How the new $6,000 senior tax deduction could impact older Americans

A new tax deduction for senior citizens is kicking in this tax season, potentially providing bigger refunds to millions, the AARP says.

Opponents label Jenrick a ‘chancer’ and a ‘charlatan’ as he defects to Reform – politics live

Former shadow justice secretary turns fire on Tories and Labour as he joins Nigel Farage’s party

• Full report: Badenoch sacks Jenrick

Nigel Farage, speaking at his press conference in Scotland, has said that “of course” he has had conversations with Robert Jenrick, who was sacked by Kemi Badenoch this morning for planning to defect.

UPDATE: Farage said:

I have had conversations with a number of very senior conservatives over the course of the last week, the last month. A lot of them realise that for all the talk on 8 May the Conservative Party will cease to be a national party. They will be obliterated in Scotland, Wales, the red wall councils.

As far as Mr Jenrick is concerned, of course I have talked to Robert Jenrick. Was I on the verge of signing him up? No. But we have had conversations.

This morning I removed the Conservative whip from Robert Jenrick after dismissing him from the shadow cabinet.

I was very sorry to be presented with clear, irrefutable evidence, not just that he was preparing to defect, but he was planning to so in the most damaging way to the Conservative party and shadow cabinet colleagues.

María Machado visiting Trump after offering to share Nobel with him

Venezuelan opposition leader María Machado has said she wants to give her Nobel Prize to Trump and "share it with him," for removing Nicolás Maduro from power.

Renee Good's family attorney says they're pursuing separate investigation

The attorney for Renee Good's family, Antonio Romanucci, spoke to CBS News about their pursuit of accountability following last week's deadly ICE shooting.

Amazon threatens 'drastic' action after Saks bankruptcy, says $475M stake is now worthless

Amazon invested $475 million into Saks' acquisition of Neiman Marcus. It wants a federal judge to reject Saks' bankruptcy plan because it harms creditors.

Trump unveils health-care plan outline as Congress wrestles over Obamacare subsidies

Trump urged Congress, which is grappling over an extension of key ACA tax credits, to pass "The Great Healthcare Plan" without delay.

Trump announces "The Great Healthcare Plan," sparse on details

President Trump's proposal comes as the Senate is poised to vote on extending enhanced subsidies under the Affordable Care Act.

ICE officer shoots man in leg in Minneapolis after shovel attack, officials say

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer​ shot a man Wednesday night in north Minneapolis after allegedly being attacked by men with shovels during an arrest operation, three U.S. officials told CBS News.

26 charged in connection with rigging college basketball games

According to the indictment, players on 17 different NCAA Division I men's basketball teams fixed or attempted to fix 29 games.

White House eyes prosecutor in deputy AG's office for new fraud role, sources say

An ally of Deputy AG Todd Blanche is being considered for the newly created position of assistant attorney general, sources said.

Controversial US study on hepatitis B vaccines in Africa is cancelled

$1.6m project drew outrage over ethical questions about withholding vaccines proven to prevent disease

The controversial US-funded study on hepatitis B vaccines among newborns in Guinea-Bissau has been halted, according to Yap Boum, a senior official at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“The study has been cancelled,” Boum told journalists at a press conference on Thursday morning.

Eurovision song contest to go on tour to celebrate 70th anniversary

‘Iconic performers’ will visit 10 European cities, as event reels from boycott over Israel’s 2026 participation

The Eurovision song contest will go on its first ever tour to celebrate its 70th anniversary, its organiser has said, as it reels from a boycott due to Israel’s participation.

Five countries have pulled out of the contest over Israel’s war in Gaza, leaving 35 to participate in the world’s biggest live televised music event – the fewest since entry was expanded in 2004.

Chip stocks pop after TSMC's earnings beat boosts confidence in industrywide demand

Shares of chipmakers AMD and Nvidia popped along with equipment makers like Applied Materials after TSMC reported better-than-expected results.

Tour de France reveals the six UK stage plans for historic 2027 Grands Départs

• British roads will host the start of both races next year

• First time both Grands Départs have been outside France

The men’s Tour de France will start in Scotland for the first time in 2027 and make its first visit to Wales when Britain stages the Grand Départ of the men’s and women’s races in the biggest festival of elite cycling on the isles since London 2012.

Across six days of racing on British roads, the men’s Tour will visit Edinburgh, Carlisle, Keswick, Liverpool, Welshpool and Cardiff, while the Tour de France Femmes races from Leeds to Manchester, then to Sheffield and also includes a central London stage. On Thursday night all host cities were illuminated by yellow beams in recognition of them staging the Tour.

Bipartisan bill aims to make it a crime to share information about U.S. special forces

The legislation was unveiled after journalist Seth Harp shared a public biography that he said belonged to the commander of the Army's elite Delta Force unit.

Man convicted of killing Uber driver who he thought was robbing him

William J. Brock fatally shot the driver after wrongly assuming she was in on a plot to get $12,000 in supposed bond money for a relative, authorities said.

Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act (again). What is it?

As protests grow over violent ICE enforcement actions in Minneapolis, the president said he could invoke a centuries-old law that would give him sweeping powers to deploy the military in U.S. cities.

Gulf states and Turkey urged Trump not to launch strikes against Iran

Fears that attack could lead to conflict across region prompted lobbying by longstanding US allies

Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and Oman urged Donald Trump not to launch airstrikes against Iran in a last-minute lobbying campaign prompted by fears that an attack by Washington would lead to a major and intractable conflict across the Middle East.

The warnings of chaos from the longstanding US allies appear to have helped persuade Trump late on Wednesday to hold off for the moment on a military assault. In the case of Saudi Arabia, its reticence led it to deny the US use of its airspace to mount any attacks.

John Higgins rides wild fluke to win final three frames and reach Masters semi

• Scot recovers to deny Zhao Xintong 6-5 in the last eight

• Judd Trump faces Mark Allen in later Thursday match

John Higgins benefited from an outrageous fluke as he came from 5-3 down to beat world champion Zhao Xintong 6-5 on the final ball and reach the semi-finals of the Masters at Alexandra Palace.

