The Trump administration's criminal investigation into Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell is sparking widespread criticism from Democrats like Elizabeth Warren and former Fed leaders, who warn that attempts to control the central bank risk undermining its independence and causing economic instability while also affecting upcoming US Senate elections.

• Trump did not instruct justice department to investigate Fed chair, says White House, amid widespread criticism – live — The Guardian -
• Some Republicans speak out against DoJ investigation into Fed chair — The Guardian -
• Trump’s attempt to control Fed ‘undermines America’, Elizabeth Warren warns — The Guardian -

• Former Fed chairs condemn criminal investigation into Jerome Powell — BBC World -
• Ex-Fed chairs condemn Trump’s bid to weaken central bank’s independence — The Guardian -
• Ex-Alaska Democratic representative launches bid for US Senate seat — The Guardian -
• Trump’s attempts to influence Fed risk ‘70’s-style inflation and global backlash’ — The Guardian -
• Fed chair Powell hits out at 'unprecedented' probe by US justice department — BBC World -
• Trump regrets not seizing voting machines after 2020 election loss — The Guardian -
• Democrats go all in on affordability in bid to turn voters against Trump — The Guardian -
• Justice department opens investigation into Jerome Powell as Trump ramps up campaign against Federal Reserve — The Guardian -

Widespread protests in Iran against the regime have intensified, with hundreds killed and the US threatening "very strong" military options, even as Iran expresses a readiness to negotiate and holds pro-government rallies to downplay the unrest.

• Iran crisis live: Trump ‘unafraid’ to use ‘lethal force’ on Iran but wants diplomacy to be ‘first option’, says White House — The Guardian -
• Iran Says It Is Prepared for War but Ready to Negotiate After Trump’s Warnings — New York Times World -
• Iran holds pro-government rally as regime seeks to downplay protests — The Guardian -

• Iran says it is open to talks with US amid protest crackdown — The Guardian -
• Mortuary videos show how deadly Iran crackdown has become — BBC World -
• What we know about Iran's protests and the crackdown — BBC World -
• How Iran’s protest movement has gained increasing momentum – a visual guide — The Guardian -
• U-Haul truck speeds through Los Angeles march supporting Iranian people — The Guardian -
• Referee and student among hundreds killed in Iran protests — BBC World -
• Why Are Iranians Protesting? What to Know About the Unrest. — New York Times World -
• Trump weighs ‘very strong’ military options against Iran as death toll of protesters climbs | First Thing — The Guardian -
• Mass Protests in Iran and Trump’s Threats — New York Times World -
• As Death Toll Surges in Iran, Leaders Take Tough Line Against Protesters — New York Times World -
• Trump mulls 'very strong' military options as hundreds killed in Iran protests — BBC World -
• Iran warns it will retaliate if US attacks, as hundreds killed in protests — BBC World -

Australia is seeing Anthony Albanese advancing new hate speech and gun laws following the Bondi terror attack, which includes provisions for religious text exemptions and council powers to shut down unlawful places of worship, alongside devastating Victorian bushfires, a racially motivated attack on a Muslim leader, and concerns over Meta's social media ban.

• Australia news live: Anthony Albanese to give more details about hate speech legislation; Victoria police issue $1m cold case reward — The Guardian -
• Australia should reconsider alliance with ‘fiercely unpredictable’ US, former foreign ministers say — The Guardian -
• Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce use Gina Rinehart’s private jet to visit flooded parts of Queensland — The Guardian -

• Quoting religious text could be defence against Australia’s new hate speech laws, draft bill shows — The Guardian -
• Ban on ‘globalise the intifada’ risks importing ‘repressive models’ from UK, NSW inquiry after Bondi attack told — The Guardian -
• More than $230k raised in a day for hero Bondi Junction police officer after ‘rare’ cancer diagnosis — The Guardian -
• Opposition ‘deeply sceptical’ of Labor bill – as it happened — The Guardian -
• Jacinda Ardern pulls out of Adelaide writers’ week as fallout over Randa Abdel-Fattah’s axing continues — The Guardian -
• Flying foxes die in their thousands in worst mass-mortality event since Australia’s black summer — The Guardian -
• PM recalls parliament to fast-track hate speech and gun laws in wake of Bondi terror attack — The Guardian -
• Three arrested after alleged racially motivated attack on Muslim religious leader in Victoria — The Guardian -
• ‘Serious fire risk’: nearly 3,000 Australian EV drivers warned not to fully charge cars — The Guardian -
• Homes of volunteer firefighters among 350 structures lost so far in ‘heartbreaking’ Victorian bushfires — The Guardian -
• NSW councils to be given powers to shut down ‘factories of hate’ as Minns targets unlawful places of worship — The Guardian -
• Meta blocks 550,000 accounts under Australia's social media ban — BBC World -

Conservative defections to Reform UK are reshaping the political landscape, while Storm Goretti causes widespread power and water outages in Cornwall and Kent, and the NHS faces budget overspending on ADHD services amid concerns over new hate speech laws and a drop in London's murder rate.

