The Independent
00:06
THE
HEAR
This page is an archive of main headlines from the UK for 23.01.2026.
It displays 131 headlines from many sources chronologically, as they appeared throughout the day, accompanied by AI overviews that were written in real time.
23.01.2026 โข The Afghanistan Slur Backlash Day
โจMorning editorial priority was dominated by a wave of national indignation following President Trumpโs claim that British and NATO troops avoided the front lines in Afghanistan. By midday, this developed into a formal diplomatic rift, with Keir Starmer and Downing Street accusing the President of diminishing the sacrifice of the war dead. The narrative intensified in the afternoon as Prince Harry and veterans' families joined the condemnation, demanding a formal apology.
Simultaneously, broadsheets tracked the commencement of the first trilateral peace talks between the US, Ukraine, and Russia in Abu Dhabi. While Zelenskyy expressed hope for a step toward ending the war, the UK governmentโs focus remained fractured by the domestic fallout from Trumpโs comments, leading Starmer to pull the Chagos Islands bill by late evening following the sustained backlash. The day concluded with tabloid attention pivoting to the televised finale of The Traitors.
Simultaneously, broadsheets tracked the commencement of the first trilateral peace talks between the US, Ukraine, and Russia in Abu Dhabi. While Zelenskyy expressed hope for a step toward ending the war, the UK governmentโs focus remained fractured by the domestic fallout from Trumpโs comments, leading Starmer to pull the Chagos Islands bill by late evening following the sustained backlash. The day concluded with tabloid attention pivoting to the televised finale of The Traitors.
23.01.2026
00:06
00:06
00:07โขZelenskyy Scorns a Lost Europe
โจBritish editors are focusing on the collapsing trust within NATO as Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy exchange sharp rhetoric. Zelenskyyโs condemnation of European 'passivity' and 'lost' leadership coincides with widespread domestic outrage over Trumpโs insults toward British soldiers killed in Afghanistan. Outlets highlight a widening rift, as Zelenskyy seeks direct trilateral talks with the US and Russia, bypassing a seemingly sidelined Europe.
00:33
01:18
03:25
From denial to bargaining to acceptance that the world has changed
03:25
04:09
The Guardian
Fridayโs meeting in Abu Dhabi comes after talks between Russian president Vladimir Putin, US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner
04:09
04:28
05:30
The meeting between the three countries comes as Russia warns no peace deal can be reached until territorial issues are resolved.
05:30
06:33
New Statesman
In Manchester, polling shows Burnham is bigger than Labour
06:33
06:41
06:51
BBC
Ukraine, Russia and US to hold talks after Kremlin reports 'useful' meeting with Trump envoys
The discussions in the United Arab Emirates follow a high-level meeting in Moscow between President Putin and a US delegation including Steve Witkoff.
06:51
06:59
The Spectator
06:59
07:00
The Telegraph
07:00
07:09
07:18
UK | Sarah Hooper
07:18
07:18
07:26
07:36
07:54
08:03
08:03
08:05โขThe Abu Dhabi Peace Triangle
โจUK editors are pivoting to the tangible diplomatic outcome of the Davos summit, focusing on the trilateral peace talks between the US, Ukraine, and Russia in Abu Dhabi (BBC News, The Guardian, The Independent, Sky News). While broadsheets track the logistical details of this first-ever wartime meeting, right-leaning outlets highlight domestic friction over President Trumpโs recent disparagement of British military efforts (The Times, Evening Standard, The Mirror).
08:21
08:57
08:57
08:57
09:23
BBC
Zelensky says he hopes first Ukraine, Russia and US talks are 'step towards ending war'
The trilateral discussions in Abu Dhabi come after the Kremlin reported "useful" but "frank" talks between Putin and Trump's envoys in Moscow.
09:23
09:24
09:44
09:44
09:44
09:53
UK | Brooke Davies
09:53
09:53
Sky News
Breaking | Live | Breaking | Live
09:53
10:02
10:02
10:11
The US president says Nato troops stayed "a little off the front lines" - despite 457 UK military deaths in the conflict.