Higgins made a horrible mess of a plant, only for one of the reds to fly into the opposite pocket and the cue ball to somehow land on the black, en route to squaring the match at 5-5. The 50-year-old Scot then took a tight decider, clearing the table from the final red to move one step closer to a third Masters title.

This report will update later

Verizon offers customers $20 credit for widespread outage

Verizon says it's giving a $20 credit to customers affected an outage that disrupted service across the U.S.

People affected by the US visa freeze: share your experience

The Trump administration has paused immigrant visa processing for people from 75 countries. We’re looking to speak to applicants, especially those close to a final decision, about the impact of the suspension

The Trump administration has indefinitely suspended immigrant visa processing for people from 75 countries, freezing applications from 21 January as part of a sweeping crackdown on legal immigration pathways.

We would like to hear from people from countries on the visa ban list who are currently in the immigrant visa application process, particularly those who are at an advanced or final stage.

I know the terrible cost of speaking out in Iran – and I beg the world to stand with those speaking out now | Nasrin Parvaz

Survivors of the regime like me are reliving our nightmares as brave Iranians fight for their freedom. They say they have nothing to lose but their chains

It has been more than 40 years since I was imprisoned in Iran for speaking out against human rights abuses and state executions, and for defending women’s rights. I spent eight years behind bars in Iran’s notorious Evin prison. I was tortured. I remember it as if it happened yesterday.

Every few years, uprisings erupt across Iran – and each wave of resistance is deeper and more widespread than the one before. In 2022, it was women who led the Woman, Life, Freedom movement after the murder of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini by the country’s “morality police”, and it revolutionised my country. Today, women wear what they want, go out in public with their boyfriends – even live with them – without fear of being arrested. Women earned these rights with their lives. In late December 2025, the spark was once again lit – this time in an old bazaar in Tehran.

Nasrin Parvaz is a women’s rights activist and torture survivor from Iran. Her books include A Prison Memoir: One Woman’s Struggle in Iran, and the novel The Secret Letters from X to A

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.

There's an internet blackout in Iran. How are videos and images getting out?

Starlink is illegal in Iran, but people are still using the satellite internet service to get around the government's internet shutdown.

West Ham’s plan to sell Paquetá and take him back on loan hits Flamengo resistance

• Brazilian club may try to buy more cheaply in summer

• Buonanotte joins Leeds on loan from Brighton

West Ham will sell Lucas Paquetá this month if the deal includes an agreement for Flamengo to loan the midfielder back for the rest of the season.

Flamengo had an opening bid of €35m (£30.3m) rejected for the Brazilian and are prepared to raise their offer to about €40m. Paquetá has made clear to West Ham that he wants to return to Brazil but it is understood Flamengo are not minded to loan him back, reasoning that they can wait and buy him more cheaply in the summer.

Jenrick defects to Farage's Reform UK | The Latest

Robert Jenrick has been sensationally sacked from the shadow cabinet and suspended from the Conservative party after Kemi Badenoch said she was presented with ‘irrefutable evidence’ that he was planning to defect.

The shadow justice secretary was Badenoch’s leadership rival and had long been said to have been prepared to do a deal with Reform UK’s leader, Nigel Farage.

Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s head of national news, Archie Bland

Chicago mayor explains how he's tackling the city's life expectancy gap

In 2023, life expectancy in the Loop was 87.3 years, while in West Garfield Park, life expectancy was just 66.6 years, according to the city's Health Department.

Harry Styles announces fourth solo album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally

After a series of cryptic billboards teasing fans, the As It Was singer reveals the title and release date of his first record since 2022

After a brief teaser campaign in which billboards around the world promised “we belong together” and “see you very soon”, Harry Styles has announced his fourth solo album.

Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally will be released on 6 March. It was produced by Kid Harpoon, the British songwriter and producer who has worked on all of Styles’ previous albums. The artwork shows the 31-year-old pop star wearing sunglasses and ducking beneath a disco ball seemingly suspended from the night sky.

US appeals court reverses decision that freed Mahmoud Khalil from ICE detention

Ruling delivers victory to Trump administration in its efforts to deport the pro-Palestinian activist

A federal appeals court on Thursday reversed a lower court decision that ordered the release of the former Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil from immigration detention, delivering the Trump administration a victory in its efforts to deport the pro-Palestinian activist.

A 2-1 panel of the Philadelphia-based third US circuit court of appeals ordered the dismissal of a lawsuit Khalil filed challenging his detention after finding that federal immigration law stripped the lower court of jurisdiction over his claims.

AI as a life coach: experts share what works, what doesn’t and what to look out for

It’s becoming more common for people to use AI chatbots for personal guidance – but this doesn’t come without risks

If you’re like a lot of people, you’ve probably ditched your new year resolutions by now. Setting goals is hard; keeping them is harder – and failure can bring about icky feelings about yourself.

This year, in an effort to game the system and tilt the scales toward success, some people used AI for their 2026 resolutions. It’s the latest step in an ongoing trend: in September 2025, OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, released findings showing that using the AI chatbot for personal guidance is very common.

Iran's protests appear increasingly smothered after a deadly crackdown

The nationwide protests challenging Iran's theocracy appear increasingly smothered a week after authorities shut the country off from the world and escalated a bloody crackdown.

‘She is so mother!’ Why older women reign supreme on The Traitors

Monumental levels of camp, explosively powerful showdowns, glorious chaos: this season finally proves that matriarchs are Traitors’ best characters. Has anyone ever been more legendary than Harriet?

Wednesday’s episode of The Traitors was explosive: Matthew’s recruitment deal with Traitors Stephen and Rachel “confirmed”, James stealing a shield, Rachel revealing her “FBI training”. But let it be known, if I ever go missing I want Harriet Tyce on the case. Her behaviour was nothing short of Shakespearean – dropping the secret writer and criminal barrister bomb, calling out Rachel against the dramatic backdrop of a gothic chapel, publicly prosecuting her at breakfast then presenting nothing but vibes-based evidence at the round table. To top it all off, she is the first Faithful in the show’s history to ask to be banished simply to prove a point. I fear Harriet is operating on levels of camp no TV show has ever seen before.

