While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Jan 24, 2026
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Negotiators from Russia, Ukraine and the US meeting in Abu Dhabi on Jan 23.
PHOTO: EPA
Ukraine, Russia hold first direct talks on US peace plan
Negotiators from Russia, Ukraine and the United States met on Jan 23 in Abu Dhabi for the first direct negotiations on a plan being pushed by US President Donald Trump to end the almost four-year-long war.
The US initially drafted a plan to end the conflict that was heavily criticised in Kyiv and western Europe for being too close to Russia’s line, while later proposals were criticised by Moscow for floating the idea of European peacekeepers.
Ahead of the Jan 23 talks, which are set to continue on Jan 24, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said territory remained the key issue – with Moscow having said it is not dropping its demand that Kyiv pull out of its eastern Donbas region.
After the first day of talks, Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Mr Rustem Umerov, posted on social media that the meeting had focused “on the parameters for ending Russia’s war and the further logic of the negotiation process”, adding that meetings were scheduled for Jan 24.
Ukraine’s energy situation has ‘significantly’ worsened
Ukraine’s energy situation “significantly” worsened on Jan 23 after recent Russian air attacks, triggering emergency power outages in most regions, Kyiv’s grid operator said.
The grim assessment followed a remark by Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal on Jan 22 that Ukraine’s energy system had endured its most difficult day since a widespread blackout in November 2022, when Russia began bombing the power grid.
Moscow has stepped up airstrikes in recent weeks, further damaging already battered infrastructure and leaving large numbers of the population without power and heating during a subzero cold snap.
Thai outrage as TikTok kids set homeless man on fire
PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM FACEBOOK
Thai police have identified three children, aged nine to 15, as suspects in the burning of a homeless man beneath a bridge in the capital Bangkok – an attack filmed by one of the trio and shared online, provoking widespread outrage and renewed questions about youth violence.
The man, identified by local media only as Mr Karn, 51, was injured but survived the attack.
Mr Karn makes a living collecting recyclable waste, and has been living under Ban Ma Bridge in Bangkok’s Prawet district.
Denmark PM visits Greenland in show of support
PHOTO: REUTERS
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen visited Greenland on Jan 23 in a show of support for the Arctic island that US President Donald Trump wants to annex.
Walking off her plane at the airport in Greenland’s capital Nuuk, Ms Frederiksen was greeted by Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen.
The two were seen embracing on the tarmac before driving away.
France trolls US, Russia misinformation on X
When top US diplomat Marco Rubio criticised European culture on X this week, a team at the French foreign ministry was swift to hit back online.
“Our culture,” they wrote on Jan 22, posting a comparison table of key life-standard indicators, showing the European Union beats the US in many areas, from life expectancy to student debt.
Their X account in English, called “French Response”, is the latest way France is seeking to defend itself against an ever-growing tide of online disinformation.
