Denmark lauds constructive talks with U.S. over Greenland: ‘Now we are back on track’

It comes shortly after Trump announced a framework deal regarding the Arctic island and backed away from imposing tariffs on several European countries.

Pegula v Rybakina, Sabalenka eases past Svitolina: Australian Open 2026 semi-finals – live

Aryna Sabalenka (1) beats Elina Svitolina (12) 6-2, 6-3
Swiatek backs Gauff over privacy concerns | Mail Daniel

Sabalenka to serve, ready … play.

You can’t argue with Svitolina’s run to the last four. She’s beaten Shnaider, Andreeva and Gauff – who, admittedly, had her absolute worst day – without losing a set, won in Auckland before that, and won’t ever have felt better about her game. I’m excited to see what her plan is, because we can be sure she’ll have one.

Xi-Starmer meeting: Chinese leader tells PM he hopes both countries can ‘rise above differences’

At Beijing talks, British prime minister Keir Starmer tells Xi he wants a ‘more sophisticated’ relationship with China

• Starmer-Xi meeting – live updates

The Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, has said the UK’s relationship with his country had gone through “twists and turns” over the years but that a more “consistent” approach was in both their interests.

Ahead of talks with Keir Starmer during the first visit to China by a British prime minister in eight years, Xi said the two men would “stand the test of history” if they could “rise above differences”.

Ocado says Canadian partner closing robotic warehouse in latest setback

Shares in Ocado fall almost 10% after revealing Sobeys will close Calgary site that uses UK group’s delivery technology

• Business live – latest updates

Ocado has revealed its Canadian partner is closing a warehouse that uses its robots and automation technology in another blow to the UK online delivery group’s business model.

Shares in Ocado dived almost 10% on Thursday after it announced that Sobeys would be shutting the Calgary facility, saying it was “largely due to the Alberta grocery e-commerce market’s size and the rate of expansion being slower than originally anticipated”.

Burnham claims Labour figures ‘lied’ about him to media after he was blocked as byelection candidate – UK politics live

Burnham said that he accepted the party’s decision but the incident had exposed a ‘lying’ culture

For more context on today’s Starmer-Xi meeting, China is the world’s second-biggest economy and Britain’s third-largest trading partner – to which it exports £45bn of goods and services a year – so it is no surprise the UK has turned to Beijing in its search for economic reliability.

As the Guardian’s political editor Pippa Crerar reported earlier today, the UK does not rank among the top 10 of China’s trading partners but the Beijing leadership has spied a political opportunity to improve links with one of Washington’s closest allies at a time of deep uncertainty in the transatlantic alliance.

Weak dollar drives gold over $5,500 an ounce for first time, amid geopolitical and debasement fears – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, as metal prices continue to soar

The weak dollar has helped to drive the copper price to a record high today too.

The benchmark three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange jumped almost 8% to a new all-time peak of $14,125 a tonne, before slipping back slightly.

Investors are piling into base metals on the Shanghai Futures Exchange on expectations for stronger US growth and more spending on data centers, robotics and power infrastructure. That’s spurring global prices higher.

Inflation is close to the target of 2 percent.

The Swedish economy is growing at a solid pace. The labour market is weak but showing signs of improvement.

Russia ‘trying to bomb and freeze’ Ukrainians to submission, EU’s foreign policy chief warns – Europe live

Kaja Kallas also played down the idea of ‘a European army’ saying that it remained to be a domain for national authorities

The European Union has announced plans to spend €145m on aid for Ukraine “to provide protection assistance, shelter, food, cash assistance, psychosocial support, and access to water and health services” amid worsening humanitarian situation in the country after recent Russian strikes on its energy infrastructure.

The European Commission said:

“After more than a decade of hostilities and almost four years of full-scale war, the people of Ukraine continue to endure immense suffering. Daily civilian casualties, widespread infrastructure destruction, and mass displacement are further exacerbating the massive humanitarian needs.

With Russia’s ongoing attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, millions in the country are exposed to freezing temperatures.”

As the Taliban step up their war on women and girls, it is clear that appeasement has failed | Gordon Brown

Major powers have renewed diplomatic links while others seek deals to deport migrants. And all the while gender repression is getting worse

Afghanistan’s Taliban government has now issued its most extreme edict yet. It is already the only regime in the world where girls are excluded from secondary education. Now it has gone further, debarring all Afghan women from any contact with schools or education and doubling down on what has been rightly condemned as “gender apartheid”.

This latest wave of repression, which is likely to be classified by United Nations legal authorities as a crime against humanity, marks the victory of the extreme Kandahar clerical faction over Kabul-based government ministers. It is also the latest step in the plan of supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada to erase girls and women from public life.

Gordon Brown is the UN’s special envoy for global education and was UK prime minister from 2007 to 2010

Millions creating deepfake nudes on Telegram as AI tools drive global wave of digital abuse

Analysis finds at least 150 channels on messaging app that are distributing AI-generated images and video

Millions of people around the world are creating and sharing deepfake nudes on the secure messaging app Telegram, a Guardian analysis has shown, as the spread of advanced AI tools industrialises the online abuse of women.

The Guardian has identified at least 150 Telegram channels – large encrypted group chats popular for their secure communication – that appear to have users in many countries, from the UK to Brazil, China to Nigeria, Russia to India. Some of them offer “nudified” photos or videos for a fee: users can upload a photo of any woman, and AI will produce a video of that woman performing sexual acts. Many more offer a feed of images – of celebrities, social media influencers and ordinary women – made nude or made to perform sexual acts by AI. Followers are also using the channels to share tips on available deepfake tools.

