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Lead Iran is 10 days into a near-total internet blackout that began on 8 January, leaving roughly 92 million people with severely limited online access and interruptions to phone and text services. Authorities say the shutdown responded to externally directed “terrorist operations,” while monitors and activists warn it is being used to stifle dissent after … Read more
Lead Erie County announced a Travel Advisory effective at 10:00 p.m. tonight as a long-duration winter storm moves into Western New York and is expected to affect the region through Wednesday. County and city officials held a Sunday evening briefing in downtown Buffalo to outline preparations and warn residents of difficult travel. Municipal leaders said … Read more
Games Workshop revealed new Legio and Adeptus Custodes models during its New Year Preview livestream on Friday, showing for the first time heads that present as female for the Emperor’s personal guard. The move departs from decades of Custodes miniatures that used male-presenting heads and follows earlier 2024 hints in fiction and animation. The company … Read more
Lead: Indiana’s football program arrives at Hard Rock Stadium one game from a conclusion few predicted: a national title that would crown a 15-0 season and cap a turnaround that began two years ago in Bloomington. The Hoosiers, led by second-year coach Curt Cignetti, enter the College Football Playoff championship after dominant victories in the … Read more
Lead: A debate on Hacker News highlights a striking economic trade-off: a company planning a modest $5 million build (software and facility) reports an annual advertising budget of $40 million, prompting questions about whether large ad platforms and growing ad spend are reshaping how businesses allocate capital, labor and margins. Commenters traced the pressure to … Read more
Lead: In 2026, Walmart continues to block NFC-based payments at stores across the United States, including Apple Pay, Google Pay and tap-to-pay cards. Instead the company steers customers toward QR-based Walmart Pay and a Scan & Go workflow for Walmart+ and Sam’s Club members. The stance has sparked renewed social-media frustration and debate about convenience … Read more
Lead: Emmy-winning actor Timothy Busfield, 68, disclosed private sexual-history details in court filings Friday as part of a bid to win release from custody. He surrendered earlier this week in Albuquerque on charges alleging sexual misconduct with two young twin brothers who worked as child actors, covering conduct said to have occurred from November 2022 … Read more
Lead Taylor Sheridan’s neo-Western Landman, starring Billy Bob Thornton as Tommy Norris, was renewed for a third season on Dec. 5, 2025, and season 2 concluded with a Jan. 18 finale that reshaped the Norris family’s future. The finale sees Tommy fired from M-Tex and launching a rival company, CTT Oil Exploration and Cattle, which … Read more
Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming is preparing to offer an ad-supported access option later this year, sources tell Windows Central. The change surfaced after users saw an in-client notice reading “1 hour of ad supported play time per session” when launching streamed titles. Insiders indicate the ad tier would permit people who have bought Xbox games … Read more
On Sunday, January 18, 2026, two divisional-round games produced contrasting finishes: the Los Angeles Rams edged the Chicago Bears 20-17 in overtime at Soldier Field after a late Caleb Williams rally, while the New England Patriots defeated the Houston Texans 28-16 in snowy Foxborough. The results set up next Sunday’s conference title games — the … Read more
Lead Epic Games reports a jump in account reach from 108 million in 2019 to 295 million in 2024, yet third‑party store revenue barely budged, rising roughly 1.6% over the same span. Analysts and users point to Epic’s aggressive free‑game giveaways as the main driver: millions sign in to claim freebies but do not convert … Read more
Lead: A 15-member German military reconnaissance team that arrived in Greenland on Friday departed after a 44-hour deployment, Bild reported on Sunday. The group left from the capital, Nuuk, with a midday flight scheduled, according to the German newspaper. The soldiers had been expected to extend an original two-day stay but instead returned earlier than … Read more
Lead: The Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced an immediate nationwide ceasefire on a 14-point integration agreement reached in Damascus on Sunday. The deal — described by Syrian state media as returning near-full control of the country to Damascus — covers administration of al-Hasakah, Deir Ezzor and Raqqa and the handover … Read more
Regional markets in Asia-Pacific moved lower on Monday as investors digested weekend geopolitical tensions involving Greenland and awaited fresh Chinese economic data released the same day. U.S. President Donald Trump’s weekend remarks — including threats over Greenland and proposed tariffs on several European countries — heightened risk sentiment, while China published fourth-quarter GDP and December … Read more
Lead: On Jan. 17, during Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update at Studio 8H, co-anchor Colin Jost joked about his wife Scarlett Johansson after reports said Zoe Saldaña had become the highest-grossing actress of all time. The on-air gag showed a bar graph of box-office totals and briefly adjusted Johansson’s displayed total when Jost quipped about … Read more