10:11
10:11
The government is weighing up whether or not to follow in Australiaโs footsteps and ban social media for under-16s. Supporters argue that online safety efforts have failed and that children are being exposed to increasingly harmful content. Critics warn that a ban would isolate young people, let tech companies off the hook, and create a dangerous cliff-edge at 16.
10:11
10:11
10:20
10:21
Sky News
Breaking | Live | Breaking | Live
10:21
10:30
BBC
Trump's claim that Nato troops avoided Afghanistan front line 'disappointing and wrong', minister says
The US president's comments have sparked widespread anger, with Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch labelling them "flat-out nonsense".
10:30
10:30
UK MPs and veterans condemn US presidentโs comments and highlight his avoidance of military service in Vietnam
10:30
10:39
BBC
Trump's claim that Nato troops avoided Afghanistan front line sparks outrage in UK
Veterans and bereaved families call the comments insulting and wrong, with a government minister labelling them "deeply disappointing".
10:39
10:39
10:41โขThe Afghanistan Front Line Insult
โจUK media priority has consolidated around a wave of national indignation following President Trump's allegations that British and NATO troops avoided front-line combat in Afghanistan. Broadcasters and broadsheets report universal condemnation from veterans, families, and government ministers (BBC News, The Guardian, The Independent, The Times, Evening Standard, Sky News, HuffPost UK). Simultaneously, right-leaning outlets highlight domestic security tensions regarding asylum seeker housing and looming protests (Daily Mail).
10:48
10:48
10:57
11:06
11:06
11:06
11:07
11:16
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky blasted the Europeans in his address to the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland on Thursday. He thought the Europeans looked weak and pathetic in their efforts to alternately hector and wheedle President Donald Trump.
11:16
11:16
11:24
11:34
Manchester mayor Andy Burnham might actually have a chance of saving Labour from itself, which is exactly why Keir Starmer wonโt give him a chance, argues Ash Sarkar.
11:34
11:35
The Telegraph
11:35
11:42
BBC
Zelensky says he hopes first Ukraine, Russia and US talks are 'step towards ending war'
The trilateral discussions in Abu Dhabi come after the Kremlin reported "useful" but "frank" talks between Putin and Trump's envoys in Moscow.
11:42
11:42
The case has been presented as a milestone in the campaign to exclude trans people from single-sex spaces, but lawyers disagree on how significant the judgement actually is. Rivkah Brown reports.
11:42
12:00
Breaking | Live | Breaking | Live
12:00
12:00
Restaurants
12:00
12:09
12:09
12:25
12:25
HuffPost UK
12:25
12:26
12:26
12:27โขThe Afghanistan Soldier Slur Backlash
โจThe UK media has unified in condemning President Trump following his disparagement of British troops' performance in Afghanistan. Downings Street and Keir Starmer have formally joined veterans and MPs in accusing the President of diminishing the sacrifice of the war dead (The Times, The Telegraph, Sky News, The Guardian, BBC News, The Independent, HuffPost UK). Meanwhile, interest shifts toward the trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi as Zelenskyy attempts to bypass European diplomatic stagnation (BBC News, Breitbart London).
12:28
13:01
13:10
BBC
Downing Street says Trump 'wrong' to claim Nato troops avoided Afghanistan front line
Veterans and bereaved families call the comments insulting, as the prime minister's spokesperson says "we are incredibly proud of our armed forces."
13:10
13:19
Breaking | Live | Breaking | Live
13:19
13:23
The Jewish Chronicle
13:23
13:55
Prime minister joins MPs, veterans and relatives in condemning US presidentโs claim that troops avoided frontlines
13:55
14:03
Ukraine, Russia, and the United States are meeting for the first time under a new trilateral format to discuss possibilities for peace.
14:03
14:04
Why Ms Rachel never suffers any consequences for her โJew blundersโ on social media.
14:04
14:21
14:38
14:47
15:04
15:21
15:21
15:30
15:38
The Spectator
15:38
16:23
BBC
Starmer calls Trump's remarks about Nato troops in Afghanistan 'insulting and frankly appalling'
Veterans and bereaved families call the comments "very disrespectful" and "soul-destroying", as Keir Starmer says: "Iโm not surprised theyโve cause such hurt."
