Business

Licensed online casino options in Ireland and top five picks

The world of online gambling is expanding in Ireland after new regulations came into law this year, the Independent.co reports, and Irish players now have several safe, licensed casino options with licences from the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) as well as offshore regulators such as the Malta

World

Trump says US oil firms will tap Venezuela reserves after Maduro's capture

Hours after Nicolás Maduro was captured by US special forces in Venezuela and indicted on drugs, weapons and “narco-terrorism” charges, US president Donald Trump spoke about plans for the country’s oil industry. Trump said Venezuela’s oil reserves, reputedly the world’s largest, are “set to be pumped by

Politics

Author says IDEA helped her learn to walk as the program’s federal oversight faces upheaval

According to Time, Victoria Mejicanos writes that she learned to walk because of services provided under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and warns the law’s programs face an uncertain future as the Trump administration works to dismantle the Department of Education and move IDEA to the Department

World

Trump Says Venezuela Will Transfer 30–50 Million Barrels of Oil to U.S.

President Trump said on Tuesday that Venezuela would begin sending oil to the United States after American forces captured President Nicolás Maduro, a claim the Venezuelan government has not commented on. Mr. Trump said the shipment would total 30 million to 50 million barrels — about two months’ worth of production

Crypto

Whales Accumulate Chainlink as Bitwise Prepares NYSE Spot ETF

Beincrypto reports Chainlink is drawing attention as crypto whales have withdrawn millions in LINK and Bitwise has secured SEC approval to list a spot LINK ETF (CLNK) on NYSE Arca, with trading expected to begin this week. On-chain data cited by the outlet shows a single whale withdrew 171,000

Culture

Hive minds resurge in TV and film as threats and moral puzzles

Maya Phillips writes in a New York Times Critic’s Notebook that hive minds — collective consciousnesses that erase or subsume individuals — are appearing more often across contemporary TV and film. The piece traces the device from early examples like Village of the Damned to recent work: Apple TV’s Pluribus

Culture

Rian Johnson’s four Criterion recommendations, ranked

Collider reports that filmmaker Rian Johnson stepped into the Criterion Closet to pick several favorite films and ranked four of them from the collection. At No. 4 he placed Howard Hughes’ Hell's Angels (1930), noted in the piece for its ambitious aviation sequences, lengthy three‑year production after

Tech

xMEMS demos tiny MEMS audio and cooling chips for slimmer glasses and headphones

xMEMS showed ZDNET a suite of tiny MEMS audio and fan-on-a-chip cooling components the company says could replace traditional dynamic drivers and allow thinner, lighter smart glasses, smartwatches and headphones. The company already ships its Cowell microchip as a tweeter in products such as the Soundpeats Air5 Pro+ and the

Sports

Roma say Zirkzee pursuit stalled after Manchester United sack Amorim

Goal reported Roma sporting director Ricky Massara said the club's pursuit of Joshua Zirkzee has been complicated by Manchester United's dismissal of Ruben Amorim. Massara told Sky Sports in Italy that "He is a Manchester United centre-forward liked by many clubs, not just us,"

Tech

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra falls to $499.98 on Amazon

As of Jan. 7, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is on sale at Amazon for $499.98, $150.01 off its list price of $649.99. Mashable reported the price as the watch's lowest-ever, saying the heavy-duty Galaxy Watch Ultra has a durable titanium design and features such

Culture

Katie Leung on playing Lady Araminta in Bridgerton and coping with sudden fame

Katie Leung is starring as Lady Araminta Gun in the new series of Netflix’s Bridgerton. She said she felt “really seen” to finally play a mother and described Araminta as a steely aristocrat with a complex drive. Leung said Araminta is widowed, has lost two husbands and is intent

Health

Common household chemicals linked to health risks and simple swaps to reduce exposure

Independent.co reports that everyday household items can expose people to multiple chemical hazards — including PFAS, BPA, phthalates, microplastics and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) — found in cookware, plastics, cleaning products, textiles and personal care items. The piece notes PFAS are so common in Britain that they are now present in

