World

Kemi Badenoch has sacked Robert Jenrick as the Conservative Party’s shadow justice spokesperson, removed the whip and suspended his party membership, alleging “irrefutable” evidence he was secretly plotting to defect in a way intended to inflict maximum damage on his colleagues. The Conservative leader announced the move in a post on X, saying she took action “with immediate effect.” Badenoch wrote: “I was presented with clear, irrefutable evidence that he was plotting in secret to defect in a way designed to be as damaging…

X will restrict its AI chatbot Grok from generating or editing sexualized images of real people, moving to geoblock “bikinis, underwear and similar attire” content where such activity is illegal, after a global backlash over the creation of deepfakes of women and children and mounting pressure from regulators. “We have implemented technological measures to prevent the Grok account from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis,” X’s safety team said. “This restriction applies to all…

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey accused federal immigration agents of “creating chaos” after a Venezuelan man pursued during a targeted traffic stop was shot in the leg by a U.S. Department of Homeland Security officer, sparking a night of clashes between protesters and law enforcement. “We cannot counter Donald Trump’s chaos with our own brand of chaos,” Frey said, calling the federal presence “not sustainable” and urging calm as tensions flared citywide. DHS, which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said the…

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said he held a “long call” with Venezuela’s interim leader Delcy Rodriguez, the first known direct contact between the two since the ouster of Nicolas Maduro, signaling a new phase in U.S.-Venezuela relations that blends cautious engagement with continuing pressure over human rights. “We just had a great conversation today, and she’s a terrific person,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. In posts on social media, he said the pair discussed “many topics,” including oil, minerals,…

X said it will geoblock parts of its AI image tools to stop Grok, its chatbot, from generating or editing sexualized images of real people, escalating its response to a global backlash and mounting investigations tied to deepfake abuse of women and minors. In a statement, X’s safety team said it will “geoblock the ability” of all Grok and X users to create images of people in “bikinis, underwear, and similar attire” in jurisdictions where such content is illegal. “We have implemented technological measures to prevent the…

UN Security Council to meet on Iran as U.S. pulls some personnel from Middle East bases The U.N. Security Council is expected to convene for a briefing on the situation in Iran at the request of the United States, according to a scheduling note cited by a spokesperson for the Somali presidency. The move comes as the U.S. withdraws some personnel from regional bases amid heightened tensions and warnings from Tehran that it would target American facilities if struck. A U.S. official said some drawdowns are underway. Qatar…

EU, Mercosur set to sign long-sought free trade pact in Paraguay, creating one of the world’s largest markets The European Union and South America’s Mercosur are poised to sign a free trade agreement in Asuncion, Paraguay, on Jan. 17, capping more than 25 years of negotiations and creating one of the world’s largest free trade areas. The pact would eliminate tariffs on more than 90% of bilateral trade across a market representing about 30% of global GDP and more than 700 million consumers. The deal, agreed in Brussels last…

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said he held a “long call” with Venezuela’s interim leader Delcy Rodriguez, the first known direct contact between the two since the ouster of Nicolas Maduro, as Caracas continued a cautious release of prisoners detained during years of political repression. “We just had a great conversation today, and she’s a terrific person,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. He later said on social media the pair discussed “many topics,” including oil, minerals, trade and national security, and…

WASHINGTON — The United States said it is launching the second phase of its plan to end the Gaza war, moving ahead even as key elements of the first phase — including a complete cease-fire between Israel and Hamas — remain unfulfilled. The faltering start has been marked by ongoing Israeli airstrikes that have killed hundreds in Gaza, delays in reopening the Gaza-Egypt border crossing and the failure to return the remains of one last Israeli hostage. Announcing the shift in a social media post, President Donald Trump’s…

Three Palestine Action activists have ended a 73-day hunger strike in a UK prison after campaigners said the government denied a £2 billion (€2.3 billion) contract to Israeli-based defence firm Elbit Systems — a development the activists’ supporters described as a key demand of the protest. Kamran Ahmed, Heba Muraisi and Lewie Chiaramello began re-feeding yesterday, the campaign group Prisoners for Palestine said. The organisation, which has coordinated updates from supporters of the detainees, said Umer Khalid remains on…