16:23
16:23
UK | Sam Corbishley
16:23
16:24
16:25โขTrump Slur Stings the British Dead
โจThe UK media has solidified its focus on the diplomatic rift between London and Washington following President Trump's disparagement of British troops in Afghanistan. Editorial priority across broadsheets and tabloids remains fixed on Keir Starmer's demand for an apology and his accusations that the President diminished the sacrifice of the war dead (BBC News, The Guardian, The Independent, The Times, The Telegraph, HuffPost UK). Meanwhile, interest grows in the Abu Dhabi trilateral peace talks involving the US, Russia, and Ukraine (The Spectator, Breitbart London).
16:33
Presidentโs assertion that Nato troops were not on the front line in Afghanistan has sparked widespread anger
16:33
16:33
HuffPost UK
16:33
16:33
Sky News
Breaking | Breaking
16:33
16:34
16:43
Breaking | Breaking
16:43
16:44
16:45
The Jewish Chronicle
16:45
16:52
Presidentโs assertion that Nato troops were not on the front line in Afghanistan has sparked widespread anger
16:52
16:52
17:01
17:01
17:10
The Spectator
17:10
17:22
17:22
17:37
17:46
President Donald Trump discussed aspects of a potential deal regarding the United States and Greenland on Thursday, noting the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) would be part of the plan.
17:46
17:46
Prime minister joins MPs, veterans and relatives in condemning US presidentโs claim that troops avoided frontlines
17:46
17:46
Plus: Starmerโs surrender of the Chagos Islands and Chinaโs spy HQ in London.
17:46
18:04
BBC
Prince Harry says sacrifices by Nato troops in Afghanistan deserve 'respect' after Trump comments
Veterans and bereaved families call the comments "very disrespectful" and "soul-destroying", as Keir Starmer says they are "insulting and frankly appalling".
18:04
18:04
Mayors must declare their candidacy by 5pm Saturday
18:04
18:13
Morning Star
18:13
18:13
Breaking | Live | Breaking | Live
18:13
18:14
The Telegraph
18:14
18:15โขRoyal and Prime Ministerial Rebuke of Trump Afghanistan Slur
โจThe UK media has intensified its condemnation of President Trumpโs claims regarding NATO troops in Afghanistan. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Prince Harry have both entered the fray, calling the remarks 'appalling' and a 'slur' on the war dead (The Independent, Sky News, The Guardian, BBC News, The Telegraph, The Mirror, The Times). While right-leaning outlets like Breitbart and Spiked analyze the broader geopolitical implications of Trumpโs Greenland and Chagos policies, the dominant focus remains on the perceived insult to national military sacrifice.
18:22
Breaking | Live | Breaking | Live
18:22
18:22
18:23
The Telegraph
18:23
18:31
18:40
The Guardian
PM joins veterans in condemning claim that troops avoided frontlines and suggests US president should apologise
18:40
18:40
The Spectator
18:40
18:49
18:49
19:18
The Economist
Constraints make Indiaโs prime minister govern better
19:18
19:36
Breaking | Live | Breaking | Live
19:36
19:36
19:56
20:06
The White House has doubled down on Donald Trumpโs false claim that British and other Nato troops avoided the front line in Afghanistan.
20:06
21:06
21:25
US | Noora Mykkanen
21:25
21:25
21:35
21:37โขSacrifice Defiled by Presidential Slur
โจUK editors have intensified their coverage of the transatlantic rift following Donald Trumpโs disparagement of British troops in Afghanistan. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has escalated his response by demanding a formal apology for the 'appalling' slur, a move supported across the political spectrum (Daily Mail, The Guardian, Metro, The Times, Channel 4 News). Prince Harry has also joined the condemnation, emphasizing the respect owed to military sacrifices (Sky News, Evening Standard, BBC News).
21:45
21:55
The US president's comments have been condemned by international allies, including UK veterans and politicians.
21:55
21:55
21:57
The Telegraph
21:57
22:04
22:06
The Telegraph
22:06
22:15
22:15
22:15
22:26
22:26
22:26
22:44