Russia launches deadly strikes on Kyiv and Kharkiv ahead of day two of peace talks 24. January 2026 (08:14) Tripartite talks in the United Arab Emirates to resume in wake of missile and drone attacks that have killed one and injured dozensRussia launched a massive drone and missile attack targeting Ukraine’s two largest cities, Kyiv and Kharkiv, early on Saturday, as US, Ukrainian and Russian negotiators met in the United Arab Emirates for the second day of tripartite peace talks.With Kyiv and other cities in the midst of widespread outages of heat, water and power following Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, officials in Kyiv said one person had been killed and at least 15 injured in strikes that continued until morning. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Asbestos found in children’s play sand sold in UK 24. January 2026 (08:00) Hobbycraft removes product from sale after parent sent samples to a lab for testing but declines to issue a recallBottles of children’s play sand have been withdrawn from shelves by the craft retailer Hobbycraft after a parent discovered they were contaminated with asbestos.The parent, who did not wish to be named, raised the alarm after her children played with the sand at a party. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
The ADHD grey zone: why patients are stuck between private diagnosis and NHS care 24. January 2026 (08:00) NHS England pays for private assessments under ‘right to choose’, but can reject diagnoses and is struggling to cope with demandSameer Modha knows the ADHD system all too well. He has been diagnosed himself, as have his two children, giving him a clear view of how the system works – and where it breaks down.While his own diagnosis was relatively straightforward, the experience with his daughter was very different. The diagnosis he obtained for his eldest child, after an assessment carried out privately by a “very senior ex-Camhs [child and adolescent mental health service] director, someone who knows the system and has seen a huge amount of this”, was later rejected by the NHS. He was told it was not compliant with guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), which sets healthcare standards nationally. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Red meat, no lettuce: Nigel Farage and Liz Truss attend private lunch after week of Tory defections 24. January 2026 (08:00) Meal at Mayfair club took place on day Reform UK’s Robert Jenrick criticised former PM’s mini-budgetIf it was on the menu, a side helping of lettuce never made it to the table. Over blood-red steak and chips, Nigel Farage and Liz Truss came together on Monday for a discreet lunch at a swish Mayfair club, organised by a climate-denying US thinktank.Lois Perry, a former leader of the far-right Ukip party who is now Europe director of the Heartland Institute, posted photographs, now deleted, on X of Farage addressing others, including Truss, at the meal. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
From scorpions to peacocks: the species thriving in London’s hidden microclimates 24. January 2026 (07:00) An extraordinary mosaic of wildlife has made Britain’s urban jungle its homeLondon is the only place in the UK where you can find scorpions, snakes, turtles, seals, peacocks, falcons all in one city – and not London zoo. Step outside and you will encounter a patchwork of writhing, buzzing, bubbling urban microclimates.Sam Davenport, the director of nature recovery at the London Wildlife Trust, emphasises the sheer variation in habitats that you find in UK cities, which creates an amazing “mosaic” of wildlife. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Labour MP who was groomed asks colleagues to back judge-only trials 24. January 2026 (07:00) Exclusive: Natalie Fleet says power balance is with criminals not victims as delays make ‘hell of being raped’ worseA Labour MP who became pregnant after being groomed and raped as a teenager has called on colleagues to back plans for judge-only trials or “allow the power balance to remain in favour of criminals as opposed to the victims”.Natalie Fleet, the MP for Bolsover, said she would not encourage survivors to seek justice through the courts because “the hell of being raped is made worse by the hell of going through delays in the system”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Unfathomable’: Australian veterans disgusted by Trump’s claim allied troops ‘stayed a little back’ from frontline 24. January 2026 (05:29) In casting doubt on Nato’s reliability, US president references Afghanistan campaign – which involved 40,000 Australian troops and left 47 deadGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe head of Australia’s largest veteran organisation has categorically rejected Donald Trump’s claim that allied soldiers “stayed a little back” from the frontlines when they supported the US campaign in Afghanistan, calling the comments “unfathomable”.The US president made the comments on Fox News on Thursday, saying he was “not sure” Nato would meet the “ultimate test” of defending the US if it were under threat. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Pentagon to reduce its role in deterrence of North Korea 24. January 2026 (05:17) US policy document suggests South Korea take primary responsibility, as Pentagon prioritises defending US homelandThe Pentagon foresees a “more limited” role in deterring North Korea, with South Korea taking primary responsibility for the task, a Pentagon policy document released on Friday said, in a move likely to raise concern in Seoul.South Korea hosts about 28,500 US troops in combined defence against North Korea’s military threat and Seoul has raised its defence budget by 7.5% for this year. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Nico Antic, 12, dies in hospital after being attacked by a shark in Sydney 24. January 2026 (04:52) Family confirms boy has died almost a week after the attack, describing him as possessing the ‘most kind and generous spirit’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA 12-year-old boy has died in hospital after being mauled by a shark in Sydney Harbour last weekend, his family has confirmed.The boy, named as Nico Antic in an online fundraiser, had been fighting for his life after being bitten on both legs on 18 January at a harbour beach in Vaucluse, in Sydney’s east. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US immigration agents detain two-year-old Minnesota girl: ‘depravity beyond words’ 24. January 2026 (02:38) DHS detain a toddler and her father on Thursday and fly them to Texas before returning child on judge’s orderFederal immigration agents detained a two-year-old girl and her father in Minneapolis on Thursday and transported them to Texas, according to court records and the family’s lawyers.The father, identified in court filings as Elvis Joel TE, and his daughter were stopped and detained by officers around 1pm when they were returning home from the store. By the evening, a federal judge had ordered the girl be released by 9.30pm. But federal officials instead put both of them on a plane heading to a Texas detention center. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
