The Trump doctrine exposes the US as a mafia state | Jan-Werner Müller

The Venezuela incursion is in line with this logic, made even plainer as the US eyes Greenland

When a bleary-eyed Trump explained the kidnapping of Nicolás Maduro this past Saturday, he invoked the Monroe doctrine: while the US president sounded as if he were reading about it for the first time, historians of course recognized the idea of Washington as a kind of guardian of the western hemisphere. Together with the national security strategy published in December, the move on Venezuela can be understood as advancing a vision for carving up the world into what the Nazi jurist Carl Schmitt called “great spaces”, with each in effect supervised by a great power (meaning, in today’s world, Washington, Moscow and Beijing). But more is happening than a return to such de facto imperialism: Trump’s promise to “run the country” for the sake of US oil companies signals the internationalization of one aspect of his regime – what has rightly been called the logic of the mafia state. That logic is even more obvious in his stated desire to grab Greenland.

The theory of the mafia state was first elaborated by the Hungarian sociologist Bálint Magyar in 2016. Such a state is less about corruption where envelopes change hands under the table. Instead, public procurement is rigged; large companies are brought under the control of regime-friendly oligarchs, who in turn acquire media to provide favorable coverage to the ruler. The beneficiaries are what Magyar calls the “extended political family” (which can include the ruler’s natural family). As with the mafia, unconditional loyalty is the price for being part of the system.

Jan-Werner Müller is a Guardian US columnist and a professor of politics at Princeton University

Published: January 7, 2026, 1:00 pm

I tested 26 packing cubes on 14 trips – here are best ones to travel smarter

Eagle Creek, Amazon and Away sell compression cubes that can help maximize space next time you travel

• Sign up for the Filter US newsletter, your weekly guide to buying fewer, better things

Packing cubes can turn travel prep from chaotic to calm. Not only do these compact, zippered pouches help you sort and organize your clothing, but they can also prevent overpacking, as you’re forced to think about what you actually need on a trip. Suddenly, that cramped carry-on has space for an extra pair of shoes or souvenirs.

As a product editor and reviewer for over 20 years, I have tested many packing cubes and luggage of all sizes as part of my job, but also for personal travel. I use them to make trip-planning less stressful.

Published: January 7, 2026, 8:15 pm

More gen Z men live with parents in this city than anywhere in the US. How do they date?

In Vallejo, California, ‘trad sons’ report feeling trapped by family obligations, slim job prospects and the fear of violence – leaving little room for romance

Are boys becoming men later? In recent decades, the markers of adulthood have shifted for young American men: they are almost twice as likely to be single, less likely to go to college and more likely to be unemployed. Most significantly for their parents, they are also less likely to have fled the nest, with the term “trad son” springing into social media lexicon in recent months. In the 1970s, only 8% of Americans aged 25 to 34 were living with their parents, but by 2023, that figure had jumped to 18%, with men more likely to live at home than women, according to a Pew survey.

But not everywhere in the US has the same rates of adults living in their familial home. The living arrangement is least common in the midwest and most common in the north-east. Topping the list was Vallejo, where 33% of young adults live with their parents. How were they making it work?

Published: January 7, 2026, 1:00 pm

What’s to like? Why you can hate Timothée Chalamet’s character and still love Marty Supreme

Chalamet’s nogoodnik ping-pong hustler character is the latest in cinema’s rich history of protagonists with shabby morals. So why the backlash?

In the new hit movie Marty Supreme, the story is pushed forward by how lead character Marty Mauser keeps making messes then, rather than cleaning them up, manages to expand their scope beyond reason. Marty is attempting to prove himself as the world’s greatest table-tennis champion, to escape his meagre mid-century New York City circumstances and achieve a dream he’s locked on to, seemingly more out of desire to achieve it than a particular love for the sport.

And just as he’s presumably blown up some natural athleticism into a monomaniacal quest, all of Marty’s misdeeds across the film escalate. He cajoles, then lies. He quickly turns a pushy request to borrow money into petty theft, which then becomes armed robbery. At one point, a little ping-pong hustle at a New Jersey bowling alley literally blows up into a gas-station fire. Marty will not accept anything less than ultimate victory, which means he will especially not accept responsibility for his actions. And we, in the audience, are invited to like him anyway, at least in part because he is played by Timothée Chalamet.

Published: January 7, 2026, 9:47 am

Nicki Minaj’s Maga conversion is doing nothing for her career – or is it? | Arwa Mahdawi

The rapper’s recent cosying up to the Trump administration has upset a lot of her fans, but is she playing the long game?

Starships are meant to fly, but Nicki Minaj’s musical career is now doing a Maga-propelled nosedive. For the past few months, the rapper and former gay icon has been horrifying many of her fans by cosying up to the Trump administration.

In November, for example, Minaj shared a post by Donald Trump about the treatment of Christians in Nigeria and agreed to collaborate with the administration on awareness around the issue. Then, in December, the rapper made a surprise appearance at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest convention, where she heaped praise on the late Charlie Kirk (who once said Minaj was not a good role model for “18-year-old Black girls”) and the vice-president, JD Vance. She also accidentally called Vance an “assassin” while talking to Erika Kirk, Charlie’s widow, but was quickly forgiven for her word choice. “I love this woman,” Erika Kirk proclaimed after the weird gaffe.

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

Published: January 7, 2026, 11:00 am

Dolly, Dreamgirls and Daniel Radcliffe: the biggest Broadway shows of 2026

After a record-breaking season, big stars and big revivals hope to lure in New York audiences over the next 12 months

The year 2025 found Broadway at an inflection point – New York theater finally fully rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, as the 2024-2025 season became the highest-grossing of all time, with $1.89bn in tickets sold thanks in part to a new generation of stars and fans. But with a record box office came record ticket prices, as Hollywood stars from Denzel Washington to George Clooney commanded sums pushing four figures for orchestra seating. This year feels relatively less Hollywood-y, though no less starry, with a healthy mix of revivals, new material and buzzy transfers on the calendar. Here are 12 of the most anticipated Broadway shows in 2026.

Published: January 7, 2026, 10:03 am

Woman in Minnesota fatally shot by ICE agent during raid, video shows

Mayor says ICE claims incident was self-defense are not true, and tells agency to ‘get the fuck out of Minneapolis’

• Minnesota Democrats voice outrage after fatal ICE shooting: ‘Leave our state immediately’

Federal agents shot and killed a woman during a large-scale immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis on Wednesday.

