US has captured Venezuela’s President Maduro and wife, says Trump
Donald Trump has said the US “captured” Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, and flew them out of the South American country during a pre-dawn assault on Caracas and the surrounding region. “It was a brilliant operation, actually,” the US president told the New York Times after witnesses in Venezuela reported a series of explosions. View image in fullscreen Nicolás Maduro attending a military event in La Guaira with his wife, Cilia Flores, in late December. Crowds of Maduro supporters gathered in downtown Caracas, some carrying pictures of the captured president, others embracing tearfully. Since August, Trump has ordered a massive military buildup off Venezuela’s northern coast and conducted a series of deadly airstrikes on supposed “narco boats”.
Source:The Guardian
January 03, 2026 14:40 UTC
Yellow weather warning for snow and ice in Diss, Eye, Framlingham, Long Stratton, Harleston and other Norfolk and Suffolk locations
A yellow weather warning has been issued for snow and ice in parts of Norfolk and Suffolk. The advisory from the Met Office covers the majority of Norfolk and parts of the east and centre of Suffolk across Monday and Tuesday. A yellow weather warning has been issued for snow and ice in parts of Norfolk and Suffolk. Picture: iStockTomorrow, areas including Attleborough, Long Stratton, the Buckenhams and Harleston are at riskOn Monday, this extends down further to cover areas including Diss, Eye, Framlingham, Stonham Aspal, Wetheringsett, Rickinghall, Fressingfield and Stradbroke. Residents should take care to avoid injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces.
Source:Express
January 03, 2026 14:14 UTC
Going short
As I mentioned in a video earlier this week, one of our plans for this year is to expand our output on short-form video platforms. These include YouTube Shorts, TikTok, Instagram, and possibly Facebook Reels, as well as X, Bluesky and Mastodon (if I ever master that particular platform). In each case, the aim is to get a concise, punchy message out in a format of under 90 seconds, and often under a minute. Our research suggests that midday is an optimal time for publishing these videos, but experience will tell us whether that is actually the case. CommentsWhen commenting, please take note of this blog's comment policy, which is available here.
Source:The Guardian
January 03, 2026 13:56 UTC
Mumbai: City-based Memon businessman gets honourary doctorate at UK Parliament
Mumbai's Parvez Suleman Lakdawala, a Memon businessman, received an honorary doctorate at the UK Parliament for his over three decades of work in real estate and slum redevelopmentMUMBAI: City-based Memon businessman Parvez Suleman Lakdawala was recently awarded honourary doctorate at the UK Parliament. "This is recognition of my work in redeveloping slums through SRA schemes. They put you on the pathway to success and I have tried to follow these principles diligently. "When asked about the honour he received at the UK Parliament, Lakdawala said he felt humbled because he had never imagined that such an honour would come his way. "I remember slum dwellers would hesitate to tell others about their addresses as they felt ashamed of their dwelling.
Source:The Times
January 03, 2026 12:08 UTC
SCHG: A Superb Growth Oriented, Big-Tech Weighted ETF For 2026 (NYSEARCA:SCHG)
For dividend income, and as a 4th generation oil & gas man, Fitzsimmons suggests investors consider a position in large O&G companies that provide strong dividend income and dividend growth. age, retired/working, risk tolerance, income, net worth, goals, etc) and might include allocations into investment categories such as the S&P500, technology, dividend income, sector ETFs, growth, speculative growth, gold, and cash. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank.
Source:The Guardian
January 03, 2026 11:31 UTC
Premier League buildup, La Liga, Afcon last 16 and Celtic v Rangers – as it happened
12.18pm GMTLeague matches across the UK have been postponed after icy temperatures have left pitches frozen. In England, the League Two match between Notts County and Gillingham has been postponed. In League 1, Cove Rangers v Montrose and Inverness Caledonian v Peterhead are off due to snow. Hamilton Accies v East Fife failed a pitch inspection on Saturday. In League 2, Elgin City v East Kilbride cannot go ahead due to snow, while Stirling Albion v Annan Athletic has also ben postponed due to a frozen pitch.
Source:The Guardian
January 03, 2026 11:22 UTC
Arne Slot's broken Liverpool promise shows why he is losing the supporters
Liverpool have become too boring under Arne Slot recentlyAfter Liverpool beat Bournemouth 4-2 on the opening day of the current Premier League season, Arne Slot promised to a concerned Jamie Carragher: "This is who we are and this is how we'll keep playing." But that's who we were and who we are, and that's why we see such a nice game if you watch Liverpool. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT They have scored 30 times at the halfway stage of the Premier League season. While the players must certainly take some accountability for certain moments and matches this season, overall, the Premier League champions' main problem is how they are being coached. Arne Slot is at risk of losing the Liverpool crowd with more performances like the Leeds draw
Source:Express
January 03, 2026 09:41 UTC
Sad sign of the times as evicted Nicola and her mate mark 2026 in Hanley doorway
Sad sign of the times as evicted Nicola and her mate mark 2026 in Hanley doorwayThe pair are struggling to find supportView Image Pictured (L-R) - homeless Nicola Bond and Laura DicksonTwo freezing rough sleepers welcomed in 2026 - in a Hanley shop doorway. Nicola Bond and Laura Dickson were left exposed to the elements after failing to secure a spot in a women’s shelter. It is now almost a year since Universal Credit claimant Nicola was evicted from her home - and she can no longer afford to rent. “I was freezing cold,” Nicola recalled. She added: “In the last 18 years, I’ve lived in two properties.
