AI

Shane Warne named the Ashes’ defining figure for his numbers and aura

The Guardian’s judges concluded Shane Warne is the Ashes’ defining figure, chosen as the tournament’s singular standout above 99 other greats. The case rests on both statistics and impact. Warne took 195 Ashes wickets, including a record 11 five-wicket hauls, with 129 of those wickets away from home

World

Trump's Venezuela Strategy Highlights Long, Mixed History of U.S. Intervention in Americas

President Trump's pressure campaign against Venezuela is the latest chapter in a long history of U.S. intervention in Latin America and the Caribbean that traces its roots to the 1823 Monroe Doctrine. Those interventions over two centuries have produced a mixture of successes and failures rather than

Science

Zvezda leak finally stopped after years; Baikonur pad repairs could restore flights

After a multiyear effort, the leak in the Russian Zvezda module has been stopped, a welcome development for both Russia and NASA — though the fix may not prevent new leaks from appearing in decades-old hardware. Zvezda, launched in July 2000 on a Russian Proton rocket, developed cracking that first appeared

Business

Retraction of 2000 Glyphosate Study Renewed Questions About Roundup’s Safety

A widely cited 2000 review that concluded glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, was not a human health risk was retracted last month by the journal Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, reigniting debate over the herbicide’s safety. The journal cited "serious ethical concerns regarding the independence and accountability of

Health

Five shocking and instructive medical cases that stood out in 2025

This year produced a roster of extraordinary medical cases—some stemming from bad luck, others from risky choices. An editorial selection informed by reader interest highlights five of the most horrifying and fascinating reports; one person from Florida appears twice. Fortunately, none of the cases resulted in death. 5. A

Business

Finnish authorities seize cargo ship after undersea cable cut in Gulf of Finland

Finnish police seized a 132-meter cargo ship, the Fitburg, on Wednesday after it severed an undersea telecommunications cable in the Gulf of Finland, an act investigators said they suspect was sabotage. The ship, sailing under the flag of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, was en route from St. Petersburg to

AI

Ukraine conflict accelerates deployment of semiautonomous strike drones

During 2025 the war in Ukraine has become a testing ground for semiautonomous combat drones that can lock on and pursue targets without continuous human control. Ukrainian pilots used a Bumblebee drone, developed by a venture led by Eric Schmidt, to strike a building near Borysivka after switching the aircraft

Crypto

Cardano Surges 7% as Bitcoin and Ether Rise into 2026

Bitcoin and major tokens opened 2026 on firmer footing in Asian morning trading, with cardano’s ADA leading large-cap gains as traders returned from the holiday break. Bitcoin rose about 1% to trade near $88,700, while ether added roughly 1% to hover around $3,010. ADA climbed 7%, outpacing

Culture

Judge Rules CFPB Must Keep Receiving Federal Funding

A federal judge ruled that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau cannot have its funding allowed to lapse, rejecting the Trump administration’s effort to end the agency’s cash stream. Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the U.S. District Court in Washington said the bureau may continue to receive transfers

AI

Proposed California Wealth Tax Has Billionaires Weighing Moves Out of State

Billionaires including Peter Thiel and Larry Page are considering cutting or reducing ties to California because of a proposed ballot measure that would tax residents worth more than $1 billion, people familiar with their thinking said. The proposal from the health care union S.E.I.U.-U.H.W.

Science

Streamlined Bankruptcy Rules Lead to More Student Loan Discharges

A new analysis finds that a simplified bankruptcy process introduced three years ago has substantially increased the share of student loan borrowers who win discharges. Professor Jason Iuliano’s study in The American Bankruptcy Law Journal reports an 87 percent success rate for borrowers seeking to discharge most or all

Health

Driver charged after Nigeria crash that killed two and injured Anthony Joshua

The driver of the SUV involved in a crash near Lagos that killed two passengers and injured boxer Anthony Joshua has been charged. Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode has been charged on four counts: dangerous driving causing death, reckless and negligent driving, driving without due care and attention, and driving without a

Crypto

Bithumb Discovers More Than $200M in Dormant Crypto Across 2.6M Accounts

South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb has uncovered over $200 million in customer assets that have been sitting idle across about 2.6 million accounts. The finding was reported by Cryptonews. Key Topics Crypto, Bithumb, Dormant Accounts, South Korea, Customer Assets, Exchanges

