Trump administration halts immigrant visa processing from 75 countries 14. January 2026 (20:16) The state department cites welfare use as it pauses visa processing for Brazil, Iran, Russia, Somalia and othersThe Donald Trump administration has indefinitely suspended immigrant visa processing for people from 75 countries, marking one of its most expansive efforts yet to restrict legal pathways to the United States.The freeze, which takes effect on 21 January, targets applicants officials deem likely to become a “public charge” – who they describe as people who may rely on government benefits for basic needs. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Keir Starmer denies change to digital ID plan is yet another U-turn 14. January 2026 (20:15) No 10 says ditching of key plank of plan is technical tweak after Kemi Badenoch targeted Starmer over issue at PMQsKeir Starmer has rejected the claim that his change of plan over digital IDs represents another U-turn, as the prime minister faced accusations from the Conservatives that his government had “no sense of direction”.Late on Tuesday it emerged that a key plank of the controversial plan for digital IDs was being rolled back, with a proposal to make the document mandatory for people to show their right to work being dropped, with other forms of identification being allowed instead, for example a passport with a digital chip or e-visa. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Maternal death rate in UK rose by 20% over 14 years despite Tory pledge 14. January 2026 (20:11) Experts describe increase as ‘absolute tragedy’ after data shows rate jumped despite Conservatives vowing to halve itThe rate of women dying during or soon after pregnancy in the UK has increased by 20% over the last decade, despite the Conservatives having pledged to halve it, according to figures experts have described as “an absolute tragedy”.In 2015, the then Tory health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, vowed to reduce maternal deaths by 50% by 2030 and make the NHS “one of the safest places in the world to have a baby”. In 2017, he brought the date forward to 2025. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Can’t stand losing out: battle over the Police’s royalties reaches high court 14. January 2026 (20:03) Dispute between Sting and former bandmates relates to whether streaming revenue, estimated at £1.5m, features in ‘arranger’s fees’There was a point in the early 1980s when the Police were so popular, it seemed every little thing they did was magic.Four decades on, with a back catalogue of hits and millions of pounds worth of streaming royalties rolling in, the mood music has changed significantly. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘People will die’: Trump administration cancels up to $1.9bn for substance use and mental health 14. January 2026 (20:00) Funding to end immediately for up to 2,800 grantees of US agency that serves thousands seeking help and in recoveryThe Trump administration on Tuesday evening unexpectedly canceled up to $1.9bn in funding for substance use and mental health care, which providers say will immediately affect thousands of patients.“It feels like Armageddon for everyone who’s on the frontlines of the addiction and mental health space,” said Ryan Hampton, founder of Mobilize Recovery, a national advocacy organization for people in and seeking recovery. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
X ‘acting to comply with UK law’ after outcry over sexualised images 14. January 2026 (20:00) New polling suggests 58% of Britons think X should be banned in the UK if the social network fails to crack down on nonconsensual imagesElon Musk’s X is understood to have told the government it is acting to comply with UK law, after nearly a fortnight of public outcry at the use of its AI tool Grok to manipulate images of women and children by removing their clothes.Keir Starmer told the House of Commons on Wednesday that photographs generated by Grok were “disgusting” and “shameful”, but said he had been informed that X was “acting to ensure full compliance with UK law”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
No word on fate of Iran protester due to be put to death, says relative 14. January 2026 (19:56) Family stayed up until dawn waiting for news of Erfan Soltani who was due to be executed on WednesdayIran latest – live updatesA family member of Erfan Soltani, the first Iranian protester sentenced to death, has said they have no idea if he’s still alive after the deadline for his execution passed with no word from the authorities.Soltani, a 26-year-old clothing shop employee, was arrested in Karaj, a city north-west of Tehran, last Thursday after participating in protests and was due to be executed on Wednesday, according to rights groups. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
California’s Highway 1 to reopen after years-long closure due to landslides 14. January 2026 (19:56) The iconic coastal throughfare from Los Angeles to San Francisco is frequently closed due to geographic conditionsA portion of California’s iconic Highway 1, which winds through rugged cliffs along the coast and has long been a highlight for travelers admiring the ocean views, is scheduled to reopen on Wednesday after a years-long closure.A large section of the road in Big Sur has been cut off due to landslides since 2023, creating challenges for visitors and businesses that rely on tourism. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US and UK military to withdraw some personnel from Middle East amid Iranian threats 14. January 2026 (19:47) Tehran threatens to strike US bases in Middle East if Washington carries out pledge to intervene in Iran Iran protests: live updatesHundreds of gunshot eye injuries found in one Iranian hospitalIran protests: what we know so far about the anti-government demonstrationsThe US and UK have evacuated some personnel from a military base in Qatar amid concerns Washington might soon launch military action against Iran, which Tehran has warned would trigger retaliatory strikes.A US official told Reuters and the Associated Press on Wednesday that the withdrawal was a precaution, while diplomats said that some forces had been advised to leave al-Udeid base in Qatar. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Why western diplomats are wary of predicting end days for Iran’s regime 14. January 2026 (19:33) Failure to foresee shah’s fall in 1979 was diplomatic disaster, but experts see little indication of mass defections nowWhen asked to predict whether fissures are appearing at the top of the Iranian state that may imply Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s days as supreme leader are numbered, western diplomats adopt a haunted demeanour, perhaps recalling one of western diplomacy’s greatest collective disasters.Before the fall of the Shah of Iran in January 1979, insouciant diplomats based in Tehran were sending cables to their capitals offering total reassurance that Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s hold on power was utterly secure. In September 1978, the US Defence Intelligence Agency, for instance, reported that “the shah is expected to remain actively in power over the next 10 years”. A state department report suggested “the shah would not have to stand down until 1985 at the earliest”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
