President Trump's administration is facing Senate measures to curb military actions in Venezuela, while Trump himself outlines a vision of power limited only by his "own morality." The US is also withdrawing from major international agreements, including a key climate treaty, sparking condemnation from European leaders and protests in Colombia over perceived imperialistic policies, particularly concerning Venezuela's oil reserves and Greenland, alongside discussions on future US military spending and tariff disruptions.

• Live Updates: Senate Advances Measure to Curb Trump’s Use of Force in Venezuela — New York Times World -
• Here’s the latest. — New York Times World -
• Two oil tankers under US sanctions sailing through English Channel towards Russia — The Guardian -

• Trump Lays Out a Vision of Power Restrained Only by ‘My Own Morality’ — New York Times World -
• Venezuela cooperating fully and US will control its oil for years, Trump claims — The Guardian -
• France’s Macron warns US under Trump is ‘turning away’ from allies – as it happened — The Guardian -
• US involvement in Venezuela could last years, Trump says — BBC World -
• US Senate advances war powers resolution to stop Trump from taking further military action in Venezuela — The Guardian -
• ‘Shadow fleet’ ships moving sanctioned oil reflagged to Russia at rising rate — The Guardian -
• French president condemns US for ‘turning away from allies’ — The Guardian -
• Trump withdraws US from key climate treaty and dozens of other groups — BBC World -
• U.S., Cementing Control on Venezuelan Oil, Seizes Russian-Flagged Tanker — New York Times World -
• Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro announces re-election bid — The Guardian -
• Fema staff outraged by draft plans for deep cuts under Trump — The Guardian -
• Vance criticises Denmark and Europe's handling of 'critical' Greenland — BBC World -
• Rubio Says He’ll Discuss Greenland With Danish Officials Next Week — New York Times World -
• What Is the UNFCCC and Why Is the U.S. Pulling Out? — New York Times World -
• ‘Catastrophic’: fears for families after Trump officials cut $10bn in social funds — The Guardian -
• Colombia’s President Feared a U.S. Attack. Then Trump Called. — New York Times World -
• Trump Says U.S. Oversight of Venezuela Could Last for Years — New York Times World -
• Trump plans to use Venezuela’s huge crude reserves ‘to cut US oil price to $50 a barrel’ — The Guardian -
• Trump Pulls U.S. Out of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change — New York Times World -
• Tech titans divided over whether to pay billionaire tax or flee California — The Guardian -
• Lawmakers Are Split After Classified Briefings on Venezuela — New York Times World -
• Mandelson accuses European leaders of ‘histrionic’ reaction to Trump’s Greenland stance — The Guardian -
• Venezuela Updates: U.S. Forces Seize Two Tankers; Rubio Lays Out Plan for American Control — New York Times World -
• Europe Tries to Come to Terms With Trump’s Intervention in Venezuela — New York Times World -
• US and Colombian presidents speak – as it happened — The Guardian -
• All Eyes on the U.S. in 2026 — New York Times World -
• When It Comes to Russia, Trump Navigates Conflicting Goals — New York Times World -
• Analysis: Why Trump chose Maduro's VP over Nobel winner — BBC World -
• Analysis: Why Trump chose Delcy, not Machado — BBC World -
• Trump to meet Colombian president at White House in 'near future' — BBC World -
• Trump to meet Colombian president at White House in 'near future' — BBC World -
• Democrats slam Trump’s justification for immigration agent killing woman during ICE raid and call for investigation – as it happened — The Guardian -
• Outrage as Trump withdraws from key UN climate treaty along with dozens of international organisations — The Guardian -
• Trump calls for US military spending to rise more than 50% to $1.5tn — BBC World -
• ‘Out with the Yanks!’: Thousands protest in Colombia as anger builds over Trump’s intervention in Venezuela — The Guardian -
• Trump and Colombian President Speak by Phone Amid Escalating Tensions — New York Times World -
• Here’s the latest. — New York Times World -
• How tariff disruption will continue reshaping the global economy in 2026 — BBC World -

Minneapolis is on edge after an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, with authorities defending the action despite contradictory video evidence, leading to protests and an FBI takeover of the investigation; elsewhere, a notorious serial killer confessed to a decades-old murder.