Ilhan Omar, the Democratic Minnesota representative, said the victim was “a legal observer” of action by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which had sent a surge of agents into the city in recent days tied in part to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents.

Published: January 7, 2026, 10:05 pm

US seizes two tankers as Trump widens oil grab and says Venezuela will buy American goods with proceeds from oil sale – live

US takes over two tankers, one Russian-flagged in the North Atlantic and the other Venezuela-linked in the Caribbean; Trump says Caracas will be ‘purchasing only American Made Products’

• Explainer: why so much interest in a rusty tanker in the Atlantic?

Meanwhile, in the UK, Nigel Farage has offered his take on Trump’s plans to control Greenland, saying it would be “outrageous” for the US to seize it from Denmark.

Farage says he agrees with Starmer that the fate of Greenland must be decided by Greenland and Denmark, not the US – but sided with Trump on “some genuine security concerns” that require further presence there.

“What I will say is this. There are some genuine security concerns around Greenland and that becomes ever more relevant with a retraction of the ice caps as we head towards the North Pole. There is a strong feeling in British intelligence circles, and many in Nato, that there needs to be a significant Nato base located directly on the north of Greenland.

At the moment, it would appear that is something Greenland is not particularly keen to do.

Published: January 7, 2026, 11:47 pm

What are Trump’s real options for gaining control of Greenland?

The White House has said using the US military is always an option, but few analysts believe it a likely one

• Europe live – latest updates

The Trump administration has said repeatedly that the US needs to gain control of Greenland, a mineral-rich, largely self-governing part of Denmark with foreign and security policy run from Copenhagen.

The White House has said using the US military is “always an option”, but few analysts believe an armed operation is likely and France’s foreign minister has said the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has ruled out the possibility of an invasion.

Published: January 7, 2026, 6:08 pm

US immigration agents linked to spike in shootings under Trump administration crackdown

Data compiled by news non-profit the Trace shows 14 firearm incidents and more uses of force cases

Federal immigration agents have been involved in a sharp rise in shootings in recent months, coinciding with the Trump administration’s expanded immigration enforcement efforts.

Under Trump’s crackdown, immigration officers have been connected to 14 shootings, according to data compiled by the Trace, a non-profit newsroom focused on gun violence in the US.

Published: January 7, 2026, 8:55 pm

Trump says he plans crackdown on defense firms over executive pay and stock buybacks

President says he wants to raise military budget to $1.5tn and accuses US defense companies of delivery failures

Donald Trump has claimed he plans to crack down on executive compensation and shareholder payouts at military defense contractors, as his administration looks to dramatically ramp up spending on the armed forces.

In a series of posts on social media, the US president said he wants to increase the military budget to $1.5tn – and complained that defense giants had been failing to swiftly deliver “vital” equipment to the US and its allies across the world.

Published: January 7, 2026, 9:51 pm

Reality TV star Spencer Pratt launches LA mayoral bid on wildfire anniversary

Pratt, who lost home in Palisades fire and has been vocal critic of city leaders, says system is ‘fundamentally broken’

Reality television personality Spencer Pratt is running to be the next mayor of Los Angeles.

Pratt announced his campaign on Wednesday at a rally to mark the first anniversary of the deadly Palisades fire.

Published: January 7, 2026, 11:17 pm

Trump administration releases updated dietary guidelines: ‘Eat real food’

New guidance presented by Robert F Kennedy Jr prioritizes protein, healthy fats and ‘declares war on added sugar’

The Trump administration has released updated dietary guidelines for Americans on Wednesday that emphasize eating whole and minimally processed foods, scaling back refined carbohydrates, and “declaring war” on added sugars.

The recommendations encourage “prioritizing high-quality protein, healthy fats, fruits, vegetables and whole grains” while steering clear of highly processed foods. Robert F Kennedy Jr, the health and human services (HHS) secretary, and Brooke Rollins, the agriculture secretary, are presenting the new guidance at a White House briefing.

Published: January 7, 2026, 6:02 pm

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to shut down and publish final edition in May

Newspaper’s closure follows two decades of financial losses totaling over $350m and legal ruling favoring its union

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has announced it will cease operations, with its final edition scheduled for 3 May.

The decision to shutter the newspaper – with its origins dating back to 1786 – was disclosed on Wednesday by Block Communications, the newspaper’s parent company based in Toledo, Ohio.

Published: January 7, 2026, 8:47 pm

One Battle After Another and The Studio lead Actor awards nominations

Paul Thomas Anderson’s epic thriller and Apple’s comedy series lead nominations for the renamed Sag awards with an impressive showing for Sinners and Adolescence

One Battle After Another and The Studio lead the nominations for this year’s Actor awards.

The Actor awards were previously known as the Screen Actors Guild (Sag) awards but were renamed last year. The name change was to provide “clearer recognition in terms of what the show is about”, according to those involved.

Published: January 7, 2026, 7:06 pm

Trump pulls US out of 66 international bodies, including key UN climate treaty

President’s order suspends support for UNFCCC climate framework, UN population agency and other entities

The Trump administration will withdraw from dozens of international organizations, including the UN’s population agency and the UN treaty that establishes international climate negotiations, as the US further retreats from global cooperation.

Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order suspending US support for 66 organizations, agencies and commissions following his instructions for his administration to review participation in and funding for all international organizations, including those affiliated with the UN, according to a White House statement on social media.

Published: January 7, 2026, 10:59 pm

Trump says he will ban big investors from buying single-family homes

Median sale price was at $410,800 last year, according to the Census Bureau, even as Trump campaigned on affordability

Donald Trump said his administration was moving to ban large institutional investors from buying single-family homes in a bid to reduce home prices.

In a post on Truth Social, his social media platform, the US president said he will be asking Congress to codify the measure and will be discussing additional housing and affordability proposals in a speech at the Davos World Economic Forum.

Published: January 7, 2026, 7:14 pm

US suspends funds for needy families in five Democratic-led states

Administration has alleged fraud in decision to halt grants from California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York

Donald Trump’s administration said Tuesday that it is withholding funding for programs that support needy families with children in five Democratic-led states over concerns about fraud.

The US Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the program, will require the states to provide extra documentation to access the funds.

The child care and development fund subsidizes daycare for low-income households, enabling parents to work or go to school.

Temporary assistance for needy families provides cash assistance and job training so parents in poverty can afford diapers and clothes and earn paychecks.

The social services block grant, a much smaller fund, supports several different social service programs.

