Australian Open enjoys record crowds before tournament has even begun January 12, 2026 Australian Open organisers are toasting record crowds before the Grand Slam has properly begun after a near four-fold year-on-year increase in attendance on the first day of play at Melbourne Park. More than 29,000 tennis fans poured through the gates on Monday to catch players including home favourite Bernard Tomic and Brit Dan Evans in [...]
Crans-Montana the star in 2038 Switzerland Winter Olympics bid January 12, 2026 Crans-Montana is set to feature in the 2038 Winter Olympics as part of a wider bid by Switzerland, which is in exclusive talks with the IOC. The Swiss resort has led recent news bulletins after a fire in a bar killed 40 people amid a litany of safety issues. But it could become the third [...]
OpenAI could face more hurdles for IPO than Anthropic January 12, 2026 As artificial intelligence giants inch towards the public markets, copyright litigation is becoming an increasingly influential factor in how investors assess risk. And with that in mind, Anthropic appears to be starting from a less complicated position than its larger rival, OpenAI. Analysts at Bloomberg Intelligence have said the Claude founder faces “significantly less legal [...]
The tax return deadline is looming. Here’s how to avoid fines January 12, 2026 Many of us are guilty of putting our personal finance admin on the back burner, opting to leave paying our bills, planning the monthly budget and checking insurance policies until the last minute. But with the deadline of the 31st inching ever closer, leaving your self-assessment tax return until the final days of January, leaves [...]
Nadhim Zahawi defects to Reform as polling lead extended January 12, 2026 Former Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has defected to Reform UK as fresh polling has shown the party extending its lead over Labour and the Tories. Zahawi, a former ally of Boris Johnson who served as Chancellor for a matter of months, announced his high-profile defection in a press conference in Westminster on Monday. Along with new [...]
Women and Gen X are feeling blue on their finances for 2026 January 12, 2026 UK adults have reported feeling upbeat about their finances for the year ahead, but women and Gen X do not share the positive sentiment. Six in ten adults said they felt positive about their financial situation going into 2026, maintaining last year’s results and up from the 52 per cent reported in 2024, according to [...]
Calls for hospitality support grow as business rates outcry deepens January 12, 2026 Calls for the government to extend its rumoured support package for pubs to the entire hospitality industry grew on Monday, after a string of data releases laid bare the bleak outlook for UK venues amid fresh polling that reveals enormous public support for the embattled sector. According to the latest Morning Wire/Freshwater Strategy poll, 70 [...]
Ofcom investigation launched into Grok AI deepfakes on X January 12, 2026 The media and online safety watchdog has announced an investigation into Elon Musk’s X, to determine whether the platform has done enough to protect Brits from explicit deepfakes generated by its Grok AI. Ofcom pointed to “deeply concerning reports of the Grok AI chatbot account on X being used to create and share undressed images [...]
Former F1 champion Nico Rosberg raises $100m for VC fund January 12, 2026 Former Formula 1 world champion Nico Rosberg has raised $100m for his venture capital firm as the German expands his business portfolio. Lewis Hamilton’s ex-teammate saw Rosberg Ventures, for which he is founder, close its third round this month in a process he described as “oversubscribed with unprecedented demand”. It leaves the organisation with more [...]
How day one sick pay will change hiring behaviour January 12, 2026 Few employers disagree with the objectives of day one sick pay, but there could be adverse impacts on hiring behaviour, writes George Reed.