Lai Ka-ying suffers from motion sickness, cannot stand hot weather, was not a top student and did not speak Mandarin – all of which made the 43-year-old mother of three an unlikely pick as Hong Kong’s first astronaut. But the Hong Kong-born payload specialist on China’s Shenzhou-23 mission, which is expected to blast off on Sunday night and head to the Tiangong space station, made it through almos...
Lai Ka-ying suffers from motion sickness, cannot stand hot weather, was not a top student and did not speak Mandarin – all of which made the 43-year-old mother of three an unlikely pick as Hong Kong’s first astronaut. But the Hong Kong-born payload specialist on China’s Shenzhou-23 mission, which is expected to blast off on Sunday night and head to the Tiangong space station, made it through almost two years of training. “I held a ‘let’s give it a try’ attitude,” Lai said in interviews with state media, recalling how she managed to pass the gruelling selection process. “I am prone to getting carsick and seasick. But when I sat in the rotating chair, I easily passed the test.” Advertisement She added: “In the centrifuge test, I was in total confusion, everything went blurry. But I persevered through sheer willpower.” Working in the Hong Kong Police Force, where long hours and irregular shifts are the norm, helped her easily handle training involving 72 hours without sleep. Advertisement “That was not too difficult for me. I used to work in the police force. Our work there was highly demanding,” Lai said.
Consulting giant Deloitte noted in November last year that inference workloads will be the next big thing in artificial intelligence (AI) in 2026. According to Deloitte, inference will account for two-thirds of AI computing power this year, up from 50% in 2025. Deloitte estimates the market for inference-focused AI chips could reach $50 billion this year. McKinsey, on the other hand, estimates tha...
Consulting giant Deloitte noted in November last year that inference workloads will be the next big thing in artificial intelligence (AI) in 2026. According to Deloitte, inference will account for two-thirds of AI computing power this year, up from 50% in 2025. Deloitte estimates the market for inference-focused AI chips could reach $50 billion this year. McKinsey, on the other hand, estimates that AI inference workloads in data centers could jump from almost 21 gigawatts (GW) last year to 93 GW in 2030, clocking a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 35%. Not surprisingly, there is a race among AI chipmakers to make inference-focused processors to capitalize on this lucrative growth opportunity. From Nvidia (NVDA 1.86%) to Advanced Micro Devices to Broadcom to Intel, everyone is trying to make the most efficient chips that can run AI inference applications cost-effectively in data centers and at the edge. However, I believe that these semiconductor companies will be beaten by Arm Holdings (ARM +2.78%) in the inference era. Let's look at the reasons why. Arm Holdings is a top pick-and-shovel AI inference play AI inference isn't as compute intensive as the training phase. In fact, AI inference can be performed even by a central processing unit (CPU) in both data centers and on edge devices running inference workloads locally. Arm Holdings' focus on offering energy-efficient chip designs, which help chip designers make power-efficient chips with solid performance, has made the British company the go-to choice for several consumer electronics companies and chipmakers. Expand NASDAQ : ARM Arm Holdings Today's Change ( 2.78 %) $ 8.28 Current Price $ 306.51 Key Data Points Market Cap $326B Day's Range $ 288.21 - $ 315.00 52wk Range $ 100.02 - $ 315.00 Volume 14M Avg Vol 8.7M Gross Margin 94.08 % Nvidia, for instance, utilizes Arm's architecture for its Grace server CPU. Its latest Vera CPU, which the company will sell as a stand-alone product, is also based on Arm's late...
Now for the really interesting part. Celtic’s completion of a domestic double was every bit as straightforward as Dunfermline feared it could be. Whether that achievement is sufficient for Martin O’Neill to be handed an extended stay as the Celtic manager should soon become clear. O’Neill has support, internally and externally, for his cause. Even at 74, he clearly fancies the job. Dragging Celtic...
