New year drone strike kills 24 in Russian-occupied Ukraine, Moscow says 01. January 2026 (16:55) Ukraine has not commented on attack on cafe and hotel that comes despite ‘productive’ ongoing peace talksA Ukrainian drone strike killed 24 people and injured at least 50 more as they celebrated the new year in a Russian-occupied village in Ukraine’s Kherson region, Russian officials said, as tensions between the two countries continue to rise despite diplomats hailing productive peace talks.Three drones struck a cafe and hotel in the resort town of Khorly on the Black Sea coast, the region’s Moscow-installed leader, Vladimir Saldo, said in a statement on Telegram on Thursday. He said one of the drones was carrying an incendiary mixture that sparked a blaze. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump rings in 2026 at Mar-a-Lago with $2.75m auction of Jesus painting 01. January 2026 (16:47) President auctioned off portrait painted live onstage and said his new year’s resolution was ‘peace on Earth’Donald Trump welcomed 2026 with a glitzy bash at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach where he auctioned off a freshly painted portrait of Jesus Christ for $2.75m and said his new year’s resolution was a wish for “peace on Earth”.The portrait of Jesus had been painted onstage by artist Vanessa Horabuena who, the president said, was “one of the greatest artists anywhere in the world”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US federal employees file complaint against ban on gender-affirming care 01. January 2026 (16:23) Complaint argues Trump administration denying coverage of gender-affirming care is sex-based discriminationThe Trump administration is facing a new legal complaint from a group of government employees who are affected by a new policy going into effect Thursday that eliminates coverage for gender-affirming care in federal health insurance programs.The complaint, filed Thursday on the employees’ behalf by the Human Rights Campaign, is in response to an August announcement from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) that it would no longer cover “chemical and surgical modification of an individual’s sex traits through medical interventions” in health insurance programs for federal employees and US Postal Service workers. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK law firms get ready for crackdown on money laundering 01. January 2026 (16:16) Harsher penalties and a ‘reshaping’ of the sector predicted when Financial Conduct Authority takes over as regulatorUK law firms are bracing themselves for a money-laundering crackdown as ministers race to improve the City’s reputation ahead of a fresh financial crime review.The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has been designated as the new anti-money laundering watchdog for the legal sector, in a move that experts warn could result in “sharper” penalties and ultimately reshape the industry. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Call for routine high blood pressure testing of UK children as cases almost double 01. January 2026 (16:00) Exclusive: Identifying teenagers at risk could help prevent organ damage, strokes and heart attacks in early adulthood, doctors sayLeading doctors have called for a national UK programme to monitor schoolchildren for high blood pressure amid concerns that rising rates in adolescents will increase cases of organ damage, strokes and heart attacks.Rates of high blood pressure have nearly doubled among children in the past 20 years, but no routine testing is performed in the UK, leaving doctors in the dark about the extent of the problem and which children need most help. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Snow and ice forecast for large parts of UK in new year cold snap 01. January 2026 (14:48) Met Office issues amber and yellow weather warnings as Arctic air blows in from ScandinaviaLarge parts of the UK will be blanketed with snow and ice as chilly Arctic air blows in a bitterly cold start to 2026.Snowfall is forecast for all four countries on Friday or Saturday, with blizzard conditions and “thundersnow” expected in the Scottish Highlands. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Forget Keanu: Ulster Scots translation of Beckett classic takes on spate of celebrity Godots 01. January 2026 (14:48) Tragicomedy will be performed outdoors in Northern Irish countryside as part of new festival celebrating Irish playwrightBeneath a stark steel tree in a bleak upland bog, a literary masterpiece is set to assume a different linguistic mantle.Samuel Beckett’s enigmatic tragicomedy Waiting for Godot will make its world premiere in Ulster Scots, a moment described as a “coming of age” for the minority language, and the antithesis of the trend for celebrity Godots. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Le Constellation bar fire in Switzerland: what we know so far 01. January 2026 (14:18) Investigators say no indication of terrorism or arson after 40 people die and 100 are injured in blazeSwitzerland ski resort fire – latest updatesDozens of people are presumed dead and about 100 injured, most of them seriously, after a fire at a bar in the Swiss Alps during a new year celebration at a luxury ski resort.The blaze ripped through the packed bar, Le Constellation, early on Thursday in Crans-Montana, one of the top-ranked ski destinations in Europe, which lies about 25 miles (40km) north-west of Zermatt. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Executions in Saudi Arabia hit highest number ever in 2025 01. January 2026 (14:15) Analysts attribute increase to kingdom’s ‘war on drugs’ as authorities kill 356 people by death penaltySaudi authorities executed 356 people in 2025, setting a new record for the number of inmates put to death in the kingdom in a single year.Analysts have largely attributed the increase in executions to Riyadh’s “war on drugs”, with some of those arrested in previous years only now being executed after legal proceedings and convictions. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australian house prices expected to rise at least 5% in 2026 after jump last year 01. January 2026 (14:01) While last year’s 8.6% increase isn’t likely to be repeated, economists expect growth across the country as demand continues to outstrip supplyGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralian residential property values are expected to rise by at least 5% over the next 12 months – on top of the 8.6% increase seen in 2025 – exacerbating a housing affordability crunch across the country.Every state and territory capital city recorded increases last year, according to Cotality data, led by a dramatic 18.9% rise in Darwin, 15.9% in Perth and 14.5% in Brisbane. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
