Stories for 2026

Wednesday, January 7th 2026 - 00:15 UTC
The Near-Miss Effect: Why Our Brains Crave Uncertainty More Than Rewards

Imagine a digital display where three symbols must align. The first two click into place perfectly, but the third slows down, hovering just above the winning line before settling on a loss. Logically, this is a failure with no payout. Yet, the human brain rarely registers it as such. Instead of walking away, most feel a surge of energy and an urge to try again. This physiological reaction, the near-miss effect, is a neurological trick that transforms an objective loss into a subjective incentive to continue.
Wednesday, January 7th 2026 - 00:04 UTC
Top 3 Seed Banks in Australia: For Breeders, Purists, and Smart Collectors

Australian growers face a simple problem. Finding reliable cannabis seeds locally means avoiding customs, long wait times, and questionable genetics. The top 3 seed banks in Australia solve all three issues with domestic shipping, fresh stock, and quality genetics tested for local conditions.
Tuesday, January 6th 2026 - 10:30 UTC
Conspiracy theories: Why did Maduro fall so quickly?

Rumors, speculation, and conspiracy theories of all kinds are surfacing about who betrayed former Venezuelan ruler Nicolás Maduro so that US troops could abduct him from Caracas and make him stand trial in New York.
Tuesday, January 6th 2026 - 10:07 UTC
Gunshots near Caracas' Presidential Palace amounted to nothing important

Gunshots were heard in Caracas on Monday at around 8 pm near the Miraflores presidential palace, prompting speculations as to the motives behind the havoc. Later unofficial reports pointed to a succession of misunderstandings resulting in a friendly fire clash.
Tuesday, January 6th 2026 - 10:07 UTC
Strategic partnership concerning Vaca Muerta announced

Pan American Energy (PAE) and the US shale giant Continental Resources announced Monday a strategic partnership to accelerate the development of four key blocks in the Vaca Muerta formation.
Tuesday, January 6th 2026 - 10:00 UTC
Tierra del Fuego in dire straits

The Argentine province of Tierra del Fuego is grappling with a deepening economic and institutional crisis, amid mounting industrial layoffs, high-level government resignations, and a sharp local debate over the US military intervention in Venezuela.
Tuesday, January 6th 2026 - 10:00 UTC
Brazil's oil and gas production has its ups and downs in late 2025

Brazil's oil and natural gas production totaled 4.921 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d) in November 2025, with 3.773 million barrels per day (bbl/d) of oil extracted, which represented a 6.4% decrease from the previous month and a 13.9% increase compared to the same month in 2024.
Tuesday, January 6th 2026 - 09:58 UTC
Maduro and his wife arraigned in New York court

Former Venezuelan ruler Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores formally pleaded not guilty to federal charges of narco-terrorism, cocaine importation, and weapons offenses during their arraignment on Monday in New York before Judge Alvin Hellerstein.
Tuesday, January 6th 2026 - 09:06 UTC
Uruguay records lowest yearly inflation in over two decades

Uruguay's inflation last year fell below the Central Bank’s (BCU) official target of 4.5%, hitting 3.65% after December's -0.09%, making President Yamandú Orsi's first annual National Institute of Statistics (INE) report a historic one with figures not recorded since 2001.
Tuesday, January 6th 2026 - 08:33 UTC
Maduro's fall becomes campaign asset for Flávio Bolsonaro

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's sons Eduardo and Flávio foresee the latter's victory in this year's elections after the ties between deposed Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva are exposed in the trial underway in New York.