Source:The Times
January 03, 2026 09:35 UTC
‘Simple’ colour card for describing bodily fluids could improve patient outcomes
A team at Edinburgh Napier University has developed a standardised colour palette that can be used by patients and clinicians when describing the colour of fluids like urine and sputum. The free online tool, called What Colour Is It?, resembles a paint colour card, with palettes of either 13 or 15 clinically-relevant colours for identifying the colour of sputum, urine and faeces. The researchers said by reducing the level of subjectivity when describing different colours, the tool can help make diagnosis faster and more accurate, and so help improve patient outcomes. They also said having a chart to refer to can reduce the embarrassment that can make it difficult for patients to discuss bodily fluids with clinicians. Hazel McPhillips, an advanced nurse practitioner and a lecturer at Napier, said: “We rely on our patients describing a colour and us assuming that we’re thinking the same colour.
Source:The Times
January 03, 2026 08:43 UTC
New year money: 26 tools and apps to help you sort your finances in 2026 | mtgamer.com
Learn more.If you have promised to tackle your finances this year, there are lots of tools and apps that can help you achieve your goal. My Lost Account can help you find missing funds even if you do not know where an account is held now. SHYou can manage kids’ money with the HyperJar app.This free money management app – which comes with a physical or virtual prepaid debit card – can help you with budgeting and managing spending. ZWThis free app has been around for a few years now, and claims to be “the world’s largest marketplace for surplus food”. HOThis free app lets people compare the prices of grocery and other items across supermarkets and other retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Ocado and Amazon.
Source:The Guardian
January 03, 2026 07:28 UTC
Former New York Times Editor Says Paper's Anti-Trans Slant Came From the Top
Former New York Times editor Billie Jean Sweeney has alleged that the paper of record’s management pushed writers to espouse anti-trans viewpoints. Prior to her retirement in 2024, she served as the day assignment editor at the outlet’s international desk. In response, the Times received two open letters in February 2023, in which hundreds of signatories condemned its anti-trans coverage — including over 200 Times contributors. Despite being “one of the most outspoken people” about the outlet’s anti-trans coverage, she said that she wasn’t invited to the first meeting until the day it occurred. In hindsight, I think it was almost that entirely.”Over the next year, the Times still failed to actively include trans people in its trans coverage.
Source:The Times
January 03, 2026 06:29 UTC
China’s BYD set to overtake Tesla as world’s biggest EV seller
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Source:The Times
January 03, 2026 06:27 UTC
Electric violinist sues Will Smith, alleging sexual harassment, wrongful termination
Will Smith, who performed at a rap concert at the Cabaret Vert festival in France in August, has been sued by his tour violinist for alleged unfair termination and sexual harassment. Will Smith and his company Treyball Studios Management Inc. are being sued by an electric violinist who is claiming wrongful termination, retaliation and sexual harassment — allegations denied by the actor-rapper-producer in a statement from his attorney. Electric violinist Brian King Joseph, seen performing at an awards show last October, is suing for wrongful termination, retaliation and sexual harassment. “The facts strongly suggest that Defendant Willard Carroll Smith II was deliberately grooming and priming Mr. Joseph for further sexual exploitation,” the lawsuit alleges. Joseph is seeking compensatory and punitive damages and payment of attorney fees in an amount to be determined at trial.
Source:The Times
January 03, 2026 03:17 UTC
Met Office confirms 2025 was UK’s warmest year on record
The mean average temperature for the country across 2025 was 10.09C, beating the previous record of 10.03C set just three years earlier in 2022. Records were soon being broken, as first spring and then summer proved to be the UK’s warmest on record, while spring was the driest in the UK for more than 100 years. Long periods of unbroken clear skies mean 2025 will go down in history as a double-record breaker, being not only the warmest year on record but also the sunniest. Four of the past five years sit in the UK’s top five warmest: 2025 (10.09C), 2022 (10.03C), 2023 (9.97C) and 2024 (9.79C), along with 2014 (9.88C). Across the UK, 2025 was the warmest year on record for England and Scotland and the second warmest (behind 2023) for Wales and Northern Ireland.
Source:The Times
January 03, 2026 01:33 UTC
Trump news at a glance: president denies falling asleep in public meetings as he defends ‘perfect’ health
Donald Trump has denied falling asleep while attending public meetings and robustly defended his health after the first year of his second term in office raised growing questions. Trump, who at 79 is the oldest person to assume the US presidency, told the Wall Street Journal “my health is perfect” and expressed frustration with scrutiny of his wellbeing. In the interview, the president denied he had fallen asleep during White House meetings – when cameras have caught him with his eyes closed – instead insisting he was resting his eyes or blinking. “Sometimes they’ll take a picture of me blinking, blinking, and they’ll catch me with the blink.”Catching up? Here’s what happened Wednesday 31 December.
Source:The Guardian
January 02, 2026 22:53 UTC