As Colombia moves to outlaw cockfighting, a bloody night unfolds in Cartagena

Cheers erupt at each killing blow in an arena facing extinction after a landmark court ruling

On the outskirts of Cartagena – far from the brightly coloured facades of the old city and the 500-year-old fortress walls overlooking the Caribbean – a crowd of about 300 people erupted into a roar. Given Colombians’ passion for football, it could have been the celebration of a goal.

But the cheers followed the bloody climax of bout in a cockfighting ring whose white padded walls were now splattered with blood.

Baltimore bridge collapse: crew members from ship still held by US two years on

Despite no criminal charges being brought against them, four officers have been detained since the MV Dali struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge, killing six workers

Several crew members of a ship that collided with a bridge in Baltimore almost two years ago are still being held in the US by federal authorities despite the fact that no criminal charges have been brought against them.

In the early hours of 26 March 2024, the MV Dali departed the port of Baltimore bound for Sri Lanka. While navigating the Fort McHenry channel, the 1,000ft-long Singapore-flagged cargo vessel lost power before striking the bridge. The impact resulted in the deaths of six people who were working on the bridge at the time.

Shut it down! The US is better off with no government than with the one it has | Judith Levine

As senators refuse to fund Trump’s immigration crackdown, a partial shutdown is likely. For Democrats, it’s the right move

Shut it down!

It took not one but two killings of unarmed white American citizens by immigration enforcement agents for the Democrats to commit to withholding funds from the Department of Homeland Security, the agency of which Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the border patrol – the killers – are part.

US leads record global surge in gas-fired power driven by AI demands, with big costs for the climate

Projects this year expected to triple global gas capacity, forecast finds, as concerns grow over impacts on planet

The US is leading a huge global surge in new gas-fired power generation that will cause a major leap in planet-heating emissions, with this record boom driven by the expansion of energy-hungry datacenters to service artificial intelligence, according to a new forecast.

This year is set to shatter the annual record for new gas power additions around the world, with planned and under-construction projects earmarked for 2026 set to nearly triple the amount of existing gas capacity, a report by Global Energy Monitor (GEM) found.

Universal basic income could be used to soften hit from AI job losses in UK, minister says

Lord Stockwood says people in government ‘definitely’ talking about idea as technology disrupts industries

• Business live – latest updates

The UK could introduce a universal basic income (UBI) to protect workers in industries that are being disrupted by AI, the investment minister Jason Stockwood has said.

“Bumpy” changes to society caused by the introduction of the technology would mean there would have to be “some sort of concessionary arrangement with jobs that go immediately”, Lord Stockwood said.

Planes hit by gunfire and blasts heard at airport in Niger capital – reports

Source says two aircraft on ground ‘destroyed’ although authorities yet to comment on situation

Gunfire and loud blasts have been heard at the main airport in the Nigerien capital of Niamey, according to the Reuters news agency and an independent source.

A witness told Reuters they heard explosions just after midnight. The airport is next to Base Aérienne 101, a military base previously used by American and then Russian troops.

Carvana shares fall 14% following short-seller accusations

Carvana shares closed Wednesday at $410.04, down 14.2% following short-seller accusations of the online used retailer overstating earnings.

Senegal and Morocco fined and players banned after African Cup final chaos

Africa's soccer body issued fines worth more than $1 million and banned Senegal's coach and Senegalese and Morocco players Wednesday following a shambolic African Cup soccer final this month.

Dozens confirmed dead as extreme cold continues to grip much of U.S.

The death toll continues to rise from a massive winter storm that left an ongoing spell of freezing weather in its wake.

The ‘Rodman Rule’ threatens to undermine what makes the NWSL great | Jonathan Liew

While the desperation to keep Trinity Rodman is understandable, tweaking the salary cap could be a big mistake

Perhaps it was all worth it in the end. As a tearful Trinity Rodman signs the most lucrative contract in the history of women’s football – flanked by the Washington Spirit owner, Michele Kang, and a young fan called Emma in pink braids – the internet is already burning white hot. The podcasters will feast for days. After months of bungling US soccer finally has its money shot and, in more ways than one, the numbers are going to be stratospheric.

But then Rodman has always been an effortless creator of content: a true footballer for the TikTok generation. From the spectacular strikes to the famous Trin Spin, from the vivid streaks in her hair to the viral goal celebrations, Rodman’s ability to convey the joy of the game in snackable morsels is the root of her appeal. Aged 23 she already has an Olympic gold medal and 49 international caps, to which she can now add a £1.5m-a-year deal and her very own rule.

How to have a guilt-free wardrobe clearout – without sending anything to landfill

Textile bins are overflowing, but donating isn’t always the answer. Experts share the smarter, greener ways to declutter unwanted clothes

• How to look after your knitwear, according to experts

Have you even started the new year if you haven’t thought about having a wardrobe clearout? A recent trip to my local supermarket suggests that residents of my home town have been doing just that in their droves, with textile recycling bins overflowing on to the pavements. And we may think donating our unwanted clothes does us a favour while helping out someone else and potentially the environment, but there’s a chance we could be doing the exact opposite.

“Because our clothing is so overproduced in such large quantities, when you donate to charity, often it’s not getting resold,” says Aja Barber, author of the book Consumed. And she warns that much of our donated clothing won’t end up in the well-intended places we had hoped it would. “[It] will most likely end up in landfill or be exported in the waste colonialism chain, which means our excess volumes end up in countries like Ghana, Kenya and Uganda. It’s a business, but when a lot of the clothing is trash to begin with, sadly it creates a lot of pollution.”

