The inevitable New Year polling drought continues, though Roy Morgan’s regular monthly result may perhaps be along next week. We do have the following:
• The News Corp papers report a poll by Fox & Hedgehog, founded by former Liberal staffer Michael Horner, shows 54% in favour of a royal commission into the Bondi shootings, including 32% strongly in favour. Nineteen per cent disagree, 7% strongly so, while 27% are neutral or unsure. Coalition voters are considerably more likely to be strongly supportive, but even 42% of Labor voters are in favour with 32% unfavourable. The sample for the poll was 1608, with field work dates not reported.
• Nine Newspapers last week ran “net likeability” scores for an array of politicians from the recent Resolve Strategic poll, together with familiarity scores. These found respondents more favourably disposed than when the same exercise was conducted a year ago, with only two scoring net negative ratings: Barnaby Joyce at minus four and Lidia Thorpe at minus 12. David Pocock has ascended to join Jacqui Lambie at the top of the table with plus 15, the two respectively improving by one and ten points. The aftermath of Bondi notwithstanding, Anthony Albanese went from near the bottom of the table at minus 17 last year to the top end at plus nine. Other strong performers were Anne Aly (plus 12), Penny Wong (plus 11) and Catherine King (plus 11) for Labor, and Tim Wilson (plus 11) and Sarah Henderson (plus 10) for the Liberals. The biggest improvers were Joyce, whose poor result was an 18 point improvement on last year, and Pauline Hanson, up 16 to plus three. Both have a higher familiarity rating than Sussan Ley, who was known to 83% and scored plus eight on net likeability.
• Pew Research has findings from a mid-year international survey on views of Israel and Benjamin Netanyahu, which found 25% of Australians holding a favourable and 74% an unfavourable view of Israel, compared with a net median across 24 countries of 29% and 64%. Australia tied with the United States as the country with the highest ideological polarisation on the subject: 90% of left-identifiers professed themselves unfavourable compared with 76% for centrists and 46% for those on the right. Australians held a more negative view of Netanyahu than Americans, with 20% expressing some or a lot of confidence that he would do the right thing in world affairs, compared with 72% for little or no confidence.
• Sarah Elks of The Australian reports Queensland’s Liberal National Party has opened nominations for Senate preselection. Incumbents James McGrath and Matt Canavan are expected to retain first and second position. Potential nominees for third position, which last availed the party in 2019, are moderate-aligned Maggie Forrest, a barrister who ran unsuccessfully in Ryan at the May federal election; conservative-aligned Susanna Damianopoulos, a small business owner and former electorate officer who ran unsuccessfully in Springwood at the October 2024 state election; and Benjamin Naday, a lawyer and former staffer to Karen Andrews, who unsuccessfully contested the preselection to succeed her in her Gold Coast seat of McPherson.
• Sarah Elks of The Australian (again) reports Capricornia MP Michelle Landry will “decide on her future closer to the next election”, amid suggestions her retirement could make the central Queensland seat available to conservative Nationals Senator Matt Canavan.
Been off grid somewhat, and just catching up.
The Royal Commission Letters Patent show the benefit of spending a few weeks to get them right, rather than knee-jerking.
https://www.ag.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-01/draft-letters-patent_royal-commission-on-antisemitism-and-social-cohesion.pdf
Some key points are included in the Preamble, broadening out the ‘Jewish exclusive’ specific terms of reference:
AND recognising that strengthening the national consensus in support of
democracy, freedom and the rule of law (social cohesion) provides the strongest
defence against antisemitism and other forms of religious and ideologically
motivated extremism.
AND that hearing from the Jewish Australian community will be important to
informing the recommendations of your inquiry and recognising concerns
relating to educational and cultural institutions, and other sectors of Australian
society.
AND the necessity for the inquiry to be conducted in a manner that does not
occasion prejudice to current or future criminal proceedings or national security
or undermine social cohesion.
And defining law enforcement to include State Police Forces.
Much more diligence on display in this document than in the current article on the SMH website, which proclaims that:
The antisemitism inquiry announced on Thursday is the first Commonwealth royal commission since the Morrison government established an inquiry into defence and veteran suicide in 2021.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-federal-bondi-royal-commission-20260108-p5nslt.html
Robodebt RC in 2022/23 being airbrushed out..