• Kristi Noem doubles down on claim ICE agent killed woman in self-defense — The Guardian -
• Trump administration vehemently defends ICE agent who killed US citizen in Minneapolis – live — The Guardian -
• FBI takes over case of ICE agent killing US woman and cuts Minnesota’s access to evidence — The Guardian -

• US serial killer confesses to 1965 murder of 18-year-old woman in New Jersey — The Guardian -
• Watch: Eyewitnesses recount deadly ICE shooting — BBC World -
• Who was Renee Nicole Good, the woman killed by ICE? — BBC World -
• ‘Poet, writer, wife, mom’: who was Renee Nicole Macklin Good, the woman killed by an ICE agent? — The Guardian -
• Eyewitness video shows how deadly shooting in Minneapolis unfolded, second by second — BBC World -
• Minneapolis had been bracing for catastrophe before ICE killing — The Guardian -
• ‘This is not normal’: Minneapolis on edge and angry after Ice killing of woman amid federal surge — The Guardian -
• Woman in Minnesota, 37, shot and killed by ICE agent during raid, video shows | First Thing — The Guardian -
• US immigration agent fatally shoots woman in Minneapolis — BBC World -
• Democrats slam Trump’s justification for immigration agent killing woman during ICE raid and call for investigation – as it happened — The Guardian -

Australia is bracing for catastrophic bushfire risks amid a record-breaking heatwave, while the Prime Minister has announced a royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion following the Bondi attack, a move that comes after initial resistance and ongoing debate about freedom of protest and cultural sensitivity, alongside local crime reports.

• Australia news live: Victoria braced for ‘catastrophic’ fire risk; Queensland on tropical cyclone watch — The Guardian -
• Australia Faces Critical Fire Warnings Amid Record-Breaking Heat Wave — New York Times World -
• Promoter behind US rightwinger Candace Owens’ blocked Australia tour goes into liquidation — The Guardian -

• Was Albanese’s royal commission refusal cynical or considered? Either way, his backdown has come too late — The Guardian -
• Australia PM announces royal commission into Bondi shooting — BBC World -
• PM says government has been working on inquiry logistics ‘for weeks’ – as it happened — The Guardian -
• Albanese announces royal commission after Bondi attack as he defends not calling inquiry earlier — The Guardian -
• Australia to deport British man over alleged neo-Nazi links — BBC World -
• Adelaide festival dumps prominent academic Randa Abdel-Fattah over ‘cultural sensitivity’ concerns after Bondi attack — The Guardian -
• ‘The most dangerous day’: bushfires break out in Victoria as BoM warns of catastrophic conditions to come — The Guardian -
• Two men charged after allegedly scamming $50,000 from elderly women in car parks across NSW — The Guardian -
• ‘We will defy these laws’: challenge lodged against NSW protest legislation that could stop Invasion Day rallies — The Guardian -
• Heatwave hits Australia as officials warn of 'catastrophic' fire risk — BBC World -
• Heatwave hits Australia as officials warn of 'catastrophic' fire risk — BBC World -
• NSW police shoot man dead after mental health check turns into six-hour siege — The Guardian -
• Third Labor MP breaks ranks to urge Albanese to call royal commission into Bondi attack — The Guardian -

The UK government has made a swift U-turn on pub business rates following industry outcry, though farmers remain angry over inheritance tax decisions, while **major retailers like Tesco and M&S report mixed Christmas trading and a severe weather bomb, Storm Goretti**, prepares to hit; furthermore, public safety concerns regarding police vetting and the right to protest are under scrutiny.

