JD Vance and wife Usha Vance announce they’re expecting fourth child 21. January 2026 (00:47) Second lady becomes first US vice-presidential spouse to be pregnant while her husband serves in officeJD Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, announced on Tuesday that they are expecting their fourth child this summer.“We’re very excited to share the news that Usha is pregnant with our fourth child, a boy,” the pair announced in a post shared on social media. “Usha and the baby are doing well, and we are all looking forward to welcoming him in late July.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘You’ll find out’: Trump refuses to say how far he would go to seize Greenland 20. January 2026 (23:37) Trump also declines to offer any reassurances about his commitment to the stability of Nato allianceDonald Trump ratcheted up the uncertainty over how far he would be willing to go to acquire Greenland and warned the Nato alliance on Tuesday that it was only as strong as the United States allowed it to be.“You’ll find out,” Trump said in a terse reply at a White House press briefing before moving to the next question. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Commuter train near Barcelona hits collapsed wall injuring several people 20. January 2026 (23:31) Incident in Spain took place days after collision between two high-speed trains in Andalucía that killed at least 42A commuter train has hit a collapsed retaining wall near Barcelona, injuring several people, officials in the Catalonia region of north-eastern Spain have said.The incident on Tuesday came just two days after the collision of two high-speed trains in Andalucía, in the south of the country, which left at least 42 people dead and dozens injured. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Labour’s warm homes plan is all carrot and no stick for UK households 20. January 2026 (23:30) Grants, loans and ‘innovative finance’ will fund green technology, with insulation no longer the main objectiveNo ban on gas boilers in UK warm homes plan but heat pumps get £2.7bn pushAttempts to insulate the UK’s draughty homes have failed time and again, with botched schemes over the past two decades leading to a massive drop in the number of insulation upgrades. With its long-awaited warm homes plan, the Labour government has a different strategy: to bypass insulation in favour of installing green technology such as solar panels and heat pumps.About £5bn will be invested in home upgrades, including solar panels and batteries, in the form of grants to people on low incomes, as well as £2bn in consumer loans for people who can afford them, and £2.7bn in “innovative finance”, which could include schemes such as green mortgages, whereby householders get a lower interest rate if they invest in making their home more energy efficient. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Canada briefly detains Israeli comedian after complaints over conduct in Gaza 20. January 2026 (22:16) Guy Hochman says he was interrogated for six hours after legal group filed complaint accusing him of war crimesAn Israeli comedian and former combat soldier was detained and interrogated for six hours while traveling to Canada on Monday after a pro-Palestinian legal group filed a complaint against him accusing him of war crimes and “incitement to genocide”.The comedian, Guy Hochman, was detained upon arrival at Toronto Pearson international airport and only released after the intervention of the Israeli consulate, according to the Times of Israel. His detention came after the Hind Rajab Foundation, a Belgium-based group that aims to hold Israeli military personnel accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, filed a 40-page dossier about him with Canadian authorities. The groups Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights and the Legal Centre for Palestine also joined the complaint. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Starmer’s ‘keep calm’ Trump diplomacy bets on influence over popularity 20. January 2026 (22:01) Prime minister puts faith in ‘pragmatic’ solutions, while US president drops one diplomatic bomb after anotherIn his account of Tony Blair’s years in power, The New Machiavelli, Jonathan Powell sets out two opposing strategies for any British prime minister in dealing with their counterpart in the White House.The first, he says, is “cutting a bella figura” – parading for show – by openly criticising the US president, for which he gives the example of the French. The other, and the approach preferred by Powell, is to do diplomacy in private and build a close relationship, in the hope of having greater influence. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Lawyers say 18-year-old will plead guilty to North Carolina shooting that left five dead 20. January 2026 (21:17) Authorities believe that in 2022 Austin Thompson, then 15, went on killing rampage, beginning with his older brotherAn 18-year-old plans to plead guilty to a 2022 mass shooting in North Carolina that left five people dead – including his older brother – avoiding a trial in February, his attorneys have said.A written notice filed in Wake county court by the lawyers for Austin Thompson said their client intends to plead guilty to all charges against him. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australia news live: Labor’s hate speech laws pass the Senate; experts warn research gap on NDIS tool could lead to ‘tragedies’ 20. January 2026 (20:48) Attorney general says Labor does not plan to again try to pass laws targeting racial vilification. Follow updates liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe head of Australia’s peak body of psychologists and disability experts have warned the NDIS’s new assessment tool hasn’t been tested on a variety of disability types – including diverse autistic needs – which may lead to “tragedies” occurring, if more research is not conducted.The NDIA called the tool the “gold standard of available, validated needs assessment tools. It has been developed over more than 20 years in the Australian context and tested through multiple research studies across a range of disability groups”.What will probably happen is that there will just be terrible outcomes for six months or a year and complaints … and people talking to the government and the ombudsman and whatever else and maybe a couple of tragedies and then something will get fixed. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK to hand Chagos Islands to Mauritius despite Trump’s taunts, No 10 says 20. January 2026 (20:42) PM’s spokesperson insists the government’s position is unchanged and that the US still supports the dealThe UK will press ahead with plans to hand the Chagos Islands back to Mauritius despite Donald Trump calling it an “act of great stupidity” and suggesting it was among the reasons he wants to take over Greenland.The US president said ceding sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory, which includes the Diego Garcia military base, was a sign of “total weakness” by the UK. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Concerned European football chiefs discuss response to Trump over Greenland 20. January 2026 (20:34) Annex attempt could bring about Uefa-led boycott Implications for World Cup alarming heads of FAsEuropean football’s leaders are increasingly concerned about Donald Trump’s wish to annex Greenland and have held initial discussions about how the sport could respond.The Guardian understands the implications for this summer’s World Cup were among the topics raised among about 20 football association heads in Budapest on Monday. Talks about the Greenland crisis were held informally on the sidelines of an event organised to celebrate the Hungarian football federation’s 150th anniversary, in the knowledge that a unified European response may be required should Trump seek to escalate the situation. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
