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)
US ‘adapt, shrink or die’ terms for $2bn aid pot will mean UN bowing down to Washington, say experts 01. January 2026 (14:00) Afghanistan and Yemen excluded from list of 17 priority countries chosen by Trump administration to receive aid laden with demandsThe $2bn (£1.5bn) of aid the US pledged this week may have been hailed as “bold and ambitious” by the UN but could be the “nail in the coffin” in changing to a shrunken, less flexible aid system dominated by Washington’s political priorities, aid experts fear.After a year of deep cuts in aid budgets by the US and European countries, the announcement of new money for the humanitarian system is a source of some relief, but experts are deeply concerned about demands that the US has imposed on how the money should be managed and where it can go. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK ministers face increased pressure to restrict gambling ads 01. January 2026 (12:41) Polling indicates strong public backing for a much less permissive approach to promotion, including sponsorshipMinisters will come under mounting pressure to introduce curbs on gambling advertising this year, as MPs and campaigners latch on to polling that indicates widespread public support for tougher restrictions.Policies affecting gambling have been the subject of fierce debate over recent years, leading to stricter regulation of the £12.5bn-a-year sector and higher taxes announced in November’s budget, despite intensive lobbying by the industry. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Police officer pays tribute to his wife and two children killed in Gloucestershire fire 01. January 2026 (12:40) Tom Shearman ‘cannot begin to describe anguish’ of Boxing Day house blaze in which his wife, Nu, children aged four and seven and dog diedA police officer whose wife and two children died in a fire on Boxing Day morning has paid tribute to “three of the greatest humans to ever grace our presence” and asked for everyone to tell those close to them that they are loved.Tom Shearman, a serving Gloucestershire officer, said he was “humbled beyond comprehension” by the response of his local community and the general public, who have so far donated more than £300,000 to support him. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
More women reporting abuse in Norway as member of royal family to go on trial for rape 01. January 2026 (12:05) Country’s largest women’s health organisation says case of Marius Borg Høiby encouraging people to seek helpStaff at Norway’s largest women’s health organisation have seen a rise in the number of women reporting abuse and sexual assault at the hands of their partners ahead of the rape trial of a member of the royal family, saying they hope the case helps to “break taboos”.Marius Borg Høiby, the 28-year-old son of the Norwegian crown princess, is due to stand trial in February on 32 charges including four counts of rape, the domestic abuse of a former partner and the illegal filming of a number of women without their knowledge or consent. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Zohran Mamdani is now mayor of New York City. Here’s what he campaigned on 01. January 2026 (12:00) From freezing rents to free buses and municipal grocery stores – a recap of the policies that won Mamdani the officeZohran Mamdani was sworn into office as New York’s 111th mayor at the stroke of midnight, the first Muslim mayor as well as the first to take office as a Democrat bearing the credentials of a democratic socialist.The 34-year-old was sworn in by Letitia James, the state attorney general, in a disused subway station beneath city hall that acts as turnaround for the local 5 train, to be followed by a first-of-its-kind public block party along Broadway’s “Canyon of Heroes”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Switzerland resort fire latest news: ‘several dozen’ dead after blast at ski town of Crans-Montana, police say 01. January 2026 (11:44) About 100 people were injured in the bar early on Thursday morning, but police have ruled out an act of terrorismOfficials at the press conference are asking for “prudence” from those in the town, reminding them not to make unnecessary demands on hospitals, which are overwhelmed.Please leave investigators to do their work, they say. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