Published: January 7, 2026, 1:14 pm

Maga media stars back Trump on Venezuela … mostly: ‘It doesn’t make any sense’

Maga media used to hate US foreign intervention – now some are cheering it on

“I’m not going to start a war. I’m going to stop wars,” Donald Trump said after declaring victory on 6 November 2024. It wasn’t his first pledge to disengage the US from foreign conflicts, and Trump’s top allies in conservative media and the “Make America Great Again” (Maga) movement have all rallied to his pledge to “put America first”.

Now that the US president seems to have broken his pledge by launching an invasion of Venezuela, not to mention threatening future actions against Cuba and Colombia and potentially Greenland, some have reasonably wondered whether Trump’s supporters in Maga media would hammer him for that inconsistency.

Published: January 7, 2026, 10:00 am

The Los Angeles wildfires were ‘the perfect storm’. Is the city ready for the next one?

After the devastating fires, neighborhoods pledged to build back stronger and better than before. A year later, they’re still untangling issues

Fog shrouded the ruins still standing at the center of the Pacific Palisades on a morning in December, a once-vibrant Los Angeles community decimated by flames. Melted newsstands that distributed the Palisadian-Post, an almost century-old paper that ceased operating in the fire’s wake, sit on crumbled concrete. Weeds spread over an expanse of emptied lots, painting the blackened foundations and chimneys with swaths of green.

It’s been a year of recovery and reckoning in Los Angeles since the unprecedented wildfires erupted in the parched southern California hillsides and cascaded into the surrounding suburbs with shocking ferocity, killing 31 people.

Published: January 7, 2026, 11:00 am

US attack on Venezuela will decide direction of South America’s vast mineral wealth

Outcome of aggression will determine whether rare earths and other resources drive energy transition – or strengthen US military power and oil interests

The US’s first overt attack on an Amazon nation last weekend is a new phase in its extractivist rivalry with China. The outcome will decide whether the vast mineral wealth of South America is directed towards a 21st-century energy transition or a buildup of military power to defend 20th-century fossil fuel interests.

Although this onslaught was ostensibly aimed at one corrupt dictatorship in a miserably dysfunctional country, the ramifications are far wider.

Published: January 7, 2026, 5:37 pm

‘Dirty’ and ‘infested with drugs’: the New York jail holding Maduro and Mangione

High-profile names have been housed in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan detention center, which is said to be unsafe and inhumane

After US military forces seized Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in Caracas during a controversial pre-dawn raid, they were ultimately spirited to one of this country’s most infamous jails: the Metropolitan detention center (MDC) in Brooklyn, New York.

The deposed Venezuelan president and Flores will almost certainly reside in the MDC until their federal trial on drugs and weapons charge – inducting them into a notorious group that counts Sean “Diddy” Combs, Ghislaine Maxwell, Sam Bankman-Fried and Mexican drug kingpin “El Chapo” as either current or former members.

Published: January 7, 2026, 2:00 pm

‘How is it possible?’: Berliners demand answers after sabotage causes blackout

Arson attack that left parts of German capital in darkness for days stirs outrage over infrastructure insecurity

• Europe live – latest updates

When Silke Peters bought a crank radio and a camping stove just after the start of Russia’s full invasion of Ukraine, her husband thought she was “a little crazy”. “He put me down, only half-jokingly, as a prepper,” she said, referring to the kind of person who stockpiles in case of catastrophe.

For almost four years, the items gathered dust in the cellar of the Peters’ two-room flat in Zehlendorf, a well-to-do district of Berlin. But in recent days the windup radio – with its inbuilt torch and charge point – has come into its own during Germany’s longest power cut since the second world war.

Published: January 7, 2026, 4:20 pm

‘Motion is lotion’: how to really look after your shoulders

As we age, we naturally lose mobility. But there are some steps we can take to keep these joints healthy for longer

• Read more summer essentials

You’re clinging to the overhead strap on a packed bus during rush hour when the driver suddenly slams on the brakes. As the crowd surges, your arm jerks back and your shoulder takes the full force of the momentum. It’s times like these one is grateful for a strong and healthy shoulder.

“If you’ve got a strong and mobile shoulder, you have the control to reduce the risk of anything [bad] happening,” says Dr Josh Zadro, a physiotherapist and senior research fellow at the University of Sydney.

Arm circles: Large, controlled circles in front of your body.

The wall slide: Face a wall and slide your hands up as high as possible.

The overhead reach: Stretch your arms to the ceiling to counteract the forward hunch of computer work.

Published: January 7, 2026, 7:00 pm

‘For a moment, only that story matters’: my plan to reignite the all-consuming love of books

Reading for pleasure rates are shockingly low in young people. So we should all get behind a new drive to turn them into avid readers. Why not start with books about art?

A girl on the cusp of adolescence gazes down at a book. Her left hand rests against her flushed pink cheeks, while her right clutches the pages, ready to turn to find out what happens next. She has porcelain-like skin and golden hair seemingly full of air, executed in textures that contrast with the scratchy, loose marks that make up her shirt and the book’s pages. When I look at this drawing, I am struck by how the artist, the American-born impressionist Mary Cassatt, has perfectly captured the all-consuming sensation of being submerged in a book – the feeling that the whole world is dissolving around you. For a moment, only that story matters.

Cassatt, who worked in Paris for most of her adult life when women were finally beginning to be accepted as artists (and deserving of state-funded art education), was hailed for her intimate portrayals of women and children. They are glimpses into their minds, their private worlds, yet they also emphasise intellect and ambition. Young Girl Reading is one such example. I often wonder if she is reading something like Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, published nearly three decades before, which tells the story of the four March sisters, who are figuring out their journey to womanhood themselves.

Published: January 7, 2026, 5:06 pm

The place that stayed with me: I fled the Greek Islands to chase a letter home

As his 30th birthday loomed in Greece, Steve MinOn sent a letter to his parents in Australia. Then he waited.

• Read more summer essentials

While day-drinking ouzo in a spiderwebbed taverna on the Greek island of Paros, I decided to write a coming-out letter to my parents. I sealed it in a surface mail envelope, moistened a ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ (Hellenic Republic) stamp with my aniseed tongue and posted it.

It was the 1990s and I had only just relocated from Australia to London with Nick, my boyfriend at the time, and Julie, a good mate. We had gone across to Greece for a holiday, island-hopping, catching ferries on a whim, knowing nothing about the places we were visiting except that backpacking there was cheap.

Published: January 7, 2026, 2:00 pm

365 buttons: could the biggest meme of 2026 change your life?

It’s either a simple yet effective way to appreciate the passage of time – or a reminder to do your own thing without pausing for explanation

Name: 365 buttons.

