The Daily Brief

• • Philip Young, a former Tory councillor, pleads guilty to 48 sexual offences against his ex-wife Joanne Young, committed between 2010 and 2023.
• • The offences include drugging and raping Joanne Young over a 14-year period, as he admitted to a series of serious crimes in court on 23 January 2026.
• • Young served on Swindon borough council and his actions have raised significant concerns regarding the safety and accountability of local politicians.
• • The police are currently searching for an unknown man connected to the case, indicating potential further investigations into the matter.

• • Ukraine's Khmelnytsky nuclear plant remains operational amid ongoing Russian attacks on the country's energy infrastructure, as reported on 23 January 2026.
• • The plant is crucial for maintaining electricity supply, with officials stating that it provides a significant portion of the national energy grid.
• • Recent data indicates that Russian strikes have severely damaged other energy facilities, leading to widespread outages across Ukraine.
• • Ukrainian authorities are working to enhance the plant's security and operational capacity to mitigate the impact of continued assaults.

• • The US is experiencing a 30-year high in measles cases, with significant outbreaks reported, particularly in South Carolina.
• • Since October 2025, over 600 individuals have contracted measles in South Carolina, with hundreds more potentially exposed, according to Wired.
• • The CDC indicates that the rising cases threaten the US's measles elimination status, which has been a public health achievement.
• • Health officials are urging increased vaccination efforts to curb the outbreak and prevent further spread.