The slopaganda era: 10 AI images posted by the White House - and what they teach us

Under Donald Trump, the White House has filled its social media with memes, wishcasting, nostalgia and deepfakes. Here’s what you need to know to navigate the trolling

It started with an image of Trump as a king mocked up on a fake Time magazine cover. Since then it’s developed into a full-blown phenomenon, one academics are calling “slopaganda” – an unholy alliance of easily available AI tools and political messaging. “Shitposting”, the publishing of deliberately crude, offensive content online to provoke a reaction, has reached the level of “institutional shitposting”, according to Know Your Meme’s editor Don Caldwell. This is trolling as official government communication. And nobody is more skilled at it than the Trump administration – a government that has not only allowed the AI industry all the regulative freedom it desires, but has embraced the technology for its own in-house purposes. Here are 10 of the most significant fake images the White House has put out so far.

Trump has sued universities for billions. Here's what the strategy tells us

Each deal between colleges and the administration is unique, but they have common goals: altering the culture at powerful institutions and making their policies more aligned with President Trump's.

Big budget Melania Trump documentary premieres with splashy rollout

A film about first lady Melania Trump premieres this week, with big presidential promotion.

Wolves braced for £50m Jørgen Strand Larsen bid from Crystal Palace

• Palace in advanced discussions to sign striker

• James Ward-Prowse seals loan move to Burnley

Wolves are braced for a bid totalling £50m for Jørgen Strand Larsen from Crystal Palace. The Norway striker is expected to exit in this window, and Palace are in advanced discussions to sign him.

The agent Jorge Mendes is leading negotiations on behalf of Wolves, with an initial £45m, plus £5m in add-ons, mooted. It remains to be seen whether rivals would move to match or exceed that offer; Leeds are viewed as the most serious competition but Palace are in pole position.

Car rams into Chabad headquarters in New York City, damaging doors

A man was arrested after repeatedly crashing his car into the Chabad Lubavitch world headquarters in New York City on Wednesday night while people were gathered for prayer.

Starmer and Xi call for deeper UK-China ties as Trump shakes up global relations

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing called for a "comprehensive strategic partnership" to deepen ties amid global uncertainty.

Taliban birth control ban: women ‘broken’ by lethal pregnancies and untreated miscarriages

Women across Afghanistan describe the traumatic impact of disappearing clinics and contraception

Parwana* no longer recognises her own children. Once known for her beauty in her village in Kandahar province, the 36-year-old sits on the floor of her mother’s home, rocking silently. After nine pregnancies and six miscarriages, many under pressure from her husband and in-laws, Parwana has slipped into a permanent state of confusion.

“She is lost,” says her mother, Sharifa. “They broke her with fear, pregnancies and violence.”

Wigan lottery winner, 80, helped build counterfeit drugs empire, court told

John Eric Spiby is one of four jailed for being part of gang running operation worth up to £288m

A man who won £2.4m on the national lottery helped build a multimillion pound drug empire that involved manufacturing counterfeit tablets on an industrial scale, a court has heard.

John Eric Spiby, 80, was the leader of a drugs operation worth up to £288m that centred on his “quiet, rural” home near Wigan, Bolton crown court was told.

Bridgerton season four review – fear not nudity fans, the sex scenes continue apace

This period drama’s puddingy mix of clunking soap and fairytale wish-fulfilment is hard to resist. It is, however, utterly bananas

‘I am charting a more venturesome course outside this society and in doing so I am being true to myself!” snorts Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson), flaring his philandering nostrils as Lady Violet (Ruth Gemmell) looks on aghast. “But you still have two sisters who must marry and their fate depends on the family reputation,” she snaps, bustle crackling with maternal indignation. “This requires you to be a gentleman and not … a rake!”

At this point, when faced with such period-specific umbrage, it is customary for the casual viewer to insert her monocle and refer to her dog-eared copy of The Crashingly Inevitable Downton Abbey Comparisons Companion. And in many ways Bridgerton, bless its ridiculous socks, continues to invite such comparisons with open arms. There are costumes. There is a house. There are scones (pronounced “scones”, of course, not – heaven forfend – “scones”) and scrunch-faced toffs clearing their throats at news from the shires. There are scullery maids a-titterin’ an’ a-gossipin’ and footmen with calves like bowling balls plotting to relieve dignitaries of their britches. There is a string-heavy score that becomes aroused at times of narrative tension and actively tumescent at the sight of a poorly secured cravat.

You be the judge: should my husband stop expecting me to come to all his family gatherings?

Edwin wants Chloe to join him at all of his large family’s events, but she values her independence. You decide who is playing happy families
• Find out how to get a disagreement settled or become a juror

It’s thoughtless to wheel me out to his family as a formality. I need my own space sometimes

Jonathan Trott: ‘I’d love to coach England one day. Definitely’

The Afghanistan coach discusses the Ashes, T20 World Cup and annoying pundits who snipe from the sidelines

Think back to that team and Jonathan Trott was always the relatable one. Get past the gnarly ones, the Type A personalities and the one-offs, and you’d arrive at him, the everyman stumbling in a little late, sporting a dual passport and a receding hairline, who became an integral part of an almost-conquering Test side and briefly one of the best players in the world, before the team, and the man, fell apart.

For four blissful years Trott was there for all the big moments. The dreamlike debut at The Oval in 2009, only the seventh English batter to make an Ashes ton on debut, sealing a 2-1 win. The overseas wins in Australia and India. The ascension to No 1 team in the world. It couldn’t last and it didn’t. But what a ride.

The post-US world is already taking shape – look at the massive EU-India trade deal | Ravinder Kaur

The ‘mother of all deals’ is as much about the tariff-heavy geopolitics of the Trump era as it is about bilateral trade

The year was 2007. Steve Jobs had announced the launch of the first iPhone, the sub-prime mortgage crisis was bubbling up in the US, the EU had enlarged to include Romania and Bulgaria, and India had for the first time become a trillion-dollar economy. This was when trade talks between Delhi and Brussels were initiated for the first time. But it wouldn’t be until this very week, almost 20 years later, that a deal was signed after a few final months of unusually accelerated negotiations.