Now for the really interesting part. Celtic’s completion of a domestic double was every bit as straightforward as Dunfermline feared it could be. Whether that achievement is sufficient for Martin O’Neill to be handed an extended stay as the Celtic manager should soon become clear. O’Neill has support, internally and externally, for his cause. Even at 74, he clearly fancies the job. Dragging Celtic towards trophy success on back-to-back weekends shows he retains capability. The key, unknown and unanswered question is whether O’Neill’s recent body of work will prove sufficient for the Celtic hierarchy to back him in the longer term as opposed to a younger coach such as Robbie Keane. O’Neill has no reason to care that this Scottish Cup final pretty quickly became a non event. It was champions of the country against a second-tier side and looked every bit of that. Dunfermline initially looked paralysed by the occasion, which was all over bar formalities with Celtic two goals to the good at the interval. Neil Lennon enjoyed some superb times under O’Neill when a Celtic player more than two decades ago. This time, Lennon and Dunfermline suffered at the hands of an old master. This most exhausting of Celtic seasons ended with a trophy being paraded in the Hampden sun. The Scottish Cup, which Celtic were beaten to by Aberdeen a year ago, had been reclaimed. O’Neill was serenaded by adoring punters. The buildup to this final had been dominated by the fallout from the conclusion to the Premiership season. The marauding supporters who forced the ending to Celtic’s decisive win over Hearts also fuelled harsh words between clubs. It took a mere 90 seconds for the Celtic fans here to revert to sectarian abuse of the Hearts manager Derek McInnes, which was as predictable as it should have been a cause for eyerolls. There was almost on-field embarrassment for Celtic in the ninth minute. Confusion in their defence allowed Callumn Morrison to steal in, with the forward’s shot cleared...
Another vintage year for Bordeaux, another bitter final loss for Leinster. On a hot, unforgiving afternoon in Bilbao there was never the slightest doubt who would be hoisting the trophy into a cloudless Basque sky, such was the clear superiority of the defending champions. Only Leinster themselves have ever racked up more points in a Champions Cup final and the scoreboard did not lie. In some ways...
Another vintage year for Bordeaux, another bitter final loss for Leinster. On a hot, unforgiving afternoon in Bilbao there was never the slightest doubt who would be hoisting the trophy into a cloudless Basque sky, such was the clear superiority of the defending champions. Only Leinster themselves have ever racked up more points in a Champions Cup final and the scoreboard did not lie. In some ways Leinster should be absolved from any particular shame. There is now no club side in the world with a sharper attacking edge than Bordeaux nor a deadlier individual finisher than Louis Bielle-Biarrey. The French wing added another brace of tries to his tally, which now stands at 34 in 30 games this season. Factor in the artistic direction of Maxime Lucu and Matthieu Jalibert and their back-to-back titles are not remotely a coincidence. So much, either way, for Leinster’s pursuit of a fifth gold star on their jerseys. The four-time winners were a distant 35-7 down at the interval before rallying slightly in the third quarter after Lucu was sin-binned for yanking back Joe McCarthy by his collar. As with Ulster the previous evening against Montpellier, the gap in game-breaking class was otherwise conspicuous. French rugby has its foibles but the national team and the best Top 14 sides are now in a shared sweet spot. View image in fullscreen Bordeaux’s Louis Bielle-Biarrey races clear to score a try against Leinster. Photograph: Miguel Oses/AP Factor in the cacophony of noise and the punishing conditions and it all felt a million miles away from suburban Dublin. There is also no doubt this tournament grows ever harder for non-French sides to win. This is the sixth straight year that the Champions Cup has ended up in Gallic hands, with France having also claimed this year’s Six Nations title. They have won so much this year it is a wonder that France didn’t win the Eurovision song contest as well. With thousands having travelled across the border to northern Spain this certainly...
