Este Haim Tied the Knot on New Year’s Eve at a Star-Studded Ceremony
Singer says goodbye to Single-Girl Summer, yes to the dress
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'Happy Gloom Year!': The new Gloomwood update is out, and it includes the game's 'largest, most vertical open area' yet
Gloom betide ye.
Why China’s 2026 is about stability over change - and what it signals ahead
From US rivalry and cross-strait tensions to expanding global influence, the coming year will test China’s ability to hold course amid mounting strain, analysts say.
Southeast Asian countries brace for elections, test of public trust and economic uncertainties in 2026
Southeast Asia faces a complex 2026, with a snap election in Thailand, conflict between two neighbours, possible state-level contests in Malaysia, and Indonesia managing reconstruction in Sumatra and other programmes.
Commentary: Political instability looms for Malaysia as Muhyiddin vacates PN chair
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim enters the new year facing escalating challenges within and outside party ranks, says University of Tasmania’s James Chin.
Commentary: If this is how Trump treats Europe, what about Asia?
From a special Greenland envoy to travel bans, US President Donald Trump has political-cultural and territorial designs on Europe. Here’s the good and bad news for Asia, says RSIS’ Kevin Chen.
Trump Mobile delays gold-colored phone rollout: Report
The Trump Mobile gold-colored smartphone was slated to launch in August but has yet to ship.
US cuts proposed tariffs on Italian pasta exporters
The U.S. has significantly reduced proposed tariffs on 13 Italian pasta exporters, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. The pasta makers previously faced a potential 92 percent duty after the agency determined they were selling their pasta at unfairly low prices. Proposed
Best Horror of January 2026: Sam Raimi’s New Thriller, Ralph Fiennes in ’28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,’ a Killer Chimpanzee and More
Welcome to Horror Explorer, a curated column showcasing the month’s best movies, series, books and everything else spooky worth checking out. I’m William Earl, the executive digital director of Variety and the publication’s resident horror enthusiast. Please drop me a line at
Deadly Oklahoma weed shootings expose network tied to New York money and China: report
Authorities told the New York Times that the operations were fueled by out-of-state cash, concealed ownership and lax marijuana laws.
Crans-Montana: Mourners pay tribute after deadly fire at Swiss ski resort
People gathered at a makeshift memorial in Crans-Montana to remember victims of a deadly bar fire during New Year celebrations.
The Art Crossword: Art Deco Edition
Start the year with a bit of glamour as we continue celebrating the centennial of this pivotal 20th-century movement.
Stranger Things ending explained: Vecna, the Mindflayer, and a cathartic series finale
In Stranger Things, evil has finally been vanquished. If only our own reality was so simple.
Required Reading
A meditation on light, hedonistic dance-floor photos, a filthy history of public bathrooms, and more reading to ring in a new year.
Tamagotchi and Tomica: Japan’s young-at-heart ‘kidults’ boost toy market despite baby bust
Japan's toy market grew 7.9 per cent year on year to hit $9.1 billion in the year ending March 2025.
Lucy Dacus Performs ‘Bread and Roses’ at NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Inauguration
The political anthem was originally a 1911 poem by James Oppenheim inspired by the women’s suffrage and labor movements in the United States
Diana Ross Gives a Supreme Send Off to 2025 on ‘New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’
Star played "I'm Coming Out" and "Upside Down" during the performance
Myth busted: Your body isn’t canceling out your workout
Being active boosts your daily calorie burn more than previously thought. Researchers found that increased physical activity raises total energy use without triggering the body to conserve energy elsewhere. Basic functions keep running at full speed, even as movement increases.
Mamdani defends agenda, pans 'small expectations' in inaugural address
Newly sworn-in New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani defended his ambitious agenda Thursday, rejecting the prospect of “small expectations” in his inaugural address from outside City Hall. Mamdani — a democratic socialist whose policy proposals for rent freezes, city-owned
Chevy Chase Was ‘Depressed’ After His Fox Late-Night Show Was Canceled After 6 Weeks: ‘He Would Get in Bed and Not Come Out’
A brief chapter in Chevy Chase’s illustrious comedy career is his ill-fated late-night talk series “The Chevy Chase Show,” which ran on Fox for six weeks in 1993 and was cancelled after scathing reviews and low ratings. In the new CNN documentary “I’m Chevy Chase and You’re
Pluribus lead Rhea Seehorn's career began as the 'tutorial sorceress' in a Magic The Gathering PC game from 1997
As long as we're talking about this—the hive definitely plays mono blue, right?
Trump pushes back tariff hike on furniture, kitchen cabinets by a year
President Trump put the brakes on looming tariff hikes just hours before they were set to hit as voter frustration over high prices continues to simmer.
Trump administration set to drastically cut planned Italian pasta tariffs
The Trump administration is said to be backing down from punishing duties of more than 90% after a government review spared major Italian exporters.
Watch Lucy Dacus Perform “Bread And Roses” At Zohran Mamdani’s Mayoral Inauguration
Indie rockers were among the many musicians who played a part in Zohran Mamdani's successful campaign to become mayor of New York City. Lucy Dacus, for instance, welcomed Mamdani onstage during her performance at All Things Go. Mamdani is keeping that connection going as his
George Clooney Hits Back After Trump Slams Him on Social Media: ‘We Have to Make America Great Again. We’ll Start in November’
George Clooney suggested the midterm elections could put the country on the right track in a response to President Trump’s snarky social media posts about the actor’s recent decision to get French citizenship. On New Year’s Eve, the president hailed Clooney’s move as “Good
BTS Is Dropping New Music in March — and Heading Out on Tour
This marks the K-pop band's first studio album since 2020’s Be
US strikes five more alleged narcoboats killing at least eight
The latest attacks bring the total number of known boat strikes to 35 and the number of people killed to at least 115 since early September, according to official figures.
