Starmer tells Labour MPs his foreign trips can help fix cost-of-living crisis 12. January 2026 (23:39) Prime minister tells parliamentary party that ‘being in the room’ for trade and defence talks will boost UK economyKeir Starmer has defended his frequent trips out of the country to Labour MPs, attempting to draw a direct link with the cost of living at home, which he warned would not be solved by isolationism.The prime minister told the meeting of the parliamentary Labour party (PLP) on Monday night that it was essential for him to be “in the room” for international negotiations on trade and defence, which would then have an impact on the domestic economy. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US judge lets Danish firm resume Rhode Island offshore wind project halted by Trump 12. January 2026 (23:29) Ørsted and other wind developers have faced repeated disruptions to multibillion dollar projects under TrumpA federal judge on Monday cleared Danish offshore wind developer Ørsted to resume work on its nearly finished Revolution Wind project, which Donald Trump’s administration halted along with four other projects last month.The ruling by US district judge Royce Lamberth is a legal setback for Trump, who has sought to block expansion of offshore wind in federal waters. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Minnesota sues Trump administration to end surge of ICE agents in state 12. January 2026 (23:08) Lawsuit comes in the aftermath of an ICE agent fatally shooting Minneapolis resident Renee Nicole GoodMinnesota attorney general Keith Ellison announced a lawsuit Monday against the federal government, seeking to end the surge of ICE agents in the state.“This is in essence a federal invasion of the Twin Cities, and it must stop,” Ellison said during a press conference, noting the shutdown of schools and the closure of local businesses. “This surge has made us less safe.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Kevin Rudd will step down as ambassador to the US a year early 12. January 2026 (22:48) Anthony Albanese thanks former Labor PM, who will step down in March, for his service to AustraliaFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastKevin Rudd will step down as Australian ambassador to the US at the end of March, Anthony Albanese announced on Tuesday morning.The former prime minister and foreign minister will leave the role a year early, on 31 March, after being appointed global president of the international relations thinktank the Asia Society. Rudd will also head the society’s Centre for China Analysis. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Cypriot president says he has ‘nothing to fear’ over corruption allegations 12. January 2026 (22:33) Incriminating video, dismissed by officials as part of a ‘hybrid attack’, has forced resignations of Nikos Christodoulides’s wife and chief of staffThe Cypriot president, Nikos Christodoulides, has said he has “nothing to fear” over a scandal that has forced the resignations of his chief of staff and his wife from a leadership role of a major charity.As allegations of high-level corruption swirled days after the island assumed the rotating EU presidency, officials insisted the country had been the victim of “hybrid warfare”. The incriminating claims, implicating the president and first lady in a cash for access network, were made in a video uploaded on X. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Louise Adler resigns as director of Adelaide writers’ week 12. January 2026 (22:30) Exclusive: Writing for Guardian Australia, Adler says she ‘cannot be party to silencing writers’ after Adelaide festival board cancelled Randa Abdel-Fattah’s invitation to appearLouise Adler: I cannot be party to silencing writers, which is why I am resigning as director of Adelaide writers’ weekPeter Greste: If we silence voices we don’t agree with, we’re doing the work of extremists for themFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe director of Adelaide writers’ week, Louise Adler, has resigned after the board of the Adelaide festival announced it had dumped the Palestinian Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah from the literary event.“I cannot be party to silencing writers, so with a heavy heart I am resigning from my role as the director of the AWW,” said Adler, one of Australia’s most influential literary figures. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump ‘unafraid to use military force on Iran’, White House says 12. January 2026 (22:24) Press chief says US president considering ‘many, many’ options amid deadly regime crackdown on protestersDonald Trump is “unafraid to use military force on Iran” the White House said on Monday as the Iranian regime still faces widespread unrest across the country.Speaking to Fox News, the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said that although diplomacy remained Trump’s “first option”, he was “unafraid to use the lethal force and might of the United States military if and when he deems that necessary”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK ministers should explain compensation payment to Guantánamo detainee, Dominic Grieve says 12. January 2026 (21:59) Former attorney general urges more clarity on British spy agencies’ role in Abu Zubaydah’s torture by CIAMinisters should explain why the UK has paid compensation to a Palestinian man who was tortured by the CIA and is still being held in Guantánamo Bay, according to a former attorney general.Abu Zubaydah, the first man subjected to CIA waterboarding, was reported by the BBC to have been awarded a payment that may amount to hundreds of thousands of pounds because of the role of MI5 and MI6 in his mistreatment. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australia news live: Anthony Albanese to give more details about hate speech legislation; Victoria police issue $1m cold case reward 12. January 2026 (20:57) The prime minister is due to speak to the media this morning after recalling parliament for two days next week. Follow updates liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastVictoria police have issued a $1m reward for information in relation to the suspicious disappearance of Eloise Worledge, five decades since she was last seen.The reward is the only one of its kind in the state, as it includes payment for information leading to the location or Worledge’s remains, not just regarding a possible perpetrator.Eloise’s parents not only passed away without ever knowing what became of their daughter, but they also endured years of unfair speculation that they were involved. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Conservative defections risk making Reform UK into Tory party 2.0 12. January 2026 (20:50) Nadhim Zahawi’s ministerial experience is badly needed by Nigel Farage but it comes with his ex-party’s tainted brandIn the death throes of Boris Johnson’s government in the summer of 2022, Nadhim Zahawi was appointed chancellor by an increasingly desperate prime minister determined to cling on to power.The vacancy arose after Rishi Sunak, who had led the Treasury for more than two years, quit saying he no longer had confidence in Johnson to lead the country, setting off – with others – a string of high-profile desertions. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