It’s a common trend that emerges every season: a woman over 50 captures the nation’s heart and becomes a viral sensation, elevated to “mother” status by fans. And this mother is always powerful, outspoken and often utterly incomprehensible. In series one, we had Amanda Lovett, the then 54-year-old estate agent turned Traitor, masking her ruthless “Welsh dragon” instincts behind a clueless appearance. Series two brought us Diane Carson, the 63-year-old Faithful and former teacher, who came armed with blunt directness and a ginger bob only to be offed by fizzy rosé as Ross, her secret son, took part in her funeral procession. Turn to 70-year-old Linda Rands in series three, a retired opera singer who clung on as a Traitor until episode seven despite blunders so blatant they made billboards.

Chew on this: U.S. food prices are up 19% since 2022

Food prices in December saw their biggest jump in more than three years, data shows, while the cost of eating out has also risen.

Thomas Tuchel says England players’ social skills as vital as talent at World Cup

• Manager stresses squad harmony crucial at tournament

• Two friendlies in March to come before naming squad

Thomas Tuchel stressed talent alone is not enough to make his World Cup squad because the right “social skills” and personality will be needed for England to stand a chance of glory this summer.

The head coach has spoken extensively of building a “brotherhood” and placed heavy emphasis on ensuring there is the right mentality within the camp. England are one of the favourites but the shirt has weighed heavily in the past and Tuchel will look at how players interact with each other before he names his 26-man squad for the finals.

Razor’s All Blacks lacked sharp edge but sacking Robertson does not guarantee revival | Robert Kitson

There is still time before 2027 World Cup to rescue the drooping silver fern but rebuilding an international team is hard and New Zealand’s aura has faded

As a keen surfer Scott Robertson is well aware how abruptly situations can change. One minute you are riding the perfect wave, the next you’re being dumped from a great height and having your world tipped upside down. Which is essentially how “Razor” will now be feeling after being ousted as All Blacks head coach barely two years into his tenure.

On the surface he was everything New Zealand rugby could have wished for. The serial domestic winner who had guided the Crusaders to seven successive Super Rugby titles, the empathetic everyman with the break-dancing skills to match. If anyone could connect with younger generations and encourage everyone to fall in love with the ABs again, surely he was da man?

Appeals panel says judge didn't have authority to order Mahmoud Khalil's release

A panel of judges on a federal appeals court ruled Thursday that a district court judge did not have the authority to order the release of Columbia University activist Mahmoud Khalil.

Diary of a degenerate: mapping the music and the madness of Carlo Gesualdo

The Renaissance composer wrote hauntingly sublime music – and committed a grisly double murder before descending even further into psychosis. As a new stage work revisits his life, its director asks if art can be separated from artist

Carlo Gesualdo wrote some of the most darkly sublime music of the late Renaissance. He also savagely murdered his wife and her lover in their bed. Now be honest: which would you like to discuss first?

The art will always be secondary to the atrocity, however magnificent the madrigals and sacred music. Gesualdo, Prince of Venosa, had been cuckolded by the Duke of Andria in a long-running tryst that had become the scuttlebutt at court. The premeditated double murder of 1590 was a truly grisly affair, concluding in the public display of their mutilated bodies on the steps of the palazzo for several days.

NBCUniversal strategically leans into sports as it prepares for 'Legendary February'

NBCUniversal's calling card used to be "Must See TV," but the modern media world has pushed the company in a new direction, led by live sports.

NATO nations deploy to Greenland after tense White House talks

The joint NATO exercise comes shortly after tense talks between officials representing the U.S., Denmark and Greenland.

Fed's Goolsbee says inflation could come 'roaring back' if central bank independence goes away

"Anything that's infringing or attacking the independence of the central bank is a mess," Goolsbee told CNBC.

Prado cannot be like ‘the Metro at rush hour’, says Madrid museum’s chief

Record 3.5 million visited in 2025 and plans are afoot to ensure gallery does not become overburdened like Louvre

The head of the Prado has said the Madrid art museum does not need “a single visitor more” after it welcomed a record 3.5 million people last year, adding that plans are being drawn up to ensure it does not become a victim of its own success like the Louvre in Paris.

In 2025 the Prado, which is home to such masterpieces as Velázquez’s Las Meninas and Hieronymus Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights, was visited by 3,513,402 people, an increase of more than 56,000 from the previous year. Visitor numbers have risen by more than 816,000 over the past decade.

More Democratic lawmakers say Trump DoJ is investigating them over military video

Three House members claim they’re being targeted for saying that troops don’t need to comply with illegal orders

Three House Democrats confirmed on Wednesday they have been approached by federal prosecutors investigating their participation in a November video about military duty, widening the circle of legislators being targeted by the Trump administration.

Representatives Jason Crow of Colorado, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania disclosed that the US attorney’s office for the District of Columbia, led by Jeanine Pirro, had requested interviews about the 90-second video in which they said troops don’t need to comply with illegal orders.

1/13: CBS Evening News

Dokoupil interviews President Trump on Iran crackdown, Fed Chair Powell and more; Tony Dokoupil's final thoughts from Detroit

Julian Barnes says he's enjoying himself, but that 'Departure(s)' is his last book

Part memoir and part fiction, Barnes' hybrid novel publishes the day after his 80th birthday. He's been living with a rare form of blood cancer for six years.

ICE's No. 2 official, a Noem ally, leaving agency to run for Congress

Madison Sheahan, the No. 2 official at ICE and a close ally of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, is leaving the agency to run for Congress.

Dutch far-right activist Eva Vlaardingerbroek appears to lose right to UK visa-free travel

Influencer, who promotes conspiracy theories and anti-immigration rhetoric, posts notification that her ETA has been cancelled

A Dutch anti-immigration influencer who has promoted conspiracy theories such as the “great replacement” appears to have had her authorisation for visa-free travel to the UK revoked.

Eva Vlaardingerbroek posted an image online of what appeared to be a notification from the British government that her UK electronic travel authorisation (ETA) had been cancelled on Tuesday.

Ron King talks about his mission to protect donkeys, misconceptions and how they bring joy

Oscar's Place, a donkey sanctuary in California, now has 210 donkeys and it has successfully resettled 189 others. Ron King, the co-founder and CEO of the sanctuary, helped to create the new docuseries "Donkey King," which follows the work he and volunteers do to rescue, rehabilitate and resettle the animals to protect them. He speaks to "CBS Mornings" about his mission and why he says donkeys are misunderstood.