Age: New. This is a 2026 thing.

Published: January 7, 2026, 3:50 pm

Nicola Jennings on Donald Trump’s threats to take over Greenland – cartoon

Continue reading...

Published: January 7, 2026, 4:45 pm

Democrats can win back the White House in 2028. Here’s how | Colin Seeberger

Democrats should go on the offense against Republicans, but they should also lay out a vision for renewing the promise of a middle-class life

By January 2029, Donald Trump will be capping off a nearly 14-year stretch at the helm of American politics. While he will no longer serve as president of the United States, his shadow over the future of American politics will continue to loom large across both sides of the aisle. Following Trump’s popular-vote victory in the 2024 election, the Democratic party has been forced to wrestle with what went wrong and how they can regain the support of an American majority to win back the White House. To win back Americans’ trust, Democrats have to prioritize affordability, broaden their cultural appeal, and reconnect with disaffected voters beyond their base.

Trump’s political success has long been defined by his willingness to take on elite institutions and buck convention, putting distance between himself and weaknesses in the Republican brand while simultaneously undermining advantages in the Democratic brand. He’s ignored the wrath of editorial boards and economists while offering policy ideas and messaging that speaks to what voters think.

Colin Seeberger is a senior adviser for communications at the Center for American Progress

Published: January 7, 2026, 12:00 pm

We live in a surveillance culture – but why would I want to track my son or husband | Polly Hudson

A campaign group of health professionals is urging parents to stop surveilling their children. I couldn’t agree more

News just in: the sky is blue, water is wet, and tracking our kids’ every move with phones or AirTags is causing a “deeply concerning” increase in anxiety among young people, according to more than 70 psychologists, doctors, nurses and health professionals who have come together to urge parents to “reconsider whether the surveillance childhood we are sleepwalking into is really benefiting our children”. They add: “We are implicitly telling them that the world is unsafe,” and warn that constant monitoring prevents kids learning the skills and developing the autonomy necessary to navigate real life.

“It’s so normal to want to keep our children safe,” says Clare Fernyhough, co-founder of campaign group Generation Focus. “But there is no evidence that tracking makes them any safer.”

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

Published: January 7, 2026, 5:56 pm

Rosalía’s Lux is more than epic Catholic pop – it grapples with a world fraught with complexity and crisis | Carlos Delclós

Behind its lavish ‘nun-core’ aesthetic, the Spanish star’s hit album pushes us to think beyond good and evil – to see that we contain multitudes

I went into Lux primed not to like it. Not because I doubt Rosalía’s virtuosic talents or her intense intellectual curiosity, but because the album’s promotional campaign had already done too much work on my nerves. The rollout was relentless: thirsty reels teasing the album on social media, fashion-forward mysticism, even bringing Madrid’s city centre to a halt – everything about it felt designed to send the message that this is less a set of songs than a global event demanding reverence.

Over the past decade, Rosalía has become Spain’s biggest pop export, and Lux appears to inaugurate her imperial phase. The album debuted at No 1 in five countries, was voted the Guardian’s album of the year, broke streaming records on Spotify, and reached No 4 in the US and UK charts, where non-anglophone pop rarely thrives. Multilingual and stylistically expansive, Lux is saturated with Catholic iconography, with lyrics in no fewer than 13 languages, and circling themes of transcendence, suffering and grace.

Published: January 7, 2026, 5:00 am

Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma punishes Manchester City as title bid falters again

Pep Guardiola believes team spirit will help Manchester City get through a difficult period, but more than camaraderie alone will be required on this evidence. City endured a third consecutive draw to leave the leaders Arsenal, who have a game in hand, five points ahead and currently without a title challenger.

An Erling Haaland penalty gave City a platform they were unable to build on, failing to convert a plethora of chances in the second half. City let Brighton come back into the match and deservedly depart with a point thanks to Kaoru Mitoma.

Published: January 7, 2026, 9:38 pm

Darren Fletcher’s Manchester United held by Burnley despite Sesko double

Darren Fletcher failed to produce what Manchester United’s interim manager, fans and chief executive craved: a cathartic victory to move the club on quickly from the recent turbulence.

The big plus was Benjamin Sesko, whose two goals doubled his season tally. He said: “It’s been tough but now I finally did it. Now it’s just up to me and up to us to keep going like that.“

Published: January 7, 2026, 10:20 pm

Former Bengals and Texas receiver Jordan Shipley severely burned in ranch accident

• 40-year-old was flown to Austin after accident

• Shipley played three seasons in NFL

Former Texas star and NFL receiver Jordan Shipley is being treated in hospital after suffering severe burns in an accident on his ranch near his home town of Burnet, Texas.

According to a statement from his family, Shipley was operating a machine when it caught fire. Although the 40-year-old was able to free himself from the machine “it was not before sustaining severe burns on his body in the process,” read the statement. “He was able to get to one of his workers on the ranch who drove him to a local hospital. He was then care-flighted to Austin, where he remains in critical but stable condition.”

Published: January 7, 2026, 12:31 pm

The 2026 World Cup may transform US soccer. The 2030 World Cup could be even better

This summer’s tournament is seen as a culmination, but in truth it’s the next World Cup where the USMNT may have the most success

When the US was confirmed as a future World Cup co-host on the eve of the 2018 tournament in Russia, the USMNT were still stuck under the rubble of their shocking failure to qualify. Mauricio Pochettino was just establishing himself among European club soccer’s managerial elite, taking Tottenham to the Champions League final a year later.

Few could have imagined that he’d be leading the USMNT into the 2026 World Cup, and perhaps fewer believe he’ll stick around for the next cycle. Nevertheless, after a 2-1 win over Australia in Commerce City, Colorado to end the October window, Pochettino noted he’s building a team with 2030 in mind, too.

Published: January 7, 2026, 11:00 am

Kansas City Current hire Chris Armas as head coach after MLS stints

• Former USMNT player last coached women in 2014

• Armas coached the Colorado Rapids from 2024-2025

Former New York Red Bulls, Toronto FC and Colorado Rapids manager Chris Armas has been appointed as the new head coach of the NWSL club Kansas City Current.

Armas replaces the former US women’s national team head coach Vlatko Andonovski, who stepped away from his head coach role at the end of the 2025 campaign in order to focus solely on his job as Kansas City’s sporting director.

Published: January 7, 2026, 6:46 pm

Simon Yates announces surprise retirement with ‘deep pride and sense of peace’

• British cyclist calls time aged 33 after a 13-year career

• ‘Now feels the right moment,’ says Giro d’Italia winner

Simon Yates, one of Britain’s most storied riders and the winner of last year’s Giro d’Italia, has stunned cycling by announcing his retirement at 33.

