Day: January 9, 2026
Shabana Mahmood to end duty to support some asylum seekers in bid to shut hotels
January 9, 2026Shabana Mahmood (James Manning/PA) PA Wire Shabana Mahmood will end the Government’s duty to support all destitute asylum seekers as she seeks to shut more asylum hotels, sources have said. The Home Secretary intends to remove support from some asylum seekers and begin evicting people from hotels in the spring. In a move first reported […]
Read More
Musk claims outcry over Grok deepfakes ‘excuse for censorship’
January 9, 2026Critics of X “want any excuse for censorship”, Elon Musk has claimed as his website faces the threat of being shut down over deepfake pornography and child abuse images. The billionaire appeared defiant on Friday night despite the outcry over reports X’s AI chatbot Grok was creating sexualised images of people, including children, at users’ […]
Read More
UK politics: Reform UK mayoral candidate apologises for Lammy ‘go home’ tweet – as it happened
January 9, 2026Downing Street says X’s limited response to Grok AI sexualised deepfake images scandal ‘insulting to victims of misogyny’ Elon Musk’s social media platform X has responded to the sexualised deepfake controversy by turning off the Grok AI image creation function for the vast majority of users. Helena Horton, Dan Milmo and Amelia Gentleman have the […]
Read More
London is getting its first new Primark store in over 10 years
January 9, 2026Self-tanning mitts, nail salons, coffee shops, and clothing line collaborations. Stranger Things tee, anyone? Since its launch in 1969 (in Ireland, where it was initially known as Penneys), Primark has steadily risen to become one of the UK’s most beloved fashion retailers. In London the brand has a giant flagship four-floor store on Oxford Street, […]
Read More
Baby Elsa set to be adopted a year after being found in a shopping bag in London
January 9, 2026Brooke Davies Published January 9, 2026 12:07pm Updated January 9, 2026 12:07pm A baby girl who was found abandoned in a plastic bag in freezing temperatures is set to be adopted. Elsa, who was named by hospital staff, was discovered by a dogwalker in Newham in January 2024. No sign of her parents could be […]
Read More
London Underground tradition some say is ‘messed up’ is returning
January 9, 2026Courtney Pochin Published January 9, 2026 11:49am Updated January 9, 2026 11:49am If you’re travelling on the London Underground this weekend, you might see a lot more skin than you’re used to. That’s because the annual ‘No Trousers Tube Ride’ is returning for 2026, meaning hundreds of people will be getting on public transport sans […]
Read More
Here’s the date London will see its first 5pm sunset of 2026
January 9, 2026Life can feel pretty dire when you’re forced to watch the sun rise and set from inside an office building. Perpetually gloomy, grim, and pitch black, finding the energy to do quite literally anything in the UK’s winter is a mammoth task. How can I be expected to drag myself to a social gathering or […]
Read More
A free wild swimming spot with a sandy beach could be coming to East London
January 9, 2026Margate might only be an hour and a half away on the train, but Londoners could be about to have access to a sandy beach right on their front door. For over five years, the East London Water Works charity has been campaigning to turn the 14-acre Thames Water depot on Lea Bridge Road in […]
Read More
Kate celebrates her 44th birthday the day after surprising NHS staff
January 9, 2026The Princess of Wales is celebrating her 44th birthday, the day after making a surprise appearance to show support for under pressure NHS staff. Kate visited Charing Cross Hospital with the Prince of Wales on Thursday as the pair carried out their first public engagement of 2026. The princess’s birthday on Friday falls just days […]
Read More
Forbes to sign deal with Paris region to boost economy
January 9, 2026Scotland’s Deputy First Minister will sign a partnership agreement with the Greater Paris region in a bid to boost economic growth. It aims to create a framework for closer economic ties, trade missions and business delegations between Scotland and the Greater Paris area. Areas of the deal include climate change, cultural exchange and promoting equality. […]
Read More