3+ hour, 10+ min ago (524+ words) Venezuela responds defiantly to Trump comments about closing airspace above country, saying it doesn't accept foreign orders or threats The Venezuelan government has responded defiantly to heightened pressure by the US government, including Donald Trump's statements on Saturday that the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela is to be closed. In a statement, the Venezuelan government said Trump's comments were a "colonialist threat" against their sovereignty and violated international law. The government also said it demanded respect for its airspace and would not accept foreign orders or threats. Here are the key stories: Trump on Saturday, in a Truth Social post said: "To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY." Due to Trump's announcement, all migrant deportation flights were "unilaterally suspended", the Venezuelan government said. Deportation…...

15+ hour, 3+ min ago (1256+ words) People implicated in the late sex offender's crimes might face criminal charges or, at the very least, social ostracism As the clock ticks toward the congressionally mandated deadline of 19 December by which Donald Trump's justice department must release its files related to Jeffrey Epstein, there is intense speculation about the contents of these documents " but also questions as to what happens when they are released. The US president on 19 November signed a bipartisan bill requiring that the US attorney general, Pam Bondi, disclose these documents to the US public within 30 days. Given that other tranches of materials related to the disgraced financier included damning correspondence with high-profile individuals, many expect that still more names of the rich, famous and powerful will be named. Victims of Epstein and their advocates, including an overwhelming majority of Congress, have expressed hope that they…...

1+ day, 3+ min ago (629+ words) In the wake of the deadly Washington DC shooting, Trump claimed immigrants are "destroying everything America stands for. Heres what the data shows Donald Trumps hateful, falsehood-filled rant on Thursday blaming immigrants for crime, "social dysfunction" and economic hardship is refuted by a wide range of immigration statistics, which show clearly that immigrants dramatically bolster the US economy and commit crimes at far lower rates than people born in the US. On Thursday evening, Trump condemned immigrants in a broad and vicious invective, painting them as "illegal and disruptive populations" and attacking "those that hate, steal, murder and destroy everything that America stands for". He vowed to block all migration from "third world countries" to allow the "US system to fully recover". The presidents post follows a deadly shooting in Washington DC on Wednesday in which one National Guard member…...

1+ day, 3+ min ago (192+ words) Next nominee faces enormous task of leading a party that has been entirely re-oriented around Trump Donald Trump hasn't stopped joking about running again for the White House in 2028, even as he acknowledges it is "pretty clear" he is constitutionally ineligible for a third term. Whether intended as a taunt or a threat, his musings are a reminder that, even barred from the ballot, Trump is likely to remain a central figure in the campaign to succeed him. The next Republican nominee faces the potentially enormous task of leading a party that has been entirely reoriented around Trump into a post-Trump era. Here's a look at the Republicans best positioned for a White House run. Secretary of state, interim national security adviser Much could change as the Trump presidency evolves, reshaping alliances and opening space for new presidential contenders. Here…...

1+ day, 16+ hour ago (505+ words) Democratic safeguards won't work unless they're backed by the will of the people, argues Peter Loschi, while Roger Heppleston calls for wholesale reform of the British political system. Plus letters from Rob Hunter, Peter Buckman and Dr Piers Brendon Timothy Garton Ash has produced an excellent list of safeguards against extremism (My guide to populist-proofing your democracy " before it's too late, 25 November). Unfortunately, they don't work in the long term. The finest minds of the Enlightenment devised the checks and balances of the US constitution, and an authoritarian like Donald Trump brushed them aside in two minutes. Laws and regulations to guarantee good government only work if the people want them to. If they're not bothered, then no'amount of safeguarding is of much use. We could replace the House of Lords with a citizens' assembly, comprising a randomly chosen cross-section…...

1+ day, 19+ hour ago (83+ words) Congresswoman from New York Many more Democrats are viewed as potential contenders. Here's who else to watch. Illinois governor JB Pritzker Maryland governor Wes Moore Minnesota governor and former vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz Colorado governor Jared Polis Former commerce secretary Gina Raimondo Barack Obama's former chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel Arizona senator Mark Kelly Michigan senator Elissa Slotkin Connecticut senator Chris Murphy New Jersey senator Cory Booker California congressman Ro Khanna Colorado congressman Jason Crow Media personality Stephen A Smith...

1+ day, 23+ hour ago (601+ words) In a social media post sent late on Thanksgiving, US president said he would "end all federal benefits and subsidies to noncitizens" following Washington DC shooting Donald Trump has said he will "permanently pause migration from all third world countries," a day after two national guard members were shot in Washington DC in an attack that has become a political flashpoint in the president"s ongoing crackdown on immigration. In a social media post beginning with "a very happy Thanksgiving," sent after 11pm on Thursday, the US president said his administration would "end all federal benefits and subsidies to noncitizens" and remove "anyone who is not a net asset to the United States". It as not clear how the president would enact such a "pause" in migration. Previous bans issued by his administration have faced challenges in the courts and in…...

2+ day, 12+ hour ago (211+ words) The suspect accused of shooting two National Guard members on Wednesday was Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, a man from Afghanistan living in Bellingham, Wash, FBI director Kash Patel confirmed on Thursday. The US attorney for Columbia,Jeanine Pirro, also confirmed the identities of the two critically injured national guards shot as Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24Suspect in Washington DC national guard shooting had ties to CIA, agency confirms Continue reading... The suspect accused of shooting two National Guard members on Wednesday was Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, a man from Afghanistan living in Bellingham, Wash, FBI director Kash Patel confirmed on Thursday. The US attorney for Columbia,Jeanine Pirro, also confirmed the identities of the two critically injured national guards shot as Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24 Suspect in Washington DC national guard shooting had ties to CIA, agency confirms The suspect accused of shooting…...

2+ day, 23+ hour ago (721+ words) The attack makes the troops" Washington DC exit less likely and offers a convenient data point for rightwing narratives "Washington DC is considered a safe zone," Donald Trump declared on Tuesday, veering off topic at the national Thanksgiving turkey pardoning ceremony at the White House. "This was one of the most unsafe places anywhere in the United States. It is now considered a totally safe city." A day later, two national guardsmen from West Virginia were shot in a busy area a few blocks from the White House in downtown Washington. The ambush took place outside the Farragut West Metro railway station within sight of the Guardian"s office (I had been in the station three hours earlier and witnessed national guard troops milling around). In a speech from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Wednesday evening, Trump said the…...

3+ day, 2+ hour ago (883+ words) Two national guard members were critically wounded in attack near White House " key US politics stories from Wednesday 26 November at a glance Two West Virginia national guard members were hospitalized in critical condition after they were shot near the White House in Washington. Local officials and federal authorities called the shooting a "targeted" attack and have a suspect in custody. In response, Donald Trump has ordered more troops to the nation's capital. US defense secretary Pete Hegseth said that Trump has asked for 500 additional troops to be deployed to Washington. "This happened just steps from the White House and it will not stand and that's why President Trump has asked me " and I will ask the secretary of the army to the national guard " to add 500 additional troops, national guardsmen, to Washington DC," Hegseth said. Trump's request for additional troops…...