Labour announces policing overhaul but critics fear it will centralise power 26. January 2026 (20:10) Home secretary to regain authority to sack chief constables and set crime- fighting targets in England and WalesLabour has announced wholesale changes to policing with a pledge to increase crime fighting, but faces warnings that at the plan’s heart is an unprecedented centralisation of powers.Shabana Mahmood said policing in England and Wales was the last public service to have survived unreformed for 50 years, despite being too costly and failing in parts. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Fate of China’s top general more likely to do with power struggle than corruption 26. January 2026 (20:09) Experts suggest Xi Jinping is asserting his authority by sidelining an officer who has significantly betrayed his trustStanding inches from Xi Jinping at a military ceremony in late December, China’s highest-ranking general, Zhang Youxia, may have had little inkling about the fate that was to befall him just a few weeks later when he was put under investigation.The 75-year-old’s physical proximity to China’s leader, who stands to his right, reflects the position he holds in China’s hierarchy. As vice-chair of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the ruling body of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), he is the second-most powerful person in China’s military, after Xi, the commander-in-chief. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Met police settle out of court with man shot with stun gun in bungled raid 26. January 2026 (19:46) Roy Morton, who is in his 80s, was stunned, restrained and arrested after officers went to wrong address in 2021Scotland Yard has settled out of court with a retired ballet dancer who sued after he was shot with a Taser weapon in his own home in a bungled dawn raid.Roy Morton, who has a pacemaker and lives alone, was stunned, restrained and arrested by firearms officers who forced entry into his home in Cricklewood, north-west London, on 28 December 2021. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Iranian government braces for possible attack as US navy arrives in region 26. January 2026 (19:44) American forces, aided by Israel, could have enough firepower to mount attack designed to topple regimeThe Iranian government is bracing itself for a fresh US and Israeli missile assault after it was announced that the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group has now deployed key assets to the region, observers have said.It is thought that Washington has the firepower in conjunction with Israeli aircraft to mount an attack designed to topple the government accused of brutally suppressing protests and killing thousands of Iranians. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Greens launch major push for Gorton and Denton after Burnham blocked 26. January 2026 (19:32) Party ready to pour resources into byelection after ‘game-changing’ barring of Greater Manchester mayorThe Greens are set to stage an all-out fight to win the upcoming Gorton and Denton byelection, with officials in the party arguing they have a real chance of victory after Andy Burnham was barred from applying to be the Labour candidate.The Greens came third in the seat in the general election, nearly 14,000 votes behind Andrew Gwynne, the sitting MP who stepped down last week. But they plan to flood the constituency with activists in the hope of persuading locals they are the party more likely to defeat Reform UK. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Critics slam Pam Bondi’s demand for Minnesota voter rolls amid ICE surge 26. January 2026 (19:31) Outrage mounts after US attorney general’s request as state reels from the weekend killing of Alex Pretti in MinneapolisThere was widespread outrage after the attorney general, Pam Bondi, pushed for access to Minnesota’s voter rolls as the state reeled from the killing of Alex Pretti over the weekend.Bondi included the demand for voter rolls in a letter she sent to the Minnesota governor, Tim Walz, on Saturday urging him to “change course” in the state. In addition to turning over the voter rolls, Bondi also said the state should turn over data on those receiving public assistance and repeal sanctuary city policies in the state. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Guyanese businessman facing US extradition elected opposition leader 26. January 2026 (19:26) Azruddin Mohamed’s election comes six months after he formed political party that became country’s second largestA Guyanese businessman facing extradition to the US on gold-smuggling and money-laundering charges has been elected as the country’s opposition leader, six months after he formed a political party that quickly became the second largest in the South American country.Azruddin Mohamed, 38, was confirmed as Guyana’s opposition leader after 16 lawmakers from the We Invest in Nationhood party (Win) and another from a single-seat outfit voted in his favor. The tally made Win the second-largest party in parliament, securing Mohamed’s election even as a magistrate’s court hears state arguments for his extradition to the US. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
SEC drops lawsuit against Winklevoss twins’ crypto firm 26. January 2026 (19:04) Move comes as the SEC has taken a series of friendly stances towards the cryptocurrency industry under TrumpThe US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Friday agreed to dismiss its enforcement case against a cryptocurrency exchange founded by billionaire twins Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, after investors in its lending program recovered their assets in full.The SEC has taken a series of industry-friendly actions in recent years, a shift in its approach to crypto enforcement under Donald Trump, who promised to be the “crypto president”. He brought in more favorable rules and pledged to popularize mainstream use of digital currencies. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK supermarkets push for Amazon soy safeguards after traders abandon ban 26. January 2026 (18:43) European retailers urge traders to adhere to commitments after Brazilian lawmakers wreck forest protection pactLeading British and European retailers are trying to salvage the core elements of the Amazon soy moratorium after the world’s most successful forest protection agreement was wrecked by Brazilian lawmakers and abandoned by international traders.In an open letter, high street brands including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda say the breakdown this month of the 20-year-old agreement will damage consumer confidence unless new arrangements are put in place to ensure grain production is not linked to deforestation. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Toronto digs itself out after largest snowfall in city’s history 26. January 2026 (18:40) Some parts of city were buried under nearly 60cm of snow and over 500 flights were cancelled SundayToronto is beginning to dig itself out from the largest snowfall in the city’s history, a process which officials say is likely to take “several days”.Some parts of Canada’s largest city were buried under nearly 60cm (about 23in) of snow and more than 500 flights were cancelled Sunday after Toronto’s main airport was snowed in. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