Multimillionaire leader of Reform in Scotland refuses to reveal net worth

Newly appointed Malcolm Offord, who became a Tory life peer in 2021, plans to stand for Holyrood in May

• UK politics live – latest updates

The multimillionaire financier who has been made leader of Reform UK in Scotland has refused to say how wealthy he is, claiming that is a private matter.

Malcolm Offord, formerly a Conservative party life peer, was announced by Reform’s leader, Nigel Farage, as the party’s first Scottish leader, 10 weeks before a Scottish parliament election in which Reform is expected to win up to 18 seats.

Why more women are initiating divorce

Family law attorneys say the beginning of the year is always busier as many couples try to make a fresh start. Therapist Oona Metz specializes in treating women as they navigate the emotional effects of divorce. She tells "CBS Mornings" why more women are initiating divorce and the reasons driving the decisions.

More than 100,000 people urge MPs to ban social media for under-16s in UK

Letters sent using campaign group’s template as Keir Starmer indicates Australia-style move being considered

MPs’ inboxes have been flooded with letters calling for an Australia-style social media ban for under-16s, as the prime minister indicated such a move was being considered.

More than 100,000 people have contacted their local MP since the grassroots organisation Smartphone Free Childhood launched an email campaign on Tuesday evening with a template calling for “reasonable, age-appropriate boundaries”.

Exclusive discounts from CBS Mornings Deals

On this edition of CBS Mornings Deals, we show you items that might just become essentials in your everyday life. Visit cbsdeals.com to take advantage of these exclusive deals today. CBS earns commissions on purchases made through cbsdeals.com.

US military seizes Venezuela oil tanker under Trump sanctions

US Coast Guard and others boarded foreign-flagged crude carrier Veronica in a pre-dawn operation

The US military has seized another oil tanker at sea in support of Donald Trump’s sanctions against Venezuela, military officials announced on Thursday.

Veronica, a crude oil tanker that marine records suggest is sailing under a Guyanese flag, was boarded in a pre-dawn action by US marines and sailors, the US Southern Command said in a post on social media.

U.S. forces seize sixth Venezuela-linked oil tanker

The seizure comes as President Trump is set to meet​ with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado Thursday at the White House.

Sixth grade students share what they believe makes America beautiful

As America celebrates 250 years this year, sixth graders at a Virginia middle school shared with CBS News what they believe makes the U.S. beautiful.

H Is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald audiobook review – a soaring journey through grief

The author brings introspection and humour to their inspiring account of how a young goshawk helped them cope after the loss of their father

It is coming up to 12 years since the publication of H Is for Hawk, about the historian, writer and naturalist Helen Macdonald’s time spent training a Eurasian goshawk after an intense period of grief. Showered with awards, the book was a runaway hit and sparked a literary trend for shared transformative encounters with animals including cats, dogs, magpies and hares.

This month, H Is for Hawk comes to the big screen in a new adaptation starring Claire Foy. But there is still time to get to know the source material, which tells of the sudden death of the author’s father and how Macdonald, an experienced falconer who had previously trained kestrels and peregrines, took delivery of a temperamental young goshawk named Mabel with the aim of taming her and teaching her to hunt. Macdonald, who is non-binary, is the audiobook’s narrator. Their reading is characterised by introspection, curiosity and flashes of humour as they observe this “spooky, pale-eyed psychopath” who, as well as feeding and flying, likes to play ball with scrunched-up bits of paper.

Available via Penguin Audio, 11hr 5min

From Dylan to disco, Beyoncé to Bob Marley: the 30 best live albums ever – ranked!

Peter Frampton’s Frampton Comes Alive!, one of the bestselling live albums of all time, is turning 50. You won’t find that on this list, however: instead there’s metal, soul, and an ‘indecently exciting’ No 1 …

Already stars in Black America, Maze became the ultimate if-you-know-you-know band among British fans of underground soul thanks to Live in New Orleans. It perfectly encapsulated their appeal: smooth but not slick, an awesomely tight band making breezily relaxed music, one fantastic song after another.

Igor Stravinsky: Late Works album review – kudos to Reuss for bringing this spellbinding music to life

Daniel Reuss/Noord Nederlands Orkest/Cappella Amsterdam
(Pentatone)
Noord Nederlands Orkest and Cappella Amsterdam breathe colour and light into work from the composer’s most austere period

In his later years, Igor Stravinsky became fascinated by serialism, both as a means of distilling musical thought and as an intellectual and stylistic challenge for a composer entering his 70s and 80s. The results struck some contemporary listeners as austere, but there’s a self-effacing purity and beauty about this complex, intellectually probing music that deserves a wider audience than hitherto. Kudos, then, to conductor Daniel Reuss, whose precise yet vital interpretations teem with colour and light.

There are four main works here. In Memoriam Dylan Thomas from 1954 is an extended, impassioned setting for solo tenor of Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night. Threni, a spiny, multifaceted jewel from 1958, sets words from the Book of Lamentations. The haunting Introitus and bristling Requiem Canticles, from 1965 and 1966 respectively, complete the set, interspersed with briefer pieces including an unpretentious Lord’s Prayer and the severely cerebral two-minute Elegy for JFK.

More than 100 asylum seekers stage ‘one in, one out’ protests at detention centres

Officers with riot shields, dogs and teargas called in to quell action at Harmondsworth and Brook House facilities

More than 100 asylum seekers held at two immigration detention centres have staged overnight protests against the UK’s controversial “one in, one out” scheme with France.

Officers with riot shields, dogs and teargas arrived to quell the protests.

From Anya Taylor-Joy to Jodie Comer: who will star in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’s TV remake?

The previous actors to take the lead in Stieg Larsson’s franchise were excellent. So the successor to Noomi Rapace, Rooney Mara and Claire Foy is bound to be brilliant – whoever they are …

This week Sky announced that it will be remaking Stieg Larsson’s 2005 novel The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo as an eight-part television series. So far, all we know is that it will be set in the present day and will be written by Steve Lightfoot and Angela LaManna.

