World

Iran protests over economic collapse leave at least 36 dead amid U.S. threats

Violent protests across Iran over the country’s weakening economy have now stretched beyond ten days, killing at least 36 people, Time reports. Among the dead are four children and at least two members of Iran’s security forces, according to rights groups. The demonstrations have spread to more than

Culture

Screen Actors Guild 2026 Actor Awards nominations led by 'One Battle After Another' and 'Sinners'

The Screen Actors Guild announced nominations for its 2026 Actor Awards on Wednesday morning, with the films One Battle After Another and Sinners topping the list. One Battle After Another received expected recognition for leads Leonardo DiCaprio and Chase Infiniti and supporting actors Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro, while

Crypto

Morgan Stanley files spot Ethereum ETF that would pass staking rewards

Beincrypto reports Morgan Stanley filed for spot Ethereum exchange-traded funds on Wednesday that are designed to track ETH’s price while passing staking rewards through to shareholders. The bank also submitted ETF applications linked to Bitcoin and Solana on Tuesday, marking its first involvement in this corner of the ETF

Culture

Sanderson says George R. R. Martin wasn't considered to finish The Wheel of Time

According to Collider, Brandon Sanderson said George R. R. Martin was never seriously considered to finish Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time because Martin had his own series to complete and could not spare the time. Sanderson, who completed the final three Wheel of Time novels — The Gathering

Tech

ZDNET reviewer says Topdon JS3000 started his car after months in the trunk

ZDNET's Adrian Kingsley-Hughes says a Topdon JS3000 portable jump starter revived his car during a snowstorm after the unit had been stored in his trunk for close to six months. He found the device, connected it, pressed the boost button and the car started. The reviewer described the

Sports

Kevin Keegan diagnosed with cancer, family says

Goal reports that Kevin Keegan, the 74-year-old former Newcastle and England manager, has been diagnosed with cancer, his family revealed on Jan 07, 2026. A statement released by his family and published on the Newcastle club website read: "Kevin Keegan was recently admitted to hospital for further evaluation of

Culture

Jess Cartner-Morley: the white shirt as a confidence-boosting 'superhero cloak'

Jess Cartner-Morley argues that the white shirt is more than a versatile wardrobe staple: it is “self-confidence” and, she writes, a kind of superhero cloak that bestows formidable power. She notes the shirt’s practical merits — it goes with anything, can take you anywhere, rarely dates and good-quality versions can

Culture

TV and film are borrowing video-game structures, but risk open-world bloat

The Guardian columnist argues that television and film are increasingly taking on the structure and feel of video games, using the Stranger Things finale as an example — including what the writer described as a climactic, “final boss battle” and noting that "approximately 80% of the final season comprised twentysomething

Culture

Netflix sets Beef season 2 release date for April 16, 2026

Movieweb reports Netflix has set the release date for Beef Season 2: April 16, 2026. The anthology second season will consist of eight 30-minute episodes, two fewer than the first season's 10 episodes. It has been a little over three years since Season 1, starring Steven Yeun and

World

US reportedly warns Venezuela’s Diosdado Cabello he could be next to fall

The Trump administration has reportedly put Venezuela’s interior minister, Diosdado Cabello, on notice that he could be next to fall if he does not support the acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, who has been in power since Nicolás Maduro was seized on Saturday, Reuters said. US officials are said to

Science

Two sloth bear cubs born at Smithsonian's National Zoo, first births since 2013

People reports the Smithsonian's National Zoo welcomed two sloth bear cubs on Dec. 7. The births, the first at the zoo since 2013, occurred in an off-exhibit den on the Asia Trail at approximately 2:30 and 4:30 a.m., the zoo said. The cubs’ sex has

Tech

Road-trip checklist: car maintenance, apps and EV range tips

Whether you’re heading out to visit family or touring America’s great attractions, drivers should plan for traffic, bad weather and car trouble and take steps to maximize comfort and minimize hiccups. Prepare the car with emergency essentials including water, a phone charger and power bank, a flashlight, extra

Culture

Defense lawyer withdraws from Nick Reiner murder case

According to Independent.co, Nick Reiner’s lawyer Alan Jackson has withdrawn from the upcoming trial over the murder of Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner. Judge Theresa McGonigle agreed to Jackson’s request during a hearing on Wednesday, when Nick Reiner had been due to be arraigned and enter