• Reeves’s promise of pub business rates U-turn averts Labour rebellion — The Guardian -
• Labour’s swift pubs U-turn shows government learning – and repeating Treasury mistakes — The Guardian -
• ‘They are going after everything rural’: inheritance tax U-turn does little to dampen farmers’ anger at Labour — The Guardian -

• New archbishop of Canterbury not fit for job, says alleged church abuse victim — The Guardian -
• Badenoch claims forthcoming business rates U-turn for pubs ‘too little, too late’ – as it happened — The Guardian -
• Last of three siblings abandoned in London over eight-year period is adopted — The Guardian -
• One of UK’s largest concert instruments will sound again after being restored to glory — The Guardian -
• ‘Go back home’: Farage schoolmate accounts bring total alleging racist behaviour to 34 — The Guardian -
• Tesco aiming for bumper 2026 after best Christmas market share in decade — The Guardian -
• Red and amber weather warnings in UK as Storm Goretti evolves into ‘weather bomb’ — The Guardian -
• CMA begins full review of Kingsmill owner’s planned takeover of bread rival Hovis — The Guardian -
• ‘Brilliant for work-life balance’: how Britain is embracing the ‘workation’ — The Guardian -
• Greggs puts up price of sausage roll by 5p to £1.35 amid rising costs — The Guardian -
• Ex-Premier League ref David Coote gets suspended sentence over schoolboy video — The Guardian -
• Man who threw boy off Tate Modern balcony sentenced for attacking nurses — The Guardian -
• Farage accused of ‘parroting Kremlin lines’ after remarks on UK troops in Ukraine — The Guardian -
• Holiday Inn turned away homeless men despite rooms being paid for — The Guardian -
• Tunbridge Wells residents without water again as supplier blames cold weather — The Guardian -
• M&S Christmas food sales soar but clothing suffers from cyber-attack fallout — The Guardian -
• Right to protest is under attack in England and Wales, reports warn — The Guardian -
• Jewish community ‘frustrated’ with police over handling of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans ban — The Guardian -
• Failure to properly vet officers resulted in serial rapists within Met ranks, review finds — The Guardian -

Russian strikes have severely impacted Ukraine's Dnipro region, causing widespread power and water outages, while a prisoner swap between France and Russia offers a glimmer of diplomacy amidst escalating tensions in the Middle East, including Syrian army evacuations in Aleppo and a deepening diplomatic row between Saudi Arabia and the UAE over a Yemeni separatist leader.

• Russian Strikes Knock Out Power in Dnipro Region of Ukraine — New York Times World -
• One million spent hours without heat and water after Russian strikes, Ukraine says — BBC World -
• French Researcher and Russian Basketball Player Released in a Prisoner Swap — New York Times World -

• Saudi-led coalition says UAE helped smuggle separatist leader out of Yemen — BBC World -
• Saudi Arabia says UAE helped Yemeni separatist leader flee as crisis deepens — The Guardian -
• Syrian army orders Aleppo evacuations amid fighting with Kurdish forces — The Guardian -
• Saudi Official Accuses U.A.E. of Helping Yemeni Separatist to Escape — New York Times World -
• Lebanon Claims Progress in Disarming Militant Groups Like Hezbollah — New York Times World -
• US halts assistance to Somalia over claims food aid was illegally seized — BBC World -
• Lebanese army says it has taken over security in Hezbollah-dominated south — BBC World -
• Footage shows violent clashes as Iran protests spread to more areas — BBC World -
• US halts assistance to Somalia over claims food aid was illegally seized — BBC World -
• Two weeks on, questions linger over targeting and impact of US airstrikes in Nigeria — The Guardian -
• EU accused of fuelling Putin’s war by importing Russian liquefied natural gas — The Guardian -
• Yemen Separatist Leader Refuses to Attend Talks, Deepening Saudi Arabia-UAE Clash — New York Times World -
• Iran Says It’s Investigating Violence at Weekend Protests — New York Times World -
• Protests Spread in Iran, and Crackdowns Escalate — New York Times World -
• Russian attacks leave two regions with widespread blackouts, Ukraine says — BBC World -

AI ethics concerns are rising, with Google and Character.AI settling lawsuits over teen suicide and Grok on X generating nonconsensual images, while NASA considers an early ISS return due to an astronaut's medical issue. Environmental reports highlight toxic river litter and the climate impact of dog food, and research reveals dogs can learn words by eavesdropping.

