World

Maryland corrections officer killed in crash hours after retirement

People reports that Master Corporal John Raymond Nicholson, 57, a Prince George's County corrections officer from Laurel, Maryland, was killed in a single-vehicle crash in Crofton on Dec. 31, 2025 — the same day he officially retired. The Prince George's County Department of Corrections announced Nicholson'

World

Ukraine replaces leaders of two main intelligence agencies

Ukraine has replaced the directors of its two main intelligence agencies in the largest leadership reshuffle during the war, a move President Volodymyr Zelensky said is needed to prepare the government and military for an extended fight with Russia. Gen. Vasily Maliuk was replaced as director of the S.B.

World

US seizes Marinera, Russian‑flagged tanker tied to Venezuelan shadow fleet

Independent.co reports US forces boarded and seized the Marinera, a Russian-flagged oil tanker formerly known as Bella-1, on Wednesday as it travelled north and east between Iceland and Scotland after what the US described as a two-week pursuit across the Atlantic. The US European Command said the seizure was

World

Venezuelan security forces hunt celebrants as pro‑government march demands Maduro’s release

Government officials led a large crowd through Caracas on Tuesday to demand the release of ousted president Nicolás Maduro, even as security forces searched for anyone celebrating his capture by the United States. Over several days officers have boarded buses, set up checkpoints, interrogated passengers and searched phones for signs

Sports

Five North American spots to experience Winter Olympic sports

Can’t make it to the Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics, which begin Feb. 6 and have sold more than one million tickets? North American destinations from Colorado to British Columbia offer fans ways to watch high-level events, try Olympic disciplines and visit venues that have hosted or will host Games.

Culture

How a Nike Tracksuit Reframed Maduro’s Image and Modern Power

Time reports that on Jan. 3, hours after the U.S. captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro in Caracas, a photograph circulated showing Maduro aboard the USS Iwo Jima wearing a Nike tracksuit. The image drew attention not only for its informality but for the presence of a global brand in

Crypto

All-Republican SEC leaves path clear for pro-crypto rulemaking

Caroline Crenshaw has left the US Securities and Exchange Commission, leaving the agency composed solely of Republican commissioners — a shift the report says leaves "nothing standing in the way of pro-crypto rulemaking." Republicans in Washington are described as generally more friendly to the crypto industry, and the SEC

Crypto

Pump.fun posts $2B daily DEX volume as Solana memecoin activity rises

Beincrypto reports Pump.fun has recorded an all-time high daily DEX trading volume of $2 billion, according to DefiLlama, a milestone seen as a sign of renewed demand for Solana-based meme coins. Data from Dune show the number of tokens “graduating” daily from Solana meme-coin launch platforms has reached a

Culture

Reader asks how to respond when older relatives give blunt, hurtful advice

A reader wrote to Social Q’s saying two older relatives made painfully blunt comments to younger family members: a grandparent told a young grandchild to lose weight, and an uncle told a nephew that he talks too much. The reader said the younger relatives were hurt and that they

Culture

Paul Mescal says Hamnet’s most heartbreaking moment wasn’t in the script

Paul Mescal told Collider that a pivotal, heartbreaking scene in Chloé Zhao’s film Hamnet was not written in the script, and that watching it unfold “whacked me straight in the gut.” The moment centers on Noah Jupe reaching out and Jessie Buckley taking his hand, a beat Mescal said

Business

U.S. says it will oversee Venezuela oil sales 'indefinitely', energy secretary says

Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Wednesday the United States intended to maintain significant control over Venezuela's oil industry, including overseeing the sale of the country's production "indefinitely." He made the comments at a Goldman Sachs energy conference near Miami: "Going forward we will

Sports

FA Cup 2025-26: schedule, draws, TV coverage and prize money

Goal provides a complete guide to the 2025-26 FA Cup as the competition returns for its 145th edition, with Crystal Palace the reigning champions. The third-round draw was held on Monday December 8, immediately before the live Brackley Town v Burton Albion tie, with third-round matches expected between January 9

Crypto

Babylon Labs raises $15 million from a16z crypto to build trustless BTC collateral