• Conservative defections risk making Reform UK into Tory party 2.0 — The Guardian -
• Decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from Aston Villa match challenged by Dutch police — The Guardian -
• Thousands of homes in Cornwall still without power or water days after Storm Goretti — The Guardian -

• Jewish MP’s visit to school cancelled after opposition from pro-Palestine group — The Guardian -
• Law making creation of nonconsensual, intimate images illegal to come into force this week – UK politics live — The Guardian -
• Nadhim Zahawi failed in bid for peerage from Tories before Reform defection, sources say — The Guardian -
• NHS ADHD spending over budget by £164m as unregulated clinics boom — The Guardian -
• Family pays tribute to ‘gentlest soul’ taxi driver killed in Bolton head-on collision — The Guardian -
• Imprisoned hunger striker linked to Palestine Action tells friend: ‘I’m dying’ — The Guardian -
• Man who infected woman with HIV after stopping treatment is jailed — The Guardian -
• Major incident declared as 30,000 homes left without water in Kent and Sussex — The Guardian -
• HMRC accepted ‘tolerable’ risk of harm in child benefit fraud crackdown — The Guardian -
• Sikh activist in UK told to increase security over Hindu nationalist threats — The Guardian -
• London’s murder rate drops to lowest in more than a decade — The Guardian -
• UK ‘pays substantial sum’ to tortured Guantánamo Bay detainee — The Guardian -
• New campaign urges Starmer not to diminish legal rights of Send children — The Guardian -
• Energy and health optimism help lift civil service morale under Labour — The Guardian -
• Guardian Hope appeal raises £950,000 for charities tackling racism and division — The Guardian -
• ‘The response is a beautiful thing’: how Glasgow is squaring up to Reform — The Guardian -
• ‘We want people to sit, pause, relax’: National Trust to open its libraries for public use — The Guardian -
• Father welcomes new parental leave rights for bereaved in Great Britain — The Guardian -
• Civil society groups condemn ‘dangerous’ plans for more anti-protest powers — The Guardian -
• UK business confidence weakened and hiring fell at end of 2025, surveys find — The Guardian -

Venezuela's release of political prisoners is underway, sparking both hope and frustration, as the US continues its interventionist policies and President Trump threatens ExxonMobil over its reluctance to invest in Venezuelan oil, while Russian missiles failed during a recent US attack in the country and concerns rise about the climate impact of exploiting Venezuela's oil reserves.

• In Venezuela, Amnesty for Political Prisoners Stokes Hope and Frustration — New York Times World -
• US plan to exploit Venezuela’s oil could eat up 13% of carbon budget to keep 1.5C limit — The Guardian -
• Russian Missiles Failed in Venezuela During U.S. Attack — New York Times World -

• Australia should reconsider alliance with ‘fiercely unpredictable’ US, former foreign ministers say — The Guardian -
• Jailed Venezuelan politician's son says Trump shouldn't be 'fooled' by pledge of prisoner releases — BBC World -
• Venezuela Frees 24 More Political Prisoners, Rights Group Says — New York Times World -
• Trump’s other Latin American feud: why Colombia’s Petro is not Maduro — The Guardian -
• Latin America Reacts to Trump’s Interventionism — New York Times World -
• US frackers were already facing a global oil supply glut. Trump’s Venezuelan dream could make it worse — The Guardian -
• Trump threatens to block ExxonMobil from Venezuela after CEO calls country ‘uninvestable’ — The Guardian -

Elon Musk's Grok AI is facing UK and Malaysian blocks and investigations over its creation of sexualized and fake images, highlighting urgent calls for stricter online safety measures, even as other companies like JD Sports explore integrating AI for direct shopping.

• Elon Musk’s X Under UK Investigation Over Grok’s Sexualized A.I. Images — New York Times World -
• Malaysia blocks Elon Musk’s Grok AI over fake, sexualised images — The Guardian -
• UK threatens action against X over sexualised AI images of women and children — The Guardian -

• JD Sports plans to let shoppers buy through AI platforms — The Guardian -

Greenland's government firmly rejects President Trump's renewed threats to take over the territory, asserting its security belongs with NATO, while a senior Democratic senator warns that such an annexation could lead to the dissolution of NATO.

• Greenland’s security ‘firmly’ belongs in Nato, says prime minister, after latest Trump threats to take over territory – as it happened — The Guardian -
• Greenland can’t ‘under any circumstances’ accept US takeover and is boosting defences — The Guardian -
• Trump annexation of Greenland ‘would be end of Nato’, says Chris Murphy — The Guardian -

• What can the EU and Nato do to stop Trump from trying to claim Greenland? — The Guardian -

The 83rd Golden Globes saw "One Battle After Another" and "Adolescence" dominate, with Timothée Chalamet winning best actor, while David Letterman criticized CBS News and the music world mourned Black Midi's Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin and classical critic Andrew Clements.