• ‘Gifted learner dogs’ can learn words by eavesdropping, study says — The Guardian -
• The Icebreaker Araon Stops Near the Thwaites Glacier — New York Times World -
• Google and AI startup to settle lawsuits alleging chatbots led to teen suicide — The Guardian -

• Officials piloting software to tackle deepfakes ahead of Scottish and Welsh elections — The Guardian -
• NASA May Return Early From International Space Station After Medical Issue — New York Times World -
• Hundreds of nonconsensual AI images being created by Grok on X, data shows — The Guardian -
• Masses of toxic litter pours from Rhine into North Sea each year, research finds — The Guardian -
• Nasa considering early return of crew from ISS due to medical reasons — The Guardian -
• Musk lawsuit over OpenAI for-profit conversion can go to trial, US judge says — The Guardian -
• Indian police raid home of environmental activists over anti-fossil fuel campaign — The Guardian -
• Inside the sub-zero lair of the world's most powerful computer — BBC World -
• AI chatbot Grok used to create child sexual abuse imagery, watchdog says — The Guardian -
• Supermarkets could help UK shoppers eat more sustainable local fish – study — The Guardian -
• Dog food accounts for 1% of UK greenhouse gas emissions, study finds — The Guardian -

**David Bowie’s childhood home is set to open to the public as Brazil’s president vetoes a bill to reduce Bolsonaro's sentence and Germany faces calls for its mayor to resign** over actions during a blackout; meanwhile, children in Gaza return to school and Cambodia extradites an alleged crypto scam kingpin to China.

• David Bowie’s childhood home to open to the public for first time — The Guardian -
• Brazilian president vetoes bill reducing Jair Bolsonaro’s prison sentence — The Guardian -
• Algeria apologises after player mocks Congolese superfan dressed as pan-African hero — BBC World -

• Why Cambodia Handed Over a Man Accused of Stealing Billions in Crypto Scam — New York Times World -
• On the lamb: 50 sheep break away from flock and storm German supermarket — The Guardian -
• Tennis Kenya admits it shouldn't have let amateur compete after viral defeat — BBC World -
• Spain's Catholic Church signs deal on sexual abuse compensation — BBC World -
• Berlin mayor faces calls to resign after playing tennis during city blackout — The Guardian -
• Alleged scam kingpin Chen Zhi arrives in China after extradition from Cambodia — The Guardian -
• Revealed: the crypto entrepreneur linked to illegal weight-loss drug operation — The Guardian -
• Ex-Ghana minister detained by US immigration — BBC World -
• Influential China church reports arrests as crackdown on Christians intensifies — BBC World -
• Displaced Palestinians in Egypt Await Reopening of Gaza Border — New York Times World -
• Cambodia extradites alleged scam mastermind to China after arrest — BBC World -
• Most Venezuelans Struggle to Pay for Food, Poll Shows — New York Times World -
• Why Russian Tourists Are Flocking to Southern China’s Beaches — New York Times World -
• Guardian readers raise more than £850,000 as charity appeal enters final days — The Guardian -
• Archaeologists discover signs of Roman industrial hub at site in Sunderland — The Guardian -
• Children in Gaza return to school after years without formal education — BBC World -
• Children in Gaza return to school after years without formal education — BBC World -
• Children in Gaza return to school after years without formal education — BBC World -
• China Touts Hainan, Its Duty-Free Island, Amid $1 Trillion Trade Surplus — New York Times World -
• Reality TV star Spencer Pratt announces run for LA mayor — BBC World -
• A new Bollywood film spotlights a forgotten India-China battle — BBC World -