Trump’s board of peace is an imperial court completely unlike what was proposed 20. January 2026 (19:20) The US president’s global club was endorsed by the security council on a false prospectus and seems aimed at displacing the United NationsLike many punters who have tried to do business with Donald Trump in the past, the UN has found itself a victim of a classic bait-and-switch, thinking it was buying one thing, but getting quite another.When they voted to endorse the board of peace in November, other members of the UN security council hoped they were binding Trump into a Gaza peace process, but it now appears they were hoodwinked into backing a Trump-dominated pay-to-play club: a global version of his Mar-a-Lago court aimed at supplanting the UN itself. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
My party had no ‘system’ to misuse EU funds, Marine Le Pen tells appeal trial 20. January 2026 (18:23) French far-right leader denies existence of fake jobs ‘system’ in effort to overturn ban on running for presidentThe French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has told a Paris appeals court there was no “system” set up by her party to misuse European parliament funds, as she gave evidence in a fresh embezzlement trial that will determine whether she can run in the 2027 presidential election.“The word ‘system’ bothers me because [it gives] the impression of a manipulation,” Le Pen said on Tuesday, denying she had told members of the European parliament to hire assistants who instead worked for the party headquarters in Paris. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Head of US Africa bureau urges staff to highlight US ‘generosity’ despite aid cuts 20. January 2026 (18:11) Email sent to diplomats by state department office’s new boss is labelled ‘racist’ after dismissing Africa as a priorityUS diplomats have been encouraged to “unabashedly and aggressively” remind African governments about the “generosity” of the American people, according to a leaked email sent to staff in the US state department’s Bureau of African Affairs this January and obtained by the Guardian.“It’s not gauche to remind these countries of the American people’s generosity in containing HIV/Aids or alleviating famine,” says the email. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Lucy Letby will face no new charges, says Crown Prosecution Service 20. January 2026 (17:46) Ex-nurse, who is serving 15 whole-life prison terms, was convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven moreThe former nurse Lucy Letby will face no new charges on suspicion of murdering or harming babies, prosecutors have announced.Letby, 36, is serving 15 whole-life prison terms after being convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others in the year to June 2016. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Almshouse to haunted student digs: historic Newcastle building to become affordable homes 20. January 2026 (17:41) Keelman’s hospital, which housed dockers in 1700s, awarded £4.6m lottery grant after lying empty for 16 yearsIt was built 300 years ago as an almshouse for men who did some of the most backbreaking and dangerous work on the River Tyne.Most recently it provided fun, if chilly, accommodation for students. Now a new chapter is to be written in the history of a building considered the most at-risk structure in Newcastle, with the announcement of £4.6m lottery money to convert it into affordable housing. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Israel bulldozes Unrwa headquarters in East Jerusalem 20. January 2026 (17:29) Palestinian refugee agency compound is demolished, while teargas is fired at UN vocational school in West BankIsraeli crews have started bulldozing the Jerusalem headquarters of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in Jerusalem and fired teargas at a UN vocational school in Qalandia, in the West Bank.Israel accuses the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (Unwra) of collaborating with Hamas – a charge the agency denies – and last year banned it from operating on its territory. The demolition marks Israel’s latest step against Unrwa, which provides aid to millions of Palestinian refugees. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK study to examine effects of restricting social media for children 20. January 2026 (17:22) Trial involving 4,000 children will explore impact on mental health, sleep and time spent with friends and familyA pioneering investigation into the impact of restricting social media access for children in the UK has been announced as politicians around the world consider action on the issue.In December, Australia became the first country to ban under-16s from social media, with governments in other countries – including the UK – under pressure to do the same. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Kurdish forces withdraw from IS detention camp in north-east Syria 20. January 2026 (16:59) Neighbouring states warned of chaos if IS prisoners were freed from camp they regard as hotbed of extremismKurdish-led forces in Syria have announced a withdrawal from a detention camp in north-east Syria housing tens of thousands of Islamic State-linked detainees, as Syrian government forces continued to advance in the region.The fate of al-Hol, which houses among others the most radical of foreign women suspected to have been members of IS, and their families, is of great concern to neighbouring states and the international community. These states have for years warned the camp is a hotbed of extremism and chaos could result if a jailbreak were to occur. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Judge allows Trump administration to block lawmakers’ access to ICE facilities 20. January 2026 (16:58) Judge rules homeland security can insist lawmakers provide week’s notice of intention to inspect facilities The Trump administration won a legal victory on Monday that temporarily allows it to keep elected officials out of immigration detention camps, while it advanced two other court actions in support of its surge into Minnesota.A federal judge in Washington DC ruled that the homeland security department (DHS) can continue to insist that lawmakers provide a week’s notice of their intention to inspect immigration facilities, even though she blocked an identical policy last month. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US lawmakers seek to block Trump’s threatened tariffs on European allies 20. January 2026 (16:53) Democrats lead legislative charge to block imposition of tariffs as some Republicans break from TrumpLawmakers from both parties promised legislative action to block Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs against European allies on Monday, though Republicans willing to publicly break with the president on Greenland remain in short supply.Senator Peter Welch, a Democrat, announced plans to introduce a resolution aimed at terminating tariffs Trump threatened to impose over the weekend on eight European nations, including Nato allies Denmark, the UK, Germany and France. The president first mused about the tariffs on Friday at a White House roundtable, then punctuated his threat with new details that included a 10% levy beginning in February, escalating to 25% by June unless a deal is reached for what he called the “Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
