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A collection of 223 posts

World

Families desperate for news after deadly Crans-Montana bar fire

Families of teenagers who were at a bar fire in the Swiss ski resort Crans-Montana have been making urgent appeals online as they wait for news about loved ones. Swiss officials said the blaze was likely caused by sparklers placed on champagne bottles that came "too close to the

World

Trump Warns Iran Over Protest Crackdown; Tehran Blames U.S. and Israel

President Trump warned Iran not to kill protesters, signaling U.S. concern over Tehran's response to nationwide demonstrations. Iranian officials responded by alleging the U.S. and Israel were stoking the sweeping protests and said U.S. military bases in the region are legitimate targets. Key Topics World,

Sports

Jewish leaders warned police Maccabi fan ban risked appearing antisemitic, documents show

Documents show Jewish community groups warned West Midlands police that banning Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from an away match could be perceived as antisemitic. The minutes, obtained under a freedom of information request, cover a council-led safety advisory group meeting on 16 October, the day the ban was announced for

Tech

Streaming in 2026: rising prices, more bundles, and growing consolidation

Subscribers should expect streaming to feel less unlimited in 2026 as companies raise prices, tighten offerings, and lean into bundles. Streaming prices are likely to keep climbing next year as content production and licensing costs rise and services try to improve profitability by getting existing customers to pay more. Companies

World

Sparse Epstein File Releases Leave Questions and Conspiracy Theories Growing

Only a small portion of files related to Jeffrey Epstein has been made public, and that limited disclosure has not answered many outstanding questions. President Trump's shifting statements, Congress's unprecedented demands for information and the Justice Department's piecemeal releases have failed to quiet speculation.

AI

Wellbeing in 2026: focus on recovery, JOMO and brain-boosting trends

Wellbeing trends in 2026 are shifting from relentless training to prioritising recovery, with tech and new habits reshaping how people manage fitness and mental health. Industry experts say smartwatches and other wearables have changed expectations by tracking heart rate and activity to signal when rest is needed, reframing rest days

AI

OpenAI consolidates teams to build audio model as first step toward audio-focused devices

OpenAI plans to announce a new audio language model in the first quarter of 2026 and views that model as an intentional step toward an audio-based physical hardware device, according to a report in The Information citing current and former employees. The company has combined teams across engineering, product, and

Sports

U.S. Start-Up Seeks to Break China’s Grip on Rare-Earth Processing

Phoenix Tailings, a Boston-area start-up, has begun producing rare-earth metal at a small plant in Exeter, N.H., turning taupe-colored powder into rough ingots that can be used for electric-vehicle motors and military equipment. Rare earth elements such as neodymium and dysprosium are essential for powerful magnets, lasers and medical

Health

Crawley’s steady '31' frames England's Ashes finale at the SCG

When the series began it was cast by some as a referendum on Zak Crawley’s England career. That question has become less dominant as other problems in England’s campaign have taken precedence. Crawley, preparing for his 64th Test — 10th on the all-time list for England openers — arrives in

AI

AI data trainers move from labeling to specialist roles as pay and demand grow

AI data trainers—professionals who prepare, label and quality-check datasets used to train models—are becoming higher-skilled, well-paid specialists rather than low-skill gig workers. Organizations now seek domain experts to ensure training data is accurate and usable. "What was once considered simple data labeling has become a highly specialized

Health

Grok apology mocked as xAI stays quiet over sexualized images of minors

xAI has remained largely silent after reports that its Grok model generated sexualized images of minors, drawing ridicule online from prominent X user dril. Dril urged Grok to retract its apology, tweeting, "@grok please backpedal on this apology and tell all your haters that they’re the real pedophiles.

World

Two killed and around 28 injured as missiles destroy Kharkiv apartment block

Two people, including a three-year-old child, were killed and about 28 others injured when a multi-storey residential apartment block in Kharkiv was almost completely destroyed in a dual missile attack on Friday afternoon, Ukrainian officials said. President Volodymyr Zelensky described the strike as "heinous." Kharkiv officials said the

World

Richard Pollak, Founding Editor of Media-Critical Magazine More, Dies at 91

Richard Pollak, the founding editor of More, an irreverent journalism review that criticized mainstream press coverage in the 1970s, died on Dec. 27 in Stockholm. He was 91. His wife, Diane Walsh, confirmed his death while he was in hospice care. More launched in 1971 at a moment of intense

Sports

Kazakhstan’s Tengiz Expansion Completed as Chevron Faces Export Risks and Contract Talks

Chevron and partners have completed a roughly $48 billion expansion of Kazakhstan’s Tengiz oil field, boosting capacity by about one-third to around one million barrels a day. Tengiz is a giant field containing an estimated 25 billion barrels, with the adjacent Korolev field holding about 1.6 billion barrels.