The Visma-Lease a Bike rider said on Wednesday that he is quitting with “deep pride and a sense of peace” after a 13-year career that delivered wins in two Grand Tours, 11 elite stages and 36 professional races.

Published: January 7, 2026, 2:46 pm

World Cup players to have lifelike ‘AI avatars’ for use in VAR offside decisions

• Innovation means every player being digitally scanned

• Infantino: Move will ensure more accurate decisions

Every player at the World Cup this summer will have his own physically accurate “AI avatar” that will be used in taking video assistant referee (VAR) decisions.

The innovation, which will involve every player being digitally scanned and leaves the possibility of size mattering in offside calls, was part of a package of ­technological ­measures announced by Fifa’s president, Gianni Infantino, as he made a keynote appearance at the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas.

Published: January 7, 2026, 3:32 pm

Trump claims Venezuela is set for an oil boom after US attack – history points to a bumpy road ahead

From Venezuela to Libya to Iraq, removal of dictators has not always guaranteed a surge in oil production, data shows

Hours after Nicolás Maduro was captured by US special forces in Venezuela and indicted on drugs, weapons and “narco-terrorism” charges, Donald Trump spoke extensively about his plans for something else entirely: oil.

Venezuela’s oil reserves – reputedly the world’s largest – are set to be pumped by a parade of powerful US oil companies, according to the US president, most of whom have not operated in the country in decades.

Published: January 7, 2026, 12:00 pm

People who stop taking weight-loss jabs regain weight in under two years, study reveals

Analysis finds those who stopped using medication saw weight return four times faster compared with other weight loss plans

People who stop taking weight loss jabs regain all the weight originally lost in under two years, significantly faster than those on any other weight loss plan, according to a landmark study.

Weight loss medications, known as GLP-1 agonists, were originally developed as treatment for diabetes and work by mimicking the glucagon-like peptide (GLP) 1 hormone which helps people feel full.

Published: January 7, 2026, 11:30 pm

AI chatbot maker Anthropic plans to raise $10bn to reach $350bn valuation

Startup founded by former OpenAI staff is aiming to more than double its annualized revenue run rate this year

Anthropic is planning a $10bn fundraise that would value the Claude chatbot maker at $350bn, according to multiple reports published on Wednesday.

The new valuation represents an increase of nearly double from about four months ago, per CNBC, which reported that the company had signed a term sheet that stipulated the $350bn figure. The round could close within weeks, although the size and terms could change. Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC and Coatue Management are planning to lead the financing, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Published: January 7, 2026, 9:50 pm

Trump lawyer ordered to defend using US attorney title despite ruling it’s unlawful

Lindsey Halligan was installed in the position by the president to prosecute Letitia James and James Comey

A judge has ordered the Donald Trump-appointed lawyer who led failed prosecutions of two of his political opponents to explain why she is still representing herself as US attorney for the eastern district of Virginia, after another judge ruled she was in the position unlawfully.

In an order filed in the district’s Richmond division on Tuesday, Lindsey Halligan was given seven days to explain why she had engaged in “professional misconduct” by continuing to sign indictments.

Published: January 7, 2026, 2:21 pm

Nick Reiner arraignment postponed to February after lawyer withdraws from case

Son of director Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner will now be represented by public defender in murder case

The arraignment of Nick Reiner, who faces two counts of first-degree murder in the killing of his parents Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, was delayed on Wednesday after his attorney asked to be replaced.

Judge Theresa McGonigle agreed to postpone the proceedings until February in response to a request from attorney Alan Jackson to withdraw from the case. The judge assigned a public defender to represent Nick Reiner, who had been expected to be arraigned and enter a plea in a Los Angeles court on Wednesday.

Published: January 7, 2026, 6:34 pm

Warner Bros Discovery tells investors to reject ‘inadequate’ $108bn Paramount bid

Board unwilling to accept hostile takeover despite $40bn guarantee from billionaire Larry Ellison

Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) has again told its shareholders to reject an “inadequate” $108.4bn (£80bn) hostile takeover bid by Paramount Skydance amid an extraordinary corporate battle to control the media conglomerate.

Paramount, controlled by the billionaire Ellison family, had sought to combat WBD’s criticism of its offer and claims it had “consistently misled” investors by saying it had a “full backstop” – a safety net to ensure it has sufficient funds – from the Ellisons.

Published: January 7, 2026, 1:52 pm

Chloé Zhao says ‘feminine consciousness’ incompatible with current Hollywood model

Responding to new reporting finding only nine of the directors behind 2025’s 100 top-grossing US films were women, Hamnet film-maker questions industry’s capacity for inclusivity

Chloé Zhao, the Oscar-winning director of Nomadland, has said that the US film industry is not set up to foster gender diversity.

Speaking at a Women in Motion talk at the Palm Springs film festival on Monday, Zhao was asked for her response to a recent study that found just nine of the 111 directors behind last year’s 100 top grossing films in the US were women.

Published: January 7, 2026, 4:31 pm

We study glaciers. ‘Artificial glaciers’ and other tech may halt their total collapse | Brent Minchew and Colin Meyer

How might we prevent sea-level rise? Satellite-based radar, solar-powered drones, robot submarines and lab-based ‘artificial glaciers’ could all play a role

Sea levels are rising faster than at any point in human history, and for every foot that waters rise, 100 million people lose their homes. At current projections, that means about 300 million people will be forced to move in the decades to come, along with the social and political conflict as people migrate inland. Despite this looming crisis, the world still lacks specific, reliable forecasts for when and where the seas will rise – and we have invested almost nothing in understanding whether and how we can slow it down.

Societies must continue to focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but it’s increasingly clear that the world needs to do more: we need to predict the future of the world’s ice with precision, and to explore safe, science-backed methods to keep it from melting away.

Published: January 7, 2026, 11:00 am

Revealed: how aviation emissions could be halved without cutting journeys

Exclusive: Getting rid of premium seats, ensuring flights are near full and using efficient aircraft could slash CO₂, analysis suggests

Climate-heating emissions from aviation could be slashed in half – without reducing passenger journeys – by getting rid of premium seats, ensuring flights are near full and using the most efficient aircraft, according to analysis.

These efficiency measures could be far more effective in tackling the fast-growing carbon footprint of flying than pledges to use “sustainable” fuels or controversial carbon offsets, the researchers said. They believe their study, which analysed more than 27m commercial flights out of approximately 35m in 2023, is the first to assess the variation in operational efficiency of flights across the globe.