On Tuesday, the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Council António Costa and India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, announced the “mother of all deals”, which promises to bring together about 2 billion consumers and a quarter of the world’s GDP. The agreement opens parts of India’s famously protectionist domestic market with a focus on exporting manufacturing and services; in return, middle-class Indian consumers will find it cheaper to buy European cars and wine. The overarching EU-India comprehensive strategic agenda is really much larger in scope, taking in defence and security, commitments to multilateralism, mobility and cooperation in a range of areas.

Ravinder Kaur is professor of Asian studies at the University of Copenhagen and is writing a book about the history of the global south

1/28: CBS Evening News

Mississippi teacher among thousands facing freezing temperatures without power; Former Patriots coach Bill Belichick rejected as first-ballot Hall of Famer

Boxing star Gervonta Davis arrested on kidnapping charges after two-week manhunt

• Davis arrested after US Marshals surveillance operation

• Warrant alleges battery, false imprisonment, kidnapping

• Arrest follows lawsuit and cancelled Jake Paul bout

Gervonta Davis, a three-division world champion and one of boxing’s biggest stars, was taken into custody in Miami on Wednesday, nearly two weeks after police issued an arrest warrant accusing the fighter of battery, false imprisonment and attempted kidnapping in connection with an alleged domestic violence incident last fall.

Miami Gardens police said Davis was apprehended following a multi-day surveillance operation conducted across three counties in coordination with the US Marshals Fugitive Task Force. Authorities said he was arrested without incident in Miami’s Design District and booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center late Wednesday night.

Gov. Walz calls out Trump's attacks on Rep. Ilhan Omar as ongoing ICE operations provoke fear

The situation on the ground in Minneapolis remains volatile after an attack on Rep. Ilhan Omar. Matt Gutman has the latest.

‘Of course I’m scared’: people confront their final days – in pictures

Sibylle Fendt’s intimate photographs of terminally ill patients and their carers were inspired by the death of her own husband – a period in which she experienced pain, tenderness and love

US robotaxis undergo training for London’s quirks before planned rollout this year

Waymo cars have been earning their stripes by getting used to zebra crossings while awaiting a government green light

American robotaxis due to be unleashed on London’s streets before the end of the year have been quietly undergoing training to understand the city’s quirks, not least the zebra crossings, their promoters said on Thursday as they showed off one of the UK-specific driverless cars for the first time.

The US self-driving ride-hailing company Waymo has a fleet of about 24 cars in London, each rigged with cameras, radar and lidar (light detection and ranging) sensors.

Is This Thing On? review – funny is as funny does in Bradley Cooper’s John Bishop-inspired tale

Cooper directs Will Arnett in this likable, semi-believable story about a man heading for a divorce who discovers a cathartic outlet in comedy

Comic actor Will Arnett finally gets a straight dramatic role and he’s playing … a comedian. Well, a would-be comedian. But he’s not an outrageously awful or failing one; the point of this film is not the delicious ironic cringe of delusional loserdom, as it is with Arnett’s small-screen roles such as the hopeless magician Gob Bluth in Arrested Development, or the washed-up equine star in the animation BoJack Horseman, or even his scheming figure skater Stranz Van Waldenberg in the movie Blades of Glory.

Arnett plays Alex, a regular guy with a regular job, married with two young kids but unhappily heading for divorce. He discovers standup comedy by performing in an open mic slot one night on a weed-fuelled whim, and finds that audiences love his unfunny but sweetly honest confessional ramblings. And then he kind of improves – but are we supposed to think by the end that he is, in fact, genuinely funny? It’s not entirely clear. And the film, though likable and spirited and nicely acted, isn’t completely convincing on its own terms. It is, after all, intended to be funny on its own account.

Thursday news quiz: torchbearers, traitors and troublemakers

Test yourself on topical news trivia, pop culture and general knowledge every Thursday. How will you fare?

Thanks to Anaïs Mims’s whimsical illustrations, this week’s quiz invites you to consider an important question: are you the moustache of misplaced confidence, or the question mark of honest uncertainty? Fifteen questions on the week’s headlines, pop culture and general knowledge await. There are no prizes, but we enjoy hearing how you got on in the comments. Allons-y!

The Thursday news quiz, No 232

Veteran Indian politician Ajit Pawar dies in plane crash, leaving power vacuum

Three days of mourning were declared in the Indian state of Maharashtra after the death of the state’s deputy chief minister

Three days of mourning have been declared in the Indian state of Maharashtra after the death of the state’s deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, who was killed when his plane went down in flames on Wednesday.

Pawar, who had spent decades in politics in the wealthy and powerful Indian state, was travelling back to campaign in his home constituency when his plane made a failed attempted landing and caught fire as it hit the ground.

The Minneapolis revolt tells us this: even in Trump’s America, the people have power too | Aditya Chakrabortty

After months of community resistance, the president backed down. Leadership from below succeeded when politics as usual failed

For most politicians and journalists, the answer to nearly every question is to look up. Not at the moon, the stars or even the chimney tops, but at their leaders: the people who sit atop institutions, wield power and set the line that others follow. The top of the totem pole is the sole focal point, and the stories that count usually come from the heights of power.

Bend your neck back far enough and Davos becomes not a talking shop in a Swiss ski resort, but a gathering of world leaders; Keir Starmer flying into Beijing is a summit of great powers; even who should be the MP for Gorton and Denton is really all about the Labour leadership. For this piece, the Guardian’s research librarians counted how many times the words “leader” or “leadership” appeared across the British press. Over the past week alone, the rough total stands at 2,000. A third of those stories concern one man: Donald Trump.

