The Guardian

US treasury secretary says at WEF in Davos that countries and companies should pause and ‘let things play out’ Business live – latest updates The US treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, has urged European countries not to retaliate against the US’s trade tariffs announced over the Greenland crisis. Speaking in Davos, during the World Economic Forum, Bessent said countries and companies should pause…

Chief secretary to Keir Starmer insists that his relationship with the US president is ‘working’ Patrick Wintour , the Guardian’s diplomatic editor, says the Trump tweet about the Chagos Islands deal is “a disaster for Starmer and designed to humiliate him the day after Starmer defended the value of the special relationship”. The government has issued a statement defending the Chagos Islands deal…

Surfer taken to hospital with minor injuries after latest shark attack at Point Plomer beach on mid-north coast Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A surfer has been taken to hospital after being bitten by a shark off the coast of New South Wales’ Limeburners Creek national park, the state’s fourth incident in 48 hour…

Families call for end to political ‘bickering’ amid concerns the state LNP will not back proposed program Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The parents of police murdered in a 2022 ambush in western Queensland have thrown their support behind the federal government’s proposed gun buyback scheme in the wake of the Bondi beach terror attack. The Guardian understands that …

Shops, restaurants and hotels particularly hit by slowdown in hiring, as unemployment remains at 5.1% Business live – latest updates The number of employed people in the UK has fallen again, particularly in shops, restaurants and hotels, reflecting weak hiring, while private sector wages grew at the slowest rate in five years, official figures show. Figures from the Office for National Statistics…

US president says on social media that Britain’s decision to cede islands to Mauritius is ‘act of total weakness’ Donald Trump has suggested Britain’s decision to cede the Chagos Islands to Mauritius is among the reasons he wants to take over Greenland. The US president, who is travelling to Davos in Switzerland for the World Economic Forum, made the claim as he ramped up his rhetoric on acquirin…

The spectacular aurora australis, also known as the southern lights, may be visible as far north as Victoria and New South Wales A ‘severe’ solar storm, which is being monitored by the National Emergency Management Agency, could make auroras visible in Australia as well as cause disruptions to the power grid. Here’s what you need to know about the solar storm. Continue reading...

Rolling coverage of the World Economic Forum in Davos Yesterday, president Donald Trump said the United States would talk about acquiring Greenland at this week’s World Economic Forum in Davos. He claimed Denmark cannot protect the country, telling reporters in Florida: “We have to have it. They have to have this done. They can’t protect it, Denmark, they’re wonderful people. I know the leaders, …

Police commissioner Mal Lanyon says demonstration rules – imposed after Bondi attacks – have ‘taken heat out of the community’ The New South Wales police commissioner has extended a restriction on protests in Sydney for a third time, but narrowed the area it covers in a bid to get “the balance right between community safety and a right to protest” ahead of Invasion Day. On Tuesday afternoon, Mal …

Speaking to reporters in Florida, US president claims Denmark ‘can’t protect’ Greenland when asked what he planned to say to European leaders who opposed his plans Donald Trump links Greenland threats to Nobel snub as EU trade war looms Welcome to our European live coverage. In the build-up to Donald Trump ’s expected appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, the US president …

Son of David and Victoria Beckham takes to Instagram to open up about feud with parents Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, the son of David and Victoria Beckham, has said he does not want to reconcile with his family. The 26-year-old has spoken out for the first time and acknowledged the feud between him and his family in a post on Instagram. Continue reading...

Number of high-spending Chinese tourists visiting Japan halved last month after PM said an invasion of Taiwan could spark Japanese military involvement Chinese tourism to Japan almost halved in December amid a bitter diplomatic row between Beijing and Tokyo over the security of Taiwan . The number of tourists from mainland China dropped by about 45% from the same month a year earlier to about 330…

Sarah Rogers says prosecuting people for ‘merely’ expressing support ‘does more harm than good’ Arresting supporters of Palestine Action is “censoring” their free speech and “does more harm than good”, a Trump administration official has said. Sarah Rogers, the US undersecretary for public diplomacy, was asked in an interview with the news platform Semafor whether the British government should al…

Red caps are becoming a symbol of protest in Denmark as Donald Trump ratchets up the pressure on Greenland Red baseball caps spoofing Donald Trump’s Maga hats have become a symbol of Danish and Greenlandic defiance against the US president’s threat to seize the frozen territory. The caps reading “Make America Go Away” – parodying Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan – have gained popularity,…

Major disturbance in the Earth’s magnetic field may make northern lights visible far more south than usual The aurora could be visible across Canada and much of the northern tier of US states on Monday night, and possibly even further south, following a major disturbance in the Earth’s magnetic field, a forecast shows. The forecast, from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s space…