It’s 12.30pm as I write this. My mind is preoccupied with moving my fingers from key to key on my ageing laptop, a task I paused briefly to remove a hair from the screen. Then, I scratched my leg again, which kicked up another hair. I should get back to work, but I can’t concentrate. Why? Because I’m incredibly hungry. It is, after all, lunchtime – the most worthless part of any work day. It is no...
It’s 12.30pm as I write this. My mind is preoccupied with moving my fingers from key to key on my ageing laptop, a task I paused briefly to remove a hair from the screen. Then, I scratched my leg again, which kicked up another hair. I should get back to work, but I can’t concentrate. Why? Because I’m incredibly hungry. It is, after all, lunchtime – the most worthless part of any work day. It is not that there’s shame in lunch. It’s just that we’re not programmed to eat at a certain time. We’re all different and the whole concept of the office lunch is obsolete nonsense in 2026. Let it go. Big Lunch (or alternatively, the Lunch Industrial Complex) will tell you otherwise. Lunch is considered a fundamental element of the work day. It is legally mandated here in California, after all. But it is also something people who work in offices look forward to. It’s a moment to step away from the invisible chains that attach us to our computers for an hour or so of normal human behavior. Back when I worked in an office, I would look at my phone and think, if I can just make it to noon, I’ll be OK. Lunch was like a little treat to break up the monotony of corporate life. In some jobs, there was even a free lunch to make the whole thing even more appealing. You can’t leave the office. You don’t even have to leave the office! I wasn’t around for most of the 20th century, but according to TV shows like Mad Men, the old days of lunch meant meandering to a classy steakhouse and getting drunk off martinis, then plopping on to a chaise longue until the buzz wore off. I would happily endorse that version of lunch, but that’s not what we are being presented with today. The modern office lunch is about convenience and expediency. It’s being hustled through a Sweetgreen to collect your biodegradable bucket of vegetables so you can get back to your desk before your next meeting. The work day lunch is merely a distraction from your unenviable reality, offering the illusion of choice while re...
Keir Starmer has written to broadcaster TNT Sports asking it to make next weekend’s Champions League final free to view. The move is the latest measure that appears designed to appeal directly to voters, after the government announced earlier this week that it would cut VAT on entry to some attractions – such as theme parks, zoos and museums – during the school summer holidays. Starmer, who has a ...
Keir Starmer has written to broadcaster TNT Sports asking it to make next weekend’s Champions League final free to view. The move is the latest measure that appears designed to appeal directly to voters, after the government announced earlier this week that it would cut VAT on entry to some attractions – such as theme parks, zoos and museums – during the school summer holidays. Starmer, who has a season ticket for recently crowned Premier League champions Arsenal, told TNT Sports on Friday that he was “saddened” that the club’s match with Paris Saint-Germain would not be free to watch for supporters in the UK. The fixture is due to be played in Budapest next Saturday evening and will mark the first time British viewers will be unable to watch the final free of charge. It will be streamed by TNT Sports on HBO Max, where the cheapest subscription package costs £4.99 per month. In his letter, Starmer said: “The Champions League is the biggest club football competition in the world and rightly means a lot to fans in this country – the home of football. I am a firm believer that the final of this competition should remain free to watch, whether Arsenal have made it or not. “Obviously, I want as many fellow fans as possible to be able to watch our team in this historic final for the first time in 20 years. However, this is bigger than that. “This is about supporters of all teams coming together in living rooms and pubs in every corner of the country to watch the most elite players in Europe battle it out. “Hard-working people should not have to worry about forking out for a subscription to watch a game of this magnitude.” In response, a TNT spokesperson said: “We have made all three UEFA finals this year available from just £4.99, the price for a month-long subscription to HBO Max that also includes the great entertainment on the service. This represents exceptional value for fans to watch the conclusion of the competitions.” The prime minister is fighting for his politic...
Britain has created a new breed of political prisoners through the systematic incarceration of people acting to prevent climate breakdown and the annihilation of Gaza, a report claims. The research by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and the protest group Defend Our Juries says that custodial sentences for acts of direct action or civil disobedience were once rare but are now being imposed w...
