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An ex-aide to Prime Minister Keir Starmer has warned that elected politicians have ceded so much authority to lawyers, activists and arms‑length bodies that they struggle to fulfil manifesto promises. Writing in The Times, Paul Ovenden — who resigned as the PM’s director of political strategy in September after offensive private messages from 2017 surfaced … Read more
Lead Stock futures climbed on the first trading day of 2026 as technology names extended momentum from last year. On Friday morning, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were up 188 points (about 0.4%), S&P 500 futures rose 0.6% and Nasdaq-100 futures jumped roughly 1.1%. Early gains were led by AI-linked names—Nvidia rose more than 1% … Read more
Lead: Samsung has introduced the Freestyle Plus, a portable all-in-one projector it says delivers 430 ISO lumens — a claim unveiled ahead of the CES show. The company presents that output as “nearly twice the brightness of the previous generation,” while earlier Freestyle models listed 550 lumens on their spec sheets. The announcement emphasizes the … Read more
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — On Thursday at the Orange Bowl, No. 5 Oregon shut out No. 4 Texas Tech 23-0 to advance to a College Football Playoff semifinal. Oregon’s defense forced four turnovers and repeatedly halted a high-powered Texas Tech offense, while quarterback Dante Moore passed for 234 yards and Jordon Davison produced two rushing … Read more
Lead Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro left a Brasilia hospital on Thursday, one week after undergoing a double hernia operation, and was taken by car back to the federal police headquarters where he is serving a 27-year prison term. Hospital DF Star confirmed he was discharged after additional minor procedures following the hernia surgery, which … Read more
Lead On Thursday, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani revoked nine executive orders that his predecessor, Eric Adams, issued after Adams’s Sept. 26, 2024, federal corruption indictment. The rescissions, announced hours after Mamdani’s inauguration in Brooklyn, target policies ranging from definitions of antisemitism and restrictions on protests to immigration and the horse-carriage industry. Mamdani’s team said … Read more
NEW ORLEANS — On Jan. 1 in the Sugar Bowl, Georgia coach Kirby Smart accepted responsibility after a decisive fourth-down blunder helped Ole Miss beat the Bulldogs 39-34. Facing fourth-and-2 at Georgia’s own 33, the Bulldogs briefly sent out their punt unit but then returned the offense to the field; a snap that wasn’t supposed … Read more
Lead PASADENA, Calif. — On Jan. 1, 2026, No. 1 Indiana demolished No. 9 Alabama 24-0 in the Rose Bowl, a result that upended expectations and vaulted the 14-0 Hoosiers into the College Football Playoff semifinals. Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza completed 14 of 16 passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns while Indiana outrushed … Read more
Lead On Friday, January 2, 2026, readers are advised to observe a Moon Alert from 6:00 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., avoiding shopping (except groceries and fuel) and postponing important choices until the lunar window closes. After 7:30 a.m. the moon shifts from Gemini into Cancer, changing the day’s emotional tone. Overall, the forecasts signal a … Read more
Lead Peter Atkinson, 49, a towing-company owner from North Wales, Pennsylvania, has been hospitalized at Doylestown Hospital since Dec. 19 after physicians diagnosed him with necrotizing fasciitis. The infection progressed to sepsis and acute kidney failure; he is currently on dialysis and remains in inpatient care. Family members and treating clinicians say rapid intervention and … Read more
Lead Chinese automaker BYD announced that its battery-electric vehicle sales climbed nearly 28% last year to more than 2.25 million units, positioning the Shenzhen-based company to surpass Tesla as the world’s biggest EV seller for the year. Tesla’s full 2025 tally was still pending publication, though analysts have estimated roughly 1.65 million vehicles. The shift … Read more
Lead Richard Gallimore, 23, of Swansea says he replaced a human personal trainer with an AI coaching tool in late 2024 and has since increased his bench press from 70kg to 110kg, calling himself “the strongest I’ve ever been.” In nearby Aberdare, 21-year-old Leah Walsh used AI to prepare for her second half marathon and … Read more
Lead On Jan. 2, 2026 in the Sugar Bowl, No. 6 Ole Miss completed a dramatic comeback to upset No. 3 Georgia 39-34 and advance to the College Football Playoff semifinals. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss led a second-half rally and set up Lucas Carneiro’s game-winning 47-yard field goal with six seconds left. Ole Miss added a … Read more
Lead On Jan. 1, 2026 in Sacramento, the Boston Celtics rallied late to defeat the Sacramento Kings 120-106. Jaylen Brown paced Boston with 29 points and 10 rebounds, while Derrick White’s key 3-pointer gave the Celtics the lead for good in the fourth quarter. Boston pulled away with an 11-2 run in the final three … Read more
On Jan. 1, 2026 in New Orleans, Lucas Carneiro drilled a 47-yard field goal in the closing seconds to lift Ole Miss to a 39-34 victory over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, sending the Rebels to the College Football Playoff semifinals. The game ended when Ole Miss recorded a safety on a kickoff late in … Read more