Bob Brown said they have algal blooms in Tassie now around the salmon farms.
Don’t let it get out of hand like we did. It helps to test for it!
Kirsdarke says:
Thursday, January 8, 2026 at 10:46 pm
The Freshwater NZ Poll mentioned by Nadia doesn’t look too bad for the Left coalition there actually.
Labour: 38%
National: 30%
NZ First: 9%
Greens: 8%
ACT: 8%
Maori: 2%
Other: 4%
That should be enough for a Labour-Greens-Maori Coalition, albeit narrowly, but that seems to be how it goes over there for the time being.
========
The National Party in NZ managed to avoid a technical recession when the last GDP figures were released on 19-Dec-2025.
I’m not surprised the Nat vote is falling and NZ Labour is back in contention.
Here’s the poll link, although K has got the data already.
https://freshwaterstrategy.com/2026/01/05/the-post-freshwater-strategy-december-polling-data/
sprocket_says:
Thursday, January 8, 2026 at 10:52 pm
Robodebt RC in 2022/23 being airbrushed out..
—————————————
If they had open comments on this article someone could correct them but they don’t.
sprocket_says:
The Royal Commission Letters Patent show the benefit of spending a few weeks to get them right, rather than knee-jerking.
____________________________________________
Talk about jerking.
Diogenes says:
Thursday, January 8, 2026 at 10:53 pm
Bob Brown said they have algal blooms in Tassie now around the salmon farms.
Don’t let it get out of hand like we did. It helps to test for it!
===============
Keep an eye on it for me pls Diogenes, in case it floats it’s way around the coast to SE Qld.
I’ll keep an eye on Cooper’s Creek in case it heads in reverse back into Qld.
We don’t want any of that going on up here!
sprocket_says:
Thursday, January 8, 2026 at 10:52 pm
The Royal Commission Letters Patent show the benefit of spending a few weeks to get them right, rather than knee-jerking.
_______________________
In the words of Terry Wallace.
I’ll spew up.
David @10:34.
Here’s a link: https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/man-charged-over-string-of-alleged-car-fires-including-firebombing-of-rabbi-s-car/ar-AA1TDM6U
This seems to have been one of a number of attacks and incidents of fake terrorism that have occurred recently.
This includes the “Dural Caravan Plot” about a year ago:
(https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-11/what-we-know-about-dural-caravan-hoax/105035592).
These acts were carried out by petty / low-level criminals for payment with no apparent ideological, religious or political agenda.
The explanation for the Dural plot seemed unconvincing to me – major crime figures creating a distraction, hoping to get reduced sentences by betraying the plotters, etc.
We need to find out who’s been organising these acts and why. Ideally throw the book at them, but if they’re overseas that are probably untouchable.
Always good to end the night on a positive note:
Ahmed al Ahmed with Jewish community leaders
Good night 🙂
“England’s Harry Brook has apologised after being involved in an altercation with a nightclub bouncer the night before a one-day international on the tour of New Zealand that preceded the Ashes.”
https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/articles/c70lewdre24o
They certainly sat on that for awhile, maybe Albo could take lessons from the ECB?
Kirsdarke / Nadia: one interesting technicality about NZ is that some of the Maori seats are overhang seats, not strictly proportional. The Maori Party won six of them despite getting only enough % of the party vote for four, so they kept the extra two and parliament expanded (there was also a third for National due to the death of a candidate during the campaign and a by-election for that seat, which partially cancelled it out). Now, two of those MPs have been kicked out of the party with some internal drama that will probably carry on to the next election. If Labour win some of those Maori seats back, it won’t affect their number of proportional seats (out of 120), but it would get rid of that overhang, which could make a difference in a close election.
Entropysays:
Thursday, January 8, 2026 at 11:14 pm
They certainly sat on that for awhile, maybe Albo could take lessons from the ECB?
_______________________
Not even close to the ACB in regards to M Waugh and SK Warne taking money from an Indian Bookie.
Covered it up for 4 years.
On Stephen Colbert show
“What Can We Get Away With?” – Chris Hayes Identifies The Trump Administration’s Operating Principle https://search.app/diSNf
Watch video (brilliant)
Pegasus says:
Thursday, January 8, 2026 at 9:57 pm
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jan/08/was-albaneses-royal-commission-refusal-cynical-or-considered-either-way-his-backdown-has-come-too-late-ntwnfb
“Critics, including inside the Labor caucus, are far more cynical, adamant the prime minister made a cold political calculation that to hold a royal commission would be more damaging than to resist one.”
