Hundreds of Blackpool families to be evicted in ‘mass dispersion’ of vulnerable people 01. January 2026 (10:06) Up to 400 homes face demolition under a £90m regeneration scheme that promises only 230 replacement propertiesHundreds of families in one of England’s poorest neighbourhoods will be evicted under a £90m plan described by critics as a “mass dispersion” of vulnerable people.Four hundred homes in Blackpool will be bulldozed this summer and replaced with 230 new properties under levelling up proposals signed off by Rishi Sunak’s government. The area has more than 800 people – about 250 of them children – who are in the poorest 10th of the population of England, according to official documents. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Israel allowing traders to bring into Gaza ‘dual-use’ items barred from aid organisations 01. January 2026 (09:00) Sources say generators and tent poles restricted from humanitarian bodies but commercial shipments allowed inIsrael is running a parallel system of controls for shipments into Gaza, allowing commercial traders to bring goods into the territory that are barred for humanitarian organisations.Basic life-saving supplies including generators and tent poles are on a long Israeli blacklist of “dual-use” items. The Israeli government says entry of these items must be severely restricted because they could be exploited by Hamas or other armed groups for military ends. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Several dead and injured in explosion at Swiss ski resort town Crans-Montana, police say 01. January 2026 (08:30) Police say explosion ripped through a bar called La Constellation in the luxury Alpine ski resort town Several people have been killed and others injured when an explosion ripped through a bar in the luxury Alpine ski resort town of Crans-Montana, Swiss police said early on Thursday.About 100 people were in the bar at the time of the blast, police said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Ethnic minorities in England less likely to have access to diabetes tech – study 01. January 2026 (08:00) ‘Concerning’ disparities in access to continuous glucose monitors despite black and south Asian people being more likely to live with conditionPeople from ethnic minority backgrounds in England are less likely to have access to the latest diabetes technology, despite being more likely to live with the condition, according to analysis.Devices such as a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) can help people check their blood glucose levels in order to better manage the disease. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
NewJeans member Danielle sued for millions after bitter feud with K-pop record label 01. January 2026 (07:19) Ador terminated the Australian-born singer’s contract on Monday and is now suing her, a family member and the band’s former producerThe K-pop record label Ador is suing a former member of megaband NewJeans for millions in damages, it has announced, a day after removing her from the group following a year-long dispute that saw the band allege mistreatment and attempt to leave their contract.The compensation suit against Danielle Marsh, a 20-year-old Australian-born singer, comes months after a Seoul district court ruled that NewJeans’ five members must honour their contracts with Ador, whose parent company Hybe is also behind the K-pop sensation BTS. The band’s contract runs until 2029. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘It’s a matter of time before a farmer is seriously injured’: on the trail of hare coursers in Wiltshire 01. January 2026 (07:00) Police show the Guardian around hotspots for a rural crime that has links to international gangs – and is on the riseA cold, bright afternoon in the Vale of Pewsey and a couple of brown hares were nibbling away in a field of winter barley. It was a tranquil scene in this tucked-away corner of the English West Country but tyre tracks cutting through the crop were a sign of the violence that takes place when night falls.This is one of the hotspots in Wiltshire for hare coursing, in which criminal gangs set dogs – usually greyhounds or lurchers – on the mammals. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Zohran Mamdani sworn in as mayor of New York City 01. January 2026 (06:15) New mayor, 34, was sworn in by state attorney general Letitia James in old beaux arts city hall subway stationZohran Mamdani was sworn in as mayor of New York City soon after midnight in a private ceremony in an abandoned beaux arts subway station – a prelude to daylong celebrations set to include a second, public swearing-in and a block party outside city hall.Mamdani, 34, was sworn into office by the New York attorney general, Letitia James, surrounded by wife, Rama Duwaji, members of his immediate family, including Mira Nair, his mother and a film-maker, and his father, Mahmood Mamdani, a professor of African studies at Columbia University. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Perth teenager charged after allegedly throwing firecracker that sparked New Year’s Eve bushfire 01. January 2026 (06:08) Blaze on city’s eastern fringe contained but not controlled on Thursday with firefighters warning of risk to lives and homesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA teenager accused of tossing a firecracker into Perth bushland on New Year’s Eve has been charged after it sparked a bushfire that threatened homes on the city’s eastern fringe.More than 2,000 homes and businesses lost power as the fire, east of Perth airport in Western Australia, approached properties near Maida Vale, Forrestfield and Kalamunda, police said in a statement on Thursday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australian man reportedly killed fighting with Ukrainian forces against Russia 01. January 2026 (06:02) Australia’s foreign affairs department seeking to verify reported death of Russell Allan Wilson on 12 DecemberGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe department of foreign affairs is trying to confirm the death of an Australian man who was reportedly killed while fighting with Ukrainian forces against Russia last month.According to multiple posts on social media, Russell Allan Wilson was killed on 12 December in the Donetsk region. The ABC reported that a friend of Wilson said he was killed during his final mission, and had been due to be married the week after his death. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
World is in better place than when Eden Project created 25 years ago, founder says 01. January 2026 (06:00) Tim Smit also says extreme political views will fade when people realise good things around the cornerSir Tim Smit says the world is in a better place than it was when he co-founded the Eden Project 25 years ago and he believes people are more attuned to the natural world.Speaking as the project in Cornwall reaches its 25th anniversary, Smit describedextreme political views as the “roar” of people fearful that they cannot control the future but he said they would fade when people realised that good things were around the corner. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
