The Guardian

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

Congressmember delivered opening remarks at city hall, noting that Mamdani is the city’s first Muslim mayorZohran Mamdani and his wife Rama Duwaji appearing on stage for his inauguration ceremony earlier.New York is a place that “a young immigrant democrat socialist Muslim can be bold enough to run and brave enough to win,” he says, “not by abandoning conviction, but by standing firmly within it.” Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2026/jan/01/zohran-mamdani-inauguration-mayor-new-york Author : Lucy Campbell Publish date : 2026-01-01 19:50:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Second highest annual number of irregular arrivals on record reached British shores in 2025More than 41,000 people crossed the Channel in small boats last year, figures branded “shameful” by the Home Office have revealed.The government said 41,472 people arrived in the UK by crossing the Channel in 2025 – the second highest number on record after 45,774 made the journey in 2022. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jan/01/shameful-41000-people-reached-uk-by-small-boat-last-year-says-home-office Author : Rowena Mason Whitehall editor Publish date : 2026-01-01 17:00:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

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... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/01/what-we-know-fire-swiss-ski-resort-bar-crans-montana Author : Deborah Cole and agencies Publish

Police say blaze tore through crowded bar where people were seeing in the new yearSwitzerland resort fire – latest updatesAbout 40 people are believed to have been killed and 100 injured after a fire tore through a crowded bar during a New Year’s Eve party in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana, according to the Italian foreign ministry.Swiss police confirmed “several dozen” partygoers were dead. The victims could not be immediately identified because of the severity of their burns, the ministry said. It confirmed arson was not responsible, with the blaze thought to be the result of an accident. Continue

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... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/jan/01/switzerland-resort-explosion-dead-blast-ski-town-crans-montana-latest-news-live Author : Claire Phipps Publish date : 2026-01-01 09:46:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

‘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... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jan/01/ethnic-minorities-in-england-less-likely-to-have-access-to-diabetes-tech-study Author : Tobi Thomas Health and inequalities correspondent Publish date : 2026-01-01 07:00:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Levy on beef exceeding quotas to begin immediately as Beijing seeks to protect domestic industryGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralian beef producers said they were “extremely disappointed” after China announced a 55% tariff on imports that exceed quota levels in a move to protect a domestic cattle industry slowly emerging from oversupply.China’s commerce ministry said on Wednesday the total import quota for 2026 for Australia and other countries such as Brazil and the US covered under its new “safeguard measures” is 2.7m metric tons, roughly in line with the record 2.87m tons it imported overall

Colorado lawmaker , who pushed for Epstein files release, points to bill’s unanimous passage through US House and SenateRepublican representative Lauren Boebert has fired back at Donald Trump for vetoing a bill that would have funded a drinking water project in her Colorado district, implying the president was playing at political retaliation.The bill was aimed at funding a decades-long project to bring safe drinking water to 39 communities in Colorado’s eastern plains, where the groundwater is high in salt and wells sometimes unleash radioactivity into the water supply. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/31/lauren-boebert-trump-colorado Author : Dara Kerr and agencies

Trump official says funds will be released ‘only when states prove they are being spent legitimately’The Department of Health and Human Services is freezing all childcare payments to all states, an official for Donald Trump’s administration told ABC News in a report published Wednesday. States’ funds will be released “only when states prove they are being spent legitimately”.The report came a day after Jim O’Neill, the HHS deputy secretary, and Alex Adams, an HHS assistant secretary who oversees the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), appeared in a Tuesday evening video message. O’Neill declared that the department had “activated our

Demonstrations against deteriorating living conditions have widened to include criticism of how Iran is governedAlborz, a textile merchant in the central Iranian city of Isfahan, decided he could no longer sit on the sidelines. He closed his shop and took to the streets, joining merchants across Iran who shuttered their stores and students who took over their campuses to protest against declining economic conditions.The sudden loss of purchasing power pushed Alborz and tens of thousands of other Iranians into the streets, where protests are now entering their fourth day. Students have paralysed university campuses, traders have shut down their stores