Health

Swiss Burn Units Overwhelmed After Crans‑Montana New Year’s Bar Fire

Switzerland’s burn units have been overwhelmed after a New Year’s Eve bar fire in Crans‑Montana, officials said. Dr. Robert Larribau, head of emergency care at Geneva’s University Hospital, said about 50 people are believed to have been badly burned. Switzerland’s burn centers in Zurich and

AI

Samsung to open CES 2026 with Sunday-night "First Look" livestream

Samsung will kick off CES 2026 with an early Sunday night presentation instead of its longtime midday Monday slot. The event streams live from the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas on Sunday, January 4 at 10 PM ET. Viewers can watch via the Samsung Newsroom, Samsung Electronics’ official YouTube channel,

Culture

Jess Carter on confronting racist abuse, team solidarity and her Euro triumph

Jess Carter has been named The Guardian’s Footballer of the Year after publicly confronting racist social-media abuse and going on to win a second European Championship with England and her first National Women’s Soccer League title. Carter says she has long wrestled with when to speak up, torn

Business

Musk Allies Argue DOGE’s Goal Was Government Overhaul, Not Finding $2T in Fraud

DOGE failed to uncover the vast $2 trillion in federal fraud that some reports say Elon Musk predicted, but his allies in government and Silicon Valley are reframing its mission as a broader push to remake how the federal government operates. Five unnamed allies told The Guardian that DOGE’s

World

US Appeals Court Rejects Copyright Claim Over Top Gun: Maverick

A United States appeals court has rejected a copyright claim brought against Paramount concerning the film Top Gun: Maverick. The decision denies the plaintiff's claim and leaves Paramount free of the alleged copyright violation as determined by the appeals court. Key Topics World, Culture, Film, Copyright, Paramount, Legal,

Tech

Terramaster F4-425 review: an affordable 4-bay NAS for home backup and media

ZDNET tested the Terramaster F4-425, a 4-bay NAS that sells on Amazon for $379 (also listed at $399.99 at B&H). The unit supports up to 120TB of storage with drives you must buy separately and offers a compact, fast option for LAN-based file storage, backups and media

AI

LG to unveil Gallery TV, a canvas-style art display, at CES 2026

LG will unveil a canvas-style art TV called the LG Gallery TV at CES 2026. The model will be offered in 55- and 65-inch sizes and features a flush-mount design with customizable magnetic frames. The Gallery TV uses a Mini LED panel, LG's Alpha 7 AI processor and

Health

Woman who disappeared on Nias in 1976 surprises audience at surf-film premiere

Ingrid LeFebour, who vanished from the Indonesian island of Nias in 1976 and was long presumed dead by some, attended the first screening of the film Point of Change in Fremantle last month. LeFebour, then an 18-year-old backpacker, had travelled to the island with her boyfriend to surf Lagundri Bay.

Business

Lego to hold first-ever CES press conference — watch live Jan. 5

The Lego Group will hold its first press conference at CES 2026, but the company has not revealed what it plans to unveil. The event is scheduled for Monday, January 5 at 1:00 PM ET. Lego and the Consumer Technology Association have not confirmed delivery details, though a livestream

Business

Deadly Clashes Erupt as Economic Protests Spread Across Iran

At least one person has been killed amid a fifth day of demonstrations across Iran that were sparked by high inflation and a collapsing currency, state media and activist groups said. The government identified the dead man as a 21-year-old member of a militia that works with security forces. A

Crypto

Dogecoin breaks double-bottom, jumps about 7% on volume-led rally

Dogecoin climbed to $0.126 after buyers cleared the $0.121 resistance band on the strongest volume in weeks, turning a compression zone into a breakout and shifting focus to whether the move can be defended. DOGE rose 6.6% from $0.1185 to $0.1263, printing session highs near

Health

Anthony Ramos Balances Acting, Writing and Hosting at Milly’s in Brooklyn

Anthony Ramos, the Brooklyn-born actor who played John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in the original Broadway cast of Hamilton, opened Milly’s Neighborhood Bar in Bedford-Stuyvesant in June with his friend Ron Leakey. He named the bar for his mother, Mildred Ramos. Ramos, 34, said he never planned to own