Man fined for dressing as fake admiral at Remembrance Sunday event 05. January 2026 (14:53) Jonathan Carley, 65, ordered to pay nearly £800 after pleading guilty to attending ceremony in Royal Navy uniform without permissionA man has been fined after he admitted dressing as an admiral without permission at a Remembrance Sunday event.Jonathan Carley, 65, pleaded guilty to wearing uniform bearing the mark of his majesty’s forces without permission and was fined £500, and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £200 surcharge, at Llandudno magistrates court on Monday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
'Tuna King' pays record £2.4m for giant bluefin at Tokyo auction 05. January 2026 (14:52) Kiyoshi Kimura will turn prized 243kg fish into sushi rolls selling for £2.4o at his restaurant chainA sushi entrepreneur has paid a record 510.3m yen (£2.4m) for a giant bluefin tuna at a prestigious auction in Tokyo’s main fish market.Kiyoshi Kimura, who styles himself the “Tuna King”, paid the top price for the 243kg (536lbs) specimen, which was caught off Japan’s northern coast. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Duke of Marlborough appears in court charged with strangling estranged wife 05. January 2026 (13:49) Aristocrat, 70, gives address as Blenheim Palace and indicates he will plead not guilty to three charges of intentional strangulationThe Duke of Marlborough has appeared in court and indicated not guilty pleas to charges of strangling his estranged wife.Charles James Spencer-Churchill, a distant relative of Winston Churchill and Diana, Princess of Wales, is accused of three charges of intentional strangulation against Edla Marlborough between November 2022 and April 2024. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
All eyes on secretary of state races – with 2028 White House at stake 05. January 2026 (13:00) 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...(The Guardian)
Nicolás Maduro to appear in New York court on drug and weapons charges | First Thing 05. January 2026 (12:29) 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...(The Guardian)
Trump must give up ‘fantasies about annexation’, says Greenland’s PM 05. January 2026 (12:24) 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...(The Guardian)
Paris court finds 10 guilty of harassing Brigitte Macron online 05. January 2026 (12:22) 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...(The Guardian)
Trump push to politicize US military ‘reminiscent of Stalin’, top general warns 05. January 2026 (12:00) 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...(The Guardian)
UK weather: schools shut and flights cancelled amid snow and ice warnings – latest updates 05. January 2026 (11:54) Scotland bearing the brunt of the weather with up to 30cm of snow expectedThe cold weather has also led to disruption at airports, with delays and cancellations due to safety concerns.Loganair cancelled flights from Aberdeen and Inverness after heavy snowfall, while Liverpool John Lennon airport said at 8am its runway was closed due to wintry conditions and some flights were subject to delays and cancelations. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Minister rejects claims government refusing to call Maduro extradition illegal to placate Trump – UK politics live 05. January 2026 (11:49) Mike Tapp says No 10 is talking to US and close allies about legal aspect after Starmer declines to criticise Venezuela operationKeir Starmer has delivered his ‘cost of living’ message (see 9.56am) at an event at a community centre in Berkshire. According to the PA Media report, he said that the UK would be “turning a corner” in 2026 on this issue.He said:It’s really good to be able to come here and speak to you. I’m acutely aware that there are a lot of things going on in the world at the moment, particularly you will see some things this weekend.But I always remind myself that, for you and millions of people across this country, what matters more than anything is the cost of living, is actually being able to pay bills, making sure that ends meet at the end of the month, and that we’re driving down all those things that cause people a lot of anxiety when they feel they can’t pay the bills. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