__________________________________
I don’t believe this for a second – in fact my consistent view (for the score takers) is that holding a RC will be ultimately politically beneficial to Labor, because most people want a “reduce migration” finding and politically reward a “pro-deportation” government, esp if framed around “racism bad”.
Additionally, I would have classified a rushed RC as an act of personal revenge by Albo because the Gaza protesters spent most of 2024/25 as a political oppositional force (hence why I dismiss the Gaza protests = antisemitism nonsense).
I think the conspiracy theorist belief that ASIO personally briefed the PM on these attackers (or some variant of “not enough resources”) is misguided – the finding will be “these idiots were so low profile … and hey NSW gun registry is a mess!”
But my own views in opposing one have been stated repeatedly.
”
C@tmommasays:
Thursday, January 8, 2026 at 11:13 pm
Always good to end the night on a positive note:
”
It is not a good night I can’t see a positive aspect to today’s developments.
Albanese is damaged, ALP government is damaged, all brown and black people are implicitly accused of anti-semitism.
Albanese government established caste based system, where one small percentage of people are at the top social hierarchy.
It is like Albanese government has pulled off a defeat from the jaws of stupendous victory.
What is even more maddening is that people like Taylormade, Diogenes, Jolly Jumbuck, agitprop, hard being Green (aka easy being Liberal) on PB and outside world are absolutely rejoicing at Albanese and his government misery.
Currently, there is no place for goodness in Australia, human beings cannot operate with good faith and decency.
As A_E posted Israel-palestine conflict is where progressive politics goes and dies.
I’m not rejoicing at Albos misery.
I’m rejoicing that rationality has been shown to be better than emotion. On PB. Just this once.
I heard a rumour there was once, at some point in history, a royal commission that produced meaningful results and led to improved outcomes for the nation.
But it was just an unsubstantiated rumour.
AM
They’re like Coroners findings. And government “independent” reports. Very easily ignored.
The process is the punishment. Once it’s over it has the shape of water.
“Twenty Five Days!!!! to get around to having a Royal Commission!!!” said 10 news’ Jewish rep tonight & the news crew tuttered in support. Dunno what she thinks of Bibi taking 3 years to organise an enquiry he’ll be heading because they didn’t ask her.
Kirsdarke at 10.46 pm, nadia at 10.57 pm, and Bird of paradox at 11.21 pm
Don’t get excited about any “Freshwater” poll, even if their methods in NZ are cleaner than here. That poll is also a month old, apart from its inherent unreliability.
See Freshwater preferred PM stats: figures for Hipkins are almost double that of any other poll.
What matters is not that poll but the overall trend. Luxon is batting uphill at best, in poor form.
Yes, the disputes within the Maori Party have been intense, but those expelled seem to have little support. The two affected formerly Maori (now independent) seats are in the far north, and the south island. Both seats previously had strong Labour MPs who retired this term. The obstacle to Labour winning those seats back is to find prominent, popular candidates. Contests in the Maori seats depend a lot on personal profile and standing. There is no direct parallel in Australia but a state election in Tassie, where profile matters a lot, is the closest comparison.
Of course, while NZ Labour kicked a run of own goals in 2023, they’re better than Tassie Labor.
B.S. Fairman at 10.05 pm
The federal RC into the 2019/20 bushfires also had, partly, a peculiar motivation, in being an attempt by ProMo Morrison to appear relevant after his Hawaii jaunt. The main commission of inquiry into those fires in NSW was state based. It was not a RC but it was still more important.
Krugman has a short message for this day of infamy
He said: American fascism is on the march
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/1/6/2361764/-Krugman-has-a-short-message-for-this-day-of-infamy?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=trending&pm_medium=web
“Paul Krugman has a short post today. Here’s the key message:
…I’m not going to talk today about how we got here and strategies for getting out. All I want to do right now is to say that we should be clear about what is happening. American fascism is on the march, and anyone who balks at saying that clearly, who makes excuses and pretends that Trump and the people he brought in aren’t monsters, is deeply unpatriotic. If we are to have a chance at saving democracy, our first duty must be clarity. No sanewashing, no bothsidesing. Only facing the horrible truth can set us free.