What we don’t know is who will play Lisbeth Salander, the aforementioned girl with the dragon tattoo. And this will be a big deal, because previous screen adaptations of Larsson’s books have made stars of whoever was cast as Salander. In 2009’s Swedish adaptation, she was played by Noomi Rapace, who was nominated for a Bafta. In David Fincher’s 2011 remake, she was played by Rooney Mara, who was nominated for an Oscar. And in 2018’s The Girl in the Spider’s Web adaptation, she was played by Claire Foy, who wasn’t nominated for a Bafta or an Oscar, but was still very good.

Matthew McConaughey trademarks ‘All right, all right, all right’ catchphrase in bid to beat AI fakes

The Oscar winner intends to combat misuse of the famous line from Dazed and Confused by creating ‘a clear perimeter around ownership’

Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey has trademarked his image and voice – including his famous catchphrase: “All right, all right, all right” from the movie Dazed and Confused in an attempt to forestall unauthorised use by artificial intelligence.

The Wall Street Journal reported that McConaughey has had eight separate applications approved by the US Patent and Trademark Office in recent weeks, including film clips of the actor standing on a porch and sitting in front of a tree, and an audio clip of him saying: “All right, all right, all right”.

24 hours of chaos as mental health grants are slashed then restored

For 24 hours, it was unclear which mental health and addiction programs would survive and who would still have jobs when the dust settled.

Au pair who had affair with married man testifies at his double murder trial

Testimony continues in the trial of Brendan Banfield, who is accused of plotting a double murder with his family's au pair - a woman he was secretly having an affair with. On Wednesday, the au pair, who is the prosecution's key witness, faced hours of intense cross-examination. Jericka Duncan reports.

U.S. reduces personnel at major airbase in Qatar amid tensions with Iran

U.S. officials said some personnel have been advised to evacuate a major airbase in Qatar as a "precautionary measure" due to the tensions with Iran. The Al Udeid airbase is the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East. Charlie D'Agata reports.

‘Soon after my baby’s birth came a bottle of champagne’: readers remember Alan Rickman

Following the anniversary of the actor’s death, fans recall his joy at a train platform mishap, enthusing about experimental theatre and an embarrassed double-take

• ‘I fell in love with him on the spot’: friends remember Alan Rickman, 10 years after his death

One of the highlights of my late wife’s life involved Alan Rickman. Returning to university in Manchester in the mid-90s for a new term, she was attempting to put on an enormous rucksack full of books (she did English). As she managed to get the thing on, she experienced an error in balance, fell backwards and laid on the platform, wiggling her arms and legs like an inverted tortoise, unable to move.

Apple, Google face pressure to remove X and Grok from their app stores

Grok faces mounting scrutiny from government officials and advocacy groups after people used the AI chatbot to create sexualized images of minors and women.

‘It’s AI blackface’: social media account hailed as the Aboriginal Steve Irwin is an AI character created in New Zealand

More than 180,000 people follow the Bush Legend’s accounts across Meta platforms, but its Aboriginal host is a work of digital fiction

• Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast

With a mop of dark curls and brown eyes, Jarren stands in the thick of the Australian outback, red dirt at his feet, a snake unfurling in front of him.

In a series of online videos, the social media star, known online as the Bush Legend, walks through dense forests or drives along deserted roads on the hunt for wedge-tailed eagles. Many of the videos are set to pulsating percussion instruments and yidakis (didgeridoo).

Tension at the tennis: inside the high-stakes world of racket stringing

There would be no Australian Open were it not for the work undertaken in an unassuming underground room at Melbourne Park

Underneath Rod Laver Arena, a group of tennis specialists cut and twist and weave – intently focused on their preparation for the action on the blue court a few metres above their heads. In the lead-up to the Australian Open, these experts maintain a consistent workload, training their muscles and technique, ready to peak as if they were the athletes taking to the courts themselves. But they won’t step on the court – their unique domain is tennis rackets. Racket stringing, specifically, and as the Yonex string team leader, Jim Downes, has learned over his 30-year stringing career, “it’s a high demand job”.

The world’s top tennis players are, unsurprisingly, “very particular” about how their rackets are strung, Downes says, referring to how tight or loose the strings that crisscross the frames are pulled. A highly strung racket generally offers its user more control but less power, while the opposite is true for a racket with lower tension. “A lot of people know how to string,” he says. “You have your shop stringers, but they might not be quick enough to do this job and maybe not consistent enough for the players’ needs at this level.”

Five takeaways from crunch White House talks on Greenland’s future

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen described the White House talks as "frank but constructive."

Arsenal’s power statement shows this time they have the muscle for the battle | David Hytner

First-leg victory at Stamford Bridge displayed the hallmarks of another vintage Gunners team who refused to be bullied

Nobody said it had to be pretty. And for large portions of Arsenal’s 3-2 win at Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg on Wednesday, it certainly was not. But for Mikel Arteta and his players there was a beauty in the physicality, the remorseless levels of aggression.

Arsenal won because of what they did without the ball. Yes, there were nice moments from them in possession, most obviously Martín Zubimendi’s goal for 3-1. His gliding run from right to left inside the penalty area, especially the fake-to-shoot move that removed the Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana from the equation, the composure amid the maelstrom, before the execution, was jaw-dropping.

‘Bigger and lower’: bull in Dutch painting once had much larger testicles

Experts at the Mauritshuis in The Hague believe Paulus Potter toned down The Bull to respect 17th-century sensibilities

The Bull by Paulus Potter is one of the star paintings at the Mauritshuis in The Hague, a bucolic image of animals and a farmer.

But new research suggests the painting has unexpected hidden depths: conservators restoring the artwork say the bull’s testicles were originally much larger, and appeared to have been halved in size by the artist to respect 17th-century sensibilities.

Canada cleared of US allegations they rigged skeleton qualifying for Winter Olympics

• US athlete said she was deliberately deprived of points

• Investigation says Canada acted within rules

Canada’s skeleton team have been cleared of allegations they rigged a qualifying event for the ­Winter Olympics and denied rival ­athletes the chance to qualify for next month’s Games.