Aditya Chakrabortty is a Guardian columnist

Does Antarctica really have the bluest sky in the world?

Light scattering creates the shade we see when we look skyward, and studies show the process varies around the world

On holiday the sky may look a deeper shade of blue than even the clearest summer day at home. Some places, including Cape Town in South Africa and Briançon in France, pride themselves on the blueness of their skies. But is there really any difference?

The blue of the sky is the product of Rayleigh scattering, which affects light more at the blue end of the spectrum. The blue we see is just the blue component of scattered white sunlight.

‘This can’t be left to individual families’: how social media ban could affect under-16s

Parents, teachers and young people share their views on whether social media restrictions would work in the UK

Pressure is mounting on the UK government to introduce a ban on social media for under-16s, after a decisive vote in House of Lords in favour of Australian-style restrictions.

Peers backed a Tory-led amendment to the children’s wellbeing and schools bill by 261 votes to 150, despite the government opposing the move. Ministers are already considering a ban as part of a consultation due to report by the summer and so the Lords amendment is unlikely to pass in the Commons. Starmer is also understood to want to wait until evidence from Australia’s ban, which came into force in December, has been assessed, though the Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, has urged him to “just get on with it”.

Rachel Roddy’s puntarelle, radicchio, celery, apple and cheese salad recipe

This crisp and punchy salad is a tribute to the late veg specialist Charlie Hicks and a shared love of the versatile Italian chicory puntarelle

Like many, I remember Charlie Hicks from Veg Talk, a weekly show that ran on Radio 4 from 1998-2005. The show, according to Sheila Dillon, came into being after her interview with Charlie, a fourth-generation fruit and veg supplier at Covent Garden market, for an episode of The Food Programme exploring where chefs bought their produce. Sitting at the kitchen table with her husband the following evening, Sheila recounted her day and Charlie’s enormous knowledge, enthusiasm and ability to communicate both. A few days after that, a similar conversation took place with her colleagues at Radio 4, which resulted in Veg Talk – what’s in and what’s out in the world of fresh produce. As well as Charlie’s market report, each episode included a feature called “vegetable of the week” and the participation of studio guests – Angela Hartnett, Alastair Little, Rose Gray, Darina Allen and Mitch Tonks, to name just a few – and took calls from listeners.

The show had its critics – in a 2005 interview with the Independent, broadcaster Andy Kershaw is quoted as saying, “This show should have been strangled at birth” – but it also had legions of fans (myself included), who tuned in mostly for Charlie’s expertise accumulated over a lifetime of working the markets, cooking with his wife, Anna, talking to growers and reading, so it was both practical and scholarly. Add to this his sharp humour, easy bantering relationships and warm voice.

Videos show altercation between Alex Pretti and federal officers 11 days before he was killed

Three newly discovered videos show the Minneapolis ICU nurse being tackled by federal agents in a prior confrontation

• Senate Democrats demand DHS funding bill include reforms to ‘rein in ICE’

Videos emerged on Wednesday of a previous confrontation between Alex Pretti and federal agents, 11 days before the ICU nurse was fatally shot by federal officers in Minneapolis.

About two minutes of video, published on Wednesday by The News Movement, a digital news outlet, shows an incident on 13 January in Minneapolis in which officers appeared to grab Pretti and bring him to the ground during intense community protests against the federal crackdown in the city.

How the Minneapolis killings look from Trump country

The shooting of Alex Pretti and Renee Macklin Good by federal agents in Minneapolis have enraged many people across the country. NPR wanted to know what supporters of President Trump's immigration policy think about the shootings.

U.S. life expectancy hits a new high, as deaths from overdoses and COVID fall

An American born in 2024 can expect to live to be 79, on average. But people in other wealthy countries can expect to live longer.

The rise of Fafo parenting: is this the end of gentle child rearing?

Mothers on social media are advocating a tough, no-nonsense approach to parenting. Does this teach children important lessons – or just make them feel isolated and ashamed?

A couple of weeks ago, a video posted on TikTok by Paige Carter, a mother in Florida, went viral. Carter explained that she had thrown her daughter’s iPad out of the window when she had been misbehaving on the way to school, and she films herself retrieving the tablet, now with a cracked screen. The video has been watched 4.9m times, and Carter was congratulated in the comments, with one person writing “Learning Fafo at an early age: top tier parenting.” Welcome to the parenting trend that doesn’t seem to be disappearing: “Fuck around and find out.”

In another video, when a small child announces he is going to leave home, his mother says “see ya”, shuts the front door behind him, and turns off the outside light – then opens the door to him screaming and pounding to be let back in (it has been liked 1.5m times). He had learned, said his mother, “the meaning of Fafo”.

Child-free spaces on trains? This isn’t the family-friendly France I know | Helen Massy-Beresford

Manners and respect are the norm for kids here. Treating them like a nuisance won’t do anything to help France’s declining birthrate

In French culture, seven is known as “l’âge de raison”, the age at which children know right from wrong and can take some moral responsibility. France’s national rail operator, it seems, puts the age at which a child can be trusted to behave in a non-annoying way onboard a train a bit higher.

In launching its new Optimum plus tariff earlier this month, offering spaces onboard its weekday TGV trains between Paris and Lyon with bigger, more comfortable seats, fancy food and no under-12s, SNCF was trying to appeal to the many business travellers who make that journey. But the move has sparked a backlash and a philosophical debate about the place of children in society, against the backdrop of a worrying decline in French birthrates. “We can’t on one hand say that we are not having enough children and on the other hand try to exclude them from everywhere,” argues Sarah El Haïry, France’s high commissioner for childhood.

