The Guardian

Some wet years and recent winter storms have helped bring the state out of drought after years of insufficient rainfall California is completely drought-free for the first time in a quarter of a century, a significant development in a state that endured grueling years with insufficient rainfall. Over the last 25 years, drought conditions in California have intensified the state’s wildfire crisis …

Local leaders’ appeal for non-violence largely holds despite growing outrage over US immigration enforcement in the city US politics live – latest updates Six protesters were arrested by police in Portland, Oregon , late Thursday, as an appeal for calm from local leaders largely held despite growing outrage over federal immigration enforcement in the city after two people were shot by US border p…

Despite significant support for the shah, Iranian society may be looking for any ‘escape from a dead end’ Supporters of Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s deposed shah, were claiming the crowds out in the streets of Iran were a direct response to his call to action. They described it as a referendum on his leadership and that the response showed he had won. Yet the issue of an alternative lea…

Four out of five councils controlled by party have proposed 5% council tax rises, the maximum permitted by law Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has been accused of betraying election promises to cut council tax after several councils it controls said they planned to increase rates close to the maximum allowed. They include Kent county council – the party’s flagship local authority and one viewed by it as…

Met Office issues rare red warning as winter storm causes power cuts, travel disruption and school closures Storm Goretti – latest updates Snow and ice are expected to grip much of the UK over the weekend as parts of the country continue to reel from the effects of Storm Goretti, which left thousands of people facing power cuts, school closures and travel chaos. The storm brought winds of nearly …

Jacob Frey criticizes Trump administration’s response to shooting death of Renee Nicole Good Officials in Minneapolis on Friday accused federal authorities of “hiding the facts” over the killing of a US citizen by an officer with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) agency, and demanded the inclusion of state investigators in the FBI inquiry. Jacob Frey, the Minnesota city’s Democratic…

Jacques Moretti arrested on Friday as lawyers representing families of victims say investigators are not moving fast enough Like many young people across Switzerland, Kenzo Ronnow, a university student in Lausanne, slept in on 1 January after celebrating the new year. But as he scrolled through his phone soon after waking, he saw the lead story of a foreign news website was about Switzerland. Con…

Many of the old challenges remain but there are a number of reasons why this time a deal of some kind could be possible Mining firms Rio Tinto and Glencore restart $260bn merger talks Here we go again. A combination of Rio Tinto and Glencore has been talked about for years and the duo held aborted negotiations at the end of 2024. With the global mining industry in deal-making mode – frenzies come…

Palestine activist and doctor Ghassan Abu-Sitta also cleared over alleged support for Hamas in case brought by GMC The rector of the University of Glasgow has been cleared of misconduct by a medical watchdog over alleged antisemitism and support for Hamas. Dr Ghassan Abu-Sitta, a plastic surgeon and prominent Palestinian activist, appeared via video link on Friday before a fitness to practise pan…

Agreement after 25 years of negotiations prompts farmers to block roads in Paris, Brussels and Warsaw Europe live – latest updates European Union member states have backed the biggest ever free trade agreement with a group of Latin American countries, ending 25 years of negotiations but stoking further tensions with farmers and environmentalists around the bloc. The contentious Mercosur deal with…

France and Germany battered by strong winds and plunging temperatures, as schools closed and travel disrupted Germany is expecting heavy snowfalls of up to 20cm after record winds of more than 210kph left almost 400,000 homes in France without electricity, as Storm Goretti battered north-western Europe. No major or widespread damage to property was reported in France on Friday but one man was ser…

In Tehran this week, young adults told the Guardian about collapsing living standards, the mass anti-government protests and their hopes for the future Mahsa is single and lives with her family. She has a page online where she sells her clothes and had arranged for a prominent influencer to run a major promotion for her. But because of the current situation, the influencer returned the money, and…

The Olina, seized in the Caribbean, was falsely flying the flag of Timor Leste, according to a public shipping database US politics live – latest updates The US is in the process of seizing the Olina tanker in the Caribbean near Trinidad in the fifth such interdiction of ships in recent weeks as part of Washington’s efforts to control Venezuelan oil exports, two US officials said on Friday. The O…

As dysfunction reigns, the party shows yet again that its greatest obstacle to winning government is not Labor but itself Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast This should be the Victorian Liberal party’s year. They head into November’s election with a new, energetic and articulate leader in Jess Wilson , who has vowed to drag her party to the centre and reconnect with vote…

Study of man often featured in works by the Flemish master reveals hidden painting of woman beneath model’s beard Is it a bald elderly man with a big bushy beard and a wine-addled stare? Or a friendly young woman with flowing locks and a crown of braids? To Belgian art dealer Klaas Muller, an answer to that question mattered less than the fact that this particular take on the duck-rabbit optical …