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Lead: The Carolina Panthers will enter the playoffs as NFC South champions after a late-season logjam ended in their favor. On Sunday the Atlanta Falcons beat the New Orleans Saints 19-17 at home — a result that pushed Atlanta to 8-9 and created a three-way tie with Carolina and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Panthers … Read more

Hollywood opened 2026 with James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash holding the top box-office spot for a third consecutive weekend and crossing the $1 billion mark worldwide after three weeks of release. The film took an estimated $40 million in North American theaters over its third weekend and has generated $777.1 million internationally, studio estimates … Read more

January 4, 2026 — Boston Dynamics showed a significantly redesigned Atlas humanoid at its Waltham, Massachusetts, facility, demonstrating new mobility, manipulation and control features. Engineers and CBS correspondent Bill Whitaker observed moves ranging from cartwheels and torso pivots to self-righting maneuvers, enabled by mechanical changes and an upgraded AI stack powered by Nvidia chips. The … Read more

Lead Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is scheduled to make his first appearance in U.S. federal court on Monday at noon in Manhattan after being taken into U.S. custody early Saturday in a surprise operation in Caracas. He faces a superseding federal indictment that includes charges of narco-terrorism conspiracy and conspiracy to import cocaine. Maduro’s wife, … Read more

Lead At CES 2026, Belkin unveiled the Charging Case Pro for Nintendo Switch 2, a high-end power case that pairs a 10,000mAh battery with an external LCD readout. The unit supports up to 30W fast charging and doubles as a tabletop stand. Belkin showed a sample at the show and said the case uses premium … Read more

Lead The Critics Choice Awards 2026 red carpet gallery showcases a broad cross-section of film and television talent, photographed and credited across major outlets. Photographers captured 52 on-camera arrivals and pairs, including Quinta Brunson, Odessa A’zion, Ariana Grande and Chloé Zhao. The visual roundup, credited primarily to Tommaso Boddi, Gilbert Flores, JC Olivera and Earl … Read more

U.S. travelers found themselves stuck across the Caribbean after federal aviation authorities temporarily halted flights following the dramatic capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a NOTAM early Saturday restricting entry to Eastern Caribbean airspace; officials said the order was linked to ongoing military operations. By Sunday night … Read more

Lead: Hollywood opened 2026 with James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash leading North American theaters for a third consecutive week and clearing the $1 billion mark worldwide in just three weeks. The film earned an estimated $40 million over its third weekend in the U.S. and Canada and has been driven largely by overseas receipts. … Read more

Lead: Hollywood’s awards season opened on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, as the 31st annual Critics Choice Awards rolled out a star-studded red carpet at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. Chelsea Handler hosted the ceremony for a fourth straight year, and the show was broadcast live beginning at 7 p.m. on E! and USA Network. … Read more

Lead In a low-stakes matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers, quarterback J.J. McCarthy aggravated a right-hand injury and exited in the third quarter. The Vikings listed McCarthy as questionable to return after the play; backup Max Brosmer replaced him. McCarthy had missed last week’s game with the same right-hand issue, and his … Read more

The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) says Aliro, a long-awaited open standard that lets phones and wearables act as digital keys for smart locks, has passed final verification and will reach the market in Q1 2026. The specification standardizes NFC tap-to-unlock and UWB-enabled hands-free unlocking, and also supports Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) options. Industry partners including … Read more

Lead: On Jan. 4, 2026, unidentified gunmen attacked two neighboring villages in Niger State, Nigeria, killing dozens and abducting several people, officials and residents said. The assault came within days of U.S. airstrikes in the region over the Christmas period, a sequence that Nigerian authorities say may be linked to the violence. Police reported more … Read more

In the early hours of a Saturday in January 2026, explosions and fire erupted over Fuerte Tiuna — Caracas’s largest military complex — after an attack that Venezuelan officials and several news organizations say killed at least 40 people and included the seizure of President Nicolás Maduro. The operation followed months of escalating U.S. pressure: … Read more

Many smartphones are already loaded with familiar apps, but several genuinely useful, free applications remain under the radar. Today we spotlight five cross-platform programs that deliver practical value for health-minded shoppers, city commuters, people who need focused soundscapes, grocery planners, and birdwatchers. Each app below is available on both Android and iOS and offers meaningful … Read more

Lead Hundreds gathered outside St Christopher’s Church in Crans-Montana on Sunday for a special Mass to mourn the victims of the New Year’s Eve blaze at the Le Constellation bar. The fire killed 40 people, all of whom have now been identified, and left several others with severe burns still in hospital. Families have received … Read more