Published: January 7, 2026, 10:00 am

‘The soul of the city’: can Kinshasa’s last remaining baobab tree be saved?

Across Africa, baobabs have rich symbolic meaning, but the breakneck expansion of the DRC’s capital has reduced their number in the city centre to one

The older inhabitants of Kinshasa can remember when trees shaded its main avenues and thick-trunked baobabs stood in front of government offices.

Jean Mangalibi, 60, from his plant nursery tucked among grey tower blocks, says the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s frenzied expansion has all but erased its greenery. “We’re destroying the city,” he says, over the sound of drilling from a nearby building site.

Published: January 7, 2026, 6:00 am

A ‘day of love’ with more than 100 casualties

The White House’s official retelling of the January 6 insurrection strains credulity

• This was originally published in This Week in Trumpland; sign up to receive it in your inbox every Wednesday

According to Donald Trump, it was a day of love. For those who watched the violent insurrection on January 6, and for the more than 140 law enforcement officers injured that day, it didn’t seem like there was much love on show.

Live video footage showed scores of Trump supporters smashing windows, beating police officers and scrambling over each other as they broke into the Capitol building, in an attempt to overturn the result of the 2020 election. “The most shameful day in American history,” Guardian writer Robert Reich called it.

Published: January 7, 2026, 7:30 pm

Trump administration halts more than $10bn for childcare and family assistance

Democrats condemn move in California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York, calling it ‘vindictive’ and ‘cruel’

The Trump administration is freezing more than $10bn in federal childcare and family assistance funds to California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said, citing what it called concerns about fraud and misuse.

“For too long, Democrat-led states and Governors have been complicit in allowing massive amounts of fraud to occur under their watch,” HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said in a statement.

Published: January 7, 2026, 2:57 am

Michael Reagan, eldest son of Ronald Reagan, dies aged 80

Conservative commentator contributed to Newsmax and was known for eponymous talk radio show

Michael Reagan, the eldest son of Ronald Reagan and a conservative commentator, has died. He was 80.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute announced his death in a post on the social platform X on Tuesday, calling him “a steadfast guardian of his father’s legacy”.

Published: January 7, 2026, 1:52 am

‘They are killing us’: authorities use force against protesters in Kurdish regions of Iran

People face teargas, pellet guns and violence as protests continue and opposition parties call for general strike

Demonstrations over economic conditions broke out in Kurdish regions of Iran on Wednesday despite authorities using violence to try to disperse protests before an announced general strike, according to witnesses and rights groups.

Protesters took to the streets across Kurdish cities in western Iran, with shopkeepers shutting down stores and demonstrators chanting against government corruption. People said they were met with force as authorities fired teargas, pellet guns and what demonstrators said were live bullets at crowds.

Published: January 7, 2026, 8:17 pm

Indian police raid home of environmental activists over anti-fossil fuel campaign

Sarat Sampada founders Harjeet Singh and Jyoti Aswati say allegations are ‘baseless, biased and misleading’

Police have raided the home of one of India’s leading environmental activists over claims his campaigning for a treaty to cut the use of fossil fuels was undermining the national interest.

Investigators from India’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) claim Harjeet Singh and his wife, Jyoti Awasthi, co-founders of Satat Sampada (Nature Forever), were paid almost £500,000 to advocate for a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty (FFNPT).

Published: January 7, 2026, 5:52 pm

Brigitte Bardot laid to rest in funeral ceremony broadcast across Saint-Tropez

Service attended by singers, animal rights activists and public figures including far-right leader Marine Le Pen

Brigitte Bardot, the film star turned animal rights activist, has been laid to rest after a funeral service in Saint-Tropez attended by her favourite politician, the far-right leader Marine Le Pen.

Bardot died aged 91 at her La Madrague villa on 28 December. Her funeral was held at the Notre-Dame de l’Assomption church and broadcast on large screens across the town.

Published: January 7, 2026, 1:09 pm

Can Cuba’s bond with Venezuela survive Trump’s ousting of Maduro?

Havana’s long, fractious history with the US leaves it vulnerable if Caracas is forced to withdraw its support

On Havana’s Fifth Avenue, where the trees and lawns remain elegantly groomed even as the rest of Cuba wilts, a billboard outside the Venezuelan embassy reads: “Hasta Siempre Comandante” (Until For Ever, Commander) next to a vast picture of a smiling Hugo Chávez.

It is a staunch declaration that the two nations are bound together “for ever”. But this week, after the US operation to grab Chávez’s successor, Nicolás Maduro, those ties are in danger of unravelling.

Published: January 7, 2026, 11:00 am

‘I’d never told the same joke twice!’: the explosive rise of Ayoade Bamgboye, Edinburgh’s best new comedian

The Londoner from Lagos wowed the fringe with a show about language, family and cross-cultural identity. She talks about dread, dreams and her bid for ‘controlled chaos’

Before her first Edinburgh fringe run last summer, Ayoade Bamgboye put a question to her comedy friends: “How do you debut?” She recalls their advice: “You introduce yourself, and there’s a point of view. There should also be a narrative arc. And you need to establish who you are as a comedian.” This was a lot to hear. “It filled me with dread,” says the 31-year-old. “There’s this recurring thought that you can only debut once. If it falls flat, then you’re just a shit debutante, forever.”

Reader, Bamgboye avoided this fate, and then some. A fringe first-timer with a very slender comedy CV behind her, the Londoner-via-Lagos arrived at the festival with a fresh-minted show, Swings and Roundabouts, and left clutching the prestigious best newcomer award, as formerly won by Harry Hill, Sarah Millican and Tim Minchin. (She was the first Black woman to win the award.) It’s a ticket to the big time and Bamgboye is still reeling. “These past months have been very difficult, getting out of my head and out of my own way. That question of: why me, why this, why now?” Sometimes, only a cliche will cover it. “It changed my life,” says Bamgboye flatly. “I hate to say stuff like that, but it did.”

Published: January 7, 2026, 9:28 am

Women behind the lens: six of our most striking images from 2025

A few of our favourite photographs taken by women from the global south and capturing moments of everyday life and art

Published: January 7, 2026, 7:00 am

Beast Games season two review – this mindless, vibeless reality show is like Squid Game meets Love Island

Is this big-money challenge cruel? Yes. But it’s mainly just tedious to watch these immature players and their teenage machinations as they battle for cash

The first season of Beast Games – the big-money reality challenge masterminded and hosted by internet personality Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast – prompted a lawsuit. Five anonymous contestants sued both the production companies behind the series and Donaldson himself, claiming that they had been kept “underfed and overtired”, and alleging an unsafe environment on the set of the Gladiators-ish, Squid Game-esque series (claims, of course, firmly denied by all parties). While the participants claimed they had been “shamelessly exploited” in the name of entertainment, this did little to impede the success of Beast Games, which went on to become Amazon’s most-watched unscripted series ever, garnering 50 million viewers in the month after its release.

