Tom Burgis on Donald Trump’s friend Ronald Lauder, a billionaire with business interests in Greenland “The thing to remember, always, with Trump is that everything is about the psychodrama,” the Guardian investigations correspondent Tom Burgis tells Helen Pidd. “Everything is who’s in his ear, what bit of his vanity or insecurity has been activated.” In this episode, Tom explains the backstory to the US president’s interest in Greenland. According to John Bolton, the former national security adviser, the story began in 2018 with a conversation between Trump and the billionaire Ronald Lauder. Continue reading...

American beats Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova 7-6 (8), 6-1 Last year’s winner recovers after losing first four games A nervy Madison Keys got the defence of her Australian Open crown off to a stuttering start, losing the first four games before rallying to stay in the title hunt. The American ninth seed was a bundle of nerves on Rod Laver Arena, but calmed down to clinch a 7-6 (8), 6-1 win over Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova. Continue reading...

Australian No 30 seed defeated 6-4, 6-4 in 92 minutes Joint was first seeded Australian woman since Ash Barty in 2022 Maya Joint, the top-ranked local in the Australian Open women’s singles draw, crashed out in the first round on Tuesday after losing in straight sets to Czech teenager Tereza Valentová. Valentová made the most of an inconsistent display from the 30th seed, winning 6-4, 6-4 in 92 minutes. Continue reading...

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, along with several variants on social media and at public protests, including a weekend demonstration held in freezing weather in Copenhagen. Continue reading...

Man taken to hospital with minor injuries after shark attack at Point Plomer beach 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 a New South Wales national park campground, the state’s fourth incident in 48 hours. The Mid North Coast Local Health District said the man, 39, was in hospital in a stable condition with minor injuries after an animal bite. The attack took place near the Point Plomer campground, less than 20km up the coastline from Port Macquarie, on Tuesday morning. Continue reading...

President says air force’s new system involves ‘mobile fire groups’ and interceptor drones as he warns of fresh Russian attacks ahead. What we know on day 1,427 See all our Ukraine war coverage Ukraine’s armed forces are introducing a new facet of air defence, made up of small groups deploying interceptor drones, as the country braces for new mass Russian attacks, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday. Ukraine is still reeling from a wave of Russian strikes earlier this month that knocked out power and heating to thousands of apartment blocks in freezing temperatures, particularly in the capital, and Zelenskyy has repeatedly called for air defences to be strengthened. “There will be a new approach to the use of air defences by the air force, concerning mobile fire groups, interceptor drones and other ‘short-range’ air defence assets,” the Ukrainian president said in his nightly video address. “The system will be transformed.” Zelenskyy announced the appointment of a new deputy air force commander, Pavlo Yelizarov, to oversee and develop the innovation. Zelenskyy also warned Ukrainians to be “extremely vigilant” ahead of anticipated new Russian attacks. “Russia has prepared for a strike, a massive strike, and is waiting for the moment to carry it out,” he said, urging every region in the country to “be prepared to respond as quickly as possible and help people”. Zelenskyy and foreign minister Andrii Sybiha both warned at the weekend that Ukrainian intelligence had noted Russia was conducting reconnaissance of specific targets, particularly substations that supply nuclear power plants. Ukrainian energy minister Denys Shmyhal said on Monday that he had informed the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) about Russian preparations for more strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities, including those that ensure the operations of nuclear plants. The IAEA said on Monday that a back-up power line had been reconnected to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant after repair work carried out under an IAEA-brokered ceasefire. The Ferosplavna-1 line is one of two high-voltage lines supplying electricity to the Russian-controlled plant in Ukraine and was disconnected earlier this month. Russia launched a barrage of drone strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure overnight to Monday, cutting off power in five regions across the country amid sub-zero temperatures and high demand, Ukrainian officials said. Russian forces had launched 145 drones and air defences shot down 126 of them, the Ukrainian air force said. “As of this morning, consumers in Sumy, Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv and Chernihiv regions are without power,” the energy ministry said. “Emergency repair work is under way if the security situation allows.” Ukraine will face enormous challenges to organise its first elections since Russia’s 2022 invasion, with its infrastructure shattered and millions of people displaced by war, the country’s election chief said. Bringing Ukraine’s voter registry up to date and making the proper preparations for a vote would take significant time, Oleh Didenko, the head of Ukraine’s Central Election Commission, told Reuters. Amid diplomatic efforts to end the war, US president Donald Trump has demanded Ukraine hold elections, even though they are banned under martial law – in force since the invasion – and a majority of Ukrainians oppose a wartime ballot. Vladimir Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev will travel to Davos in Switzerland this week and hold meetings with members of the US delegation on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Reuters has reported, citing two sources. Ukraine’s top negotiator, Rustem Umerov, said on Sunday that talks with US officials on ending the war would continue at the WEF this week. Continue reading...