Babylon Labs said in a blog post Wednesday that it has raised $15 million from a16z crypto to develop and scale its Babylon Trustless BTCVaults, infrastructure intended to let native bitcoin serve as on-chain collateral. The company said the funding will be used to advance the core technology behind BTCVaults

Culture

Netflix renews French action thriller Blood Coast for Season 3

Movieweb reports that Netflix has renewed the French action crime thriller Blood Coast for a third season, a renewal revealed by the official Netflix France X/Twitter account with the line, "They aren't done with Marseille yet." Created and directed by Kamel Guemra and Olivier Marchal,

Politics

Appeals Court Refuses to Rehear Bid to Reinstate Guantánamo 9/11 Plea Deal

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit declined on Tuesday to rehear a challenge to a plea deal in the Sept. 11, 2001, case at Guantánamo Bay, leaving the Supreme Court as the last forum that could consider reinstating the agreement. The deal, reached in

World

About 600 tourists stranded on Socotra after Yemen flights halted

About 600 foreigners have been stranded on the Yemeni island of Socotra after flights were halted amid an escalating conflict on the mainland, turning the nature sanctuary into a geopolitical trap. The cancellations followed rising tensions between Yemen’s internationally recognized government and a separatist faction that seized control of

Culture

Patricia Cornwell to publish memoir True Crime on May 5, 2026

People reports that bestselling thriller author Patricia Cornwell will release her debut memoir, True Crime, on May 5, 2026, published by Grand Central Publishing in the U.S. and Little, Brown Book Group in the U.K. The book’s official synopsis says True Crime chronicles Cornwell’s rise from

Politics

UK‑France peacekeeping plan in Ukraine would need tens of thousands of troops, officials say

Independent.co reports that Sir Richard Shirreff warned the British and French agreement signed in Paris committing boots on the ground in Ukraine would require "serious numbers" of troops to face down Russia. Sir Richard, a former Nato deputy supreme allied commander, said any reassurance or enforcement force

Tech

ZDNET reviewer finds $29 AirPods Max stand matches Mophie’s $150 model

ZDNET reviewer David Gewirtz tested Mophie's $150 AirPods Max Headphones Charging Stand against a $29 VAWVVA stand and found the cheaper option delivers nearly the same charging experience. The Mophie stand is heavier (about 1.61 lb), has a padded landing area and uses a small magnetic dongle

Culture

Turn excess hard vegetables into sauerkraut with a dry-salting method

The dry-salting fermentation method used to make sauerkraut works on almost any firm vegetable, allowing surplus carrots, squash or other hard veg to be turned into a golden kraut flavoured with ginger, turmeric and a little citrus zest. Fermenting is recommended as a way to use up seasonal or surplus

Culture

Josh Duhamel’s London Calling finds an audience on Hulu after quiet theatrical run

Collider reports that Josh Duhamel’s film London Calling has gained streaming traction on Hulu, where it currently ranks ninth on the platform’s Top 15 in the U.S. The Allan Ungar-directed comedy action picture opened in U.S. cinemas in September via Quiver Distribution but drew little attention

Culture

David Rosen, Sega co-founder, dies aged 95

David Rosen, the co-founder of Sega, has died aged 95. He remained a director of the company until 1996 and was described as instrumental in the birth and rise of the video game business in Japan, overseeing the establishment of Sega of America and the Mega Drive's success

Sports

Bayern CEO says Kane contract talks will happen ‘at the appropriate time’

Goal reports Bayern Munich chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen has responded to Harry Kane's suggestion that he could extend his stay at the Allianz Arena beyond his current deal, saying the striker is hugely important to the club and that fresh talks will take place “at the appropriate time”

World

Survey finds nine in 10 lower-income Australian families worry about affording school essentials

Research from The Smith Family has found nine in 10 lower-income Australian families are worried about affording back-to-school essentials as inflation continues to bite. The annual survey interviewed more than 1,100 lower-income parents and carers whose children are supported by The Smith Family and found it was the third

World

Cold War pact gives U.S. broad military access to Greenland, analysts say

President Trump has again floated buying Greenland and at times suggested the United States could take the island, saying, "We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security." Analysts and officials note, however, that a little-known Cold War agreement already grants the United States sweeping military access in