You may well come to Beast Games with a sense that this is a slightly murky, mercenary endeavour, the $5m grand prize (“generational wealth!!!!” says Donaldson) distracting from potential ethical issues just below the surface. Weirdly, though, moral issues will probably be the least of viewers’ concerns. More than ever, in its second series Beast Games also happens to be mindless, vibeless television, flecked with Squiddy sadism but also borrowing heavily from the Love Island playbook. As they stay up into the wee hours building improbably high towers from foam blocks or playing convoluted games of dodgeball, the contestants couple up, crash out and even seek to avenge fallen players. Take Luisitin, playing to defend the honour of his wife from series one, by badmouthing her former nemesis, Karim, to anyone who will listen (“he and his brother gaslit my wife on television!”) People say things like “be careful who you trust!” and “he’s backpack boy … his girlfriend is carrying him over the finish line”. You don’t get this sort of feuding on Ninja Warrior, that’s for sure.

Published: January 7, 2026, 5:00 am

The Oak and the Larch by Sophie Pinkham review – are Russia’s forests the key to its identity?

How billions of trees left their mark on an empire’s psyche – shaping ideological and literal battles up to the present day

When Sophie Pinkham opens her fascinating book with the claim that “Russia has more trees than there are stars in our galaxy”, it might seem as though she is merely using a poetic turn of phrase. But the statistic is correct: while the Milky Way is estimated to have roughly 200bn stars, Russia has something in the region of 642bn trees. Stretching from the Arctic tundra to central Asia to the Pacific Ocean, the Russian forest is vast, mighty and inhospitable. Yet while it is a source of potential danger, it is also a place of great beauty and potential riches, providing furs, minerals and rivers overflowing with salmon.

Pinkham, a professor of comparative literature at Cornell University whose last book explored the intricacies of post-Soviet Ukraine, here charts the landscape’s influence on the Russian psyche, and its imprint on history, society and literature. The forest is deeply entwined with Russian national identity – the country is often symbolically represented as a bear – yet attitudes towards it have fluctuated. Different leaders have proposed different strategies for extracting value from the land, leading to cycles of deforestation and tree-planting depending on whether the priority was boosting agriculture, building Peter the Great’s imperial fleet, extracting minerals or constructing hydroelectric dams. Politically, it has been a place of resistance and of ultranationalist rhetoric glorifying the idea of Russian self-sufficiency.

Published: January 7, 2026, 9:00 am

The 15 best Xbox Series S/X games to play in 2026

This now venerable hardware remains an ideal platform for classics such as Minecraft and daring experiments from the brightest new developers

Now surely approaching their twilight years, the Xbox Series S and X machines nevertheless still have plenty to offer both new and veteran owners. We have selected 15 titles that show the range of what’s on offer, from the biggest blockbusters to lesser known indie gems you may have missed. Whether you’re after tense psychological horror or wild escapism, it’s all here and more.

Published: January 7, 2026, 10:00 am

Kimmel on Trump’s whitewashing of January 6 anniversary: ‘Don’t give in to this revisionist history’

On the fifth anniversary of the January 6 riots, late-night hosts discuss the Trump administration’s efforts to rewrite history as ‘peaceful protests’

Late-night hosts observed the fifth anniversary of the January 6 insurrection and recapped Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro’s first day in a US court.

Published: January 7, 2026, 4:41 pm

‘This might be too hot to touch’: Gwyneth Paltrow says conscious uncoupling cost her a movie role

Actor thinks derisive response to her description of divorcing Chris Martin led to her being dropped from film

The actor Gwyneth Paltrow has said she was fired from a film due to media interest in her divorce from Chris Martin in 2014.

Speaking on Amy Poehler’s podcast, Good Hang, Paltrow blamed negative headlines surrounding the separation – which the couple called “conscious uncoupling” in their announcement – for her losing a role she had been scheduled to play soon afterwards.

Published: January 7, 2026, 2:42 pm

UK and Ireland cinema takings on post-pandemic high as A Minecraft Movie tops 2025 box office

Video game spinoff was the highest-grossing film of the year at £56.88m as the sector continued its recovery after Covid

The UK and Irish box office has recorded its best annual performance since the Covid pandemic, with A Minecraft Movie ending 2025 as the highest-grossing film of the year.

Figures released by box-office analysts Comscore show that box office revenue in the UK and Ireland totalled £1.07bn, an increase of 1% on 2024’s total of £1.06bn. At the same time there was a slight decrease in the amount of films released: 1,092 in 2025, compared with 1,124 in 2024.

Published: January 7, 2026, 2:46 pm

Art could save your life! Five creative ways to make 2026 happier, healthier and more hopeful

Engaging in creativity can reduce depression, improve immunity and delay ageing – all while you’re having fun

For some reason, we have collectively agreed that new year is the time to reinvent ourselves. The problem, for many people, is that we’ve tried all the usual health kicks – running, yoga, meditation, the latest diets – even if we haven’t really enjoyed them, in a bid to improve our minds and bodies. But have any of us given as much thought to creativity? Allow me to suggest that this year be a time to embrace the arts.

Ever since our Paleolithic ancestors began painting caves, carving figurines, dancing and singing, engaging in the arts has been interwoven with health and healing. Look through the early writings of every major medical tradition around the world and you find the arts. What is much newer – and rapidly accelerating over the past two decades – is a blossoming scientific evidence-base identifying and quantifying exactly what the health benefits of the arts are.

Published: January 7, 2026, 5:00 am

A moment that changed me: in the bombed-out ruins of an apartment block, I saw a book I’d translated

The sight of my work, torn and singed but still legible, made me realise the importance of translating and protecting stories – so they remain when everything else falls away

In the rubble of a collapsed apartment block, a single image stayed with me: a book I had translated from English to Persian, lying half-buried in dust and ash. Its cover was torn and smudged, its pages curled and singed, but it was still legible. Still speaking.

