Arrest of priest for child molestation reignites scandal in Louisiana diocese 18. January 2026 (12:00) Korey LaVergne, 37, jailed Friday evening on three counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile, according to officialsAuthorities in south-west Louisiana recently arrested a Roman Catholic priest on accusations of behaving indecently with a child, igniting a new scandal in the diocese where the US church’s reckoning with clergy abuse began – an institution that just disclosed it could lose up to $162m over pending litigation.Korey LaVergne was jailed Friday evening on three counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile, according to Acadia parish sheriff KP Gibson, whose agency arrested the priest. LaVergne had presided over mass at St Edward church in Richard – where the Lafayette diocese had assigned him as pastor – hours before he was booked into the Acadia lockup. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
JD Vance: ‘despicable toady for Trump’ – and 2028 candidate in all but name 18. January 2026 (11:00) Vice-president has emerged as key defender of Maga flame – and is backed by big tech billions. Is this the heir apparent?“We did not have a lot of money,” said JD Vance, placing hand on heart as he recalled his childhood in Middletown, Ohio in the 1990s. “I was raised by a woman who struggled often to put food on the table and clothes on her back.”There was an earnest cry from the audience. “Mamaw!” shouted a man. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK stance on Greenland’s future is ‘non-negotiable’, says Lisa Nandy 18. January 2026 (11:00) Politicians condemn Trump’s threat to impose 10% tariffs on Nato countries deploying troops to the Danish territoryEurope live – latest updatesThe UK’s stance on Greenland is “non-negotiable”, Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, has insisted, as European nations pushed back strongly against Donald Trump’s decision to impose 10% tariffs on the UK and seven other countries.After Keir Starmer called Trump’s imposition of the tariffs “completely wrong”, with the president saying they would rise to 25% if European nations did not agree a US plan to buy Greenland, Nandy refused to say if or how the UK would respond. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Nasa moon rocket creeps to its launch pad in preparation for astronaut flight 18. January 2026 (10:44) First journey around moon with astronauts in more than 50 years could blast off in FebruaryNasa’s giant new moon rocket has moved to the launch pad in preparation for astronauts’ first lunar fly-around in more than half a century.The trip could blast off in February. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Why a Chinese ‘mega embassy’ is not such a worry for British spies 18. January 2026 (10:19) Politicians are raising the alarm, while MI5 quietly welcomes the prospect of Beijing’s new London facilityWhile there has been no shortage of politicians eager to raise concerns about China’s proposed “mega embassy” near the Tower of London, the espionage community quietly takes a different view, arguing that concerns about the development are exaggerated and misplaced.The domestic Security Service, MI5, is already quietly welcoming the prospect of rationalising China’s seven diplomatic sites to one, but a more significant argument is that modern technology and the nature of the Chinese threat means that, in the words of one former British intelligence officer, “embassies are less and less relevant”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Leaked Jenrick defection plan calls him ‘the new sheriff in town’ 18. January 2026 (09:58) Former Tory’s media strategy reportedly calls him ‘biggest defection story Reform has ever had’Robert Jenrick’s media plan for his defection to Reform reportedly refers to him as “the new sheriff in town” and “the biggest defection story” Nigel Farage’s party has ever had.The leaked plan references the defection of the former Tory chancellor Nadhim Zahawi on Monday, signalling that it was prepared in recent days. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘A gaming success story’: how Warhammer became one of Britain’s biggest companies 18. January 2026 (09:00) Worth £6bn and with revenues recently rising by 10.9%, the niche interest game has become a global businessYou don’t need to spend your weekends organising a face-off between bloodthirsty orcs and elves to have heard of the game Warhammer.So popular is the fantasy game that its parent company Games Workshop is valued at a staggering £6bn and is almost ever-present on British high streets. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
SA premier ‘fundamentally opposed’ Randa Abdel-Fattah appearing at Adelaide writers’ week, letter to board shows 18. January 2026 (08:24) Three-page letter acknowledged that while Peter Malinauskas could not direct festival board, he was ‘deeply concerned’ Palestinian Australian author’s invitation not rescindedGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA letter sent by the South Australian premier to the Adelaide writers’ week board criticising the inclusion of Palestinian Australian writer Randa Abdel-Fattah in the 2026 program has been made public.The three-page letter, first published in full by Adelaide’s Sunday Mail newspaper, was signed by Peter Malinauskas and dated 2 January. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Shark attack at Nielsen Park in Sydney’s east leaves boy fighting for his life 18. January 2026 (08:04) Child in a critical condition in hospital after being pulled from the water in Vaucluse at about 4.20pm SundayGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA boy has been attacked by a shark in Sydney’s east and is in a critical condition after suffering serious injuries to both legs.The boy, believed to be aged about 12, was pulled from the water at Shark beach at Neilsen Park, in the eastern suburb of Vaucluse, on Sunday afternoon. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Astronomers aim to take ‘revolutionary’ moving image of black hole 18. January 2026 (08:00) Newly appointed Cambridge professor says feat would accelerate scientific knowledge by an order of magnitudeDark, hungry and inescapable: black holes are often portrayed as the ultimate cosmic villains.But now astronomers are preparing to capture a movie of a supermassive black hole in action for the first time, in observations that could help reveal another side to these elusive – and perhaps misunderstood – space objects. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