Helen Massy-Beresford is a British journalist and editor who lives in Paris

What technology takes from us – and how to take it back | Rebecca Solnit

Decisions outsourced, chatbots for friends, the natural world an afterthought: Silicon Valley is giving us life void of connection. There is a way out – but it’s going to take collective effort

Summer after summer, I used to descend into a creek that had carved a deep bed shaded by trees and lined with blackberry bushes whose long thorny canes arced down from the banks, dripping with sprays of fruit. Down in that creek, I’d spend hours picking until I had a few gallons of berries, until my hands and wrists were covered in scratches from the thorns and stained purple from the juice, until the tranquillity of that place had soaked into me.

Iran accused of ‘campaign of revenge’ as doctors arrested for treating protesters

US state department calls for the release of all detained healthcare workers as at least one arrested surgeon reported to be at risk of execution

Doctors are being arrested in Iran for helping save the lives of some of the tens of thousands injured during Iran’s brutal crackdown on anti-regime protests, with at least one surgeon now at risk of being sentenced to death.

The arrests and death sentence are part of a campaign of “revenge”, say human rights groups, after healthcare workers and doctors refused to ignore the plight of badly injured protesters shot or stabbed at close range, and in some cases set up makeshift treatment centres.

A potentially habitable new planet has been discovered 146 light-years away – but it may be -70C

The Earth-size planet HD 137010 b has a ‘50% chance of residing in the habitable zone’ of its sun-like star, scientists say

Astronomers have discovered a potentially habitable new planet about 146 light-years away which is Earth-sized and has conditions similar to Mars.

The candidate planet, named HD 137010 b, orbits a sun-like star and is estimated to be 6% larger than Earth.

Photographic memories of love and grief

After photographer Anjali Pinto lost her husband, Jacob Johnson (also a photographer) just 16 months after getting married, she turned to Instagram, posting images of him, and of them - each an insight into her daily grief. Her Instagram following grew to more than 51,000, many of whom were inspired to write their own stories of love and loss. Correspondent Michelle Miller talked with Pinto at an exhibition of photographs by her and Jacob, and talked about the power of images to bring strangers together.

Read the full transcript of Kelly O'Grady's interview with Scott Bessent

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent addressed the ongoing investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and the White House's new $1,000 "Trump Accounts" in an interview with Kelly O'Grady. Read the full transcript of their conversation.

1/24: CBS Weekend News

U.S. citizen shot, killed by federal agents in Minneapolis for second time this month; A giant Kermit the Frog gets a new home in Atlanta

Video shows Alex Pretti in scuffle with agents 11 days before his death

A newly released video shows Alex Pretti confronting federal officers on a Minneapolis street 11 days before he was fatally shot in another encounter with CBP agents, a Pretti family representative confirmed to CBS News.

Meta's Mark Zuckerberg gets green light from Wall Street to keep pouring money into AI

Meta's stock pop following the company's latest earnings beat is a sign that investors are OK with hefty AI spending as long as the core business stays strong.

Meta shares jump 10% on stronger-than-expected revenue forecast

Meta reported fourth-quarter earnings on Wednesday that topped estimates and issued stronger-than-expected sales guidance.

Chinese man who filmed evidence of Xinjiang rights abuses is granted asylum in US

Lawyer for Guan Heng, whose exposed evidence of persecution of Uyghurs, says he is ‘textbook example of why asylum should exist’

A US immigration judge has granted asylum to a Chinese national who he said had a “well founded fear” of persecution if sent back to China after exposing alleged human rights abuses against Uyghurs there.

Guan Heng applied for asylum after arriving in the US illegally in 2021. He has been in custody since being swept up in an immigration enforcement operation in August last year as part of a mass deportation campaign by the Trump administration.

Texas man becomes first person executed in U.S. in 2026

A Texas man became the first person executed in the U.S. this year. The man killed his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend. At one point, he escaped prison for three days.

Government shutdown: Republicans consider escape hatch as Congress careens toward deadline

Much of the U.S. government is poised to shut down early Saturday morning unless Congress approves spending measures.

Meta’s Reality Labs posts $6.02 billion loss in fourth quarter

Meta’s Reality Labs posts $6.02 billion loss in fourth quarter.

I’m a tech-savvy zillennial who knows how to safeguard against hacking. Scammers still managed to get me | Caitlin Cassidy

Had I received any suspicious text messages claiming to be from my bank, the fraud team asked. Had I clicked on the links? My stomach dropped

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The scariest part about getting scammed was not realising it was happening in the first place.

Perhaps naively, I never thought I would be the victim of a cyber scam. I’m reasonably digitally literate and have had it drilled into me to be wary of phishing emails and strange text messages. I’ve even received training at my workplace on how to safeguard yourself against hacking.

Man sprays Rep. Ilhan Omar with unknown substance at town hall

Rep. Ilhan Omar was calling for the abolishment of ICE and for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign when a man sitting in the front row rushed up and sprayed her. He was arrested and Omar was not injured, police said.

Former Patriots coach Bill Belichick rejected as first-ballot Hall of Famer

Legendary former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick will not be a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer after he fell short of the 40 votes needed for induction, sources told CBS Sports.

South Carolina measles outbreak explodes to nearly 800 cases

Nearly 800 confirmed cases have made South Carolina the latest epicenter for measles. Dr. Jon LaPook has more.

Mississippi teacher among thousands facing freezing temperatures without power

Officials are still working to restore power for thousands of people amid a dangerous cold plunge. Meanwhile, ice is creating problems for waterways in New York City. Kati Weiss and Tom Hanson have more.