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 weather prediction center, comes amid intense geomagnetic and solar radiation storms, said Shawn Dahl, service coordinator at the center. Continue reading...

Cancer charity highlights apparent ‘postcode lottery’ of testing and diagnoses across different regions seen in study Prostate cancer is now the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer across the UK, surpassing breast cancer, according to a leading charity. There were 64,425 diagnoses of prostate cancer in 2022, an analysis of NHS figures by Prostate Cancer UK found, and 61,640 new cases of breast cancer. Continue reading...

Guidance for GPs and nurses says other factors should be taken into account, such as changes in behaviour A child’s body mass index should not be the key factor when deciding which under-18s get help for an eating disorder, the NHS has told health professionals. The new guidance from NHS England to GPs and nurses follows criticism that over-reliance on BMI has led to children who have an illness such as anorexia or bulimia being misdiagnosed and missing out on care. Continue reading...

Government, Bank of England and FCA criticised for taking ‘wait-and-see’ approach to AI use in financial sector Consumers and the UK financial system are being exposed to “serious harm” by the failure of government and the Bank of England to get a grip on the risks posed by artificial intelligence, an influential parliamentary committee has warned. In a new report, MPs on the Treasury committee criticise ministers and City regulators, including the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), for taking a “wait-and-see” approach to AI use across the financial sector. Continue reading...

Government replaces recruitment goal with plan to increase ‘education exports’ to £40bn a year by 2030 Ministers are scrapping target numbers for international students in the UK and will instead focus on encouraging universities to open hubs abroad, as part of a plan to bring British education to people “on their own doorsteps”. The government’s new international education strategy will set a target of increasing global “education exports” to £40bn a year by 2030, replacing the previous target – set in 2019 – of recruiting 600,000 international students a year to study in the UK. Continue reading...

Holiday marked with parades and services but tempered by anxieties over racial and social equality under Trump Martin Luther King Jr Day was marked with parades and services across the US on Monday. But the celebration for the achievements of the slain 60s civil rights leader was tempered by contemporary anxieties over racial and social equality and Trump administration’s crackdown in Minneapolis. At a rally in Harlem, the Rev Al Sharpton referred to Renee Good, the 37-year-old mother of three who was killed by an immigration officer in Minneapolis earlier this month. Continue reading...

Updates as Australia’s No 30 seed takes on the Czech player ‘I don’t want to be a punching bag’ – retirements mar dramatic day Any thoughts? Get in touch with an email OK. Recapping yesterday’s Australian results. After his initial opponent Matteo Berrettini withdrew, Alex de Minaur faced a slightly lower first hurdle to start his Open. Lucky loser American Mackenzie McDonald got the call-up and as predicted De Minaur dispatched him easily – following up with a strong statement of intent for the tournament. Jack Snape was at Rod Laver Arena for the match: Continue reading...

Exclusive: Campaigners claim changes will let companies ‘off the hook’, as government prepares to unveil new white paper for water industry Water companies could be let off fines for polluting the environment under changes announced in the government’s new white paper. The environment secretary, Emma Reynolds, hailed the changes as “once-in-a-generation reforms” featuring “tough oversight, real accountability and no more excuses”. Continue reading...

Move comes as peers prepare to vote on an amendment to a bill that would enact a ban within a year of the bill passing Ministers have launched a consultation into whether to ban under-16s from using social media as part of a package of measures designed to curb mobile phone use among young people. Liz Kendall, the technology secretary, announced the consultation on Monday as the government responds to mounting pressure for stricter curbs on social media use for younger teenagers. On Monday afternoon, Esther Ghey, the mother of the murdered teenager Brianna Ghey, became the latest high profile figure to add her name to those in support of a ban. Continue reading...

Just when it seemed another match would be dominated by the dreariness of a debatable video assistant referee decision, a moment of majesty from Charalampos Kostoulas provided a pertinent reminder of the beauty that football can provide. With his side staring at what would have been a controversial defeat, the Greek substitute found himself facing away from the Bournemouth goal in the first minute of injury time. A touch of his chest bounced the ball upwards, before the 18-year-old produced a wonderful bicycle kick to send the Amex Stadium wild. Continue reading...

