Poland preparing €2bn anti-drone fortifications along its eastern border amid Russian threat 27. December 2025 (16:55) Deputy defence minister says new air defence systems will be completed in 24 monthsPoland plans to complete a new set of anti-drone fortifications along its eastern borders within two years, a top defence official has said, after a massive incursion of unmanned Russian aerial combat vehicles into Polish airspace earlier this year.“We expect to have the first capabilities of the system in roughly six months, perhaps even sooner. And the full system will take 24 months to complete,” the deputy defence minister, Cezary Tomczyk, told the Guardian in an interview in Warsaw. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Southern California cleans up after the wettest Christmas season in recent history 27. December 2025 (16:48) More than 17in of rain fell in Ventura county, with trees knocked down and hundreds of car crashes throughout regionSouthern Californians are facing an epic clean-up operation after the region’s wettest Christmas holiday in recent history turned areas of the state into a panorama of mud and debris.A year ago, record wildfires scorched the dry neighborhoods of Altadena and Pacific Palisades. But now, in what scientists call “hydroclimate whiplash”, the picture is reversed after an atmospheric river off the Pacific brought the elemental opposites of winds and rain. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Winter weather disrupts air traffic in New Jersey and New York 27. December 2025 (16:46) Nearly 15,000 flights were canceled or delayed as both states declared weather emergencies after snowstormA mix of snow and ice bore down on the US north-east early on Saturday, disrupting post-holiday weekend airline traffic and prompting officials in New York and New Jersey to issue weather emergency declarations even as the storm ebbed by mid-morning.More than 14,400 domestic US flights on Saturday were canceled or delayed as of mid-morning, with the majority in the New York area, including at John F Kennedy international airport, LaGuardia airport and Newark Liberty international airport, according to the tracking site FlightAware. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump urges Republicans to ditch filibuster rule in US Senate 27. December 2025 (16:00) Rule allows minority party to block legislation, but GOP is reluctant to scrap it as they could lose majorityDonald Trump has floated the idea of ending the filibuster – a procedural technique in Congress that allows a minority of senators to block legislation from passing – which would make pushing through his political agenda in 2026 much easier.In an interview with Politico, the president urged Republicans in the Senate to scrap the filibuster, saying it had become an obstacle to effective governing and removing it would prevent another government shutdown and pave the way for his party to push through its legislative priorities. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
FBI to move out of brutalist J Edgar Hoover building in Washington DC 27. December 2025 (15:21) Iconic building, called ‘greatest monstrosity ever constructed’ by Hoover himself, to be closed downThe FBI director, Kash Patel, said the law enforcement agency’s sprawling but ageing J Edgar Hoover building in Washington DC will be closed down and the agency will move into already existing offices elsewhere.Some FBI workers will report to the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in the US capital to occupy the former offices of the US Agency for International Development, which was controversially dismantled by the Trump administration earlier this year. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
California woman delivers healthy baby after ‘essentially unheard of’ ectopic pregnancy 27. December 2025 (15:00) Suze Lopez found out she was pregnant only days before giving birth, due to fetus hiding behind 22lb ovarian cystA California family is celebrating their first holiday following the delivery of their latest child, a baby that had been growing outside of the mother’s womb.Suze Lopez, a 41-year-old emergency room nurse in Bakersfield, California, delivered baby Ryu via surgery in August, so the newborn is celebrating his first Christmas. He had been an ectopic pregnancy – when a fertilized egg implants and grows outside the uterus – and was hidden behind a large ovarian cyst. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Child abuse victim of Jackanory presenter tells how climbing saved him 27. December 2025 (15:00) Iain Peters waited more than 50 years before going to the police but hopes he can be a beacon for other survivorsA man who was sexually assaulted by a children’s television presenter has spoken of how climbing and mountaineering saved his life and “sanity” during the 50 years in which he kept the abuse secret.Iain Peters, 77, who has waived his right to anonymity, was between nine and 13 years old when he was abused weekly by John Earle, when he was a geography teacher and deputy head at a now-closed boarding school in Okehampton, Devon. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Kennedy Center president demands $1m from musician who canceled Christmas Eve show 27. December 2025 (14:45) Drummer Chuck Redd decided to cancel his yearly Jazz Jam after Donald Trump added his name to the venueThe president of the Kennedy Center has demanded $1m in damages and fiercely criticized a musician’s sudden decision to cancel a Christmas Eve performance at the venue days after the White House announced that Donald Trump’s name would be added to the facility.“Your decision to withdraw at the last moment – explicitly in response to the Center’s recent renaming, which honors President Trump’s extraordinary efforts to save this national treasure – is classic intolerance and very costly to a non-profit Arts institution,” the venue’s president, Richard Grenell, wrote in a letter to musician Chuck Redd that was shared with the Associated Press. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
How Las Vegas police ended up with a fleet of free Tesla Cybertrucks 27. December 2025 (14:00) Mysterious donors gave a fleet of 10 of the vehicles – which have had a number of recalls – to the police earlier this yearThe Las Vegas police department rolled out a new fleet of tactical vehicles to city streets last month: all Tesla Cybertrucks. The steel cars, wrapped in black-and-white vinyl, come decked out with warning lights and flashing sirens on the roof. They seem to be heftier, more angular versions of a traditional police car. Las Vegas is the first city in the US to grant its officers access to a battalion of the futuristic trucks, which have become synonymous with the Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, the richest person in the world.“They represent something far bigger than just a police car,” Sheriff Kevin McMahill said at a recent press conference showcasing the vehicles. “They represent innovation.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Epstein texts and yelling at Trump: US House’s year of censures 27. December 2025 (14:00) Lawmakers spent much of 2025 seeking to reprimand each other – here’s a look back at what sparked such outrageIt’s been a year for the history books in the House of Representatives. Lawmakers broke the record for longest floor speech and longest vote, and presided over the lengthiest government shutdown.They also spent plenty of time seeking to reprimand each other by passing censures, as the House’s formal mechanism for discipline is known. A search on Congress.gov reveals at least 17 attempts since the start of the year to condemn another lawmaker, in the form of a censure or a less formal disapproval resolution. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
