US announces multi-day aerial military drills in Middle East amid Iran tensions

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Lead On 27 January 2026 the US announced multi-day aerial exercises across the Middle East as it reinforces forces near Iran, deploying a carrier strike group led by the USS Abraham Lincoln. The move follows weeks of heightened tensions after Tehran’s crackdown on large anti‑government protests, which rights groups say left thousands dead. US officials … Read more

A string of scandals and luxury handbags: Who is South Korea’s former first lady?

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Lead: Kim Keon Hee, the 52-year-old former first lady of South Korea, was arrested in August and on 24 January found guilty of accepting bribes tied to the Unification Church and sentenced to 20 months in jail. Prosecutors also accused her of stock price manipulation and campaign finance violations linked to Deutsch Motors and political … Read more

Star’s Final Breath Appears Like Columns of Smoke in Breathtaking New James Webb Image – Good News Network

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In a new James Webb Space Telescope image released this week, the dying star at the center of the Helix Nebula is revealed in unprecedented detail, its outer layers forming filamentary columns that resemble smoke or cometary plumes. The Webb NIRCam exposure, combined with ground-based data from the VISTA survey telescope, maps hot ionized gas … Read more

Chicago announces Taste of Chicago and summer music festivals for 2026

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Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) announced on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, that Taste of Chicago will return to Grant Park and that the city’s summer live-music season will open with the Chicago Blues Festival in Millennium Park. The schedule released by DCASE runs from Memorial Day weekend through the winter holiday … Read more

Asia markets mixed as S&P 500 hits record; South Korea posts fresh highs

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Lead: Asian markets diverged on Wednesday after U.S. equities closed with the S&P 500 at a new record, as South Korea’s bourses extended gains while Japan and parts of Southeast Asia lagged. The S&P 500 rose 0.41% to finish at 6,978.60, supported by strength in large-cap tech names. South Korea’s Kospi and Kosdaq advanced 1.48% … Read more

APA Proposes Major Overhaul of the DSM, Renaming It the Diagnostic Science Manual

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On January 28, 2026, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) announced plans to fundamentally reconceptualize its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The proposal includes a formal name change — DSM will stand for Diagnostic Science Manual of Mental Disorders — plus new contributors, new contextual layers added to diagnoses, and preparations to incorporate biological … Read more

S.F. private high school has three cases of active tuberculosis

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Since November 2025, San Francisco public health officials have identified three active cases of tuberculosis connected to Archbishop Riordan High School in the city’s Westwood Park neighborhood. The San Francisco Department of Public Health (DPH) confirmed the cases on Jan. 27, 2026, and said it is working with school leadership on testing, contact tracing and … Read more

4 takeaways from No. 3 Michigan’s win vs No. 5 Nebraska

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In a high-stakes Big Ten matchup, No. 3 Michigan edged No. 5 Nebraska 75-72 at Michigan’s home court in a game that carried major conference and NCAA seeding implications. Nebraska entered the contest a game ahead of Michigan in the standings but was shorthanded, missing Rienk Mast and Braden Frager. The Cornhuskers arrived unbeaten among … Read more

After Further Review: How the Patriots Defense Won the AFC Title Game, Maye Breakdown, and Quick-Hit Film Notes

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In Denver on Sunday, the New England Patriots secured a 10–7 victory over the Broncos to win the AFC Championship and advance to Super Bowl LX. The result was powered by three consecutive postseason performances in which New England’s defense carried the team, allowing 26 points across three games. Offense, led by QB Drake Maye … Read more

Russian drone strike on Ukrainian passenger train kills five – The Guardian

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Lead On 27 January 2026 a Russian drone strike struck a passenger train near a village in Kharkiv region, north-eastern Ukraine, killing five people, prosecutors said. The train, running from Chop to Barvinkove, had dozens to hundreds of passengers on board; officials report one carriage was directly hit and at least two carriages caught fire. … Read more

Guy Fieri shares gruesome details of terrifying fall that ‘snapped’ his muscle ‘literally in half’ (exclusive)

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Lead: Celebrity chef Guy Fieri says a fall while filming the Food Network series Flavortown Food Fight left him with a severe quadriceps rupture that required emergency surgery and mobility aids in November. The accident occurred on a rainy production day in Northern California when he slipped exiting his trailer and plunged down a three‑foot … Read more

Amazon to lay off thousands in Washington state

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Lead Amazon has announced plans that will result in thousands of job cuts affecting employees in Washington state, according to local reporting. The development was first reported by local news outlet KIRO7, though their site is currently inaccessible from outside the United States. Amazon and local officials have provided limited public detail so far; company … Read more

Man lunges at Rep. Ilhan Omar at Minneapolis town hall, appears to spray unknown substance

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Lead: A man rushed toward Rep. Ilhan Omar at a Minneapolis town hall on Tuesday night and appeared to spray an unknown liquid at her before he was restrained and arrested. The incident occurred moments after Omar called for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement and urged Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign or be … Read more