Winter Storm Fern live updates: Massive winter storm moves through US 24. January 2026 (17:35) Winter storm system brings emergency declarations and nearly 10,000 flight cancellations throughout swath of countryPower outages across the country have already surged to nearly 85,000, according to PowerOutage.us.Texas is reporting by far the largest number of outages with over 43,000 homes and businesses impacted. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Snow, sleet and power outages: 150m Americans brace for massive winter storm 24. January 2026 (17:02) Winter weather is engulfing large area of country as 16 states plus DC have declared states of emergency A powerful winter storm that has more than 150 million Americans in its crosshairs had started sweeping across much of the US on Saturday – packing heavy snow and sleet as well as freezing rain, and the risk of widespread power outages.Snowfall was already being reported on Saturday morning across parts of the plains, the south and the midwest, including in areas of Oklahoma, Iowa, Tennessee, Kansas, Texas, and Missouri. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump threatens Canada with 100% tariff over possible deal with China 24. January 2026 (16:04) President also claimed US refineries will process seized Venezuelan oil, saying ‘we take the oil’Donald Trump on Saturday said he would impose a 100% tariff on all Canadian imports if the North American country makes a trade deal with China.Beside that tariff threat, another Trump foreign policy maneuver to make news on Saturday involved the president announcing the US had taken the oil that was on recently seized Venezuelan tankers. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK expected to reduce amount of steel it allows in tariff-free 24. January 2026 (16:00) Change being considered amid global glut driven by supplies from China along with a rise in protectionism The UK is expected to reduce the amount of foreign steel it allows in tariff-free, as the government looks to protect its domestic industry amid a global glut and a rise in protectionism.Ministers are considering changing the quota system that allows a quantity of the metal to be imported before imposing a 25% levy on anything above that level. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Gas explosion and fire in New York City apartment building kills 1, injures 14 24. January 2026 (15:36) Fire department was responding to report of gas odor in Bronx building when explosion occurred during frigid nightA gas explosion sent fire racing through the top floors of a high-rise apartment building in New York City early on Saturday, killing one person and injuring 14 others as temperatures plunged into the single digits overnight, authorities said.Firefighters responded shortly before 12.30am to the 17-story New York City housing authority (Nycha) building in the Bronx, where people were seen leaning out of windows calling for help as flames engulfed parts of the top floors, officials said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Six people injured after car crashes inside Detroit airport 24. January 2026 (15:34) Driver was taken into custody after car crashed through airport entrance and struck Delta ticket counterA car crashed through the entrance of Detroit’s metropolitan Wayne county airport on Friday evening, striking a ticket counter and injuring six people, airport officials said.The driver was taken into custody, the Wayne county airport authority (WCAA) said in a statement. The cause of the crash was not yet known, and airport police were investigating. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘A lot of fear’: the families bearing brunt of Sweden’s immigration crackdown 24. January 2026 (15:00) Many of those moved into an asylum return centre have held jobs for years and can speak the language“Sweden did this for us,” said Sofiye*, making a supportive scooping up gesture with her hands. “And then, bam.” She dropped them to the ground.Sofiye, who has three children, arrived in Sweden from Uzbekistan as an asylum seeker in 2008, and for much of that time she was able to build a life in the Scandinavian country. The family lived in a flat in a Stockholm suburb and Sofiye worked for the municipality in the home help department. She learned Swedish and her children went through the Swedish school system. Her youngest son was born in Sweden and her 18-year-old son, Hamza, who is studying in college to be a technician, doesn’t know life anywhere else. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Police Federation criticises plans for mandatory ‘licence to practise’ for officers 24. January 2026 (14:46) Crime minister says reforms will improve standards, but Federation says unsafe workloads must be tackled firstThe government must stop burdening police officers with unsafe workloads and improve police pay and training if they want “professional” policing, the Police Federation has said, in response to sweeping Home Office reforms to improve standards in the police.Under the new plans, set to be unveiled in a white paper on Monday, police officers in England and Wales will be required to hold and renew a “licence to practise” throughout their career in the future. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Syrian and Kurdish forces agree to extend ceasefire as threat of war looms 24. January 2026 (13:47) Ceasefire to be extended for one month to allow transfer of suspected Islamic State members from Syria to IraqThe Syrian government and Kurdish forces agreed to extend a ceasefire on Saturday, according to Syrian diplomatic sources, temporarily staving off a looming war between the two sides in Syria’s northeast.Diplomatic sources told Agence France-Presse the ceasefire would be extended for “a period of up to one month at most,” citing the need to facilitate the transfer of suspected members of Islamic State from Syria to Iraq. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Welsh first minister: Senedd election should not be referendum on Starmer 24. January 2026 (13:00) Exclusive: Eluned Morgan says it is not time for protest votes when the economy and public services are at stakeThe Labour first minister of Wales has urged voters not to treat the May elections as a referendum on Keir Starmer, calling on them to focus on the country’s future instead, with the party on course for a fight for third place.Eluned Morgan said it was not the time to send a protest vote to the prime minister when two pro-independence parties – Plaid Cymru and the Greens – could end up in power and so much was at stake for the economy and public services. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
