Crypto

Entire Zcash development team quits Bootstrap amid governance dispute

Beincrypto reports the entire Electric Coin Company (ECC) development team, the core developers of Zcash (ZEC), has left Bootstrap after alleging they were constructively discharged by the nonprofit that governs ECC. Bootstrap, a 501(c)(3) formed in 2020 to govern ECC and support the Zcash ecosystem, is at the

Tech

Apple Watch Series 11 (42mm) drops to $299 at Amazon

As of Jan. 8, the Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 42mm) is on sale at Amazon for $299, its lowest-ever price and $100 off the $399 list price. A few different models have been marked down to the $299 price, including the jet black aluminum case with a black sport

Culture

Channel 4's 1998 vampire miniseries Ultraviolet streams free on Pluto TV

Collider reports that Channel 4's six-episode 1998 miniseries Ultraviolet is available to stream for free on Pluto TV. The show follows Detective Sergeant Michael Colefield (Jack Davenport) after an informant named Pollard (Ronnie Letham) is shot and Michael's friend and partner Jack (Stephen Moyer) goes missing.

Culture

Alfie Allen’s restrained turn anchors twisty teen-abduction drama Girl Taken

Girl Taken is a six-part adaptation of Hollie Overton’s 2016 novel Baby Doll on Paramount+. The series follows the abduction of 17-year-old Lily and the effect on her twin sister Abby and their mother Eve; Alfie Allen stars as Rick, the teacher who takes Lily, with Tallulah Evans as

World

Bushfires break out in Victoria as BoM warns of catastrophic fire risk

Bushfires have broken out in Victoria as emergency services prepared for catastrophic fire conditions forecast for Friday, forcing the closure of the Hume Freeway and cancellations of regional train and bus services. Firefighters from at least two states were reported fighting blazes while public lands and parks were closed. Fires

Sports

Yorke says Lingard could view a move to Wrexham as 'one last rodeo'

Goal reports Yorke told PokerScout that Jesse Lingard could see a move to Wrexham as "one last rodeo" as he weighs his next steps. Yorke said he has kept an eye on Lingard because of the United connection and admitted, "I really don't know what

Culture

Netflix unveils first look at Man on Fire reboot starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II

Netflix has released a first look at its serial reboot of the Denzel Washington action thriller Man on Fire, which stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, MovieWeb reports. The series is based on A.J. Quinnell’s novel and will run seven episodes, with director Steven Caple Jr. attached to the first

Politics

Trump says U.S. will run Venezuela and extract its oil 'for years'

President Trump told The New York Times in a wide-ranging Oval Office interview that he expects the United States will be running Venezuela and extracting oil from its reserves for years. He said the interim Venezuelan government — described in the interview as former loyalists to the now‑imprisoned Nicolás Maduro

World

Trump called Colombia’s Gustavo Petro after suggesting military action

Colombian President Gustavo Petro spoke by phone with U.S. President Donald Trump after Mr. Trump had said military action against Colombia “sounds good” and called Mr. Petro a “sick man” who makes cocaine to send to the United States. The call took place after Mr. Petro returned to the

Culture

Mahjong gains traction as celebrities play and affordable Amazon sets lower the barrier

According to People, Mahjong is emerging as a popular social pastime, with celebrities such as Meghan Markle and Joanna Gaines bringing the game into girls' nights and family gatherings. Affordable Mahjong supplies are widely available on Amazon. A Yanmeiya American Mahjong tile set is listed at $45 for a

World

Caribbean travel disrupted by Venezuela operation; insurance options and tips

A recent U.S. military operation in Venezuela caused widespread flight cancellations and left thousands of travelers stranded across the Caribbean, including passengers at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport near San Juan, Puerto Rico, after the Federal Aviation Administration closed some airspace to U.S. civilian aircraft. Travelers have responded

Sports

Sabalenka to skip tournaments to protect her health despite WTA sanctions

Aryna Sabalenka says she expects to skip events again this year rather than put her health at risk over an "insane" season, even though she knows she may be sanctioned by the WTA Tour, Independent.co reported. Under WTA rules top players must compete in the four Grand

