2 h. ago ‘Add blood, forced smile’: how Grok’s nudification tool went viral

The ‘put her in a bikini’ trend rapidly evolved into hundreds of thousands of requests to strip clothes from photos of women, horrifying those targetedLike thousands of women across the world, Evie, a 22-year-old photographer from Lincolnshire, woke up on New Year’s Day, looked at her phone and was alarmed to see that fully clothed photographs of her had been digitally manipulated by Elon Musk’s AI tool, Grok, to show her in just a bikini.The “put her in a bikini” trend began quietly at the end of last year before exploding at the start of 2026. Within days, hundreds of thousands of requests were being made to the Grok chatbot, asking it to strip the clothes from photographs of women. The fake, sexualised images were posted publicly on X, freely available for millions of people to inspect. Continue reading...

Events

18 h. ago Met Office details 'disruptive' Sunday weather with 30cm snow and 'freezing rain'

The national forecaster has issued a series of weather warnings this weekend as the wild and wintry start to 2026 continues.

Society

18 h. ago River Island closing 32 stores in January as shoppers say they 'saw it coming'

Fashion chain River Island will shut 32 UK stores this month following a £32.3m pre-tax loss and 19% sales decline, with shoppers previously citing overpricing and outdated stores

Politics

23 h. ago Snow in Scotland LIVE as two winter storms to batter country this weekend

The wintry start to 2026 shows little sign of letting up, after a week dominated by Met Office weather warnings with some schools closed for five days.

Events

23 h. ago Snow in Scotland LIVE as Met Office issues amber warning with power cuts 'likely'

The wintry start to 2026 shows little sign of letting up, after a week dominated by Met Office weather warnings with some schools closed for five days.

Events

26 h. ago Trump’s territorial ambition: new imperialism or a case of the emperor’s new clothes?

Trump’s attack on Venezuela suggests expansionism is under way but some argue it is simply standard US foreign policy stripped of hypocrisyThe attack on Venezuela and the seizure of its president was a shocking enough start to 2026, but it was only the next day, when the smoke had dispersed and Donald Trump was flying from Florida to Washington DC in triumph, that it became clear the world had entered a new era.The US president was leaning on a bulkhead on Air Force One, in a charcoal suit and gold tie, regaling reporters with inside details of the abduction of Nicolás Maduro. He claimed his government was “in charge” of Venezuela and that US companies were poised to extract the country’s oil wealth. Continue reading...

Politics

60 h. ago Tax filing season begins Jan 26 and you might want the head start due to changes this year

Several provisions in the law retroactively affect the 2025 tax year

Politics

64 h. ago Early birds can begin filing their taxes on Jan. 26 this year

The IRS will start accepting 2025 tax returns on Jan. 26, marking the official start of the 2026 tax filing season

Politics

4 d. ago David Squires on Amorim and Maresca being thrown overboard in power struggles

Our cartoonist on a typically sedate start to 2026 at two of the Premier League’s biggest football ‘projects’David’s favourite cartoons of 2025 | Buy one hereAnd his latest book, Chaos in the Box: get it now Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago Scottish golfers start 2026 campaign in top US amateur event

Tartan trio teeing up in Jones Cup Invitational at Sea Island in Georgia

Politics

5 d. ago Hundreds of schools CLOSED across Scotland for second day as another heavy snow dump hits amid amber Met Office warning

SCHOOLS have been forced to close for a second day as snow chaos continues across Scotland. The whole country is under Met Office weather warnings today as blizzards bring a freezing start to 2026. Northern parts of Scotland have been battered by the flurries in recent days, with between 5-10cm of snow falling. Hundreds of...

Events

5 d. ago Corporation for Public Broadcasting to shut down this month after Trump axes funding

The organization, which funded PBS and NPR, voted to close after 58 years rather than risk ‘future political manipulation’

Politics

5 d. ago Kate Middleton faces new pressure as Royal Family pins hopes on her amid Andrew scandal

The Princess of Wales will have a busy 2026 as the Royal Family hope for a much-needed fresh start following a scandal-filled 2025

Politics

5 d. ago BREAKING: Man United explain Ruben Amorim sack decision as statement confirms replacement

Manchester United have parted ways with Ruben Amorim after a dismal 2025 and poor start to 2026.

Politics

5 d. ago British No 3 secures biggest win of her career in Auckland to start 2026 season

Francesca Jones, now ranked inside the top-100 in the world, secured a terrific victory at the Auckland Open

Politics

5 d. ago Weather tracker: Arctic air grips Europe as severe winds batter Corsica

Subzero temperatures, heavy snowfall and powerful gusts mark a harsh start to 2026 for manyIt has been a cold start to the year across much of Europe, particularly in central regions, where temperatures dropped to double-digit negatives. Heavy snowfall hit parts of eastern and central Europe on New Year’s Eve, notably in Poland and Ukraine, with similar conditions across the Alps on the first few days of the year.The cold is likely to continue this week as an Arctic air mass sinks south across Europe, pulling temperatures well below the seasonal average outside south-east Europe. Temperatures are expected to fall widely by about 5C (41F) below average, with some areas – such as parts of central and north-eastern Europe – up to 10C lower than the norm. When wind chill is taken into account, it will feel even colder. Continue reading...

Society

6 d. ago Kate Middleton’s fresh struggle as Royal Family’s biggest hope after Andrew scandal

As the Princess of Wales celebrates her 44th birthday at the start of 2026, it signals a much-needed new year and new start for the family following a scandal-filled 2025

Politics

6 d. ago Royal family 'really needs royal star' Kate Middleton after dramatic year

EXCLUSIVE: As the Princess of Wales celebrates her 44th birthday at the start of 2026, it signals a much-needed new year and new start for the family following a scandal-filled 2025

Politics

6 d. ago Man City feel like they have a January cheat code amid injury gloom

Manchester City will not want to get carried away by Rodri's return but his start to 2026 has been outstanding

Events

6 d. ago Former British schoolgirl, 15, confirmed as victim of New Year's Swiss ski resort fire

Charlotte Niddam, 15, was one of 40 people killed and over 100 injured in the blaze at the Crans-Montana resort's Constellation bar while celebrating the start of 2026

Events