Two days earlier, on 13 June 2025, missiles from Israel began striking Tehran. There were no sirens, just sudden, violent blasts. The internet was completely cut off. I was in my apartment, translating Jhumpa Lahiri’s Translating Myself and Others – a book about what it means to transport words across languages, and the ethics and anxieties of inhabiting another’s voice. As buildings fell, I sat editing a text that argued, in its quiet way, for the endurance of meaning.

Published: January 7, 2026, 6:55 am

Share your health and fitness questions for Devi Sridhar, Mariella Frostrup, and Joel Snape

Whether your question is about exercise, eating, or general wellness, post it below and we’ll put a selection to our panel on the night

There’s no bad time to take a more active interest in your health, but the new year, for lots of us, feels like a fresh start. Maybe you’re planning to sign up for a 10k or finally have a go at bouldering, eat a bit better or learn to swing a kettlebell. Maybe you want to keep up with your grandkids — or just be a little bit more physically prepared for whatever life throws at you.

To help things along, Guardian Live invites you to a special event with public health expert Devi Sridhar, journalist and author Mariella Frostrup, and health and fitness columnist Joel Snape. They’ll be joining the Guardian’s Today in Focus presenter Annie Kelly to discuss simple, actionable ways to stay fit and healthy as you move through the second half of life: whether that means staying strong and mobile or stressing less and sleeping better.

Published: January 7, 2026, 11:35 am

Jess Cartner-Morley on fashion: like a superhero cloak, a white shirt gives you formidable power

They don’t have to be expensive, they go with everything and they boost confidence – if you get the styling right

The eternal appeal of the white shirt is not just that it goes with anything, although it does. And not only that it can take you anywhere, although it can. It is not even that it never goes out of style, or that good quality versions are accessible at real-world prices, although those are true also.

A white shirt is self-confidence. It stands for it, and it brings it, and that’s the real secret. It is a superhero cloak that bestows you with this formidable power. Self-confidence is not as snazzy as the ability to fly or live for ever, but arguably it’s more practical. I don’t know why or how it works, but it doesn’t matter, because if you feel confident then you are confident. Faking it and making it are one and the same here.

Published: January 7, 2026, 2:00 pm

Sali Hughes on beauty: why lactic acid is your ultimate skincare hero

Exfoliating, plumping and hydrating, the best products will leave your skin glowing without costing a fortune

Lactic acid – always the bridesmaid for the more hyped glycolic acid – is my first choice of alpha hydroxy acid for all manner of reasons. It exfoliates without stripping or stinging (its bigger molecule size makes it particularly well tolerated by even sensitive skins), can stimulate collagen and ceramide production to firm, plump and protect mature skins, has antibacterial properties for more problematic ones, and binds with water to keep every type more hydrated. Lactic also imparts an unmistakable glow to the complexion and deflakes rough areas brilliantly.

I’ve always loved it, but have rarely been so spoilt for choice. Beauty Pie’s new Youthbomb Extreme Retinal Triple Renewal Serum (£49 to members) is their best formula in some time, which goes some way to justify its high (for Beauty Pie) price point.

Published: January 7, 2026, 10:00 am

How to turn excess hard veg into fridge-raid sauerkraut – recipe | Waste not

An easy and ingenious way to use up odd bits and pieces of root veg

The dry-salting fermentation method used to make sauerkraut works brilliantly on almost any firm vegetable, so you can happily explore beyond the traditional cabbage. I had a couple of carrots and a piece of squash that needed saving, so I turned them into a golden kraut with ginger, turmeric and a little orange zest for brightness. Use whatever you have to hand and let the ingredients lead your creativity.

Published: January 7, 2026, 1:00 pm

Chickpea stew and lentil soup: Imad Alarnab’s recipes for Syrian comfort food

A warm, silky soup and a nourishing and flavourful stew to help get you through the colder weather

bowl of creamy red lentil soup feels like pure comfort – warm, silky and deeply satisfying. The lentils cook down into a smooth, golden blend, their gentle sweetness enriched by sauteed onions, garlic and a touch of spice. A drizzle of dukkah oil brightens things up, making it perfect for January. Then, a Levantine chickpea stew with aubergine and tahini, which is so nourishing and full of flavour. Tender chickpeas simmer slowly in a rich tomato base until they absorb the sweetness of onions, garlic, and the gentle warmth of cumin. Fried aubergine melts into the stew, and its smoky softness gives each spoonful a lush texture.

Published: January 7, 2026, 6:00 am

‘Yamagata is ramen’: Japan’s city of noodle fiends revels in ‘capital’ status

Noodle dish is nation’s favourite comfort food and source of civic pride – but it has health risks

The road to ramen paradise ends in the unlikeliest of places. At Men Endo, located in a suburban street, next to a school and a low-rise apartment block, bowls of noodles disappear in a flurry of slurps, gulps and hurried but heartfelt exchanges of appreciation between customer and chef.

On a cold afternoon in Yamagata, a city in Japan’s northeast, the wait for a seat at Men Endo’s counter is mercifully short. Inside the door, a ticket dispenser lists myriad options, from regular shoyu (soy sauce) ramen – in small, medium or large portions – to maji soba, a soupless symphony of toppings, sauce and noodles that diners are invited to mix together with their chopsticks, along with a spoonful of spicy miso.

Published: January 7, 2026, 5:00 am

People living in the US: what do you think about Donald Trump’s threat to take control of Greenland?

What is your reaction to Trump’s territorial ambitions?

Donald Trump has renewed his calls for the US to take control of Greenland. It comes after the removal of Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, on Saturday.

We would like to hear what people in the United States think about Trump’s intervention in Venezuela and his latest threat to take control of Greenland. We’re particularly interested to hear from people who voted for or previously supported the Trump administration. What is your reaction to his territorial ambitions?

Published: January 7, 2026, 2:57 pm

People from Venezuela and neighbouring countries: share your reaction to US raid

We’d like to hear from people in Venezuela, as well as from neighbouring countries mentioned by the Trump administration, about how they are responding to recent US actions

As Donald Trump prepares to make his first public appearance since Venezuela’s former president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, appeared in a US court and pleaded not guilty to all charges, there is growing international concern over the shock US military operation in Venezuela, which the UN human rights office has said undermined a fundamental principle of international law.

We would like to hear from Venezuelans, both in the country and abroad, about how you are feeling in the wake of these events – either positively or negatively – and what concerns or hopes you have for Venezuela’s future. You might want to share how this is affecting you personally, your family, or people you know on the ground.

Published: January 7, 2026, 10:22 am

Elvis fans, carnival and Orthodox Christmas: photos of the day – Wednesday

The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world

Published: January 7, 2026, 1:46 pm