Crypto

Bitcoin dips under $90,000 after filling one CME futures gap

Bitcoin (BTC) dipped below $90,000 Thursday as it filled one of two open gaps in CME Group’s Bitcoin futures market, with market participants noting a classic short-term target may be next. Data from TradingView showed local lows of $89,530 on Bitstamp during the Asia trading session, and

Culture

Five classical albums highlighted by The New York Times

The New York Times highlighted five classical albums available to stream, citing recent works by Gabriela Ortiz, choral music by David Lang and unreleased recordings by the pianist Radu Lupu among its selections. Gabriela Ortiz’s portrait album Yanga features the Los Angeles Philharmonic with Alisa Weilerstein as soloist and

World

U.S. forces capture Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro in Caracas operation

Time reports the U.S. launched an incursion into Caracas that captured President Nicolás Maduro and left Venezuela in a state of uncertainty over its political and economic future. The operation was described as the culmination of a monthslong military pressure campaign framed by the Trump Administration as an effort

Culture

MoMA will screen a new restoration of G.W. Pabst’s The Joyless Street

The Museum of Modern Art will screen a new restoration of G.W. Pabst’s The Joyless Street as part of its To Save and Project series; the film is one Michael Mann has often cited as the moment he decided to become a director, recalling in 2016 that it

Crypto

On-chain signals suggest BNB faces limited downside in 2026

Beincrypto reports that several on-chain indicators and trading data point to BNB being unlikely to suffer a deep decline in 2026, with the token described as one of the best-performing layer‑1 altcoins over the past year and closely tied to the large user base of the world’s leading

Politics

Smithsonian given White House deadline to hand over records, could face cuts

The Smithsonian has been given a White House deadline to turn over records about its programming and other matters next week, and officials warned the institution could face potential cuts to its budget if it does not comply. The demand follows President Trump’s campaign to press the Smithsonian to

Culture

Chris Pratt’s dark turn in Vincent D’Onofrio’s 2019 western The Kid

Collider reports that Chris Pratt made a stark departure from his usual screen persona by playing a sadistic Old West outlaw, Uncle Grant, in Vincent D’Onofrio’s revisionist western The Kid. The film follows preteen Rio Cutler (Jake Schur), who shoots his father in self-defense and flees with his

Business

Multiple states and cities raise minimum wages to $15 or higher

Millions of workers will see higher pay this month as 19 states and 49 cities and counties increase their minimum wage floors to at least $15 an hour for some or all employees, the New York Times reports. According to the National Employment Law Project, 88 states, counties and cities

World

Russian strikes cut power and heat to about 1 million in Dnipro region

Russian strikes knocked out power and heat to about one million customers in the Dnipro region of Ukraine early Thursday morning, Ukrainian authorities said. Officials said crews were racing to restore service and urged residents to stock up on water and conserve batteries. Local authorities and power companies reported mid-morning

Sports

Man Utd trigger one-year options to keep Toone, Terland, Naalsund and George until 2027

Manchester United have extended the expiring contracts of Ella Toone, Elisabeth Terland, Lisa Naalsund and Gabby George until the summer of 2027, Goal reports. All four were due to become free agents in six months and able to discuss moves with foreign clubs, but United have acted to trigger one-year

Culture

Partners civilled in Haringey after more than 30 years together

Diane and her partner, who had lived together for more than 30 years, entered into a civil partnership in Haringey on 3 January 2020, shortly after civil partnerships were legalised for opposite-sex couples; they were only the fourth heterosexual couple to be civilled in the borough. The couple said they

Culture

Gerard Butler and Jennifer Aniston’s 2010 film enters HBO Max Top 10

Movieweb reports that Gerard Butler and Jennifer Aniston’s 2010 film The Bounty Hunter is hunting out a place in the HBO Max Top 10, 16 years after its theatrical release. The movie, directed by Andy Tennant, casts Butler as Milo Boyd, a down-on-his-luck bounty hunter tasked with bringing in

Culture

Trump's denouncement of National Portrait Gallery director prompts Smithsonian review

On 30 May, Donald Trump publicly denounced Kim Sajet, director of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC, in a Truth Social post saying he was "terminating the employment of Kim Sajet" and calling her "a highly partisan person" and a "strong supporter" of