South Korea’s ‘world-first’ AI laws face pushback amid bid to become leading tech power

The laws have been criticised by tech startups, which say they go too far, and civil society groups, which say they don’t go far enough

South Korea has embarked on a foray into the regulation of AI, launching what has been billed as the most comprehensive set of laws anywhere in the world, that could prove a model for other countries, but the new legislation has already encountered pushback.

The laws, which will force companies to label AI-generated content, have been criticised by local tech startups, which say they go too far, and civil society groups, which say they don’t go far enough.

Add invisible digital watermarks for clearly artificial outputs such as cartoons or artwork. For realistic deepfakes, visible labels are required.

“High-impact AI”, including systems used for medical diagnosis, hiring and loan approvals, will require operators to conduct risk assessments and document how decisions are made. If a human makes the final decision the system may fall outside the category.

Extremely powerful AI models will require safety reports, but the threshold is set so high that government officials acknowledge no models worldwide currently meet it.

Meta wows Wall Street despite spending billions on AI and facing social media addiction trial

Firm’s fourth-quarter 2025 beat expectations as it lavishes investment on AI infrastructure and CEO faces questioning

As Meta spends billions on artificial intelligence data centers and its CEO prepares to testify in a landmark social media trial, the company is earning a pretty penny.

Meta reported strong financial results on Wednesday, beating Wall Street expectations of $58.59bn with $59.89bn in revenue for the fourth quarter of 2025. It reported earnings per share (EPS) of $8.88 – which also surpassed Wall Street expectations of $8.23 in EPS. Meta’s stocks jumped nearly 10% in after-hours trading after the release.

Tesla profits slumped 46% last year, as it lost its crown as the top EV seller

The company announced it was ending production of its higher-end Model S and Model Y, and turning that production space over to making humanoid robots.

Microsoft stock drops 7% on slowing cloud growth, light margin guidance

Microsoft’s finances look more favorable after OpenAI completed a restructuring. But computing capacity and talent are cutting into Microsoft's margin.

Fed holds key interest rate steady as economic view improves

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday released its decision on interest rates.

Bessent touts Trump Accounts as rainy day fund, slams critics as "out of touch"

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized the benefits of Trump Accounts and addressed affordability concerns in an interview with CBS News.

‘A great marker’: Rosenior lauds young Chelsea side for comeback win at Napoli

• Chelsea get first Champions League away win since 2022

• Head coach praises Cole Palmer for ‘magnificent’ showing

Liam Rosenior praised his young Chelsea side’s ability to deal with adversity after they produced a spirited comeback against Napoli to reach the last 16 of the Champions League.

An excellent double from João Pedro and a devastating cameo from Cole Palmer ensured Rosenior’s side secured a 3-2 win at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona and avoided the inconvenience of having to go through next month’s two-legged playoff for a place in the knockout phase.

Paul Dano reacts to Tarantino criticism: ‘I was incredibly grateful that the world spoke up for me’

Actor says the defence of his peers and fans was ‘really nice’ after Quentin Tarantino’s scathing assessment calling Dano ‘a weak, weak, uninteresting guy’

Paul Dano has responded to Quentin Tarantino’s scathing criticism of his acting abilities, thanking those who came to his defence after Tarantino called him a “weak, uninteresting guy” and “the limpest dick in the world”.

On Wednesday, Dano told Variety that the supportive responses that poured in from his peers and across social media was touching.

Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase to contribute $1,000 to Trump Accounts

Two of the biggest U.S. banks said they would match a $1,000 federal contribution for employees who open a Trump Account, touting the plan as a way to save money.

Tesla tops estimates for quarter, but wraps up first annual revenue drop on record

Tesla's earnings report comes weeks after Elon Musk's automaker reported another decline in vehicle deliveries.

'ICE is not a law unto itself,' Minnesota judge says after immigrant released following contempt threat

Minneapolis has become a focal point of immigration enforcement actions by the Trump administration, whose agents have killed two U.S. citizens there.

Tesla discontinues Model X and S vehicles as Elon Musk pivots to robotics

High hopes for Optimus robot help company beat forecasts despite yearly revenue decline and flailing car business

In the clearest sign yet that Tesla is pivoting away from its electric car business, CEO Elon Musk announced on Wednesday’s investor call that the company would discontinue production of its Model X SUV and Model S full-size sedan.

“It’s time to basically bring the Model S and X programs to an end,” Musk said. “We expect to wind down S and X production next quarter.”

Southwest Airlines forecasts surge in 2026 profits after new seat, bag fees take hold

Southwest Airlines said it expects profits to surge this year thanks to solid demand and new policies like assigned seating.

Champions League: Benfica keeper’s last-gasp header sends side into playoffs

• Anatoliy Trubin scores dramatic goal against Real Madrid

• Barça and Sporting in last 16, Bodø/Glimt make playoffs

Goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored a 98th-minute header as Benfica defeated Real Madrid 4-2 to secure a Champions League knockout place on Wednesday and deny their opponents an automatic spot in the last 16.

Benfica were heading out despite leading 3-2 with seconds of stoppage time remaining before Trubin met a free-kick to score the goal they needed to get into the playoff round on goal difference.

Tesla to invest $2 billion in xAI, Elon Musk's OpenAI competitor

In its earnings report on Wednesday, Tesla said it invested $2 billion in xAI, Elon Musk's artificial intelligence startup.

TikTok's new privacy policy is sparking a backlash. Here's what to know.

Some TikTok users are raising questions about the app's new terms and conditions after the social media platform's split from its China-based parent.

Kolo Muani fires Tottenham through in Frankfurt one day after car accident

Randal Kolo Muani was lucky to be on the field. The Tottenham striker had endured a moment of indescribable panic when the front right tyre on his Ferrari blew out on the motorway on Tuesday as he drove to Stansted airport for the team flight to Frankfurt.