USA’s Katie Uhlaender, a five-time Winter Olympian in skeleton, accused the Canadian team of­ ­deliberately pulling four of its six athletes from a race in Lake Placid, New York, last weekend in order to make it harder for athletes from other countries to qualify. The reduced field meant fewer qualifying points were ­available and Uhlaender, who won the event, did not secure her place at this year’s Games, which will take place in Milan-Cortina, Italy. Uhlaender claims Joe Cecchini, the head coach of Canada’s skeleton team, told her he had come up with the scheme.

Amazon's European sovereign cloud launch is a 'big bet,' AWS CEO Garman tells CNBC

The Amazon Web Services European Sovereign Cloud will be "physically and logically separate" from other AWS regions, the company said.

Renee Good's family pursuing separate investigation after ICE shooting, family attorney says

The family of Renee Good, who was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis last week, is pursuing their own separate investigation. The family's attorney told CBS News, "the thought that there is only a one-sided investigation … is really not palatable to the family, nor should it be to the government or the American people." The Trump administration has claimed Good intended to weaponize her vehicle, which the family attorney disputes.

Commercial real estate deal-making slows again in November

The multifamily sector saw the majority of November deals, recording 20 transactions, followed by office with 11 and industrial with eight.

Returning astronauts and burning dolls: photos of the day – Thursday

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

Spain’s meteorologists subjected to ‘alarming’ rise in hate speech, minister warns

Environment minister says attacks on social media affect perceptions of meteorology and denigrate researchers’ work

Spain’s environment minister has written to prosecutors to warn of “an alarming increase” in hate speech and social media attacks directed against climate science communicators, meteorologists and researchers.

In a letter sent to hate crimes prosecutors on Wednesday, Sara Aagesen said a number of recent reports examined by the ministry had detected a “significant increase” in the hostile language that climate experts are subjected to on digital platforms.

Melissa Leo: ‘Winning an Oscar was not good for me or my career’

The actor answers your questions on her preference for playing goodies or baddies, kissing Denzel Washington and sneaking a nap on set

Why didn’t you insist on a “must kiss Denzel” scene in your two Equalizer films? nivlek47
Well, if you go back to the first Equalizer, he comes to my character seeking permission to do his “equalizing”. I’d been his boss and trained him, so kissing him would be highly inappropriate. However, if somebody is looking to see me kiss Mr Washington, please whisper that into his ear.

I hear you’re a big fan of knitting. What’s been your greatest knitted creation? TopTramp
The knitting has been eclipsed by pottery the past three years. I go to a local pottery studio, do what I can on a wheel, and get my creativity out there. The knitting was a wonderful thing. I’d make simple squares without having to count stitches, then sew them all together. I must have made about a dozen blankets, most of which are still in a trunk upstairs. If I get another job in television – which I hope I do – that has you sitting around quite a bit, so knitting is a good mobile craft.

This country taxes menstrual pads as luxury goods. She's aiming to end the tax

Bushra Mahnoor remembers the shame she felt when she had her period as a teen and did not have the supplies she needed. Today she leads a campaign to lower prices for pads in Pakistan.

Not keen on feeble nolo wine? Try these instead

There are some decent wine substitutes out there that are worth trying – but it’s always worth remembering that they aren’t actually ‘wine’

Are you a lover of oaky rioja, or maybe zingy Kiwi sauvignon blanc, and looking to find a non-alcoholic lookalike? To put it bluntly, I’m afraid you’re out of luck. Alcohol does much more than make you tipsy; it is the magic ingredient that gives so much of wine’s wondrous complexity, character and charm. Not only does it carry volatile compounds that make up wine’s endlessly fascinating combinations of scents and tastes, along with a sensation of warmth, it also creates that viscous body and texture – what’s rather grossly known in the trade as “mouthfeel” – of the liquid in your mouth, and the overall balance of all these factors in the wine.

When the base wine is dealcoholised, however, all that character goes with it. Compared with beer’s relatively low-alcohol content, wine’s usual 11%-15% ABV means that, when the alcohol has gone, you feel its absence more, which is partly why nolo beers are generally more successful than nolo wine. That said, there are some wine substitutes that are worth trying, but, to avoid disappointment, my advice is to see them as drinks that aren’t wine because, well, they’re simply not.

Has Joe Rogan fully soured on Trump’s presidency?

With a huge audience and serving as an avatar for millions of centrist Americans, Rogan compares ICE raids to Gestapo

Joe Rogan’s comparison of US immigration raids to Gestapo operations, made during a podcast episode earlier this week, has sparked speculation about whether the wildly popular podcaster, who endorsed Donald Trump in 2024, has fully soured on Trump’s presidency – and what that might say of the millions of mainly young men who listen to Rogan’s show.

Rogan’s views, as expressed in the podcast discussion, were more complicated than the Gestapo remark taken alone might make them seem. Yet even his more measured skepticism about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids feels somewhat significant, given Rogan’s cultural status and the evidence that Americans in general are turning against Trump’s hardline anti-immigration efforts.

‘Renee Good, ICE bad’: Minneapolis protests – in photos

The city has become the locus of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown – and citizens who refuse to submit

Grief over pet death can be as strong as that for family member, survey shows

Researcher calls for guidelines for diagnosing prolonged grief disorder to be expanded to cover people who lose pets

Grief over the death of a pet could be as chronic as that for a human family member, research has shown, confirming what many people already know about their bond with their furry friends.

People grieving the loss of a pet can suffer from prolonged grief disorder (PGD), a mental health condition brought about by the death of a loved one, a survey published in the academic journal PLOS One has found.

Greenland’s defence is ‘common concern’ for Nato, Danish PM says as European troops fly in

British troops among those to take part in joint exercises as Trump’s desire to own Greenland still ‘intact’ despite talks

The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, has said Greenland’s defence is a “common concern” for the whole of Nato, as troops started arriving from across Europe as a result of Donald Trump’s threats to take the Arctic island by force.

Troops from France, Germany, the UK, Norway and Sweden, among others, were on their way to Greenland, a largely autonomous territory of the kingdom of Denmark, on Thursday. Denmark also announced it would be increasing its military presence.