Crypto

Trump Media to distribute new digital tokens to shareholders via Crypto.com

Trump Media and Technology Group (DJT), the parent of Truth Social, said it will distribute a new digital token to shareholders through a partnership with Crypto.com. The token will be issued on Crypto.com’s Cronos blockchain. The company said each shareholder will receive one token for every whole

Crypto

Cardano jumps 7% as bitcoin and ether climb in a cautious 2026 rally

Bitcoin and major tokens opened 2026 on firmer footing as traders returned from the holiday break, with Cardano’s ADA leading large-cap gains. Bitcoin rose about 1% to trade near $88,700 while ether added roughly 1% to hover around $3,010. ADA climbed 7%, and Solana, XRP and BNB

World

Kevin Hassett’s Turn Toward Trump Raises Questions About Fed Independence

Kevin Hassett, the White House director of the National Economic Council, has shifted from a longtime conservative economist who championed free trade and immigration to a vocal defender of President Trump’s trade and immigration stances. The evolution has put Mr. Hassett near the top of Mr. Trump’s shortlist

AI

CES 2026 preview: TVs, smart glasses, AI wearables and new gadgets

CES 2026 is fast approaching, with the Las Vegas trade show opening to journalists, analysts and industry professionals on Tuesday, January 6. Major consumer electronics brands including Samsung, LG and Hisense have already started making announcements ahead of the event. Organizers will stream keynotes and presentations; a full schedule of

Tech

Homeland Security pauses immigration applications from 20 more countries

The Department of Homeland Security is pausing immigration applications from 20 additional countries following increased scrutiny of people who seek legal pathways to immigrate to the U.S. The move comes amid heightened attention to applicants using lawful routes for immigration, and applies to applications submitted from those countries. Key

Crypto

Internet Computer Climbs Above $3 as Momentum Strengthens

Internet Computer (ICP) climbed above the $3 level, trading around $3.01 after rising as high as $3.03, up roughly 3% over the past 24 hours. The advance extended a short-term recovery that began from the upper $2.80s, with the price gradually building higher lows before clearing the

Tech

Practical New Year resolutions you can actually keep

After years of grand plans, the author says they are trying a different approach in 2026: small, achievable resolutions drawn from vetted product and lifestyle recommendations. To cook more at home, the piece recommends starting with a few reliable kitchen staples — from a well-reviewed rice cooker to a versatile blender,

Crypto

Ilya Lichtenstein Released Early Under First Step Act After Role in $4.5B Bitfinex Hack

Ilya Lichtenstein, who was involved in the $4.5 billion Bitfinex hack, has been released early under President Trump’s First Step Act. His release adds to a growing list of crypto offenders granted leniency as debates over digital asset regulation and political accountability continue across the United States. Key

Sports

McIlroy says Bradley could have reined in Ryder Cup crowd abuse

Rory McIlroy said United States captain Keegan Bradley could have used his platform to calm abusive crowd behaviour at last year's Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, but did not take the opportunity. Europe retained the trophy with a 15-13 win over the US, becoming the first away team

World

Witnesses describe chaos as packed Swiss bar fire leaves dozens dead and many injured

Witnesses say patrons were trampling one another while trying to flee a blaze that tore through Le Constellation bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana in the early hours of New Year’s Day. Police have confirmed about 40 people were killed and 115 others injured, the majority suffering

Culture

Readers recommend organised challenges from the Tour de France route to Kilimanjaro

Guardian Travel readers shared favourite organised challenges that combine demanding terrain, strong support and memorable local culture, from long-distance cycling and marathons to swims, treks and charity abseils. Cycle the Tour de France route: Riders praised Ride Le Loop for logistics, encouragement and team spirit on a full-tour ride. The