Tech

Redesign systems to rebuild human connection in the AI era

Time argues that as AI reshapes schools, workplaces and online life, leaders must rebuild human connection, noting that, according to former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, loneliness now carries a mortality risk comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. The piece highlights mounting evidence of social breakdown: more

Business

Trump says Venezuela will hand over up to 50m barrels; oil prices fall

Global oil prices fell by more than 1% after Donald Trump said Venezuela would hand over 30m to 50m barrels of the country’s blockaded crude to the US. Trump said the deal would give him the power to sell up to $3bn (£2.2bn) worth of Venezuelan crude stranded

Crypto

Bitcoin at $92,733 as Supreme Court tariff ruling threatens market volatility

Beincrypto reports Bitcoin is trading at $92,733 as it approaches a potential volatility trigger: the US Supreme Court’s January 9 ruling on President Trump’s global tariffs. Polymarket implies a 78% chance the Court will invalidate the tariffs; a decision against them could force the Treasury to refund

Culture

'To Be or Not to Be' appears twice in Chloé Zhao’s film Hamnet

Chloé Zhao’s drama Hamnet includes Shakespeare’s famous “To be, or not to be” soliloquy twice: first delivered by Paul Mescal as Shakespeare in a night scene beside water, and later by Noah Jupe as a young actor on the Globe stage. In the first instance Mescal’s character

Culture

15 Mystery Films With Twists That Are Nearly Impossible to Predict

Collider published 12 hours ago a spoiler-filled roundup of 15 mystery films the outlet says are essentially impossible to predict, highlighting movies whose endings force viewers to rethink everything that came before. The list includes Christopher Nolan's Memento, in which Leonard Shelby's Sammy Jankis story is

Politics

New York Times suit over Pentagon press rules set for March hearing

The New York Times urged the U.S. District Court in Washington on Monday to rule in its favor in a lawsuit it filed last month against the Pentagon over new rules for journalists, a case that is on track to be heard by a judge in March. The Times

Sports

Lionel Messi says he would prefer club ownership after retirement

According to Goal, Lionel Messi told Luzu TV this week that he does not see himself as a coach and would prefer to be an owner when he retires. Messi said he would like "to have my own club, start from the bottom, and make it grow. To be

Crypto

Morgan Stanley files SEC registration for an Ethereum Trust

Morgan Stanley filed a registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for an Ethereum Trust, according to a filing on Tuesday. The move follows separate filings submitted the same day for spot bitcoin (BTC $92,087.62) and solana (SOL $137.90) exchange-traded funds, amid a rapid

Politics

One year after 2025 wildfires, Los Angeles begins rebuilding amid ongoing probes

One year after wildfires swept through Pacific Palisades and Altadena on Jan. 7, 2025, residents and officials in Los Angeles are beginning to rebuild: schools in the Palisades burn scar have reopened, debris has been removed, and construction crews and new frames are visible in both communities. The fires killed

Culture

Leak suggests Stranger Things prequel Tales from '85 renewed for Season 2

MovieWeb reports a recent leak seemingly confirms that the Stranger Things prequel, Stranger Things: Tales from '85, has already been renewed for a second season. After 10 years the original series came to an end with a divisive finale: the final episode of Season 5 landed on New Year’

World

Displaced Palestinians in Egypt await Rafah reopening as returns remain blocked

Tens of thousands of Palestinians in Egypt face an uncertain future as they wait for the Rafah border crossing with Gaza to reopen, the New York Times reported, leaving many unable to return home despite a cease-fire. The New York Times spoke to a family that remains separated. Nine-year-old Islam

Culture

Two young children unharmed after Columbus couple found dead

According to People, Spencer and Monique Tepe were found dead in their Columbus, Ohio, home on Dec. 30; their two children, both under the age of 4, were discovered unharmed in the house and are being cared for by immediate family members. Rob Misleh, who is married to Spencer'

Tech

Motorola unveils Razr Fold with 8.1-inch inner display at CES 2026

Motorola unveiled its first book-style foldable smartphone, the Razr Fold, during Lenovo's Tech World showcase at CES 2026. The device uses a central hinge to open like a book rather than the clamshell design used on previous modern Razr models. The Razr Fold features a 6.6-inch cover