Trump’s focus on Venezuelan oil reinforces claim action was never about ‘war on drugs’ 04. January 2026 (15:44) US president claims US will take back ‘stolen’ oil, but experts say no legal claim to natural reserves existsVenezuela crisis – latest updatesHailing the US military operation to capture Nicolás Maduro as spectacular, extraordinary and “an assault not seen since World War II”, Donald Trump surprised many by making Venezuela’s oil the central focus of his hour-long press conference on Saturday.The US president made little mention of the “war on drugs” that for months had been his main justification for the military buildup and the strikes on boats that have killed 116 people, instead referring to oil more than a dozen times, even when questions made no reference to it. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Delcy Rodríguez strikes defiant tone but must walk tightrope as Venezuela’s interim leader 04. January 2026 (15:01) Technocrat must accommodate US demands while shoring up a regime that is hated by many VenezuelansUS attacks Venezuela – live updatesIn her first speech as Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez lambasted the US and pledged fealty to Nicolás Maduro. But the Trump administration has made a cold calculation: she will bow to Washington.Rodríguez is a political veteran who served as Maduro’s vice-president and oil minister and defended the regime against accusations of terrorism, drug-running and election-stealing, yet for now she is Donald Trump’s favoured option to lead Venezuela. “She’s essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again,” Trump said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
World ‘may not have time’ to prepare for AI safety risks, says leading researcher 04. January 2026 (15:00) AI safety expert David Dalrymple said rapid advances could outpace efforts to control powerful systemsThe world “may not have time” to prepare for the safety risks posed by cutting-edge AI systems, according to a leading figure at the UK government’s scientific research agency.David Dalrymple, a programme director and AI safety expert at the Aria agency, told the Guardian people should be concerned about the growing capability of the technology. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Why has the US captured Venezuela’s president and what happens next? 04. January 2026 (14:09) Donald Trump’s capture of Nicolás Maduro follows months of military campaign and years of strained relationshipUS attacks Venezuela – live updatesThe US carried out airstrikes across Venezuela overnight on Friday, with explosions rocking the capital, Caracas, before dawn. Shortly afterwards, Donald Trump announced that US forces had captured the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, and flown them out of the country.The US attorney general, Pam Bondi, said they would face trial in New York on charges of involvement in narco-terrorism. A fresh indictment was issued on Saturday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Oh my gosh, they’re all from London and Cambridge’: York University’s northerners fight back 04. January 2026 (14:00) Lucy Morville, from Burnley, thought most students would be from the north and felt ‘culture shock’ surrounded by southernersLike many students from the north, Lucy Morville says she felt “culture shock” at being surrounded by southerners when she arrived at university. But she said the shock was even greater because it wasn’t what she expected when she enrolled at the University of York.“I hadn’t travelled much down south before university, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, they’re all from London and Cambridge.’ It was such a shock to me,” she said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Republican claims of ‘terrorism’ leave everyone unsafe, Muslim leader warns 04. January 2026 (14:00) Edward Ahmed Mitchell of Council on American-Islamic Relations says Texas and Florida governors abusing powerThe deputy director of the US’s biggest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group warns that Republican governors’ steps to declare his organization a “terrorist organization” won’t stop with the Muslim community.“No governor should have the power to unilaterally declare a civil rights or advocacy group he disagrees with a terrorist organization, take punitive action against them, all in violation of due process and free speech,” Edward Ahmed Mitchell, the deputy director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, told the Guardian this month. “If any governor can get away with abusing that kind of power, then no organization is safe.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Canadian officials say US health institutions no longer dependable for accurate information 04. January 2026 (14:00) Misinformation from the Trump administration is cited as fuelling Canadians’ concerns over childhood vaccinations Canadian officials and public health experts are warning that US health and science institutions can no longer be depended upon for accurate information, particularly when it comes to vaccinations, amid fears that misinformation from the Trump administration could further erode Canadians’ confidence in healthcare.“I can’t imagine a world in which this misinformation doesn’t creep into Canadians’ consciousness and leads to doubt,” said Dawn Bowdish, an immunologist and professor at McMaster University in Ontario. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Starmer says closer ties with EU single market preferable to a customs union 04. January 2026 (13:48) Prime minister gives clearest sign yet that government is seeking to further deepen Britain’s links with BrusselsCloser ties with the EU single market are preferable to a customs union, Keir Starmer has said, in his clearest sign yet that the government is seeking to further deepen links with Brussels.The prime minister said the UK should consider “even closer alignment” with the single market. “If it’s in our national interest … then we should consider that, we should go that far,” he told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK ‘not entirely clear’ what it means for US to ‘run’ Venezuela 04. January 2026 (13:35) UK waiting to determine if US breached international law by capturing Nicolás Maduro, PM’s chief secretary saysUS politics live – latest updatesThe UK is “not entirely clear” what it means for the US to be in charge of Venezuela, the chief secretary to the prime minister has said, urging a move towards a peaceful transition of power.Darren Jones said the UK would wait to determine whether there had been a breach of international law after the US attacked the Venezuelan capital and captured its president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife on Saturday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
From the AI bubble to Fed fears: the global economic outlook for 2026 04. January 2026 (13:00) Analysts and investors voice caution about tech valuations and Trump’s influence on the US central bankInvestors expect global stock markets to keep rising in 2026, despite fears that the AI bubble could burst, and anxiety about chaos engulfing the US central bank.Wall Street strategists broadly expect the S&P 500 share index of US-listed companies to continue to rise over the next 12 months, but said it could be a volatile year if geopolitical tensions increase and inflation fails to fall. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
