Worst heatwave since black summer forecast for more than half of Australia 06. January 2026 (03:54) Fire dangers are expected to reach extreme levels in South Australia, Victoria, and inland NSW this weekFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMore than half of Australia is set to swelter in blistering temperatures in what is expected to be the worst heatwave since the devastating black summer bushfires.The Bureau of Meteorology warned that dry, hot conditions will create extreme fire conditions across several states as temperatures top 45C in parts of the country. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Anger in Papua New Guinea after Starlink ordered to shut down internet services 06. January 2026 (03:50) In mid-December PNG said the company did not have a licence to operate in the country and ordered it to halt operationsFrustration is growing in Papua New Guinea weeks after the government ordered Starlink to shut down operations in the country as businesses, health providers and communities struggle without access to internet services.Starlink, owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is a satellite internet company that provides internet to remote places. In mid-December, the National Information and Communications Technology Authority (Nicta) ordered the company to halt operations because it was not licensed in PNG. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump officials sue California cities over laws to restrict fossil fuels 06. January 2026 (03:35) Suit against San Francisco-area cities Petaluma and Morgan Hill latest attack on policies that seek to rein in oil and gasThe Trump administration sued two California cities on Monday, seeking to block local laws that restrict natural gas infrastructure and appliances in new construction.The lawsuit is the administration’s latest attack on energy policies that seek to rein in the use of fossil fuels to combat climate change. California, a Democratic stronghold, has among the most aggressive climate change policies in the world. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Nvidia announces new, more powerful Vera Rubin chip made for AI 06. January 2026 (03:17) Next generation of chips in ‘full production’ and will arrive later this year, Jensen Huang says at CES in Las VegasNvidia CEO Jensen Huang said on Monday that the company’s next generation of chips is in “full production” saying they can deliver five times the artificial-intelligence computing of the company’s previous chips when serving up chatbots and other AI apps.In a speech at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the leader of the world’s most valuable company revealed new details about its chips, which will arrive later this year and which Nvidia executives are in the company’s labs being tested by AI firms, as Nvidia faces increasing competition from rivals as well as its own customers. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Man dies in Sydney after being pepper-sprayed by NSW police during arrest 06. January 2026 (02:43) Police were responding to reports of alleged domestic violence incident when 52-year-old suffered medical episode at Homebush propertyFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA man has died in hospital after he suffered a medical episode during an arrest in Sydney’s west.Officers were called to a home in Homebush about 8.30am on Monday morning after reports of an alleged domestic/family violence-related incident, New South Wales police said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘It ought to provide a deterrent’: what US action in Venezuela means for Taiwan 06. January 2026 (02:00) Perception that Chinese-made weapons could not stop a ‘decapitation strike’ may give Beijing pause for thoughtThe sight of a hostile regional superpower launching an overnight raid to depose the leader of a smaller neighbouring country could easily have sent pulses in Taiwan racing.The US on Saturday revealed the details of a surprise raid to capture Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, who was whisked away to the US, where he was frogmarched into a court in New York on Monday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
AI images of Maduro capture reap millions of views on social media 06. January 2026 (01:32) Lack of verified information and rapidly advanced AI tools make it difficult to separate fact from fiction on US attackMinutes after Donald Trump announced a “large-scale strike” against Venezuela early on Saturday morning, false and misleading AI-generated images began flooding social media. There were fake photos of Nicolás Maduro being escorted off a plane by US law enforcement agents, images of jubilant Venezuelans pouring into the streets of Caracas and videos of missiles raining down on the city – all fake.The fabricated content intermixed with real videos and photos of US aircraft flying over the Venezuelan capital and explosions lighting up the dark sky. A lack of verified information about the raid coupled with AI tools’ rapidly advancing capabilities made discerning fact from fiction about the incursion on Caracas difficult. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK car sales top 2m in 2025 as Chinese brands boom 06. January 2026 (01:01) Electric car sales rose by nearly a quarter to a record 473,000, or 23.4% of the overall market, says SMMTA rise in the popularity of Chinese brands pushed total car sales in the UK above the 2m mark last year for the first time since 2019, figures reveal.Chinese companies accounted for 9.7% of the 2m new car registrations in the UK in 2025, or 196,000 vehicles, according to preliminary figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), a lobby group. That was nearly double the 4.9% market share achieved by the country’s carmakers in 2024. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Adults in England eating as much salt a day as in 22 bags of crisps, study shows 06. January 2026 (01:01) Campaigners call for action to make manufacturers reduce salt in food, which can contribute to high blood pressure and deathsAdults in England eat the same amount of salt every week as is found in 155 bags of crisps, according to analysis by a leading health charity.The British Heart Foundation, which carried out the study, said this also equated to 22 bags a day of ready salted, lightly salted or sea salt crisps. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Michael Schumacher, author of Francis Ford Coppola and Eric Clapton biographies, dies aged 75 05. January 2026 (22:46) Daughter of the Wisconsin author confirmed her father died on 29 December and did not provide cause of deathMichael Schumacher, a Wisconsin author who produced a diverse array of works ranging from biographies of film-maker Francis Ford Coppola and musician Eric Clapton to accounts of Great Lakes shipwrecks, has died. He was 75.Schumacher’s daughter, Emily Joy Schumacher, confirmed Monday that her father died on 29 December. She did not provide the cause of death. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
