Politics

Nickolay Mladenov, a Bulgarian former U.N. envoy, was named director-general of the Gaza Board of Peace; the appointment was announced by Israel's prime minister and confirmed by a U.S. official.

A Southampton restaurateur has closed his 20-year restaurant, saying an adjoining hotel used to house asylum seekers led to a sharp fall in customers; local organisations and police gave contrasting accounts.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa visited Syria and met interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, saying the EU will support recovery and reconstruction. Syria’s Defense Ministry announced a ceasefire in recent clashes in Aleppo, and the EU delegation planned to continue to Lebanon.

An ICE agent shot and killed Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis on 7 January 2026, within about a mile of where George Floyd was killed in 2020; bystander video of the incident has circulated and the article reports that some sources say ICE's use-of-force guidelines were not followed.

Administration figures publicly described the woman as having weaponized her car, while local officials and available video footage have disputed those accounts; investigators had been reported as pending.

Hundreds gathered in Mogadishu to protest Israel's Dec. 26 recognition of Somaliland, and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud publicly rejected the move and urged dialogue; how events will unfold is undetermined at this time.

Donald Trump announced he had cancelled a previously expected second wave of attacks on Venezuela after Venezuelan authorities began releasing people described as political prisoners.

China's commerce ministry announced a ban on exports of dual-use goods to Japanese military users and other end-users that could enhance Japan's military power. The notice did not list specific items and drew no immediate response from Japan.

Ministers say recovery work is under way after days of heavy snow and ice in parts of Scotland, while the Met Office has issued yellow warnings covering much of the country until midday Thursday.

Authorities in Iran imposed a nationwide internet blackout as anti-government protests entered their 12th night, and both rights groups and officials reported fatalities and large numbers of arrests.

Gaza's civil defence agency reported at least 13 people were killed on Thursday, including five children, in strikes it attributed to Israeli forces; Gaza's health ministry says 425 Palestinians have died since the ceasefire began.

Clashes broke out in Aleppo after the military opened corridors for civilians to leave Sheikh Maqsoud and Achrafieh; the Syrian Civil Defense reported about 850 people had left by midday and both sides reported deaths and injuries.

Bradford Council has approved plans for a new Squire Lane sports and leisure centre that includes two pools, a gym and studio space. The project is mostly funded by £20m of Levelling Up money and will move into a detailed procurement stage.

Union Unite says staff who transport children with special educational needs and disabilities and other vulnerable passengers will strike over safety concerns; Leeds City Council says it is working with the union and will prioritise school transport.

President Trump announced the United States will begin land strikes against drug cartels in Mexico and said his actions are limited only by his 'own morality.' Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has said she rejects US military intervention.

An ICE agent shot and killed Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, prompting local vigils and protests. Federal leaders described the shooting as self-defense while local officials called for accountability.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro urged citizens to defend him after U.S. President Donald Trump suggested the United States might target him; Petro denied being illegitimate or a drug trafficker and pointed to his administration's counternarcotics actions.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has softened his opposition to a federal royal commission into the 14 December Bondi attack and said he is consulting Jewish community leaders and the New South Wales government; the Law Council of Australia and families of victims have publicly called for a national inquiry.

Deputy Gladys Aurora López was struck by an explosive device thrown from outside the National Congress in Tegucigalpa and is reported to be in stable condition; Congress President Luis Redondo ordered a review of security footage and an investigation.

The Trump administration announced a new Department of Justice division for national fraud enforcement and said an assistant attorney general will lead investigations; rights advocates have criticized the move as targeting immigrants and political opponents.

The House advanced a discharge petition to force a vote on legislation to extend expired Affordable Care Act subsidies, with a handful of Republicans joining Democrats; the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates a three-year extension would increase the deficit by about $80.6 billion over a decade.

An Argentine federal court ordered judges to continue investigations into alleged crimes against humanity by members of Venezuela's National Guard under the doctrine of universal jurisdiction, and it rejected an appeal seeking dismissal of the case.

Federal officials say an ICE officer shot the driver in self‑defense and called the incident an "act of domestic terrorism"; bystander video showing the officer standing in front of the vehicle before firing has prompted questions and officials say the case is under investigation.

In a New York Times interview, President Trump said his own morality is the only constraint on his power; the comment came amid protests after an ICE-involved fatal shooting in Minneapolis and reports of strained ties with European allies over Greenland.

European leaders and US envoys announced a postwar package including a US-led monitoring mechanism and a European multinational force to be deployed after fighting ends. Moscow said any such units would be considered legitimate military targets.

The U.S. has asserted control over Venezuelan oil that China holds contractual claims to under past loans-for-oil deals; Beijing has publicly protested the U.S. actions.

Democrats say they could withhold Department of Homeland Security funding after an ICE officer shot and killed Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, and party leaders have called for a federal investigation.

MPs will question West Midlands Police and Birmingham City Council leaders about the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from an Aston Villa match; a Dutch police inspectorate letter has disputed some of the Amsterdam-related claims used to justify the ban.

Human rights groups say unrest has spread to more than 100 cities across all 31 provinces, and rights monitors report dozens killed and thousands arrested.

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney and Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said they support a peaceful, negotiated and Venezuelan-led transition, after reports that U.S. forces removed former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife and brought them to New York.