Nursing a skink: endangered alpine lizard numbers set to rise after Omeo falls pregnant in Victoria 29. January 2026 (15:00) Eleven guthega skinks could soon become 13 thanks to a captive breeding program in the Alpine national parkGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastEleven endangered skinks released into a gated community in Victoria’s Alpine national park could soon become 13, with a female known as Omeo due to give birth in March.One of Australia’s only alpine lizards, guthega skinks live on “sky islands” above 1,600 metres in two isolated alpine locations – the Bogong high plains in Victoria and Mount Kosciuszko in New South Wales. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump’s border chief vows ‘improvements’ for ICE operations but doesn’t mention fatal shootings of US citizens – live 29. January 2026 (14:57) Border czar Tom Homan in Minneapolis says ‘no agency is perfect’ and acknowledges improvements that need to be made to federal immigration enforcement‘Nothing has changed’: Minneapolis on edge despite Trump’s de-escalation vow“I do not want to hear that “everything that’s been done here has been perfect”, Homan said, without referring specifically to the fatal shooting of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.Homan noted that while no “agency is perfect” he did not come to Minneapolis to create “headlines”. The federal immigration enforcement surge is “going to improve because of changes we’re making”, he said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Klobuchar declares Minnesota governor run as Walz vows not to seek office again 29. January 2026 (14:51) Senator says she is running ‘for every Minnesotan who wants ICE and its abusive tactics out of the state we love’Amy Klobuchar, the Democratic US senator and one-time presidential candidate, announced she will run for governor of Minnesota, an expected move after the incumbent governor, Tim Walz, dropped out of the race in early January.Klobuchar’s announcement comes less than 24 hours after Walz said that he would never run for public office again. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Judge blocks charity’s challenge over trans people’s use of Hampstead ponds single-sex facilities 29. January 2026 (14:42) Judge says claim brought by Sex Matters should be made instead by individual who says they have faced discriminationA legal challenge brought by a charity over transgender people’s access to single-sex facilities at swimming ponds in Hampstead Heath has failed at the high court.Sex Matters, a UK-wide gender-critical campaign group, sought to take legal action against the City of London, which manages the bathing ponds in north London, arguing that allowing trans people to use the facilities for the gender with which they identified amounted to sex discrimination. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘My kids buy me food’: civil service pensioners offered emergency loans as nearly 90,000 face delays 29. January 2026 (14:40) Government to lend up to £10,000 to worst-affected new retirees as minister admits there is ‘unacceptable’ backlogNewly retired civil servants say they are struggling to pay bills and buy food because delays at their pension scheme have left them without an income for months.Pensioners have reported being forced to borrow money from family to pay for food and heating, with some saying they feared losing their homes because they could not afford their rent or mortgage. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Bari Weiss’s new CBS hires include ‘germ theory denialist’ doctor 29. January 2026 (14:00) Dr Mark Hyman, who claimed he reduced his biological age by 20 years, brought on as a contributorAmong the new hires at CBS announced by Bari Weiss is a doctor who has claimed that he has reduced his biological age by 20 years with therapies including cold plunges; that cod liver oil can treat autism and that conditions like Alzheimer’s and dementia can be reversed with the kind of nutritional supplements he also sells on his online store.Dr Mark Hyman, who has been called a “germ theory denialist” by medical author Harriet Hall, and has been brought on as a contributor in Weiss’s revamping of CBS’s news division. He is perhaps the most prominent exponent of so-called “functional medicine” (FM), an alternative medicine that oncological surgeon David Gorski has described as “pure quackery”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Pesticide cocktails’ polluting apples across Europe, study finds 29. January 2026 (13:38) Pan Europe found several pesticide residues in 85% of apples, with some showing traces of up to seven chemicalsEnvironmental groups have raised the alarm after finding toxic “pesticide cocktails” in apples sold across Europe.Pan Europe, a coalition of NGOs campaigning against pesticide use, had about 60 apples bought in 13 European countries – including France, Spain, Italy and Poland – analysed for chemical residues. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Russia ‘trying to bomb and freeze’ Ukrainians to submission, EU’s foreign policy chief warns – Europe live 29. January 2026 (12:06) Kaja Kallas also played down the idea of ‘a European army’ saying that it remained to be a domain for national authoritiesThe European Union has announced plan to spend €145m on aid for Ukraine “to provide protection assistance, shelter, food, cash assistance, psychosocial support, and access to water and health services” amid worsening humanitarian situation in the country after recent Russian strikes on its energy infrastructure.The European Commission said:“After more than a decade of hostilities and almost four years of full-scale war, the people of Ukraine continue to endure immense suffering. Daily civilian casualties, widespread infrastructure destruction, and mass displacement are further exacerbating the massive humanitarian needs.With Russia’s ongoing attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, millions in the country are exposed to freezing temperatures.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Nothing has changed’: Minneapolis on edge despite Trump’s de-escalation vow 29. January 2026 (12:00) The departure of Greg Bovino has not quelled ICE’s raids – and hope that tensions are easing feels distantIn the days after the killing of 37‑year‑old ICU nurse Alex Pretti, signs emerged that the Trump administration understood how quickly anger at federal immigration agents could ignite across Minnesota and the nation.Early in the week, the president touted “very good” phone calls with Minnesota governor Tim Walz – whom Trump routinely disparages – and Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Baltimore bridge collapse: crew members from ship still held by US two years on 29. January 2026 (12:00) Despite no criminal charges being brought against them, four officers have been detained since the MV Dali struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge, killing six workersSeveral crew members of a ship that collided with a bridge in Baltimore almost two years ago are still being held in the US by federal authorities despite the fact that no criminal charges have been brought against them.In the early hours of 26 March 2024, the MV Dali departed the port of Baltimore bound for Sri Lanka. While navigating the Fort McHenry channel, the 1,000ft-long Singapore-flagged cargo vessel lost power before striking the bridge. The impact resulted in the deaths of six people who were working on the bridge at the time. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
