Culture

Z-arts marks 25 years as the UK’s only arts centre dedicated to children

Independent.co reports that Z-arts, housed in a converted Edwardian church in Hulme, Manchester, is the UK’s only arts centre dedicated to children and celebrated its 25th anniversary this Christmas. Inside the venue are two theatres (a 230-seat auditorium and an 80-seat studio), a dance space, recording studios, a

World

Sheinbaum seeks narrow diplomatic path after U.S. strike in Venezuela and Trump threats

President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico has been trying to thread a narrow diplomatic needle after the U.S. strike in Venezuela and direct warnings from President Trump that the United States would "start now hitting land, with regard to the cartels," a remark he made in a Fox

Science

NASA's Pandora Telescope Now in Sun-Synchronous Orbit to Study Exoplanets

NASA’s Pandora space telescope satellite has separated from the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket’s second stage and is now in sun-synchronous orbit, preparing to study planets and their host stars beyond our solar system. Pandora will spend the next year conducting detailed observations of 20 exoplanets to determine whether

World

Trump briefed on Iran strike options, but each military path carries major risks

Time reports the White House has let it be known that President Donald Trump has been briefed on options for military strikes in Iran as protests convulse the country. For days the president has issued increasingly bellicose warnings toward Tehran—"Locked and loaded," he has said, promising America

Crypto

BitMine crosses 1.08 million staked ETH after adding 86,400 Ether

Crypto treasury firm BitMine Immersion Technologies staked an additional 86,400 Ether (ETH) on Saturday, a move that pushed its total staked holdings past the 1 million ETH mark. Arkham Intelligence reported the 86,400 ETH was staked in four transactions, and onchain analysis platform Lookonchain said BitMine’s total

Crypto

Zcash falls below $381, head-and-shoulders points to $253 downside

Beincrypto reports Zcash slipped below $381, activating a head-and-shoulders breakdown that projects a downside target near $253 and implies roughly a 30% move if weakness continues. On the 12-hour chart the price broke the neckline near $381 and also fell below the 200-period exponential moving average, while the 20-period EMA

Culture

Bob Weir, Grateful Dead Rhythm Guitarist and Songwriter, Dies at 78

Bob Weir, the Grateful Dead’s rhythm guitarist, songwriter and occasional lead singer, has died, his family announced on Saturday. He was 78 and spent six decades animating the band from within as a steady musical presence. The Times appraisal credited Weir with composing the chiming 10/4 foundation of

Culture

Breaking Bad's 'Say My Name' Still Defines Heisenberg 14 Years On

Movieweb says that 14 years after it aired, Walter White’s “Say my name” line — delivered in the seventh episode of Breaking Bad’s fifth season — remains the show’s most iconic quote. The article recalls the scene: after a train heist for methylamine, Walt, Jesse and Mike meet Phoenix-based

Business

Gen Z investors move from meme-stock trading to index funds and retirement accounts

Many Generation Z investors who jumped into the markets during the pandemic-era meme stock craze have shifted toward traditional, long-term strategies such as index funds and retirement accounts. The change is reflected in individual stories like that of Mamadou-Hady Sow, who opened a brokerage at 18, bought cryptocurrency and stocks

Culture

Adam Sandler lists 10 comic signs he’s ‘f------ old’ while accepting AARP honor

People reports that Adam Sandler, 59, received the Career Achievement Award at the AARP Movies for Grownups Awards on Jan. 10 and used his acceptance speech to give 10 reasons he knows he’s “f------- old.” Onstage, Sandler delivered a series of self-deprecating jokes and anecdotes, saying “Number one, the

Politics

Guantánamo prison marks 25th year with 15 wartime detainees remaining

The Guantánamo prison entered its 25th year on Sunday, holding the last 15 detainees from the war against terrorism at the U.S. base in southeast Cuba. The base, more than 100 years old and home to about 4,200 residents, opened its detention operation on Jan. 11, 2002, with

Politics

Mississippi credits phonics, testing and coaching for reading gains

Mississippi has moved from a low-ranked education system in 2013 to a top-10 state for fourth-grade reading and is now regarded as one of the best places for a poor child to get an education, a turnaround some have called the "Mississippi miracle." State officials changed reading instruction