Doing dry January? Use languishing bottles of wine to make the ultimate comfort food

Whether you’re abstaining or just cutting back, a glass of red, white or rosé can elevate everything from risottos and stews to pasta and puddings

• Sign up here for our weekly food newsletter, Feast

Hands up, who is dry Januarying? While it’s not something I do explicitly, I do like to cut back a bit at the beginning of the year. The marathon that is Christmas socialising can be fun but relentless, and I imagine there are many others in the same boat. When it comes to wine, at least, the problem with cutting back is what to do with the rest of the bottle. Sure, I’ll have a glass or two if I fancy it one evening, but it’s pretty much a wasted bottle if you don’t finish the rest within a few days. Fear not – I have a plethora of recipes that will ensure you never need to waste a drop – enjoy a glass or two, then use the rest in the dish of your choice. Winner, winner, chicken Marbella dinner (one of my all-time effortless favourites – scroll the link for the recipe).

There are lots of excellent suggestions in this wonderful feature on how to incorporate wine into everything from pasta to pudding. In particular, the braised short ribs from James Ramsden immediately caught my attention, as this is precisely the kind of food I want to be making and eating right now. Preferably with a pan of oozy, buttery polenta on the side. Another dish that is ticking all the cold, winter boxes is Tom Hunt’s meat stew, an all-round great braising method. If you are more of a white wine drinker, then Italian classic chicken cacciatore is equally comforting and would also be perfect with creamy polenta or mash. And let’s not forget about rosé – whoever says you can only drink it in the summer has clearly not read Fiona Beckett’s strong case for this delicate pink drink being enjoyed year-round. While the recipe for these prawns with garlic and chilli calls for white wine, I am confident you could happily switch for rosé.

FBI searches WaPo reporter's home. And, Trump restores $2B to public health funds

The FBI searches the home of a Washington Post reporter as part of a leak investigation. And, the Trump administration restores $2B for mental health and addiction programs.

Here in Greenland we are scared, but certain of one thing: our home is not for sale | Malu Rosing

A summit between Greenland, Denmark and Washington has done nothing to calm our fears as the US steps up its efforts to take control of my country

The year has started out in familiar fashion for Kalaallit – the people of Greenland. The US president has once again threatened to take control of the world’s biggest island, just like he did back in 2019 and in 2024/25. Yet it feels different this time.

This time it seems as if there are more concrete plans being shaped within the Trump administration to annex Greenland. Trump wants to “take” it “whether they like it or not”, as he stated at a recent White House press conference. And the only option he seems to be offering currently is to do it “either the nice way or the more difficult way” – whatever that means. These are obviously plans for the forceful theft of Indigenous land and a self-governing territory; they are loud threats against our democracy – threats that are coming directly from the US president, again and again, through the media. That is scary. And the Greenlandic people do not feel safe.

Malu Rosing is a Greenlandic writer and an Arctic adviser

Greenland: new shipping routes, hidden minerals – and a frontline between the US and Russia?

Key maps show the growing strategic importance of Greenland as Arctic ice melts under global heating

Lying between the US and Russia, Greenland has become a critical frontline as the Arctic opens up because of global heating.

Its importance has been underscored by Donald Trump openly considering the US taking the island from its Nato partner Denmark, either by buying it, or by force.

ChatGPT served as "suicide coach" in man's death, lawsuit alleges

Mother of Colorado man who committed suicide in 2025 alleges that OpenAI's AI chatbot told him death was a "beautiful place."

‘A group of people decided to kill me’: Michel Platini on Fifa, Uefa and the fight to clear his name

Former Uefa president – caught between moving on and settling scores – talks candidly about his downfall, Infantino and the snakepit of the game’s governance

“There are millions and millions of romantics in football,” Michel Platini says. He has been asked whether, after a decade frozen out of the game, its lustre has vanished for him. “Millions who share the ideas that I have. But in the end, it’s big business.”

It is an industry whose peaks Platini scaled before, in one of football’s biggest falls from grace, it spat him out. He maintains he would have become Fifa president if he had not been banned from football over an alleged unlawful payment made to him in 2011, when he was running Uefa, by Sepp Blatter. The scandal led to a criminal case but both men were acquitted for a second time, definitively so, by a Swiss appeals court last year. Nothing hangs over Platini any more, bar a conviction that he was cheated.

How a billionaire with interests in Greenland encouraged Trump to acquire the territory

US president’s friend Ronald Lauder – who first proposed Arctic expansion – is now making deals in the island

One day during his first term, Donald Trump summoned a top aide to discuss a new idea. “Trump called me down to the Oval Office,” John Bolton, national security adviser in 2018, told the Guardian. “He said a prominent businessman had just suggested the US buy Greenland.”

It was an extraordinary proposal. And it originated from a longtime friend of the president who would go on to acquire business interests in the Danish territory.

Grok scandal highlights how AI industry is ‘too unconstrained’, tech pioneer says

‘Godfather of AI’ Yoshua Bengio says firms building powerful systems without appropriate guardrails

• Musk’s X to block Grok AI from creating sexualised images of real people

The scandal over the flood of intimate images on Elon Musk’s X created non-consensually by its Grok AI tool has underlined how the artificial intelligence industry is “too unconstrained”, according to a pioneer of the technology.

Yoshua Bengio, a computer scientist described as one of the modern “godfathers of AI”, said tech companies were building systems without appropriate technical and societal guardrails.

Astronauts back on Earth after medical issue cut mission short

Four space station Crew 11 fliers splashed down off the Southern California coast at 3:41 a.m. ET, closing out a 167-day stay in space cut short by a medical issue.

British diplomat expelled from Russia after ‘baseless’ accusation of being a spy

Moscow’s allegation that unnamed diplomat is affiliated with UK secret service comes ‘out of desperation’, Foreign Office says

A British diplomat has been expelled from Russia over what the UK Foreign Office described as “malicious and baseless accusations” of being a spy.

The diplomat, who was not named, had two weeks to leave the country, the Russian foreign ministry said after it received information “regarding the affiliation of a diplomatic employee at the embassy with the British secret service”.

Brave Köln push Bayern but will it be enough to bring calm to Effzeh? | Andy Brassell

Amid grumbles, a winless run and negative banners, there are signs of life for Köln despite a 3-1 loss to the champions

We didn’t see this coming, and not only because of the fog of pyro lingering over the RheinEnergieSTADION field that furnished us with 11 minutes of first-half stoppage time. In October’s equivalent fixture in the DFB Pokal, Köln had really rattled Bayern Munich in the first half and even taken the lead through Ragnar Ache – and still ended up on the wrong end of a 4-1 scoreline.

