Gas explosion and fire in New York City apartment building kills 1, injures 14 24. January 2026 (15:36) Fire department was responding to report of gas odor in Bronx building when explosion occurred during frigid nightA gas explosion sent fire racing through the top floors of a high-rise apartment building in New York City early on Saturday, killing one person and injuring 14 others as temperatures plunged into the single digits overnight, authorities said.Firefighters responded shortly before 12.30am to the 17-story New York City housing authority (Nycha) building in the Bronx, where people were seen leaning out of windows calling for help as flames engulfed parts of the top floors, officials said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Six people injured after car crashes inside Detroit airport 24. January 2026 (15:34) Driver was taken into custody after car crashed through airport entrance and struck Delta ticket counterA car crashed through the entrance of Detroit’s metropolitan Wayne county airport on Friday evening, striking a ticket counter and injuring six people, airport officials said.The driver was taken into custody, the Wayne county airport authority (WCAA) said in a statement. The cause of the crash was not yet known, and airport police were investigating. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘A lot of fear’: the families bearing brunt of Sweden’s immigration crackdown 24. January 2026 (15:00) Many of those moved into an asylum return centre have held jobs for years and can speak the language“Sweden did this for us,” said Sofiye*, making a supportive scooping up gesture with her hands. “And then, bam.” She dropped them to the ground.Sofiye, who has three children, arrived in Sweden from Uzbekistan as an asylum seeker in 2008, and for much of that time she was able to build a life in the Scandinavian country. The family lived in a flat in a Stockholm suburb and Sofiye worked for the municipality in the home help department. She learned Swedish and her children went through the Swedish school system. Her youngest son was born in Sweden and her 18-year-old son, Hamza, who is studying in college to be a technician, doesn’t know life anywhere else. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Police Federation criticises plans for mandatory ‘licence to practise’ for officers 24. January 2026 (14:46) Crime minister says reforms will improve standards, but Federation says unsafe workloads must be tackled firstThe government must stop burdening police officers with unsafe workloads and improve police pay and training if they want “professional” policing, the Police Federation has said, in response to sweeping Home Office reforms to improve standards in the police.Under the new plans, set to be unveiled in a white paper on Monday, police officers in England and Wales will be required to hold and renew a “licence to practise” throughout their career in the future. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Syrian and Kurdish forces agree to extend ceasefire as threat of war looms 24. January 2026 (13:47) Ceasefire to be extended for one month to allow transfer of suspected Islamic State members from Syria to IraqThe Syrian government and Kurdish forces agreed to extend a ceasefire on Saturday, according to Syrian diplomatic sources, temporarily staving off a looming war between the two sides in Syria’s northeast.Diplomatic sources told Agence France-Presse the ceasefire would be extended for “a period of up to one month at most,” citing the need to facilitate the transfer of suspected members of Islamic State from Syria to Iraq. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Welsh first minister: Senedd election should not be referendum on Starmer 24. January 2026 (13:00) Exclusive: Eluned Morgan says it is not time for protest votes when the economy and public services are at stakeThe Labour first minister of Wales has urged voters not to treat the May elections as a referendum on Keir Starmer, calling on them to focus on the country’s future instead, with the party on course for a fight for third place.Eluned Morgan said it was not the time to send a protest vote to the prime minister when two pro-independence parties – Plaid Cymru and the Greens – could end up in power and so much was at stake for the economy and public services. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Disheartening’: US justice department slashes funding to programs combating child sex trafficking 24. January 2026 (13:00) Prosecutors say cuts to funding and training limits their ability to bring child predators to justiceThe US Department of Justice has slashed funding and training resources for law enforcement working on investigations and prosecutions of sex crimes against children under the Trump administration, which limits their ability to carry out this work.Major cuts include the cancelation of 2025 National Law Enforcement Training on Child Exploitation, due to be held in Washington DC in June. The conference is an annual event that provides technical training to prosecutors, state and federal law enforcement officers on investigating online crimes against children. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Palestine Action hunger striker may die within days, says doctor 24. January 2026 (12:36) Umer Khalid, 22, has stopped drinking water as well as food in protest against charges against himThe last Palestine Action prisoner still on hunger strike has now stopped drinking water, which a doctor has warned could kill him.Umer Khalid, 22, has been on a hunger strike since November. His action was briefly paused at Christmas when he became unwell. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Arrested Louisiana priest was accused of ‘inappropriately touching a child’, report says 24. January 2026 (12:00) Korey LaVergne was jailed on three counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile and was released after posting bailThe arrest of a Roman Catholic priest in south-west Louisiana occurred after local authorities were told that the clergyman had “inappropriately touched a child” over the course of a year, according to investigators’ initial report on the case.The Guardian obtained the report Friday through a public records request, a week after the sheriff’s office of Acadia parish, Louisiana, booked Korey LaVergne with three counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Massive’ Russian strikes on Ukraine hit negotiation table as well as people, Kyiv says – Europe live 24. January 2026 (11:31) Ukraine’s foreign minister accuses Vladimir Putin of sabotaging peace talksJust hours before the three-way talks began, Putin discussed a Ukraine settlement with US president Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner during marathon overnight talks.The Kremlin insists that to reach a peace deal, Kyiv must withdraw its troops from the areas in the east that Russia illegally annexed but has not fully captured. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
