Politics

Analysts warn that unrest in Iran could put its highly enriched uranium stockpile at risk, and the IAEA says it has not been able to verify the status or location of that material since last June.

Clergy reported that about 172 worshippers were abducted from two churches in Kurmin Wali, Kaduna State, and nine people escaped; further official details are still awaited.

Esther Ghey and other bereaved parents have written to party leaders urging support for a Lords amendment that would stop under-16s from becoming social media users; peers are due to vote on the change this week.

Craig Guildford will retire as chief constable of West Midlands police after an inquiry found the force used "exaggerated and untrue" intelligence to justify a ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans.

Officials announced a ceasefire between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces after government advances into SDF-held areas; leaders said the deal includes SDF withdrawal from Raqqa and Deir el-Zour and begins with a halt to fighting.

Donald Trump's comments about US control of Greenland have pushed the island into the centre of geopolitics as Arctic ice melt increases its strategic value, and residents report rising anxiety.

Hackers interrupted Iranian state television satellite transmissions to air footage of exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, and the state broadcaster said signals were momentarily disrupted; activists reported at least 3,919 people killed in the crackdown.

Government statistics show China’s population was 1.404 billion in 2025, down 3 million from 2024, and births fell 17% to 7.92 million.

The Metropolitan Police say a Croydon pilot of 15 fixed live facial recognition cameras produced 103 arrests and a reported 12% drop in crime in the Fairfield ward; privacy and misidentification concerns have prompted a High Court challenge next week.

Tensions around the 40th federal observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day have risen amid administration actions on DEI and recent incidents involving federal agents; some groups planned 'Reclaim MLK Day' demonstrations while many traditional events continued.

Federal parliament paused for a condolence motion after the Bondi attack that killed 15 people, and MPs spoke about unity and fighting antisemitism; parliament is scheduled to review draft hate speech and gun control laws on Tuesday.

NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde has accepted a causal link between the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital water system and infections in vulnerable patients; the Crown Office says a police investigation is ongoing and a judge-led inquiry is due to hear final oral statements this week.

The Scottish Information Commissioner, David Hamilton, ordered ministers to release some evidence from the James Hamilton review after a 2021 freedom of information request and has warned he will seek a court order if the Scottish Government does not comply.

Chile has declared a state of catastrophe in Biobío and Ñuble after wildfires killed at least 15 people and forced about 50,000 to evacuate.

Wildfires in Chile's Nuble and Biobio regions have killed 15 people and prompted about 50,000 evacuations; the government declared a state of emergency and mobilised the armed forces.

Hundreds of counterprotesters in Minneapolis overwhelmed a small pro-ICE rally organized by conservative influencer Jake Lang, who appeared injured as he left; the Minnesota National Guard was mobilized and staged but not deployed.

Bernice King told the Associated Press that MLK Day provides a sense of sanity and morality amid political division, and she cited rollbacks of DEI initiatives, changes to government historical materials, and recent immigration enforcement actions.

A medical report seen by The Times claims at least 16,500 protesters were killed and more than 300,000 injured during recent unrest in Iran, while Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has publicly acknowledged 'several thousands' of deaths and official counts vary.

Pinewood Way play area in Bemerton Heath reopened on 12 January with a wheelchair-accessible roundabout and seesaw after Salisbury City Council worked with the Disability Interest Group of Salisbury (DIGS).

The White House announced members of a Palestinian committee and an international executive committee to oversee the U.S. Gaza ceasefire plan; the administration said the plan has entered a second phase that includes an international security force, disarmament of Hamas and reconstruction efforts. Undetermined at this time.

People with family in Iran report limited contact during internet blackouts and express differing views on foreign intervention; several interviewed say lasting political change could take a generation.

A bipartisan U.S. congressional delegation visited Copenhagen to reassure Denmark and Greenland after President Trump's remarks about Greenland; Senator Chris Coons said there are no current security threats to Greenland and urged de-escalation.

A Ukrainian negotiating team has arrived in the United States to discuss a proposed peace agreement, while Russian strikes have again cut power and heating in parts of Ukraine.

Experts told City Hall many unpaid carers in London do not know about financial help and services, and Carers UK found 29% of carers in the capital were in poverty in 2021–22.

The Green Party will announce a policy proposing free bus travel for everyone under 22, saying it would improve access to work and education; Labour last year called a similar proposal 'unaffordable'.

The Green Party has proposed free bus travel for under-22s, saying it would improve access to education, training and rural services and citing KPMG research on buses' economic contribution.

Abigail Spanberger will be sworn in as Virginia's 75th governor on Saturday, becoming the state's first female governor; Democrats also regained control of the governor's office.

The Iranian state used force to suppress recent protests, leaving opposition groups inside and outside the country grieving and divided. A weeklong communications blackout has complicated coordination and public reflection.

A federal judge in Boston ordered the government to report within 21 days how it will remedy the deportation of a 19-year-old student sent to Honduras; the judge said issuing her a student visa would be the simplest fix and the government lawyer apologized for an ICE error.

In Beijing, Prime Minister Mark Carney secured a preliminary, provisional trade agreement with China that includes allowing up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles into Canada and temporary tariff reductions on several Canadian farm and seafood exports; the trip is being framed as a reset in relations while critics warn of risks to Canadian workers and dependency.