Henry at 8.44 pm, Mavis at 9 pm, nadia at 9.14 pm and Mostly Interested at 9.39 pm
Rowland was poor, because at one point he stopped the PM from giving a direct answer to his question. It was so bad it should be used by ABC management as an e.g. of how not to interview.
The question related to Her Honour Virginia Bell. Albo was about to elaborate on why she is very suitable, and Rowland cut him off before he could do that. It is most likely that he would have said that Judge Bell is very suitable because of her extensive criminal law experience. He did sort of come back in a round-about way but did not make that specific point emphatically, which seemed to be what he was about to say when Rowland shifted on to another question.
MI – there is no comparison with the Voice referendum, which failed for various reasons, including timing. An old and very serious journo, David Solomon, who voted in the 1967 referendum and later wrote a good book on the High Court, publicly advised Albo in early August 2022 to hold the referendum as soon as possible, sensible advice that was ignored.
https://johnmenadue.com/post/2022/08/time-to-listen-to-the-voice-and-act-is-now/
Mostly Interested at 6.33 and 6.46 pm
This RC “will keep Sussan Ley as the LOTO for the rest of 2026.”
Talk to nadia, who recently had Ms Ley probably being toppled within weeks.
Average of those two views is more likely to be an accurate prediction. Ley has spent of lot of energy talking to all and sundry when very few voters are listening. She would be a good bet in the 94 metre race at the Liberal leaders Olympics if the most favoured contender is Frydenberg.
Re Ms Spender, she was not troubled at all at the last election. Even Turnbull probably voted for her. She is not short of money, is very composed, and shows no signs of being defeated.
@Doolittle:
“MI – there is no comparison with the Voice referendum, which failed for various reasons, including timing. An old and very serious journo, David Solomon, who voted in the 1967 referendum and later wrote a good book on the High Court, publicly advised Albo in early August 2022 to hold the referendum as soon as possible, sensible advice that was ignored.”
____
Politically impossible to go much earlier, given the run of interest rate rises, inflation spike and cost of living squeeze in the first 12 months of the life of the government. … but for those factors Albo could have taken the referendum to the people in October or November 22, and the campaign would have started with a 60-40 lead to ‘yes’.
Unfortunately, I doubt that would have mattered. ‘Team No’ would have still turned up. Headed by the LNP opposition and the terrible two black fella talking heads, and over the life of the campaign the end result would very likely have been the same.
Australians do not like voting ‘yes’ to any referendum when there is a ‘team no’, which is the real take out from the 1967 referendum: there was no ‘team no’. Which can be compared to the 1988 referenda questions – the largest ‘no’ vote was for the question that was the least controversial – extending the constitutional protection prohibiting the acquisition of property except ‘on just terms’ to state governments. The rationale behind ‘team no’ recommending ‘no’ to that question was simply to keep the ballot paper recommendations consistent with- four nos. Enough to kill it.
Anyhow: off to swim 4km before it gets too hot!
You don’t hold a referendum unless you already know the outcome and the carry-on by the pro-RC Pack has been allowed to accumulate enough evidence to counter any interference/reaction to those findings that Albo has very carefully considered.
The opinion polling for federal lib/nats combined primary vote will be stuck under 30% , like the lib/nats combined primary vote was stuck after the voice referendum .
Federal Labor continues to govern , show they are continuing to work on policies and implement policies
Where the opposition political party/s do not have any new policies , or re-using failed policies , thought bubbles. Also do not have much unity under their federal leaders
Majority of non Lib /nats voters are continuing to stay well away from the lib/nats, no matter how much personal attacks and propaganda the lib/nats attack Labor/Albanese
New thread.
Well, of course Patel is freezing them out, the little sycophant and fanatic doesn’t want reality getting in the way of burying it all under a very thick layer of bullshit and lies. He only wants to please his Orange Master.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2026/01/08/minnesota-ice-shooting-protests/
Ye dogs!
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/01/08/trump-white-house-ballroom/
Good Morning! Here’s Your Daily News and Views Roundup Gawd It’s Hot Edition
Explainer: What will the royal commission after the Bondi attack look at and how will it work?