Green party leader says he could see potential for political partnership with Labour under Andy BurnhamThe Green party leader, Zack Polanski, has said he would refuse to work with Keir Starmer but could work with Andy Burnham, Starmer’s potential rival for the Labour leadership, to keep Reform out of power.Polanski said he would not enter a political partnership with Labour under the current prime minister, but would consider it if the mayor of Greater Manchester took the helm. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/dec/31/uk-green-party-zack-polanski-labour-andy-burnham-keir-starmer-gary-lineker-bbc Author : Robyn Vinter Publish date : 2025-12-31 18:38:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the

Near-freezing temperatures likely but clear, dry skies will be perfect for viewing fireworks, says Met OfficeSnowfall is expected across much of the UK in a chilly start to the new year, forecasters have said, as revellers were advised to wrap up with near-freezing temperatures expected on New Year’s Eve.Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations are expected to go ahead after last year’s cancellation due to high winds, despite yellow warnings for snow across northern Scotland. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/dec/31/new-year-revellers-told-wrap-up-warm-snow-uk-weather Author : Robyn Vinter Publish date : 2025-12-31 16:08:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Terror attack victims remembered with menorah projected on to Harbour Bridge ahead of traditional dazzling displayAustralia paused to show solidarity with the Jewish community as New Year’s Eve festivities rolled across the nation.Weeks on from the Bondi Beach terrorist attack, hundreds of thousands of people around the Sydney Harbour observed a minute’s silence and shone a collective, defiant light following the recent atrocity. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/dec/31/sydney-new-years-eve-sees-more-sombre-tone-fireworks-follow-minutes-silence-bondi-ntwnfb Author : Australian Associated Press Publish date : 2025-12-31 13:36:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Despite reviews of the district as a raucous tourist trap, improved policing has restored safety and an eclectic vibeWhen Ireland redeveloped a swathe of central Dublin in the 1990s, the idea was to create a version of Paris’s Left Bank, a cultural quarter of cobbled lanes, art and urban renewal.Planners and architects transformed the run-down Temple Bar site by the River Liffey into an ambitious experiment that drew throngs of visitors and won awards. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/31/dublin-temple-bar-renaissance-not-hen-party-hellscape Author : Rory Carroll Ireland correspondent Publish date : 2025-12-31 11:00:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Passengers face continued delays day after power supply issue and broken down train halted services between UK and continentEurostar passengers have been warned that continued delays and cancellations are possible on Wednesday despite the resumption of services after a power supply issue halted Channel tunnel train trips connecting London to the European mainland.Thousands of passengers in the busy run-up to the new year faced hours of delays after the train operator cancelled services between London, Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels on Tuesday due to an overhead power supply problem and a failed LeShuttle train. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/dec/31/eurostar-restarts-channel-tunnel-full-service-but-disruption-risk Author

Fire chief says summer, the UK’s hottest on record, was ‘one of the most challenging for wildfires that we’ve ever faced’Ten English fire services tackled a record number of grassland, woodland and crop fires during what was the UK’s hottest spring and summer on record, figures show.In total nearly 27,000 wildfires were dealt with by fire services in England during the prolonged dry weather of 2025, according to analysis by PA Media. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/31/record-number-wildfires-2025-tackled-by-10-english-fire-services Author : Mark Brown Publish date : 2025-12-31 05:00:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