The world around Geißbockheim has not been a particularly happy place since. Effzeh came into this Englische Woche on a run of seven games without a win, which was even harder to swallow after an extremely promising start. Worse still, head coach Lukas Kwasniok – who started this season embracing the city and the club’s spirit with his wearing of replica shirts on the touchline – was recently targeted by Köln fans in Saturday’s draw at Heidenheim, with a banner reading “Kwasni Yok” (“yok” being no in Turkish), credited to the Wilde Horde ultras group.

ISS astronauts return to Earth in Nasa’s first ever medical evacuation

Four astronauts emerge from capsule after Pacific landing, including crew member in ‘stable’ condition

Four astronauts from the International Space Station have returned to Earth a month earlier than planned after one developed a serious medical condition onboard the orbiting outpost.

Nasa confirmed that the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying the US astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, the Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and the Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov splashed down off the coast of San Diego at 12.41am local time (8.41am UK time).

‘​How do you really tell the truth about this moment?’: George Saunders on ghosts, mortality and Trump’s America

The Lincoln in the Bardo author is back with another metaphysical tale. He discusses Buddhism, partisan politics and the terrifying flight that changed his life

Like his first novel, Lincoln in the Bardo, which won the Booker prize in 2017, George Saunders’s new novel is a ghost story. In Vigil, an oil tycoon who spent a lifetime covering up the scientific evidence for climate change is visited on his deathbed by a host of spirits, who force him to grapple with his legacy. What draws Saunders to ghost stories? “If I had us talking here in a story and I allowed a ghost in from the 1940s, I might be more interested in it. It might be because they are in fact here,” he says, gesturing to the hotel lobby around us. “Or even if it’s not ghosts, we both have memories of people we love who have passed. They are here, in a neurologically very active way.” A ghost story can feel more “truthful”, he adds: “If you were really trying to tell the truth about this moment, would you so confidently narrow it to just today?”

Ghosts also invite us to confront our mortality and, in so doing, force a new perspective on life: what remains once you strip away the meaningless, day-to-day distractions in which we tend to lose ourselves? “Death, to me, has always been a hot topic,” Saunders says. “It’s so unbelievable that it will happen to us, too. And I suppose as you get older it becomes more …” he puts on a goofy voice: “interesting”. He is 67, grizzled and avuncular, surprisingly softly spoken for a writer who talks so loudly – and with such freewheeling, wisecracking energy – on the page. He says death is close to becoming a “preoccupation” for him and he worries that he is not prepared for it.

The pub that changed me: ‘We would flirt and mingle with the wild children of the wealthy’

To me and my friends from a Battersea council estate, the Dome seemed the very height of Thatcherite hedonism – and seeing ‘successful’ people up close was an eye-opener

In the mid-1980s, as a Black kid from a Battersea council estate, pubs were not part of my life. To my mind, they were where white blokes got lagered-up before rolling out on to the streets to abuse people who looked like me. None of my mates were big drinkers; we were much more interested in music (rare groove and hip-hop) and trying to meet girls. Rooms full of aggressive-looking men held no attraction for any of us.

After all these years, I still hate wearing specs | Adrian Chiles

When I was a boy, glasses were a source of shame that ruined my self-esteem. Now that contact lenses have failed me too, all that’s left is to embrace the blurriness

I hate my glasses. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Not just these I’m wearing now, but whichever spectacles I’ve been cursed to wear since, to my horror, I was first told to at the age of 14. At that point, my hatred of them was general, unspecific. They were a source of shame as well as inconvenience. The football field was a blur. Girls, who admittedly had never been much attracted to me in the first place, now lost interest completely.

I developed more specific dislikes, for example the way they steamed up (the glasses, not the girls) when I walked into pubs in winter, still further diminishing my chances of getting served underage. They were always getting bent out of shape, and this bugged me tremendously. The left side was higher than the right, or the right higher than the left, and I could never figure out why this was. I pulled and bent and stretched them this way and that, and only ever made matters worse. Were the arms not straight? Or was the problem the ear thingies? Don’t start me on the nose thingies, which have never, for me anyway, successfully discharged their primary task of stopping the bastards from slipping down my nose.

European troops arrive in Greenland to boost the Arctic island's security

Troops from several European countries, including France, Germany, Norway and Sweden, are arriving in Greenland after talks between Denmark, Greenland and the U.S. on Wednesday highlighted disagreement.

Commodore 64 Ultimate review – it’s like 1982 all over again!

Showing the value of great design over visual impact, this faithfully resurrected home computer seamlessly integrates modern tech with some wonderful additional touches

The emotional hit was something I didn’t expect, although perhaps I should have. The Commodore 64 Ultimate, a new version of the legendary 8-bit computer, comes in a box designed to resemble the original packaging – a photo of the machine itself on a background of deep blue fading into a series of white stripes. Then when you open it, you find an uncannily accurate replica of what fans lovingly referred to as the breadbox – the chunky, sloped Commodore 64, in hues of brown and beige, the red LED in one corner above the row of fawn-coloured function keys. It’s like 1982 all over again.

My dad bought us a C64 in late 1983. It was our second computer after the ZX81 and it felt like an enormous leap into the future with its detailed colour graphics, advanced sound chip and proper grown-up keyboard. We unpacked it on our dinner table, plugging it into a small portable TV and loading the one game we had, a very basic Donkey Kong clone named Crazy Kong. My life would never be the same again. This contraption was my obsession for the next four years – my friendships and free-time would revolve around games such as Bruce Lee, Paradroid and Hyper Sports. To this day, I treasure the memories of playing golf sim Leaderboard with my dad. The sound effects, speech samples and graphics conjured by that computer have lived rent free in my head for, god, almost 40 years.

Stirring the Melting Pot: capturing the New York immigrant experience – in pictures

A new exhibition at the New York Historical museum looks at the immigrant experience in New York City through a range of revealing and diverse viewpoints, with more than 100 photographs and objects showing how the city has been shaped by people from across the globe. The exhibition runs to 29 March