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jan/08/what-will-the-bondi-terror-attack-royal-commission-look-at-and-how-will-it-work-heres-what-you-need-to-know-ntwnfb
Everything you need to know about the federal Bondi royal commission
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-federal-bondi-royal-commission-20260108-p5nslt.html
Albanese announces royal commission after Bondi attack as he defends not calling inquiry earlier
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jan/08/bondi-shooting-royal-commission-attack-australia-pm-albanese-ntwnfb
‘I’ve taken the time to reflect’: Anthony Albanese bows to intense pressure, announces antisemitism royal commission
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/anthony-albanese-bows-to-intense-pressure-will-call-royal-commission-into-bondi-killings-20260106-p5ns2n.html
Former High Court justice Virginia Bell to lead Bondi royal commission
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-08/albanese-bell-royal-commission-antisemitism-bondi/106210052
Analysis: Was Albanese’s royal commission refusal cynical or considered? The prime minister says he takes the time to ‘choose the right path’ – but it was right there in front of him the whole time
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jan/08/was-albaneses-royal-commission-refusal-cynical-or-considered-either-way-his-backdown-has-come-too-late-ntwnfb
Albanese has lost face and given ground. Ley should follow suit
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/albanese-has-lost-face-and-given-ground-ley-should-follow-suit-20260106-p5ns3d.html
‘Pack what’s precious’: Victorians bracing for catastrophic fire danger
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jan/08/pack-whats-precious-victorians-bracing-for-catastrophic-fire-danger-hunker-down-with-caravans-kelpies-and-litres-of-water
Solar to the fore as grid sails through heatwave and record demand
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-09/solar-powers-australia-through-heatwave-conditions/106211394
RBA plays the long game on inflation, so an interest rate rise could still be some way off
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-09/rba-deputy-governor-andrew-hauser-interest-rates-inflation-janda/106210128
Investigations to start this weekend into ground conditions at the site of a planned station at Woollahra in Sydney’s east will determine the scale of the project and whether towers can be built above the railway like those at Bondi Junction, Waterloo or in the central city.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/will-towers-rise-above-the-new-woollahra-station-we-re-about-to-find-out-20260108-p5nskb.html
Trump is destroying the rules of international behaviour. Australia can – and must – act now.
Australia has a long history of diplomacy and peacekeeping when things go pear-shaped. We need to saddle up again. Allan Behm
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/08/trump-destroying-rules-international-behaviour-australia-reaction
Trump’s assault on the Smithsonian: ‘The goal is to reframe the entire culture of the US’
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/08/donald-trump-smithsonian-reframe-entire-culture-united-states
‘Hard to say who’s winning’: China and Australia battle for influence in Solomon Islands policing
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/08/china-australia-solomon-islands-influence
FBI takes over case of ICE agent killing US woman and cuts Minnesota’s access to evidence
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/08/minneapolis-school-class-canceled-ice-killed-woman
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) announced that it would be withdrawing from the investigation into the fatal shooting of Renee Good after federal authorities blocked BCA from accessing evidence and materials from the case.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2026/jan/08/minneapolis-shooting-ice-minnesota-protests-vigils-donald-trump-latest-news-updates
JD Vance Goes on Troll Spree to Insult ‘Deranged’ Dead Mom
https://www.thedailybeast.com/vance-goes-on-troll-spree-to-insult-deranged-dead-minneapolis-mom-renee-nicole-good/
ICE agents have killed – again. The Trump administration blames the victim. An agent shot a woman in Minneapolis, causing vast and needless grief. Our country is diseased – but that is not the only truth.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/08/ice-minneapolis-shooting-trump
With Venezuela, Trump has achieved his dream of making his own 80s action movie. Phil Hoad
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/08/with-venezuela-trump-has-achieved-his-dream-of-making-his-own-80s-action-movie
To make sense of the Venezuela attack, look to the hotter heads around Trump. Waleed Aly
https://www.smh.com.au/national/to-make-sense-of-the-venezuela-attack-look-to-the-hotter-heads-around-trump-20260107-p5nsen.html
Trump plans to use Venezuela’s huge crude reserves ‘to cut US oil price to $50 a barrel’ from $56