World

Europe fears U.S. bid to annex Greenland could fracture NATO

Time reports European leaders fear the U.S. may attempt to annex Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. The White House says it is discussing a “range of options.” European officials describe Washington as a predatory regime that supports MAGA-allied far-right parties, pressures Kyiv on territorial concessions,

Tech

ZDNET updates 2026 travel VPN guide, names NordVPN its top pick

ZDNET has refreshed its travel VPN guide for 2026 and recommends NordVPN as its overall pick, while also highlighting ExpressVPN, Surfshark, Proton VPN and IPVanish as strong alternatives for travellers. The guide says NordVPN earned the top spot for its security, speed and generally reliable connections, and for regularly unblocking

Crypto

Report says Telegram sold $450 million in Toncoin, analysts divided on impact

Beincrypto reports that the Financial Times said Telegram sold more than $450 million worth of Toncoin in 2025. Toncoin has fallen more than 75% from its 2024 peak and over 65% from its 2025 high, and some investors blame Telegram for selling an amount equivalent to roughly 10% of TON’

Tech

Acer debuts three gaming monitors at CES 2026, one with up to 1000Hz

Acer unveiled three new gaming monitors at CES 2026, pitching models that focus on extreme refresh rates, high-resolution imagery, and a blend of both for gamers and creators. The Predator XB273U F6 is a 27-inch QHD (2560 x 1440) IPS panel with a native 500Hz refresh rate that can jump

Science

Hubble finds no stars in radio-discovered Cloud-9, reported as starless galaxy

At the American Astronomical Society meeting in Phoenix, COPAG executive committee member Rachael Beaton reported the discovery of a starless galaxy called Cloud-9. The object was first detected with radio telescopes and examined with NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. Hubble follow-up observations searched for stars commensurate with the radio‑emitting

Culture

Dark: Netflix’s three-season German time-travel drama that concludes its story

Collider recommends the German-language Netflix series Dark as a darker, more concise sci-fi alternative to Stranger Things. Set in the town of Winden, Dark follows Jonas (Louis Hofmann) as he uncovers a time loop after his father’s suicide. One night, when Jonas and his friends investigate the Winden Caves,

Crypto

Riot Platforms sells $161.6M in Bitcoin as it shifts to AI-capable data centers

Riot Platforms sold 1,818 Bitcoin in December for $161.6 million at an average net price of $88,870, as part of a strategy shift from Bitcoin mining to monetizing its power and data centre infrastructure and supporting artificial intelligence workloads, the company said Tuesday. As of Dec. 31

Sports

Chelsea complete a raft of summer 2025 signings and notable departures

Goal rounds up all the completed Chelsea transfers so far in the 2025–26 season. Following Europa Conference League and Club World Cup wins, the club’s rebuild under Enzo Maresca entered a new phase in 2025–26, although Maresca himself only lasted half of the campaign. Chelsea were active

Culture

TikTok comment about ‘365 buttons’ turns into a deliberately opaque meme

A TikTok user who goes by Tamara said she would mark 2026 with 365 buttons, and a single, terse comment on a video has become a viral, early meme of the year. Tamara — who did not respond to an interview request — posted a comment explaining that the buttons were a

Culture

Alan Jackson withdraws from defense of Nick Reiner in Los Angeles murder case

Alan Jackson, the high-profile criminal defense lawyer who was representing Nick Reiner, removed himself from the case during a hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday. Mr. Reiner is accused of killing his parents and was scheduled to be arraigned on two counts of first-degree murder. At the hearing

Culture

Prime Video unveils first images for pirate thriller The Bluff starring Karl Urban

Prime Video has released first images for The Bluff, a bloody, 19th-century Caribbean pirate thriller starring Karl Urban and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Movieweb reports. Courtesy of Esquire, the images show Chopra Jonas as Ercell Bodden, a former pirate nicknamed "Bloody Mary" who left her crew and fled to

World

Florida ER doctor and woman found dead in apparent murder-suicide

People reports that police in Coconut Creek, Florida, found 34-year-old Jean Dominque Foureau and a woman dead in what authorities described as an apparent murder-suicide. Officers responded to a disturbance at a home in the 4800 block of Acardian Trail around 4 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 3, according to