Technology
→ NewsMorocco declares end of seven-year drought after winter rains
Morocco's water minister said abundant winter rainfall has ended a seven-year drought, raising the national dam-filling rate to 46% and filling several key reservoirs.
iPhone 17e might arrive soon but its benefits seem limited
Rumors report a possible February 2026 reveal for an iPhone 17e. The current iPhone 16e, released in February 2025, uses an A18 chipset and 8GB of RAM while keeping a notched 60Hz display and a single 48MP camera.
Copilot can be removed from some managed Windows 11 work devices
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7535 adds a Group Policy that lets administrators uninstall the free Microsoft Copilot app on eligible managed devices. The policy is limited to Enterprise, Pro, and EDU editions and does not remove Copilot components tied to Microsoft 365 subscriptions.
Google and Apple agree a multi-year deal to use Gemini models
Alphabet said it has signed a multi-year agreement with Apple under which Apple’s next-generation AI models will be based on Google’s Gemini models. Google’s models are expected to power Apple Intelligence features, including a revamped Siri, which Apple plans to launch this year.
SpaceX cleared to add 7,500 next‑gen Starlink satellites to orbit.
The FCC approved SpaceX's request to increase its Starlink Gen2 fleet from 7,500 to 15,000 satellites, and requires half of the newly authorized satellites to be launched and in position by December 1, 2028.
Apple confirms major update as services report a 'record-breaking' year
Apple announced a record-breaking 2025 for its services, with Apple Music and Apple TV posting strong audience gains and the App Store averaging over 850 million weekly users.
Animal Crossing New Horizons 3.0 update set to arrive for Nintendo Switch 2 on January 15
Nintendo will release a free 3.0 update for Animal Crossing New Horizons on January 15, 2026, with an optional paid Switch 2 upgrade that adds 4K and expanded multiplayer.
Tributes to taxi driver Mosrab Ali after fatal Bolton crash
Family members paid tribute after 54-year-old taxi driver Mosrab Ali died in a collision in Bolton; Greater Manchester Police are investigating.
Amy Scott, NSW police officer who confronted Bondi Junction attacker, diagnosed with rare and aggressive breast cancer
Amy Scott, the New South Wales police officer who confronted the Bondi Junction attacker in April 2024, has been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer; NSW Police Legacy has raised almost $65,000 to support her and her family.
Trump says he will speak with Musk about restoring internet in Iran.
President Trump said he plans to speak with Elon Musk about restoring internet access in Iran, where authorities have cut service amid anti-government protests. Musk and SpaceX did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Facial recognition in US retailers raises privacy concerns
Wegmans and other U.S. retailers have deployed facial-recognition systems in a small number of stores, and privacy advocates and some lawmakers say oversight, accuracy and transparency are limited.
British skier dies after avalanche in French Alps
A British man, believed to be in his 50s, died after an avalanche while skiing off-piste at the La Plagne resort in the French Alps; rescue teams located him under snow and the resort offered condolences.
Four people named after Bolton head-on car crash
Four people were named locally after a head-on crash on Wigan Road in Bolton; emergency services attended in the early hours and five others were taken to hospital, and police said investigations were continuing.
Pandora telescope will study stars to clarify signals from exoplanets.
Launched on Jan. 11, 2026, NASA's Pandora is now in orbit and will record visible and infrared observations of host stars to help separate stellar activity from exoplanet signals.
Musk says outcry over Grok deepfakes is an 'excuse for censorship'
Elon Musk said critics "want any excuse for censorship" as governments and regulators probe reports that X's AI chatbot Grok produced sexualised images, including material reported as involving children; Indonesia has temporarily blocked Grok and Ofcom is carrying out an expedited assessment.
Trump warns Cuba to 'make a deal before it's too late'
President Trump posted on Truth Social that oil and money from Venezuela to Cuba will stop and urged Cuba to 'make a deal before it is too late'; the article links the comment to a reported US operation that seized Nicolás Maduro on January 3.
Starmer does not secure Canada's backing over Musk AI row
Sir Keir Starmer's call for an international response to X's AI bot, Grok, was weakened after Canada publicly stepped back from an outright ban; Downing Street has been discussing a coordinated approach with allies.
Heated Rivalry shows queer joy disrupting hockey's culture of masculinity
The Crave series Heated Rivalry centres on a romance between two professional hockey players and highlights queer joy that unsettles hockey's hypermasculine norms, prompting wide online discussion and watch parties.
CES 2026 TVs: five models I'm most interested in testing, including LG and Samsung OLEDs
CES 2026 featured new RGB panel technology (branded as RGB mini-LED or Micro RGB) and brighter OLED updates; the reviewer lists five TVs they most want to test, highlighting LG and Samsung mid-range and flagship OLEDs and Hisense's RGB efforts.
Conservatives pledge to ban social media for under-16s
The Conservative Party has pledged to ban social media access for under-16s, with leader Kemi Badenoch saying the change would raise the online 'age of consent' to protect children from harmful content. The plan would require platforms to use non-government ID age checks and points to moves in other countries as precedents.
Two-vehicle crash in Greater Manchester leaves four dead
A collision between a Seat Leon and a Citroen on Wigan Road in Bolton in the early hours of Sunday has been reported to have killed four people and injured five, Greater Manchester Police said.
Tories propose banning under-16s from social media, Kemi Badenoch says
Kemi Badenoch said the Conservatives would set a 16-year age limit to restrict under-16s from social media and proposed banning smartphones in schools with age verification for platforms; the government says it is monitoring developments.
Instagram password reset emails surge after large-scale requests
Many Instagram users reported unexpected password reset emails after a dataset linked to 17.5 million accounts appeared on BreachForums; Instagram says reset messages come only from @mail.instagram.com and that a reset email alone does not prove a breach.
India's proposed phone security rules raise concern among tech firms
India has proposed new smartphone security requirements — including source code review, limits on background permissions, year-long log retention and periodic malware scans — and major manufacturers and industry groups have expressed objections.
India proposes requiring smartphone makers to provide source code to the government.
India has proposed telecom security standards that would ask phone makers to share device source code and notify authorities about major software updates; government and industry are engaged in consultations and no final legal rule has been imposed.
Ban social media for under-16s urged by top teaching union
The NASUWT has called on the UK government to introduce a statutory ban on social media for under-16s, saying unregulated access is harming pupils' mental health and behaviour; the government points to the Online Safety Act and school phone guidance as current protections.
Singer killed in plane crash en route to concert
Singer Yeison Jimenez and five others were killed when a light aircraft crashed while travelling to Medellin; authorities confirmed all six occupants died.
Iran internet blackout reported after 60 hours
NetBlocks reported Iran's internet shutdown had lasted 60 hours as of 8am local time, and the outage reportedly also affected international phone calls; some people have had access via Starlink while authorities were reported to be attempting to jam those signals.
Ashley St Clair says Grok created fake sexualised images of her
Ashley St Clair has said the AI chatbot Grok was used to produce sexualised deepfake images of her as a teenager; the Internet Watch Foundation reported analysts found imagery of children aged 11–13 that appears to have been created with the tool.
Greenland's harsh environment and lack of infrastructure hinder rare earth mining.
Greenland's remoteness, limited infrastructure and complex geology have so far prevented commercial rare earth mining; experts and companies say development would likely take years and faces significant hurdles.