54-year-old admitted to hospital on Boxing Day with meningitisMartyn played 67 Tests for Australia between 1992 and 2006The former Australian Test cricketer Damien Martyn has been admitted to hospital and placed in an induced coma after being diagnosed with meningitis.The 54-year-old “is in for the fight of his life”, according to the former AFL player Brad Hardie, who revealed Martyn’s condition on Tuesday. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/dec/31/former-australian-test-cricketer-damien-martyn-in-induced-coma Author : Guardian sport Publish date : 2025-12-31 03:19:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Lack of prompt access to primary care blamed for rise in hospital cases of minor ailments including blocked nosesMillions of people are turning to A&E departments in England for minor ailments including coughs, blocked noses and hiccups, according to data that health leaders say lays bare a failure to give patients prompt access to primary care.Emergency wards are designed for serious injuries and life-threatening emergencies only. But many are becoming swamped with patients whose health concerns should be dealt with elsewhere, including a near tenfold increase in people seeking help for a cough. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/dec/31/coughs-hiccups-accident-and-emergency-hospitals-nhs-england Author

One person had made an emergency call after companion fell 500ft, but rescue copter couldn’t land due to high windsA man and two of his companions are dead after high winds prevented rescue crews from responding to a report of an injured hiker near a southern California mountain trail, the San Bernardino county sheriff’s department announced on Monday.The three bodies were discovered Monday evening along the Devil’s Backbone trail at Mount Baldy, which rises more than 10,000ft and sits just east of Los Angeles, according to a statement from the San Bernardino county sheriff’s department. Continue reading... Source link :

Emergency request by several of the country’s nationals and an immigrants rights group was granted by the courtA federal judge on Tuesday blocked plans by the Trump administration to end temporary protections from deportation that had been granted to hundreds of South Sudanese nationals living in the United States.US district judge Angel Kelley in Boston granted an emergency request by several South Sudanese nationals and an immigrant rights group to prevent the temporary protected status they had been granted from expiring as planned after 5 January. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/30/south-sudan-tps-end-halted Author : Reuters Publish date : 2025-12-30 19:38:00

Frigid temperatures in Great Lakes, north-east and midwest as tens of thousands face power outages and icy travelA wild winter storm brought strong winds, heavy snow and frigid temperatures to the Great Lakes and north-east on Tuesday, a day after a bomb cyclone barreled across the midwest and left tens of thousands of customers without power.The storm hit parts of the Plains and Great Lakes on Monday with sharply colder air, strong winds and a mix of snow, ice and rain, leading to treacherous travel. Forecasters said it intensified quickly enough to meet the criteria of a bomb cyclone, a

Move could feasibly allow Russian missiles to reach European targets faster from Belarus, its neighbouring ally that also shares a border with Nato countries Poland, Lithuania and LatviaGermany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has echoed Donald Tusk’s optimistic tone regarding talks on ending the war in Ukraine.He posted to X to confirm there had been “another round of consultations” with “European and Canadian partners”. It is not clear who was in the meeting.Peace is on the horizon, there is no doubt that things have happened that give grounds for hope that this war can end, and quite quickly, but it is still

Aspirant Americans tell of exclusions from ceremonies by sudden policy introduced on ‘security’ groundsThe occasion should have been marked by the joy of reaching the destination of US citizenship following the long odyssey of immigration.Instead, the ceremony at Boston’s Faneuil Hall – renowned as a “cradle of liberty” for its role as a protest hub in the run-up to the American revolution – felt like a nightmarish end of the road for some aspirant new Americans who had turned up full of hope. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/30/us-citizenship-immigration-trump Author : Robert Tait in Washington Publish date : 2025-12-30 12:00:00

Species that is critically endangered in Britain is spotted in Mersey, Bollin and Goyt rivers in north-westYoung Atlantic salmon have been seen in three rivers in north-west England for the first time since 2015, marking a “significant environmental turnaround”.The salmon species was declared critically endangered in Britain in 2023 but fish have been spotted in the Mersey, Bollin and Goyt rivers, meaning they have successfully travelled from the Arctic Circle to spawn. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/dec/30/young-atlantic-salmon-english-rivers-mersey-bollin-goyt Author : Hannah Al-Othman North of England correspondent Publish date : 2025-12-30 09:27:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.