speech that was sharply critical of US foreign policy. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australia news live: Coalition in crisis as Nationals resign en masse; hot weather on the way for long weekend 21. January 2026 (20:52) Temperatures to climb to 40C in Melbourne and Adelaide. Follow updates liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPurple tomatoes approved for saleThe novelty fruit, approved by regulators on Wednesday, gets its colour from added anthocyanin pigments – the same compounds found in blueberries and blackberries. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Val McDermid was assigned ‘sensitivity reader’ to cut offensive language from old books 21. January 2026 (20:51) Author discusses changes made to Lindsay Gordon novels from 80s and 90s to prepare for their rereleaseThe crime writer Val McDermid has revealed she was assigned a “sensitivity reader” to remove language that could cause offence from her earlier works.The Scottish author has sold more than 19m novels worldwide and is known for the authenticity of the dialogue in her work. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
