First Thing: Houthis say US and UK airstrikes in Yemen will not go unpunished

The allies have launched strikes for the first time since the group began targeting shipping in the Red Sea. Plus, the European royals taking on the climate crisis

Good morning.

The US and the UK launched strikes overnight against targets linked to the Houthis in Yemen, with President Joe Biden saying that he “will not hesitate to direct further measures” if necessary.

It is the first time strikes have been carried out against the group since it began targeting shipping in the Red Sea late last year. Describing the action as “an act of self-defense”, the UK armed forces minister, James Heappey, said that more action would be considered on an individual basis.

The strikes would not go without “punishment or retaliation”, the Houthis’ military spokesperson said.

• Who else has condemned the strikes? Hamas and Hezbollah.

• Were other countries involved? The Netherlands, Canada and Bahrain offered non-operational backing.

• How are other nations reacting? Russia has requested an urgent UN security council meeting, while Saudi Arabia is calling for restraint.

• It comes as Israel prepares to defend the Gaza war at the UN’s top court. Follow our liveblog for the latest developments.

Rishi Sunak to visit Ukraine as US imposes further Russian sanctions after North Korean missile use

Rishi Sunak, the UK prime minister, is visiting Ukraine on Friday to meet the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, after the UK announced it would provide further military aid to Ukraine in the year to come.

The UK has said it will increase its support in the next financial year by £200m to £2.5bn. Sunak’s visit comes as Zelenskiy is concerned that support for Ukraine is waning as the war drags on and amid a deepening crisis in the Middle East.

It comes after the US imposed sanctions on three Russian entities and one individual involved in the transfer and testing of North Korea’s ballistic missiles for Russia’s use against Ukraine.

• What will happen during the visit? The leaders will sign a UK-Ukraine agreement on security cooperation after the G7’s decision to offer bilateral security assurances.

• How will the £2.5bn be spent? On long-range missiles, air defense, artillery ammunition and maritime security, according to Downing Street.

• For more, follow our blog.

Trump says he is ‘innocent’ of fraud as bomb threat upends last day of trial

A bomb squad was called to the home of the judge presiding over Donald Trump’s fraud trial on its final day as the former president claimed he was being persecuted.

Police in Nassau county on Long Island said they responded to a security incident at the residence of judge Arthur Engoron at 5.30am on Thursday.

Engoron refused to allow Trump to deliver his own closing arguments, after his lawyers declined to confirm he wouldn’t deliver “a campaign speech” or impugn the legal system – but Trump nonetheless launched into a rant, claiming his innocence and that he was persecuted by “someone running for office”, referring to New York attorney general Letitia James.

• What is the prosecution demanding? A $370m penalty and lifetime ban from the real estate business.

• When will there be a decision? Engoron says he hopes to release it by 31 January.

In other news …

• Papua New Guinea has declared a 14-day state of emergency in its capital, Port Moresby, after rioting in which at least 16 people are reported to have died. More than 1,000 soldiers are on standby after a police and public sector protest over pay on Wednesday grew violent.

• Investigators found piles of human remains, bodily fluids covering the floor, and insects in a Colorado funeral home where nearly 200 abandoned bodies were discovered last year, an FBI agent has testified. Text messages showed the owners, who were arrested in November, were under growing financial pressure and feared they would be caught for mishandling the bodies.

• The French Union of Jewish Students has called for sanctions against those who have written antisemitic and homophobic social media comments about France’s new prime minister, Gabriel Attal. It said his appointment had prompted “a new wave of antisemitic and homophobic hatred on X”.

Stat of the day: UK disability claims have tripled in a decade

The number of people claiming disability benefits has tripled in a decade, Sunak said, as he cast doubt over whether sickness had increased at the same rate. But Polly Toynbee writes that it comes against a backdrop of falling life expectancy and is unlikely to be due to generosity either: the UK has one of the lowest out-of-work benefit rates. Experts list a range of factors behind worsening outcomes, including extreme poverty, domestic violence, insecure housing and work.

Don’t miss this: Why China and India are fast-tracking their own Top Gun remakes

What’s the latest must-have for a global superpower? A “supersonic, hyper-nationalistic blockbuster” air force movie, of course, writes Phil Hoad before the release of Fighter, India’s answer to Top Gun. It follows China’s 2023 Born to Fly, with Hoad noting that Russia has yet to release one. It’s easy to see why other countries want their own Top Gun: the 1986 movie “functioned as soft-power projection of hard power” as well as a military recruiting ad.

Climate check: The European royals taking on the climate crisis

From attending climate conferences to calling for degrowth, European monarchs are getting vocal about the climate – not least of all Britain’s King Charles, a long-time environmentalist. Some dismiss this as hypocritical due to the lifestyles of many hugely wealthy royals. But with widespread support, they can have “a big influence in setting cultural norms,” said Kimberly Nicholas, a sustainability scientist at Lund University, and could reach more conservative, older audiences.

Last Thing: Should my wife’s family stop using my toothbrush?

I suspect this may be one of the more clear-cut cases to grace the Guardian’s You be the judge series. Should Edward’s in-laws stop using his toothbrush without asking?

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