Labour row erupts after Andy Burnham blocked from byelection race 25. January 2026 (14:39) Allies of Greater Manchester mayor say No 10 has ‘chosen factionalism’ as decision leads to a furious backlashLabour’s national executive committee (NEC) has blocked Andy Burnham’s request to seek selection for the Gorton and Denton byelection, setting off an immediate and furious row within the party.In a vote of the 10-strong “officers’ group” of the NEC, only one person, Lucy Powell, the party deputy leader and a close ally of Burnham, voted to allow the Greater Manchester mayor to compete to be a candidate in the seat vacated by Andrew Gwynne this week. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Alex Pretti was murdered’: NBA’s Haliburton among sports stars to condemn Minnesota killing 25. January 2026 (14:28) 37-year-old shot dead by federal agents on SaturdayTyrese Haliburton and Angel Reese post on social mediaA number of prominent US sports stars have condemned the killing of a registered nurse, Alex Pretti, by federal agents in Minneapolis on Saturday.Pretti, 37, is the second person shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis in less than three weeks as protests over Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown sweep the city. Senior Trump administration officials have claimed Pretti intended to “massacre” federal officers with a handgun but video of the killing appears to contradict those claims. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Alex Honnold free solos Taipei 101 skyscraper in live Netflix climb 25. January 2026 (14:05) US climber takes an hour and half to scale one of Asia’s tallest buildings without ropes or a harnessThe US rock climber Alex Honnold climbed one of Asia’s tallest skyscrapers without ropes or a harness on Sunday, fulfilling an ambition that began more than a decade ago and which he hoped would inspire people to pursue their own challenges because “time is finite”.Honnold, who starred in the 2019 Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo, ascended the 508-metre (1,667ft) Taipei 101 using the skyscraper’s horizontal metal beams to pull himself up with his bare hands. The challenge had originally been scheduled to take place on Saturday but was postponed because of rain. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Screen time limits for children are no longer enough, new US report finds 25. January 2026 (14:00) Experts say guidance is ‘refreshing’ as it puts more emphasis on responsibility of companies and societyThe American Academy of Pediatrics has released new guidance on how to protect children’s mental health in the digital age – emphasizing the need for systemic changes as well as parental engagement that goes beyond limiting screen time.Jessica Schleider, an adolescent psychologist and professor at Northwestern University whose lab develops digital mental health interventions, said the new policy statement was “really refreshing to see”, because it contrasts with conventional wisdom that places too much of the safety burden on individual parents. Common advice like “limiting individual youth access to screens”, or asking parents to keep tabs on their children’s every digital movement is “not only impossible, but for adolescents in particular, potentially invasive”, Schleider said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘They’re trying to milk us’: leaseholders tell of soaring charges amid Labour reform delays 25. January 2026 (14:00) Some residents say they are facing financial ruin as government’s long-awaited law changes stall“I don’t say this lightly, but I feel traumatised by this,” said Sarah*, a leaseholder who owns a one-bedroom flat in Moseley, south Birmingham. “Every time I open the front door to my house I’m expecting some frightening letter with lots of zeros on it. It has ruined my life, to be honest.”Sarah works full-time as a school teacher, but has been forced to take up a second job to pay the spiralling bills from the management company of her building. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US storm cuts power to hundreds of thousands of homes and grounds flights 25. January 2026 (13:49) Snow, sleet, freezing rain and perilously cold temperatures forecast to sweep eastern two-thirds of nationMore than 500,000 households and businesses in the US are without power and more than 9,600 flights are expected to be cancelled ahead of a monster winter storm that threatens to paralyse eastern states with heavy snowfall.Forecasters said snow, sleet, freezing rain and dangerously frigid temperatures would sweep the eastern two-thirds of the nation on Sunday and into next week. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK politicians welcome Trump’s retreat over British troops’ role in Afghanistan 25. January 2026 (13:23) Home secretary says climbdown was ‘as good as it gets’ from US president despite failure to apologise for remarksDonald Trump’s climbdown over his claim that UK troops avoided the frontline in Afghanistan has been greeted with cross-party relief in Westminster despite his failure to apologise for remarks widely condemned as offensive and false.In a rare clarification, the US president praised British troops as being “among the greatest of all warriors” and acknowledged that 457 had died in Afghanistan. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Emotionally devastating’: Iranians in US on regime’s deadly protest crackdown 25. January 2026 (13:00) US readers said they were feeling anxious and helpless as authorities’ brutal crackdown has left thousands deadRecent protests in Iran have created the most serious and deadliest unrest in the country since the 1979 revolution, prompting eyes from all around the globe to shift to the Middle East.The Guardian asked Iranians living outside the country to share their views on the current situation in the country and about the possibility of US intervention. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Teachers in England driving homeless pupils to school and washing clothes, research shows 25. January 2026 (13:00) Survey finds schools referring homeless children to food banks as record numbers live in temporary housingSchools are regularly referring homeless children to food banks, driving them to classes and washing their clothes, according to research.A survey conducted by the housing charity Shelter and NASUWT, also known as the Teachers’ Union, asked 11,000 teachers about their experiences of working with children living in temporary accommodation. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg named Australian of the Year for 2026 25. January 2026 (12:21) Bennell-Pegg tells ceremony in Canberra she hopes to use award to inspire young people to chase their dreamsCathy Freeman leads Australia Day 2026 honours listGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAs a girl, Katherine Bennell-Pegg would lie on the dry grass in her backyard, gazing up at the stars and dreaming about one day reaching them.While she’s yet to enter space, the now-41-year-old is closer than most could ever hope for. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
