Matt Goodwin, who's the Reform Party candidate for Gorton and Denton , reminds me of Ralph Wiggum from the Simpsons for some reason.

"The factions vying for power have taken it upon themselves to kill senior Hamas members" Netanyahu’s long‑term strategy had been to prop up Hamas as a counterweight to the Palestinian Authority until October 2023 when that backfired. Now it seems he has a new strategy at play.

Reform by all accounts had plateaued and were a couple of percentage points below the peak they achieved last summer. Braverman's defection is not indicative of public opinion - she knows she has more visibility in Reform than with the Tories. Mason though writes this as a pro-Reform puff piece.

"Budapest mayor charged over Pride parade" Prosecutors in Hungary are moving against Budapest’s mayor, Gergely Karacsony, after last year's Pride went ahead despite a police ban. The case is being handled without a court hearing and as elections approach. www.dw.com/en/budapest-...

"How AI-generated images are being used to deny the massacre of protesters in Iran" Using AI to exaggerate genuinely horrific events are counterproductive and ironically are then used to undermine what has actually taken place. www.france24.com/en/asia-paci...

Santander to close further 44 branches as it gears up for £2.6bn takeover of TSB TSB serves 5 million customers with 5,000 staff. Santander UK severs about 14 million customers with 18,000 staff. But job cuts loom as the takeover gets underway. www.theguardian.com/business/202...

"Poland’s birth rate collapse is years ahead of forecast" "Falling birth rates pose a major challenge for Poland. A shrinking and aging population means fewer workers to support the economy and public finances". tvpworld.com/91311190/gus...

"Humiliation for Melania Trump as just 1 person attends London film premiere" The film was directed by Brett Ratner who multiple women have accused of sexual harassment and assault including actresses Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge. www.mylondon.news/news/celebs/...

"Hereditary peer banned from House of Lords" The Earl of Shrewsbury is banned for just two weeks (his second such offence) - interestingly in any other country the BBC would probably refer to this as corruption. But it's an Earl in Blighty so the word is avoided. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

"Chinese man who secretly filmed Uyghur human rights abuses granted asylum by US" Guan Heng first released the secret footage on YouTube before taking the risky boat trip to US. He then managed to escape depuration attempts by the DHS. www.independent.co.uk/asia/china/c...

"Nearly 150 flood alerts in place across England in aftermath of Storm Chandra" The Met Office said the heavy rain could lead to power cuts, travel disruption and further flooding. The usual winter chill has been replaced with plenty of rainy precipitation. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

"Chinese state media views Starmer’s visit as act of economic pragmatism" PM praised for not pressuring Xi over his ties with Putin on a trip seen as business ‘taking precedence over politics’ Post Brexit Britain, more pragmatic, less fuss over human rights. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

"Lithuania Proposes to Poland to Expand Future Training Ground in the Suwałki Gap" This appears to be in response to the Ukraine invasion by Russia - both Lithuania and Poland border a Russian enclave as well as each other. militarnyi.com/en/news/lith...

No-one has told them that they just need to donate a few million to the Trump foundation and then praise Trump as peacemaker to massage his ego.

"Researcher: Temperatures in Estonia could drop to -30 by the start of February" Ironically the cold snap appears to be partly a consequence of the stratosphere warming, this weakens the polar vortex thus releasing cold air across northern Europe. news.err.ee/1609924757/r...

"Bristol traffic gridlock as Plimsoll Bridge partly closed" Motorists face very long delays around South Bristol due to a closure on a major road in the city. The closure is set to continue all week More widespread public transport could alleviate the issue* www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol...

"94 patients were harmed during care by Great Ormond Street Hospital orthopaedic surgeon Yaser Jabbar, report finds" The hospital has reviewed 789 cases in which surgeon Jabbar treated children over five years, with 36 children being found to have suffered severe harm. news.sky.com/story/94-pat...

‘Half the Tories are on defection watch to Reform. And after today, the other half will be on defection watch to the Lib Dems.’

Spending money on a sure-fire flops sounds familiar ... Leo: "Once the play's a hit, you have to pay off all the backers, and with so many backers, there could never be enough profits to go around. Get it?" Max: "A-ha! So, in order for this scheme to work, we'd have to find a sure-fire flop!"

'If more parents got their kids vaccinated, I wouldn't have had to watch my child die' Renae caught measles when she was five months old - she was too young to have the jab at that age, but it ultimately led to her early death at just ten years old. www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/real-li...

"Xi Jinping's repeated purges cast doubt on his judgment, observer says" Professor Lynette Ong says that the removal of General Zhang Youxia, is just the latest in a long series of purges and calls into question President Xi Jinping's judgment. www.france24.com/en/xi-jinpin...

"Rwanda takes UK to court over contentious migrant deal" Rwanda accuses the UK of "intransigence" and says London owes it millions of pounds. The UK should just cough up the cash - it was a bad deal but should be obligated to honour its financial agreements. www.dw.com/en/rwanda-ta...

Croatia will not join Trump's 'Board of Peace,' Prime Minister Andrej Plenković says "We're going to have peace in the world," Trump announced, somewhat farcically flanked by Argentina's Javier Milei and Hungary's Viktor Orbán. www.euronews.com/2026/01/28/c...

Brother labels suspect who attacked Ilhan Omar a ‘right-wing extremist’ who has hated Somalis for decades ‘In my mind, he’s a piece of s**t,’ Anthony Kazmierczak’s brother told The Independent "Unfortunately, he and my mother are both right-wing extremists.” www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...

