New Years celebrations turned into tragedy as a deadly fire ripped through Swiss ski resort bar

Plus: Labour chancellor's freeze on tax thresholds means those earning £50,000 would be £505 worse off

Friday, January 2, 2026 Good morning and welcome to your daily news briefing from The Independent.   New Years celebrations turned into tragedy as a deadly fire ripped through a  Swiss ski resort bar, 233 prisoners serving IPP sentences have been transferred to secure units for their mental health and Labour chancellor's freeze on tax thresholds means those earning £50,000 would be £505 worse off. Top stories 1 | Driven to mental ill-health: The 233 prisoners trapped on indefinite jail terms in secure hospitals  Read more   2 | Reeves stealth taxes 'hammering' workers while pensioners and benefits claimants 'better off' Read more 3 | Met Office issues 'risk to life' weather warning as snow to blanket UK Read more 4 | How New Year celebrations turned to tragedy as deadly fire ripped through Swiss ski resort bar Read more 5 | Inside the impoverished Welsh communities abandoning Labour and turning to Farage's Reform Read more Editors' picks Everything you need to know about weight loss drugs this January, according to a nutritionist Giving up drinking, or going 'California sober'? The best booze-free bottles for Dry January that actually taste good Your Views Your Views 'A recruitment crisis is coming': Readers on teacher strike threat I've never understood why teachers agree to do so much unpaid overtime. They face abuse all day, then go home and spend the evenings marking work, planning lessons and answering questions from parents. I'm surprised there are any left.   AJames Get involved and share your views here. Don't forget to complete your registration You haven't completed your registration with The Independent. It's free, quick, and helps support our journalism while tailoring your experience. Register now to enjoy benefits including access to limited Premium articles, The Independent app, more than 20 newsletters and commenting on independent.co.uk. Complete your registration today to unlock access. WATCH  Footage shows panic as fire breaks out at Swiss ski resort bar STAT OF THE DAY £37m  The amount of taxpayers' money spent on buying up homes for HS2 – long after parts of the high-speed rail line were scrapped.  Read more QUOTE OF THE DAY "I'm just too busy to get involved in tittle-tattle, and this pathetic name-calling." The mayor of London Sadiq Khan has branded Donald Trump a "bully" for his long-running campaign against him. Read more Other stories you might like Exercising for 10 minutes can turn off genes linked to bowel cancer growth, study finds Sarah Fisher death: Tributes paid to partner of actor Anthony Head and 'devoted' animal welfare campaigner Mary Flanagan vanished 66 years ago. A look inside the UK's longest-running missing person case Choosing The Independent as one of your preferred sources ensures that you'll see our coverage more prominently displayed in your searches. That way, you can be sure you're accessing the latest headlines from a trusted source. SOURCE PREFERENCES Don't miss today's deals on Amazon, featuring discounts on homeware, beauty, tech and more. Join the conversation and follow us Download the free Independent app Please do not reply directly to this email   You are currently registered to receive The Independent's Evening Headlines newsletter.   To unsubscribe from The Independent's Morning Headlines newsletter, or to manage your email preferences please click here.   This e-mail was sent by Independent Digital News and Media Ltd, 14-18 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1AH. Registered in England and Wales with company number 07320345 Read our privacy policy and cookie policy