In first, Israel's Shin Bet links weapon smuggling by drone to terrorist attacks
The assessment was included in support of an indictment against four residents of Bedouin villages in the south who are accused of smuggling weapons by drone and espionage offenses. The head of the Shin Bet recently called the weapon smuggling by drone an 'ongoing catastrophe'
Kick Off 2026 With Feels Like Heaven’s Invigorating Melodic Hardcore Album Within Dreams
The Stockholm post-hardcore band Feels Like Heaven features three members of Speedway, but their music diverges slightly from Speedway’s breathless head-knock hardcore. As heard on Within Dreams, their debut album out today, Feels Like Heaven practice more of a melodic
Ocasio-Cortez touts ‘new era for New York City’ at Mamdani inauguration
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) touted a “new era for New York City” Thursday at the inauguration of fellow progressive New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. “This ascent marks a new era for New York City, led by a historic new mayor in Zohran Mamdani, guided by his
‘Georgia on My Mind,’ ‘Dream a Little Dream of Me’ Among Songs to Enter Public Domain in 2026
Several Gershwin classics, plus cartoons like Betty Boop and Blondie , have reached the U.S. copyright maximum
Even Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper Can’t Stop Talking About ‘Heated Rivalry’
"I keep thinking nothing can surprise me at this point, but…" Rachel Reid, the author behind the show, said
Dispatch sold over 3 million copies in 2025, and only around five percent of players beat the game without romancing anyone
Who's got time for romance? I've got a job to do!
Tokamak experiments exceed plasma density limit, offering new approach to fusion ignition
Researchers working on China's fully superconducting Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) have experimentally accessed a theorized "density-free regime" for fusion plasmas, achieving stable operation at densities well beyond conventional limits.
Genomic study reveals how people moved pigs across the Pacific
A new study, published in the journal Science, reveals how millennia of human migration across Pacific islands led to the introduction of invasive pig species all over the Asia-Pacific region.
Recent discovery reveals Africa's oldest cremation pyre and complex ritual practices
About 9,500 years ago, a community of hunter-gatherers in central Africa cremated a small woman on an open pyre at the base of Mount Hora, a prominent natural landmark in northern Malawi, according to a new study coauthored by an international team based in the United States,
Trump blames others, but never himself, for America’s problems
President Donald Trump has consistently refused to take responsibility for failures and mistakes, instead blaming others and touting his successes, while great leaders like John F. Kennedy, Harry Truman, and Dwight Eisenhower have taken responsibility for their failures.
Scientists Just Clocked a ‘Rogue’ Planet the Size of Saturn
Astronomers just measured the mass of a free-floating planet without a star for the first time
Betty Boop, Blondie, and a slew of Mickey Mouse cartoons are entering the public domain, so let's hope for something better than bargain bin horror games
Another year, another grab bag of expired copyrights.
Russia asks US to stop pursuit of fleeing oil tanker, NY Times reports
Jan 1 - Russia has asked the U.S. to stop its pursuit of an oil tanker that was heading to Venezuela and is now fleeing the U.S. Coast Guard in the Atlantic Ocean, the New York Times reported on Thursday, citing two people with knowledge of the matter.
Taiwan's president pledges to defend island’s sovereignty after Chinese military drills
China has wrapped up two days of live-fire drills around the island featuring rocket launches, aircraft and warships.
Luster – “Don’t Need You”
LA shoegazers Luster popped up with two new songs on consecutive days last April, which made us think they might be building toward some kind of larger release. Instead, their Bandcamp has remained silent until today. Luster have kicked off 2026 with a new single called “Don’t
Fresh clashes kill six in Iran cost-of-living protests
Protesters and security forces clashed in several Iranian cities on Thursday, with six reported killed, the first deaths since the cost-of-living demonstrations broke out. The protests began on Sunday in Tehran, where shopkeepers went on strike over high prices and economic
Study unveils the dual nature of a young stellar object
Astronomers from the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) in India and elsewhere have conducted a long-term photometric and spectroscopic study of a young stellar object known as V1180 Cassiopeiae. Results of the study, published December 23 on the
AI models can develop ‘humanlike’ gambling addiction when given more freedom: study
Large language models repeatedly chased losses, escalated risk and even bankrupted themselves in simulated gambling environments, a study found.
Dream Fatigue – “Be Your Anchor”
The first 2026 release from Connecticut hardcore label DAZE is on the poppy side, and I’m ready to offer my endorsement. “Be Your Anchor” comes from Dream Fatigue, a Salem, MA band who are injecting Paramore-style emo theatrics into today’s prevalent grunge/shoegaze style. The
Two killed in clashes between protesters and security forces in Iran
Videos on social media showed cars set on fire during running battles as protests entered their fifth day.
Woody Guthrie Creates a Doodle-Filled List of 33 New Year’s Resolutions (1943): Beat Fascism, Write a Song a Day, and Keep the Hoping Machine Running
On January 1, 1943, the American folk music legend Woody Guthrie jotted in his journal a list of 33 “New Years Rulin’s.” Nowadays, we’d call them New Year’s Resolutions. Adorned by doodles, the list is down to earth by any measure. Family, song, taking a political stand,
British boxer Anthony Joshua staying in Nigeria to recuperate after car crash, promoter says
A vehicle carrying the former heavyweight champion and two of his associates crashed into a stationary truck on Monday on a major thoroughfare, the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, which links Ogun state to Lagos.