‘Disheartening’: US justice department slashes funding to programs combating child sex trafficking 24. January 2026 (13:00) Prosecutors say cuts to funding and training limits their ability to bring child predators to justiceThe US Department of Justice has slashed funding and training resources for law enforcement working on investigations and prosecutions of sex crimes against children under the Trump administration, which limits their ability to carry out this work.Major cuts include the cancelation of 2025 National Law Enforcement Training on Child Exploitation, due to be held in Washington DC in June. The conference is an annual event that provides technical training to prosecutors, state and federal law enforcement officers on investigating online crimes against children. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Palestine Action hunger striker may die within days, says doctor 24. January 2026 (12:36) Umer Khalid, 22, has stopped drinking water as well as food in protest against charges against himThe last Palestine Action prisoner still on hunger strike has now stopped drinking water, which a doctor has warned could kill him.Umer Khalid, 22, has been on a hunger strike since November. His action was briefly paused at Christmas when he became unwell. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Arrested Louisiana priest was accused of ‘inappropriately touching a child’, report says 24. January 2026 (12:00) Korey LaVergne was jailed on three counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile and was released after posting bailThe arrest of a Roman Catholic priest in south-west Louisiana occurred after local authorities were told that the clergyman had “inappropriately touched a child” over the course of a year, according to investigators’ initial report on the case.The Guardian obtained the report Friday through a public records request, a week after the sheriff’s office of Acadia parish, Louisiana, booked Korey LaVergne with three counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Massive’ Russian strikes on Ukraine hit negotiation table as well as people, Kyiv says – Europe live 24. January 2026 (11:31) Ukraine’s foreign minister accuses Vladimir Putin of sabotaging peace talksJust hours before the three-way talks began, Putin discussed a Ukraine settlement with US president Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner during marathon overnight talks.The Kremlin insists that to reach a peace deal, Kyiv must withdraw its troops from the areas in the east that Russia illegally annexed but has not fully captured. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Coca-Cola sues Vue after cinema chain switches to Pepsi 24. January 2026 (11:00) Attempt to reclaim alleged unpaid debts comes months after 25-year relationship with cinema chain came to an endCoca-Cola is taking legal action against Vue after the cinema chain switched to arch-rival PepsiCo as its supplier for soft drinks in Europe.Vue, which operates more than 90 cinemas across the UK and Ireland, put the contract up for tender last year. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Fake weight-loss medication in tablet form could flood Britain, experts warn 24. January 2026 (11:00) Better regulation and enforcement urged before launch of oral treatments, which criminals are likely to try to exploitExperts are warning that fake weight-loss treatments could become more prevalent as tablet forms of the medications, currently available only via injections in the UK, are launched.They say stronger regulation and enforcement are needed to prevent fraudsters from cashing in on tablets which will be easier to counterfeit. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Olivia Dean’s Man I Need wins Triple J’s Hottest 100 24. January 2026 (10:35) Dancing2 by Keli Holiday comes in second, with almost twice as many Australian songs making the count this year compared to lastGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastBritish pop sensation Olivia Dean has taken out the number one spot in Australia’s largest music poll, Triple J’s Hottest 100, with her single Man I Need.The breezy neo-soul hit, which has spent 10 consecutive weeks atop the Aria singles chart, was widely tipped as the favourite to win the 2025 vote, in which 2.1m votes were cast. Dean finished ahead of Australian artist Keli Holiday, whose TikTok-fuelled earworm Dancing2 claimed No 2. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Reform UK’s private health insurance plan would cost £1.7bn, Streeting to say 24. January 2026 (09:56) Health secretary will describe plan to offer tax relief on private healthcare as ‘tax cut for the wealthiest’Reform UK’s policy of tax relief on private health insurance could cost the country £1.7bn, the health secretary, Wes Streeting, is expected to say on Saturday.Streeting will make the claim at a conference organised by the Fabian Society, a socialist thinktank aligned to the Labour party, and will describe the Reform proposal as a “tax cut for the wealthiest”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Repatriate the gold’: German economists advise withdrawal from US vaults 24. January 2026 (09:00) Shift in relations and unpredictability of Donald Trump make it ‘risky to store so much gold in the US’, say expertsGermany is facing calls to withdraw its billions of euros’ worth of gold from US vaults, spurred on by the shift in transatlantic relations and the unpredictability of Donald Trump.Germany holds the world’s second biggest national gold reserves after the US, of which approximately €164bn (£122bn) worth – 1,236 tonnes – is stored in New York. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
RHS unveils plans to protect UK gardens from future water shortages 24. January 2026 (09:00) Environmental charity to prioritise water capture and storage as it urges gardeners to prepare for ‘new normal’The Royal Horticultural Society has unveiled emergency plans to protect its gardens from major water shortages in the future.The environmental charity, which owns and operates five renowned public gardens in England, said on Saturday it will invest in more water-capture and water-management projects in 2026 after severe droughts last year. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