The car was a write-off but Kolo Muani walked away from it. He had to take a later flight to make this Champions League game and he was plainly determined to make his mark on it.

Gerber recalls some arrowroot biscuits over potential plastic, paper pieces

The recall affects several batches of the 5.5-ounce Gerber Arrowroot Biscuits, the FDA said.

Here are the five key takeaways from Wednesday's Fed rate decision

The Federal Reserve wrapped up a two-day policy meeting Wednesday, delivering pretty much what the market expected.

Fed holds interest rates steady in first meeting of 2026

The Federal Open Market Committee kept the federal funds rate steady, following three rate cuts last year.

Bessent defends Powell probe: "Independence does not mean no accountability"

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent tells CBS News that Federal Reserve officials must be "beyond reproach" in communicating with the public.

Senate Democrats release demands as clock ticks toward partial government shutdown

Senate Democrats released their list of demands to reform immigration enforcement and fund the government Wednesday, with little time to avert a partial government shutdown.

Fed has not yet complied with subpoenas as Powell probe continues: Source

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell says the criminal investigation resulted from frustration by President Donald Trump over interest rate decisions.

Crypto PAC Fairshake touts $193 million war chest as regulatory bill faces first vote

"With the midterms approaching, we are united behind our mission with Fairshake continuing to oppose anti-crypto politicians," the PAC's spokesperson said.

ICE agents expected to be deployed for Super Bowl in California, officials say

Local officials confirmed that ICE will conduct immigration operations during 8 February game in Santa Clara

US Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) agents are expected to conduct immigration enforcement operations during next month’s Super Bowl game in Santa Clara, California.

Local officials confirmed to media that ICE is expected to deploy for the game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations team has long worked the Super Bowl and other major sporting events, largely focused on preventing human trafficking and stopping the sale of counterfeit goods, but immigration operations would be unusual.

Federal agents involved in Pretti shooting placed on administrative leave, source says

The federal agents who were involved in Saturday's deadly shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis have been placed on administrative leave, a federal law enforcement official confirmed to CBS News.

Here's what changed in the new Fed statement

This is a comparison of Wednesday's Federal Open Market Committee statement with the one issued after the Fed's previous policymaking meeting in December.

The Fed releases its latest interest rate decision Wednesday. Here's what to expect

This week's meeting offers little suspense and probably not much action, even as massive changes loom over the Fed's longer-term direction.

‘If you want to nuke your life, do crack’: raw Courtney Love documentary hits Sundance

Antiheroine, a new film about the musician’s tumultuous life and career, premiered at the festival with some frank admissions but the star not present

A new documentary about the gen X icon and “queen of grunge” Courtney Love caused a stir at the Sundance film festival – without the legendary Hole frontwoman in attendance.

The musician and actor, now 61, was supposed to attend the premiere of Antiheroine, a new retrospective documentary by Edward Lovelace and James Hall that traces her storied life and career, but did not make it for undisclosed reasons. “We’re really gutted that Courtney couldn’t make it tonight to celebrate this moment with us all,” said Lovelace in his introduction for the film’s premiere in Park City, Utah, calling Love “so unfiltered, so truthful”.

Pete Songi on Keir Starmer’s trip to China – cartoon

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The Guardian view on Keir Starmer in China: engagement is necessary, caution is vital | Editorial

The prime minister cannot wish away the contradictions between upholding democratic values and pursuing commercial interests with Beijing

It has been clear for many years that China’s status as a second global superpower poses challenges to the world’s democracies. Donald Trump’s marauding behaviour as president of the first-placed superpower makes those challenges more acute. In the past, the UK’s relationship with Beijing has been anchored, and sometimes dictated, by the alliance with Washington. Mr Trump’s contempt for former allies, expressed as sabotage of Nato and a scattergun imposition of tariffs, scrambles the old strategic calculus.

This is an ominous backdrop for Sir Keir Starmer’s visit to Beijing. The prime minister is trying to perform a difficult balancing act, looking for commercial opportunity in a growing powerhouse while protecting national security from an authoritarian behemoth.

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.

Rubio: U.S. doesn't expect to take further military action in Venezuela "at any time"

Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified before Congress about Nicolás Maduro's capture and the future of Venezuela, and also fielded questions about Iran and Greenland.

See You When I See You review – familar Sundance-y grief comedy drama has its moments

Sundance film festival: Jay Duplass recruits David Duchovny, Hope Davis and Kaitlyn Dever for a patchy, poignant tale

If anyone can speak to the “end of an era” nostalgia coursing through the legacy-minded 2026 Sundance film festival, its final edition in Park City and its first without founder Robert Redford, it would be Jay Duplass. The film-maker first attended the indie festival along with his brother, Mark, in 2003, with a self-proclaimed “$3 film”, then went on to premiere three projects – The Puffy Chair, Baghead and Cyrus – that epitomized the much-debated, very indie mumblecore movement of yore. For the Duplass brothers, the festival was, as it has been for many a small-budget artist trying to break out, the difference between a career and another $3 film. Without Sundance, he recently joked: “I’d probably be a psychologist right now.”

Psychologist sympathies peek through See You When I See You, Duplass’s feature film return to the festival after 16 years largely focused on acting and directing episodic television, notably for Togetherness, Search Party and the criminally underseen Somebody, Somewhere. An earnest adaptation of comedian Adam Cayton-Holland’s memoir, Tragedy Plus Time, the 102-minute film is both a straightforward tribute to psychotherapy and a tightrope walk of tone, attempting to balance profound grief with breezy comedy for a family reeling from a shocking loss.

See You When I See You is screening at the Sundance film festival and is seeking distribution