News from around the World

We bring you a selection of interesting news from around the world…

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Lego Smart Bricks introduce a new way to build – and they don’t require screens

Lego announced its new Smart Play system at CES 2026 on Monday, adding interactive, responsive Legos to the famously analog franchise.

Clicks debuts its own take on the BlackBerry smartphone

Clicks Technology is unveiling its first smartphone: the Communicator, a smartphone with a physical keyboard, designed to be carried as your second device.

OpenAI may buy Pinterest — and it could change how we search, shop and scroll

The world’s most powerful chatbot could soon power your favorite inspiration board

Dreading going back to work? How to ease the post-Christmas return

For many, this weekend marks the final pause of the Christmas break – a moment when most are still officially off work, but mentally edging closer to what comes next.

Condé Nast hack exposes 40 million users’ data

The hacker is also threatening to release another additional 40 million records for other Condé Nast publications that include Vogue, The New Yorker, and Vanity Fair and more.

Why are young people leaving the UK to work abroad?

With rising rents, a tough job market and pay cheques stretched to the limit, some young Britons are choosing to build their futures overseas. According to the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS), 195,000 people under the age of 35 moved abroad in the year to June 2025.

Two words to avoid when making your New Year’s resolution

‘New Year, New You’ messages are everywhere right now. Adverts for gym and diet plans pop up in your socials and back-to-work chat turns to what everyone is cutting out, taking up or finally getting right in January. Yet most New Year’s resolutions don’t last. Many of us will have abandoned our goals by mid-January.

Groans and laughs: How Christmas cracker jokes are tested

We’re at a joke-testing session with Talking Tables, a London company that makes supplies for gatherings. Its repertoire includes Christmas crackers.

Google is ‘gradually rolling out’ option to change your @gmail.com address

On a Google support page, the company says it is rolling out a new option to let users change their email address even if it is an “@gmail.com” address.

French postal service brought down by cyber attack

Le Monde Informatique reports that it is a DDoS attack.

Scientists find a way to ‘reboot’ vision in adults with lazy eye

When one eye is deprived of vision early in life, it can lead to amblyopia, a condition more commonly known as lazy eye. This happens because a lack of input disrupts synapse formation in the brain’s primary visual cortex, weakening vision in that eye.

Barclays sees ‘down-year’ for crypto in 2026 without big catalysts

Spot trading volumes are cooling, and investor enthusiasm is fading amid a lack of structural growth drivers, analysts wrote in a new report.

Calling colleague disorganised ‘is harassment’, tribunal rules

A judge said the use of the adjective could “undermine” colleagues and “violate their dignity”.

AI hackers are coming dangerously close to beating humans

A recent Stanford experiment shows what happens when an artificial-intelligence hacking bot is unleashed on a network.

Huge undersea wall dating from 5000 BC found in France, off the coast of Brittany

French marine archaeologists think it could be from a stone age society whose disappearance under rising seas was the origin of a local sunken city myth.

How can retailers cyber-prepare for the most vulnerable time of the year?

The holiday season compresses risk into a short, high-stakes window. Systems run hot, teams run lean, and attackers time automated campaigns to get maximum return. Bot-driven fraud, credential stuffing and account takeover attempts intensify around peak shopping events, especially the weeks around Black Friday and Christmas.

Pantone crowns ‘Cloud Dancer’ as its Colour of the Year 2026

As the world gets louder, Pantone has turned down the volume. Its choice of hue for the next 12 months is a gentle white that encourages reflection, balance and the space to imagine again.

UK passes law officially recognizing crypto as third kind of property

Industry body CryptoUK said this gives crypto a “clearer legal footing” in related crimes or litigation.

European banks led by BNP and ING push ahead on euro stablecoin plan

A group of 10 European banks, including ING, UniCredit and BNP Paribas have formed a company to launch a euro-pegged stablecoin in the second half of 2026, in a move they hope will counter U.S. dominance in digital payments.

‘iPhone Fold will be creaseless and cost $2,400’, report says

The first foldable iPhone could be less than a year away, and reportedly, you won’t ever see a crease. You could, however, see a decent dent in your wallet.

Around 100 iPhone Folds made after ‘breakthrough’ in eliminating the crease

The iPhone Fold has entered the next stage of production after what is said to be a “breakthrough” in eliminating the crease normally seen in folding phones when they are laid flat.

Binance accused of aiding terrorists in new lawsuit

Binance and its founders, including billionaire Changpeng Zhao, are facing a lawsuit in the US accusing the company of helping send millions of dollars to US- designated terrorist organisations.

Audio-Technica wireless headphones recalled for security issue

Risk of non-compliance and psychological harm as a vulnerability has been identified in the Bluetooth System-on-Chip that could enable individuals in close proximity to the user to take control of the device.

Curacao become smallest nation to qualify for World Cup

The tiny Caribbean island of Curacao has become the smallest nation to ever qualify for the World Cup after drawing with Steve McClaren’s Jamaica.

New Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework and expansion of Common Reporting Standard

From 1st January 2026, the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) is a new global standard requiring the collection, reporting and exchange of tax information on the customers of crypto-asset service providers. It supports the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) on automatic exchange of financial account information, which has applied to financial institutions in Jersey since 2016. CRS is also being expanded to bring some digital assets within its scope for the first time.

The CARF will apply to businesses, individuals and entities which provide services effectuating exchange transactions in crypto-assets for or on behalf of customers. This includes crypto-asset exchanges and other intermediaries and service providers which provide exchange services, such as brokers and dealers in relevant crypto-assets.

£220 ‘for a cut-up sock’ – Apple’s new iPhone Pocket ridiculed online

Apple has faced a wave of online mockery following its announcement of a new carrying case for its iPhone range.

CISOs must prove the business value of cyber — the right metrics can help

CISOs still struggle to prove the value of their security programs using metrics that their business leaders so desperately seek.

‘Vibe coding’ named word of the year by Collins Dictionary

If you’ve ever wanted to create your own computer program but never learnt how to code, you might try “vibe coding”.

Apple to enter low-cost laptop market with budget Mac

The device, aimed to lure customers away from Google’s (GOOGL.O), opens new tab Chromebooks and entry-level Windows PCs, is reportedly made for students, businesses and casual users who primarily browse the web, work on documents or conduct light media editing.

News from around the World

Tim Bullock

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