‘Like a sea out there’: flooded Somerset residents wonder how water can be managed "People in south-west mop up after Storm Chandra and prepare for next bout of rain, with major incident declared" Due to #ClimateChange seems this is going to be the new normal. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

"Russia Starts Pulling Forces From Base in Northeast Syria" Russia has begun withdrawing its forces from Qamishli airport in northeastern Syria, a move that could signal the end of its military presence in the region. www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/01/26/r...

Sick bastards

"ICE detains Native Americans" Four members of The Oglala Sioux Tribe were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minneapolis. Today's USA sounds like something out of the Onion. knewz.com/ice-detains-...

'Talk to me, Goose': Starmer teases Macron with Top Gun mock up The joke was a reference to President Emmanuel Macron's now viral wearing of Top Gun-style aviator sunglasses in Davos last week. news.sky.com/story/talk-t...

"Nipah virus warning as UK health chiefs issue new statement" The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) states that while the risk to most people in the UK remains very low, understanding the virus is crucial for travellers to affected regions. www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/new...

"Shabana Mahmood believes asthma attack was message from God" Mahmood's statement is reminiscent of Theresa May’s comment in 2017 when she said the naughtiest thing she did was running through 'fields of wheat', which garnered widespread ridicule. www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/new...

‘Not surprised at all’: Fareham voters size up Suella Braverman’s Reform switch It had been a Conservative stronghold since its creation in 1885 even following boundary changes (Gosport / Waterlooville) - but is now Reform Constituency thanks to the defection. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

"Park residents told to evacuate as river rises" Residents association chairman Paul Lacey said: "This is the third time in the 10 years I've been here that we've had to evacuate. #ClimateChange #StormChandra www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

"EU orders probe over Grok’s AI images after outcry" A billboard organised by corporate accountability group Eko passes through Westminster urging the Prime Minister to stand up to Elon Musk and ban X and Grok, in London. Undressed images of kids are being shared on X www.dawn.com/news/1969271...

"What happens to the human body in 49C heat? Australians are finding out" Doctors warn there are biological limits to temperatures we can survive, and exposure to extreme heat can provoke a heart attack #ClimateChange www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

"Landslide leaves Sicilian town teetering on cliff edge" Days of heavy rainfall and the impact of Cyclone Harry destabilised the plateau, more intense rainfall is linked to #ClimateChange as warmer air holds more moisture which then precipitates as rainfall. www.france24.com/en/landslide...

"Spain to grant legal status to 500,000 undocumented migrants" Spain is moving against the European tide with a plan to offer a chance at residency status to hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants. It has exposed a deep political divide for the minority government www.dw.com/en/spain-to-...

"AI Is Solving a Dinosaur Mystery That Stumped Scientists for Decades" Fossilised dinosaur footprints provide valuable clues about prehistoric life, revealing how dinosaurs moved, behaved, and interacted with their environments. scitechdaily.com/ai-is-solvin...

"Prime minister flies to China for three-day visit" Starmer's visit will be the first trip to China by a British prime minister since Theresa May in 2018, her trip was seen as important in the context of post-Brexit trade. While Starmer seeks alternatives to US trade www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

"Tens of thousands flee northwest Pakistan over fears of military operation" More than 70,000 people, mostly women and children, have fled a region in northwestern Pakistan near Afghanistan over fears of war against the Taliban igniting. www.independent.co.uk/news/pakista...

"US to send ICE agents to Winter Olympics, prompting Italian anger" It would be great if the Carabinieri were to arrest them on immigration offences. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

"Through the heatwave haze, the hypocrisy of Australia’s fossil fuel policy shines bright" "The heatwave in Melbourne and Adelaide this week is likely to become the norm. We should prepare now" #ClimateChange www.theguardian.com/environment/...

"Iran death toll hits 6,159 and currency plunges to record low after Trump threats" Trump's threats don't seem to be the main factor damaging the economy - it's the internet shutdown which crippled trade and further weakened the Iranian Rial. www.independent.co.uk/news/world/m...

"Storm Chandra latest: Rail line to close causes sinkhole" Weather warnings remain in place this evening as Storm Chandra lashes the UK and Ireland. Roads and railways are severely disrupted, rivers have burst their banks. #ClimateChange news.sky.com/story/storm-...

"Kyrgyzstan's GDP grows by 11.1 pct in 2025" Kyrgyzstan's economic growth appears to be a consequence of sanctions on Russia as it lies in a key location in Central Asia lying between China and Russia with the Middle East to the west. english.news.cn/asiapacific/...

"Met Office issues Storm Chandra weather warning with 80mph winds to batter Wales" It is expected to cause severe disruption. Intense showers are predicted to affect several Welsh regions, persisting until Tuesday 10am. www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-n...

‘I’m part of this country’: Windrush man left homeless by Home Office inaction George Campbell, 69, slept in bus station as officials questioned his right to live in the UK after hospital stay He arrived in the country legally aged 9 to join his mother, a nurse www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

"I wish I was surprised at Sajid Javid’s shocking immigration comments" The multi-millionaire banker and self-made son of immigrants, said in an interview with the Times that families like his should be denied entry. The mental gymnastics he uses is beyond comprehension metro.co.uk/2026/01/26/w...

"Two British far-right activists arrested in France" Men in custody for allegedly broadcasting content likely to incite hatred from French coast The same sort of people who bang on about foreigners "not respecting our laws" end up being arrested in France. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

He is, however, entitled to put that case to voters.