Opposition leader Machado says she hasn’t spoken to Trump since attack as she vows to return to Venezuela – live 06. January 2026 (08:54) María Corina Machado tells Fox News she would share her Nobel peace prize with US president after removal of Nicolás MaduroDeposed Maduro pleads not guilty after capture in shock US attack on VenezuelaUS foes and allies denounce Trump’s ‘crime of aggression’ in Venezuela at UN meetingMy colleague Sibylla Brodzinsky has reported on the relationship between the US and Colombia, home to significant oil reserves. Here is an extract from her story:Colombia has long been a close partner of the US in the fight against drug trafficking and enjoyed bipartisan support in Washington but relations have soured dramatically since Trump came to office.Colombia’s narcotics trade is largely controlled by illegal armed groups such as the Gulf Clan, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) guerrilla group, the majority of whose members demobilised after a 2016 peace deal … Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Albanese softens resistance to royal commission into Bondi attack as pressure mounts 06. January 2026 (08:31) Law Council of Australia joins calls from families of victims, business community, sporting identities and some former Labor MPs for inquiryFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAnthony Albanese has softened his resistance to a royal commission into the alleged Bondi terror shooting, opening the door to a national inquiry amid growing pressure, including from victims’ families and some former Labor MPs.While the prime minister insisted his priority was still on immediate steps, including a review of Australia’s intelligence and law enforcement agencies, he said he was speaking with Jewish community leaders to “examine everything else required” to respond to the 14 December attack, which left 15 people dead. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Guardian Hope appeal raises more than £800,000 for charities tackling division 06. January 2026 (08:00) Appeal – entering its last few days – is fundraising for five charities that promote tolerance and hopeDonate to the Guardian Charity Appeal 2025 hereDonations to the Guardian’s Hope appeal have passed the £800,000 mark as generous readers continue to support inspirational grassroots charities that promote tolerance and tackle division, racism and hatred.The 2025 Guardian appeal is raising funds for five charities: Citizens UK, the Linking Network, Locality, Hope Unlimited Charitable Trust and Who is Your Neighbour? Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Taxpayers miss out on millions after ‘phoenixism’ at UK recruitment firms 06. January 2026 (07:00) Practice where companies are liquidated and reacquired, free of debts, thought to cost taxpayers about £800m a yearInsolvent recruitment businesses shorn of their debts then reacquired from administration by the directors or shareholders that presided over their demise are costing the exchequer tens of millions of pounds in lost taxes, a Guardian analysis suggests.The practice of “phoenixism” – the art of liquidating a company and allowing the directors to rise from the ashes with a new entity, free of debts – is estimated by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to have cost taxpayers about £800m a year. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Porton Down shake-up harming critical national security science, whistleblower warns 06. January 2026 (07:00) Senior insider says ‘limbo’ at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory has hit morale and disrupted vital researchA shake-up of the government’s defence science powerhouse at Porton Down has severely damaged morale and harmed work on critical science that supports national security, a senior whistleblower has told the Guardian.The whistleblower said they were raising concerns in the public interest that the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), based largely at Porton Down in Wiltshire, had been left in a paralysing limbo because of the changes. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Starmer prepares for parliamentary battles over imminent EU ‘reset’ bill 06. January 2026 (06:00) Planned legislation could hand ministers significant powers to forge closer regulatory ties with BrusselsKeir Starmer is set to face fresh battles over his EU “reset” with his plans to lay a bill that could lead to closer regulatory ties with Brussels.The legislation aims to introduce an alignment mechanism for the agrifoods and electricity trading deals agreed with EU leaders but still under negotiation. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Bruce Lehrmann makes last-ditch legal effort to appeal rape finding 06. January 2026 (04:04) Former Liberal staffer alleges initial findings against him were ‘compromised’ in latest chapter of high-profile legal caseFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastBruce Lehrmann has made a last-ditch effort to clear his name of findings that, on the balance of probabilities, he raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in 2019.The alleged incident has spawned more than a dozen legal cases. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US ‘not at war’ in Venezuela, Johnson says after briefing with top officials 06. January 2026 (04:03) Speaker says Trump not looking to take control militarily as Democrats say briefing raises more questions than answersThe United States is “not at war” in Venezuela, the Republican speaker of the House Mike Johnson said on Monday, despite the weekend raid Donald Trump ordered to capture president Nicolás Maduro and announcement that the US would now “run” the country.The surprise incursion came after months of mounting US pressure on Venezuela, which has included a blockade of some oil shipments and airstrikes on vessels off its shores that have killed at least 110 people. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Can a youth club revival help the ‘anxious generation’? – podcast 06. January 2026 (04:00) What is the UK government planning for young people? With Emma Warren“I was sat on the tube on the Northern line going south and I noticed a group get on – a man and three young people. There was something happening that I couldn’t quite recognise. They’re not from school. They don’t look like a family group.”Emma Warren, a journalist and author of Up the Youth Club: Illuminating a Hidden History, explains to Helen Pidd how she realised that the man she was observing was a youth worker. “Bringing people in, dropping them out. I was watching someone extremely skilful. He was turning the end of the tube carriage into a youth club, and he was conducting a conversation.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Man arrested over alleged Melbourne arson attack on car with Hanukah decorations 06. January 2026 (03:59) Police are expected to interview a 47-year-old Richmond man after the car was firebombed in St Kilda East on Christmas DayFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastVictoria police have arrested a man over an alleged arson attack on a car with Hanukah decorations on it in Melbourne.The car, with a sign reading “Happy Chanukah” on its roof, was firebombed on Christmas morning. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