Politics

Noem declines to explain how administration will ensure fair probe after ICE shooting

Independent.co reports CNN host Jake Tapper pressed DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to explain how the administration would guarantee a fair investigation into Jonathan Ross, an ICE agent seen on video shooting Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis last week. The footage shows Ross calling Good a "f***ing b*

Tech

Walmart and Google integrate shopping into Gemini, citing shift to agentic AI

Walmart and Google have integrated shopping into Google’s Gemini AI platform, the retail giant said. Walmart said the new Gemini integration reflects a broader shift from search-based shopping to AI systems that can act on a customer’s behalf. The move was described as part of a turn toward

World

Iran warns of retaliation against U.S. if Trump orders strikes

Time reported that Iran’s government threatened to retaliate against the United States if President Donald Trump goes through with reported plans to intervene after a dramatic escalation of violence against protesters this weekend. Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, warned on Sunday that both Israel and "all

Politics

Peter Thiel donates $3 million to committee opposing California wealth tax

Peter Thiel donated $3 million on Dec. 29 to Californians Against Higher Taxes, a committee run by the California Business Roundtable that is opposing a proposed California wealth tax, according to a new disclosure. The contribution is the first seven-figure political donation publicly reported so far to fight the so‑

World

Iran president vows to address economic pain, warns against destabilizing rioters

Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, said in an interview with Iranian state television that he would try to address widespread economic grievances but that the state had a “duty” not to let “rioters” destabilize the country as nationwide protests continued. The demonstrations began about two weeks ago after a sudden

Crypto

Tether freezes $182 million in USDT from five Tron wallets

Beincrypto reports that Tether froze more than $182 million in USDT in a single day, targeting five Tron-based wallets during the last 24 hours. On January 11 the blockchain tracking service Whale Alert flagged five distinct freezing actions, with the targeted wallets holding sums ranging from $12 million to $50

Tech

CES 2026 recap: major product themes from TVs and AI to odd gadgets

The annual Consumer Electronics Show is officially over, and ZDNET covered a broad slate of launches from major brands including Samsung, LG, Hisense and many smaller companies. Show highlights ranged from brighter, more colorful TVs to new AI assistants, robot vacuums, and a handful of unusually novel products. On TV

Culture

Couple says dark room lets them explore fantasies while staying connected

Conrad, 36, and Callum, 35, say they regularly attend a sex-positive queer party and find the dark room — an almost pitch-black maze of little booths and benches where strangers touch, kiss and have sex — to be "a judgment-free place" where they can "live out our fantasies together.

Culture

Strange Empire: female-led Canadian Western ran 13 episodes on CBC

Collider reports that Strange Empire premiered on CBC in 2014 as a female-led Canadian Western that aired for one season of 13 episodes before being cancelled. Set in the late 19th century frontier settlement of Janestown, the series follows women left to govern themselves after a mysterious mass death of

Culture

Bob Weir: songwriter for the Grateful Dead and steward of their legacy

Bob Weir was a founding member of the Grateful Dead, a principal songwriter and the band’s long-time rhythm guitarist, and later became the chief custodian of the group’s legacy. Known within the band as “the Kid” — he was 16 when the group began — Weir’s rhythm guitar style,

Sports

Tim Weah adopts 'alone against everyone' mindset after joining Marseille

Goal: USMNT winger Tim Weah says he is embracing an “us against the world mentality” after returning to France with Marseille. Weah, who began his professional career with Paris Saint-Germain and returned to France in the summer of 2025 after two seasons with Juventus, has said he is happy to

World

Leaders of Early Rain church detained in Sichuan, church says

Leaders of the Early Rain Covenant Church were detained in Deyang, Sichuan, the church said, in what it described as part of a wider crackdown on unregistered Christian groups. On Tuesday, Li Yingqiang, the church’s leader, was taken by police from his home, the statement said. Li’s wife,

World

Syrian forces seize two Aleppo neighborhoods after clashes with Kurdish-led S.D.F.

The Syrian military took control of two neighborhoods in Aleppo formerly held by a Kurdish-led militia on Sunday after days of clashes, state media and officials said. Shortly after midnight, fighters with the Syrian Democratic Forces, or S.D.F., left Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh on buses and were taken