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jan/08/trump-plans-use-venezuela-huge-oil-reserves-to-cut-us-consumer-price-to-50-a-barrel
US Senate advances war powers resolution to stop Trump from taking further military action in Venezuela. Democratic-led resolution requires US president to seek Congress’s approval to use military against Venezuela
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/08/trump-venezuela-senate-vote
Venezuelan and foreign prisoners to be released following seizure of Nicolás Maduro
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-09/venezuela-prisoners-to-be-freed-after-us-seizure-of-maduro/106212566
Europe faces a pincer attack from White House ideologues backed by Silicon Valley and its far-right proxies. US tech bosses are exerting leverage on EU regulators via Trump and Vance. But Europe isn’t powerless, and it isn’t alone. Armida van Rij
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/08/europe-white-house-ideologues-silicon-valley-far-right-proxies-trump-vance
Jonathan Freedland speaks to the Pulitzer-winning author Anne Applebaum about what to expect from a world changing by the hour at the hands of the US president. Podcast
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/audio/2026/jan/08/greenland-venezuela-donald-trump-us-imperialism-podcast
NATO faces unpredictable threat from Donald Trump as US eyes Greenland
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-08/natos-latest-threat-could-be-coming-from-within-donald-trump/106205214
How Europe will try to save Greenland from Trump. POLITICO spoke with officials, diplomats, experts and NATO insiders to map out 4 potential strategies for deterring the U.S. president.
https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-greenland-donald-trump-policy-makers-military-takeovers/
Here’s why UK Labour is struggling to deliver: the British state is immense, but pull the levers and nothing happens. At home, the machinery of government creaks badly – abroad, a leaden UK lags far behind dynamic competitors. A radical overhaul is needed. Larry Elliott
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/08/labour-british-state-uk-economy-government
French president condemns US for ‘turning away from allies’. Emmanuel Macron’s comments come as Germany’s president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warns against turning world into ‘robber’s den’
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/08/french-german-presidents-macron-steinmeier-condemn-us-foreign-policy-trump
Coalition of the willing must be ‘robust’ to deal with Russia, warns ex-US general. Ben Hodges says multinational force to aid Ukraine would need thousands of troops to stop Russia breaking ceasefire
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/08/coalition-of-the-willing-must-be-robust-to-deal-with-russia-warns-ex-us-general
Nigel Farage accused of ‘parroting Kremlin lines’ after remarks on UK troops in Ukraine
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jan/08/farage-accused-of-parroting-kremlin-lines-after-remarks-on-uk-troops-in-ukraine
‘Go back home’: Farage schoolmate accounts bring total alleging racist behaviour to 34. Exclusive: Dulwich college contemporaries say Reform leader often used antisemitic language and racial epithets
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jan/08/go-back-home-farage-schoolmate-accounts-bring-total-alleging-racist-behaviour-to-34
Syrian army orders Aleppo evacuations amid fighting with Kurdish forces. People told to leave three areas as fears grow of wider conflict between government and Kurdish authorities
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/08/syrian-army-aleppo-evacuations-fighting-kurdish-forces
4 pivotal elections around the world that will pose a test to democracy in 2026
https://theconversation.com/4-pivotal-elections-around-the-world-that-will-pose-a-test-to-democracy-in-2026-270882
Main challenger to Turkey’s Erdoğan vows to defeat him from a jail cell. Imprisoned ex-mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, is confident he has the deep popular support needed to bring him to power.
https://www.politico.eu/article/turkey-ekrem-imamoglu-recep-tayyip-erdogan-election-presidency-defeat-jail/
Geoffrey Robertson believes international law is failing us – but the solutions are unclear
https://theconversation.com/geoffrey-robertson-believes-international-law-is-failing-us-but-the-solutions-are-unclear-272174
Tech titans divided over whether to pay billionaire tax or flee California. State residents worth more than $1bn could face one-off, 5% tax to help fund education, food assistance and healthcare
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/08/billionaire-tax-california
The new TVs vying for your living room (and wallet) in 2026
https://www.smh.com.au/technology/the-new-tvs-vying-for-your-living-room-and-wallet-in-2026-20260102-p5nr6w.html
We discovered microbes in bark ‘eat’ climate gases. This will change the way we think about trees
https://theconversation.com/we-discovered-microbes-in-bark-eat-climate-gases-this-will-change-the-way-we-think-about-trees-269612