United get shot at revenge after losing last season’s final Everton will travel to Liverpool to contest Cup derby Chelsea, the holders, will host Manchester United in the Women’s FA Cup fifth round, in a repeat of last season’s final. Sonia Bompastor’s side were 3-0 winners against United at Wembley last May and they will meet again in the headline-grabbing tie of an intriguing-looking fifth round, which includes four all-WSL fixtures with just 16 teams left in the competition. Also included in those four is a Merseyside derby, with Liverpool hosting Everton, while Brighton will travel to West Ham and London City Lionesses will host Tottenham, all vying for a quarter-final spot. Continue reading...

The real world is way worse than Westeros – so why not let this heartwarming underdog tale of a simple soul and his ethereal squire be your safe space ‘Bless their little cotton socks!” is not a response one expects to have to any of the inhabitants of Westeros, the land of the bloody, violent, incestuous and often depraved series of Game of Thrones. But the endearing protagonists of the latest spin-off of the franchise, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, invite it. Their names, as in the George RR Martin novellas on which the series is based, are Dunk – short for Ser Duncan the Tall – and Egg. Dunk (Peter Claffey, a suitably tall former Irish rugby union player, last seen in Bad Sisters) was squire to a hedge – non-noble – knight, Ser Arlan of Pennytree (Danny Webb), who took the boy under his wing but never quite got round to knighting the man before dying. We first meet Dunk burying his mentor under an old elm tree and taking up his arms against the sea of troubles that are about to engulf him. Dunk is a simple soul (very simple, some might say – he may look like a medieval Jack Reacher, but inside he is more of an eager but baffled labrador) and sets out to find a lord he can himself serve as a hedge knight. Continue reading...

Victor Manuel Diaz was found unresponsive at Camp East Montana in what ICE officials claim is ‘presumed suicide’ Who is on the frontline of Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown? A second man being held at a US immigration detention facility in Texas has died in two weeks, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said on Monday. Victor Manuel Diaz, 36, originally from Nicaragua, was found “unconscious and unresponsive in his room” on 14 January at the Camp East Montana detention facility in El Paso, ICE said in a press release. Continue reading...

Son of David and Victoria Beckham takes to Instagram and opens up about dispute with his 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...

Misjudged penalty after Senegal’s walk-off chaos leaves forward facing a lifetime of criticism After Portugal had beaten England in the World Cup quarter-final in 2006, Cristiano Ronaldo was asked how he had looked so calm taking his penalty in the shootout when England’s players appeared crushed by the occasion. For a moment he seemed baffled by the question, then he explained that those moments are what he lives for. Where others feel pressure, he sees opportunity. What, you wonder, did Brahim Díaz see during the Afcon final on Sunday? When his shoulder was tugged by El Hadji Malick Diouf and he collapsed, did he consider the consequences? When he howled in the face of the Democratic Republic of the Congo referee Jean-Jacques Ndala Ngambo as he waited for the verdict of the video assistant referee, did it occur to him he would take the penalty if it were given? He had scored one against Mali in the group stage, but that was with Achraf Hakimi, a very fine penalty taker, off the pitch. Continue reading...

Manager has ‘been feeling the trust’ from club hierarchy Spurs hampered by injury crisis before visit of Dortmund Thomas Frank has insisted the ­Tottenham hierarchy are standing with him in the face of the storm gripping the club. The manager’s job is in the ­balance, his situation precarious after Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat against West Ham. The Spurs support were so incensed by the result and the continuation of the team’s terrible Premier League form – they have won twice in their past 13 league matches – that they demanded Frank be “sacked in the morning”. Continue reading...

Bill will not return to Commons until government finds common ground over role of active security service officers Labour will not bring the Hillsborough law back to the Commons for debate until it can reach agreement with the families, the Guardian understands. Keir Starmer was forced to delay the bill again on Monday after talks broke down last week with families from Hillsborough and the Manchester Arena attack. Central to the disagreement is how the duty of candour in the public authority (accountability) bill would apply to serving intelligence officers. Continue reading...

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 allow supporters of the proscribed terror group to protest. Continue reading...

The poet’s sixth collection explores the destruction of the natural world, with a perspective shaped by her upbringing in rural Canada Canadian poet Karen Solie has won the 2025 TS Eliot poetry prize for a collection of work, Wellwater, which explores the destruction of the natural world. Solie was announced as the winner at a ceremony held at the Wallace Collection on Monday evening, and will receive £25,000 in prize money from the TS Eliot Foundation. Wellwater, her sixth collection, co-won the Forward prize for best collection last October, alongside Vidyan Ravinthiran’s Avidyā. Continue reading...