3 d. ago Iran closes airspace to all flights as foreign minister denies it plans to execute protesters – live

Abbas Araghchi says hangings over anti-government demonstrations are ‘out of the question’ while flight tracking data shows airlines avoiding Iranian airspaceUS and UK military to withdraw some personnel from Middle East amid Iranian threatsAnalysis: why western diplomats are wary of predicting end days for Iran’s regimeMassacres and executions: what are we hearing from inside Iran? – podcastFor the first time in days, Iranians were able to make calls abroad from their mobiles on Tuesday, according to reporting by Associated Press. Texting services have not been restored, however, and nor has the internet.Although Iranians were able to call abroad, they could not receive calls from outside the country, several people in the capital told Associated Press. The internet remained blocked, they said, though it is possible to access some government-approved websites. Cloudfare - an internet infrastructure provider, and one of several companies and monitors tracking the status of internet ...

Politics

3 d. ago US acquisition of Greenland ‘absolutely not necessary,’ says Danish foreign minister after Washington talks – Europe live

Trump claims only US can protect territory and says ‘two dogsleds won’t do it’ as Danish and Greenlandic ministers hold talks with vice-presidentPeople in Greenland: share your views on Trump’s recent commentsUS president Donald Trump has doubled down on his rhetoric on getting control of Greenland, insisting that the US “needs Greenland for the purpose of national security.”In a social media post, Trump claimed that “Nato should be leading the way for us to get it,” and “if we don’t, Russia or China will, and that is not going to happen!”“Militarily, without the vast power of the United States, much of which I built during my first term, and am now bringing to a new and even higher level, Nato would not be an effective force or deterrent - not even close! They know that, and so do I.” Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Iran crisis live: foreign minister says country ready for negotiations but also ‘fully prepared for war’

Abbas Araghchi warns adversaries against ‘miscalculation’ as Trump mulls military response to protest crackdown‘The streets are full of blood’: Iranian protests gather momentum as regime cracks downIranian student killed during protests was shot in head ‘from close range’Analysis: Unpredictable Trump weighs up Iranian pleas for help against calls for restraintIran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, has said communication lines with the US remain open, as the Trump administration continues to weigh the option of military strikes.“This channel of communication between our foreign minister (Abbas Araghchi) and the special envoy of the president of the United States is open,” Baghaei said, in apparent reference to Steve Witkoff.Always opposes interference in other countries’ internal affairs, maintains that the sovereignty and security of all countries should be fully protected under international law, and opposes the use or threat of use of force in international relatio...

Politics

1 week ago Venezuelan leaders’ fever dream of a US invasion finally becomes reality

Maduro and Chávez used fears of American aggression to tighten their grip on power – but now an even greater fantasist has imposed his will on their countryNicolás Maduro jailed in New York – live updatesThe ‘Putinisation’ of US foreign policy has arrived in VenezuelaIt was the fever dream of the revolution, a dark fantasy spun so many times – each version wilder than the last – until it almost became a joke: the Yankees are coming.Hugo Chávez, who ruled Venezuela from 1999 to 2013, conjured the scenario again and again, warning that the US president and his henchmen in the CIA and Pentagon were mobilising forces to strike. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Nigeria provided US with intelligence for strikes on Islamist militants, says foreign minister – US politics live

Yusuf Tuggar says strikes against group accused by Donald Trump of attacking Christian communities will be an ‘ongoing process’Explained: Why has Trump ordered strikes in Nigeria?Here are some images of the aftermath of US strikes in Nigeria that have come via the news wires today:Nigerians across Sokoto state told of their shock at Christmas Day strikes by the United States. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Japan’s cabinet approves record defence budget amid escalating China tensions

Japanese strike-back capabilities and coastal defences to be boosted while Beijing accuses Tokyo of fuelling a ‘space arms race’Japan’s cabinet has approved a record high defence budget as tensions with China continue to spiral, with Beijing this week accusing Tokyo of “fuelling a space arms race”.The draft defence budget for the next fiscal year – approved on Friday – is more than ¥9tn ($58bn) and 9.4% bigger than the previous budget, which will end in April. The increase comes in the fourth year of Japan’s five-year program to double its annual arms spending to 2% of GDP. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Japan to double number of years foreigners must live in the country before attaining citizenship

Proposed immigration rules would make approval of citizenship applications contingent on ‘good conduct’ and up to officials’ discretion

Politics