Australia’s 2025 road toll: NSW records highest number of deaths in eight years as fatalities rise nationwide 02. January 2026 (05:44) Authorities warn that speeding was the biggest killer in 2025, a contributing factor in 134 deathsNew South Wales has recorded the deadliest year on its roads in eight years, with indications that there was no progress in curbing road fatalities nationwide in 2025.In 2025, 355 people died on roads in NSW, 28 more than in 2024, the state government announced on Friday. It is the highest annual death toll on the state’s roads since 2017, when there were 392 deaths. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Venezuela open to talks on drug trafficking, says Maduro, but refuses to comment on reported US strike on land 02. January 2026 (05:33) President Nicolás Maduro reiterated his belief that the US wants to force a change of government in Venezuela and gain access to its vast oil reserves Venezuela is open to negotiating an agreement with the US to combat drug trafficking, the country’s president Nicolás Maduro has said, but he declined to comment on a reported CIA-led strike on a Venezuelan docking area that Donald Trump claimed was used by cartels.Maduro, in the pre-recorded interview with Spanish journalist Ignacio Ramonet, reiterated his belief that the US wants to force a change of government in Venezuela and gain access to its vast oil reserves through its months-long pressure campaign that began with a massive military deployment to the Caribbean Sea in August. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Kim Jong-un’s daughter visits state mausoleum, fuelling speculation she will be next North Korean ruler 02. January 2026 (04:31) Kim Ju-ae has been making increasingly prominent appearances in state media over the past three yearsThe daughter of the North Korean ruler, Kim Jong-un, who is likely being prepared as his successor has accompanied her parents on her first public visit to the Kumsusan mausoleum to pay respects to former leaders, ahead of an event that could see her succession formalised.Photos from state news agency KCNA showed Kim Jong-un accompanied by his wife, Ri Sol-ju, and senior officials on the visit on 1 January, with Ju-ae between her parents in the main hall of the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Snorkeller missing in WA as NSW authorities continue search for two lost in rough surf 02. January 2026 (03:11) Man, 32, had been snorkelling at Ledge Point Beach when reported missing, while police also searching for two who went missing at Coogee Beach and Palm Beach, NSWGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastRescuers are searching for a missing snorkeller off the coast of a small town in Western Australia, as authorities in New South Wales continue to hunt for two people who went missing in hazardous surf over the new year.A 32-year-old man was reported missing while snorkelling at Ledge Point Beach, about 105km north of Perth, at about 3pm on Thursday afternoon, WA police said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
George Clooney fires back at Trump after US president mocks his French citizenship 02. January 2026 (01:51) Trump called the actor and his wife, Amal, ‘two of the worst political prognosticators of all time’ after they were awarded French passportsGeorge Clooney has lashed out at US president Donald Trump for criticising France’s decision to grant the Hollywood actor and his family French citizenship.The 64-year-old Oscar winner, his wife, Amal Alamuddin Clooney, and their two children became French citizens earlier this month after living on a property in southern France for years. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australian electric car market to get influx of new models as cheaper EVs hit the road in 2026 02. January 2026 (01:31) New utes, sports cars and hatchbacks will break price records at both ends as traditional brands release electric vehicles in 2026Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralians can expect to see more electric utes, sports cars and hatchbacks that break price records at both ends of the spectrum, with changes encouraging even the most reluctant brands to join the trend.But the electric vehicle market could also experience significant regulatory upheaval in 2026, with a road-user charge on the national agenda and a review of tax exemptions. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK children to get chickenpox vaccine with measles, mumps and rubella jab 02. January 2026 (01:01) NHS to administer combined immunisation in move in line with approach in US, Canada, Australia and GermanyChildren in the UK are to be immunised against chickenpox at the same time as measles, mumps and rubella.The NHS across the UK’s four home nations will administer a combined vaccine to young children to protect them against all four diseases from Friday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australian among the injured in New Year’s Eve fire that killed 40 at Swiss ski resort 01. January 2026 (23:28) Australia’s department of foreign affairs providing consular assistance to person injured at Crans-Montana and their familyGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAn Australian is among the 115 people injured in a fire that tore through a crowded bar during a New Year’s Eve party in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana, killing 40 people.Australia’s climate change and energy minister, Chris Bowen, confirmed on Friday morning that an Australian had been injured and was receiving medical and consular assistance. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
South Park writer buys ‘Trump Kennedy Center’ domain name 01. January 2026 (23:09) Toby Morton now owns trumpkennedycenter.org, which advertises new year performance by the ‘Epstein dancers’Donald Trump may be remaking the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts into a pool of his self-reflection, but a writer for South Park, the TV series that better reflects the obsessions and tendencies of the administration than any political pundit, has purchased the rights to trumpkennedycenter.org.Toby Morton, a TV writer and producer who has worked on the long-running and joyfully offensive sitcom, said he purchased the domain in August after predicting the president would change the name from the Kennedy Center to the Trump Kennedy Center after he installed himself as chair and stocked the board with loyalists. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Usman Khawaja announces retirement from international cricket 01. January 2026 (22:34) 39-year-old will bat in fifth Ashes Test in SydneyAustralian played 87 Tests, scoring 6,206 runs to dateUsman Khawaja has announced he will retire from international cricket, saying the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney will be his last.The batsman’s future in Test cricket has been one of the hottest topics of this summer’s Ashes series, after he turned 39 last month. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
