A ‘day of love’ with more than 100 casualties 07. January 2026 (20:30) The White House’s official retelling of the January 6 insurrection strains credulityThis was originally published in This Week in Trumpland; sign up to receive it in your inbox every WednesdayAccording to Donald Trump, it was a day of love. For those who watched the violent insurrection on January 6, and for the more than 140 law enforcement officers injured that day, it didn’t seem like there was much love on show.Live video footage showed scores of Trump supporters smashing windows, beating police officers and scrambling over each other as they broke into the Capitol building, in an attempt to overturn the result of the 2020 election. “The most shameful day in American history,” Guardian writer Robert Reich called it. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump says he will ban big investors from buying single-family homes 07. January 2026 (20:14) Median sale price was at $410,800 last year, according to the Census Bureau, even as Trump campaigned on affordabilityDonald Trump said his administration was moving to ban large institutional investors from buying single-family homes in a bid to reduce home prices.In a post on Truth Social, his social media platform, the US president said he will be asking Congress to codify the measure and will be discussing additional housing and affordability proposals in a speech at the Davos World Economic Forum. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
One Battle After Another and The Studio lead Actor awards nominations 07. January 2026 (20:06) Paul Thomas Anderson’s epic thriller and Apple’s comedy series lead nominations for the renamed Sag awards with an impressive showing for Sinners and AdolescenceOne Battle After Another and The Studio lead the nominations for this year’s Actor awards.The Actor awards were previously known as the Screen Actors Guild (Sag) awards but were renamed last year. The name change was to provide “clearer recognition in terms of what the show is about”, according to those involved. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Woman in Minnesota fatally shot by ICE agent during raid, video shows 07. January 2026 (20:05) Mayor says ICE claims that the incident was self-defense are not true and tells ICE to ‘get the fuck out of Minneapolis’Federal agents shot and killed a woman during a large-scale immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis on Wednesday.Ilhan Omar, the Democratic Minnesota congresswoman, said the victim was “a legal observer” of action by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which had sent a surge of agents into the city in recent days tied in part to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Cambridge college to target elite private schools for student recruitment 07. January 2026 (19:58) Exclusive: Trinity Hall’s new policy described as a ‘slap in the face’ for state-educated students A Cambridge college is to target the recruitment of students from elite private schools, interrupting decades of efforts to boost access for state-educated and disadvantaged pupils, the Guardian has learned.Fellows at Trinity Hall college last month approved a policy to approach a small group of private schools, including St Paul’s Girls, Eton and Winchester, to improve the “quality” of students applying, claiming that “reverse discrimination” was a concern. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Indian police raid home of environmental activists over anti-fossil fuel campaign 07. January 2026 (18:52) Sarat Sampada founders Harjeet Singh and Jyoti Aswati say allegations are ‘baseless, biased and misleading’Police have raided the home of one of India’s leading environmental activists over claims his campaigning for a treaty to cut the use of fossil fuels was undermining the national interest.Investigators from India’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) claim Harjeet Singh and his wife, Jyoti Awasthi, co-founders of Satat Sampada (Nature Forever), were paid almost £500,000 to advocate for a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty (FFNPT). Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Commons women and equalities committee to stop using X amid AI-altered images row 07. January 2026 (18:40) Exclusive: Move follows outcry over use of Grok to digitally remove clothing from images of women and childrenUK politics live – latest updatesThe Commons women and equalities committee has decided to stop using X after the social media site’s AI tool began generating thousands of digitally altered images of women and children with their clothes removed.The move by the cross-party committee places renewed pressure on ministers to take decisive action after the site was flooded with images including sexualised and unclothed pictures of children generated by its AI tool, Grok. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US attack on Venezuela will decide direction of South America’s vast mineral wealth 07. January 2026 (18:37) Outcome of aggression will determine whether rare earths and other resources drive energy transition – or strengthen US military power and oil interestsThe US’s first overt attack on an Amazon nation last weekend is a new phase in its extractivist rivalry with China. The outcome will decide whether the vast mineral wealth of South America is directed towards a 21st-century energy transition or a buildup of military power to defend 20th-century fossil fuel interests.Although this onslaught was ostensibly aimed at one corrupt dictatorship in a miserably dysfunctional country, the ramifications are far wider. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Starmer vows to review franchise legislation in response to Vodafone case 07. January 2026 (18:32) Prime minister to ‘look closely’ at legal claims against FTSE 100 telecoms groupThe prime minister has promised to review laws governing franchising agreements, in response to the case of a former Vodafone store manager whose family alleges took his own life following pressure from the FTSE 100 telecoms group.Keir Starmer said in the Commons on Wednesday that he would “look closely” at the outcome of a high-profile legal claim against Vodafone. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Reflagged by Russia, spied on by UK, seized by US: why so much interest in a rusty tanker in the Atlantic? 07. January 2026 (17:56) The ship has long been part of a shadow fleet used to dodge western sanctions. It had no oil onboard – but was it carrying Russian weapons?A massive, rusty crude oil tanker floating north through the Atlantic has become the centre of global interest after it was followed for days and eventually seized by US forces while Russia’s military rushed towards it.Despite not carrying any oil, the 300-metre-long ship is clearly of value. Theories for why range from speculation that high-value Russian weapons are hidden in the hull, to the ship’s potential to become a symbolic trophy in a transatlantic power struggle between Washington and Moscow. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