• David Letterman calls CBS News a ‘wreck’ under newly installed leadership — The Guardian -
• Owen Cooper: how schoolboy conquered Golden Globes and changed acting for a generation — The Guardian -
• Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin, guitarist for rock band Black Midi, dies aged 26 — The Guardian -

• Chaos, crying and poo explosions: baby-friendly comedy clubs take off in Britain — The Guardian -
• British Library acquires archive of rural life writer and essayist Ronald Blythe — The Guardian -
• Nigerian stars dominate All Africa Music Awards — BBC World -
• Chalamet a smash, Sinners shut out: the key Golden Globes snubs and surprises — The Guardian -
• Watch: Timothée Chalamet, Teyana Taylor, Adolescence and other highlights from the Golden Globes — BBC World -
• One Battle After Another and Adolescence dominate 83rd Golden Globes — The Guardian -
• Chalamet beats DiCaprio to Golden Globes glory — BBC World -
• Andrew Clements, Guardian’s classical music critic, dies aged 75 — The Guardian -

Europe and China are working to resolve electric vehicle trade disputes, while Hungary has controversially granted asylum to a former Polish justice minister, and Canada is re-evaluating its trade relationship with China amidst Trump's America First agenda and a new US envoy seeking to ease tensions with India, even as Uganda's Yoweri Museveni seeks a seventh term.

• Trump’s Envoy to India Offers Hope Amid a Strained Relationship — New York Times World -
• Europe and China Take Step to Resolve Dispute on Electric Vehicles — New York Times World -
• Hungary grants asylum to Polish ex-justice minister — BBC World -

• Hungary grants asylum to former Polish minister amid abuse of power investigation — The Guardian -
• He once criticised African leaders who cling to power. Now he wants a seventh term — BBC World -
• The Weimar Republic Shaped the 20th Century. Can Today’s Leaders Avoid Its Fate? — New York Times World -
• Carney heads to Beijing as Trump’s America First agenda forces Canada into trade rethink — The Guardian -

A suspected arsonist targeted a Mississippi synagogue due to 'Jewish ties,' while authorities in Texas charged a woman for GoFundMe impersonation, and a possible riot at a Georgia state prison resulted in three inmate deaths, alongside a massive cocaine seizure in Spain and actor Timothy Busfield facing child sexual abuse charges.

• Suspected arsonist targeted Mississippi synagogue for its ‘Jewish ties’, FBI says — The Guardian -
• Woman charged for starting GoFundMe posing as father of Texas flooding victim — The Guardian -
• Three inmates dead after ‘possible riot’ at Georgia state prison — The Guardian -

• Spanish police seize 10 tonnes of cocaine hidden in ship off Canary Islands — The Guardian -
• Actor Timothy Busfield charged with child sexual abuse offense — The Guardian -
• Trump officials urged to halt violence against journalists amid ICE protests — The Guardian -
• Five severed heads displayed on Ecuador beach — BBC World -

A "miracle baby" born in Mozambique floods tragically died at 25, while the owner of a Swiss bar involved in a deadly fire faces extended custody, and thousands of tourists are stranded in Lapland due to extreme cold, alongside a fatal shark attack in the US Virgin Islands and a dramatic avalanche incident in Andorra.

• 'Miracle baby' born in a tree above Mozambique floodwaters dies aged 25 — BBC World -
• Owner of Swiss Bar Where 40 Died Is Ordered to Jail as a Flight Risk — New York Times World -
• Minnesota woman dies after shark attack in US Virgin Islands — The Guardian -

• Custody extended for owner of Swiss ski bar after deadly fire — BBC World -
• Watch: Moment skier and dog swept along by avalanche — BBC World -
• Thousands of tourists stranded in Lapland as cold grounds flights — BBC World -

Artists are urging an end to attacks on Gaza hospitals, while Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has accused a Lagos hospital of negligence following her son's death, and New York City prepares for a massive nurses strike amidst an intense flu season.

• Dozens of artists call for end to Israel’s ‘systematic attacks’ on Gaza hospitals — The Guardian -
• Author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie accuses Lagos hospital of negligence after son’s death — The Guardian -
• New York City expects biggest nurses strike as nearly 15,000 set to walk off job — The Guardian -

• Are You Dead?: The viral Chinese app for young people living alone — BBC World -

Archaeologists discovered a large Roman villa in Wales, while monkeys remain loose in St. Louis after a four-day search, and Ai, a Japanese chimpanzee renowned for cognitive abilities, passed away at 49.

• Archaeologists Find Large Roman Villa Under Deer Park in Wales — New York Times World -
• Monkeys on the loose in St Louis after four-day search — BBC World -
• Ai, Japanese chimpanzee who counted and painted, dies at 49 — BBC World -

• ‘Act of family vengeance’: French defamation case highlights perils of writing autofiction — The Guardian -

Paramount plans to nominate directors to Warner Bros board to oppose a Netflix deal, while there's discussion about expanding affordable lending to small businesses, and an examination into whether grass-fed beef is truly better for the environment.

• Paramount to nominate directors to Warner Bros board to vote against Netflix deal — The Guardian -
• Is Grass-Fed Beef Better? — New York Times World -
• Lending to small businesses and low-income areas must expand, say Labour backbenchers — The Guardian -