Britain has created a new breed of political prisoners through the systematic incarceration of people acting to prevent climate breakdown and the annihilation of Gaza, a report claims. The research by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and the protest group Defend Our Juries says that custodial sentences for acts of direct action or civil disobedience were once rare but are now being imposed with increasing length and frequency. Their report, which will be launched on Tuesday, points to an increase in anti-protest legislation in England and Wales, police powers and civil law injunctions brought by corporations and public bodies as well as judges removing legal defences and “exceptionally long” sentences. In what they say is the first analysis of the jailing of “Britain’s new political prisoners”, the researchers identified 286 cases involving climate and Palestine-solidarity activists who were sent to prison for protest for a total amount of jail time of 136 years. The average detention period in the 256 cases for which data was available was 28 weeks, with one in three protesters jailed for six months or more and one in five for more than a year. David Whyte, the report’s co-author and professor of climate justice at QMUL, said: “These are exceptional sentences that are being used to apply to protests which are themselves profoundly political. “So it’s clear that extreme sentences and the level of remand detentions [before trial] at an extreme level are being used to respond to one category of prisoners and that’s prisoners who’ve been detained because they’ve been involved in civil disobedience, direct action as a result of political protest. So there is something going on which is profoundly political. Very often those protesters are reflecting majority rather than a minority view.” The report describes remand as “the first line of attack”, with the effect of chilling protest and civil disobedience. The researchers found that in 60% of cases, final sentences ...
Sir Keir Starmer has called on TNT Sports to make next Saturday's Champions League final between Arsenal and Paris St-Germain free-to-air. The UK prime minister has written the broadcaster to "strongly urge you to reconsider" a decision to make the final available to subscribers only. Every previous final since the Champions League format was introduced to the European Cup in 1992 has been made av...
Sir Keir Starmer has called on TNT Sports to make next Saturday's Champions League final between Arsenal and Paris St-Germain free-to-air. The UK prime minister has written the broadcaster to "strongly urge you to reconsider" a decision to make the final available to subscribers only. Every previous final since the Champions League format was introduced to the European Cup in 1992 has been made available to watch free of charge in the UK. In a letter to TNT executives, Starmer wrote: "I was saddened to see that, for the first time since the competition started 34 years ago, TNT Sports has decided that [the fixture] will not be free to watch for football supporters here in the UK." Last week, it was revealed that fans would need a subscription to watch all three European club finals, to which TNT holds the rights. Starmer - who is an Arsenal fan - wrote: "The Champions League is the biggest club football competition in the world and rightly means a lot to fans in this country - the home of football. "I am a firm believer that the final of this competition should remain free to watch, whether Arsenal have made it or not. "Obviously, I want as many fellow fans as possible to be able to watch our team in this historic final for the first time in 20 years. However, this is bigger than that. "This is about supporters of all teams coming together in living rooms and pubs in every corner of the country to watch the most elite players in Europe battle it out. "Hard-working people should not have to worry about forking out for a subscription to watch a game of this magnitude. "We should be putting supporters first. That is why I have already encouraged Fifa to do more to make tickets more affordable at this summer's World Cup. "That is also why I want to strongly urge you to reconsider and make the final next Saturday free to watch for the millions of passionate football fans in this country." Fans also needed a TNT subscription to watch Aston Villa win the Europa League fina...
Vertigo3d/iStock via Getty Images Real estate stocks surged, outperforming the broader markets, as rising Treasury yields took a breather mid-week with investors eyeing a possible U.S.-Iran deal . President Donald Trump reportedly said Wednesday that the U.S. is in the "final stages" of talks with Iran. Long-term Treasury yields fell , with the U.S. 10 Year Treasury yield (US10Y) falling 9 basis p...
Vertigo3d/iStock via Getty Images Real estate stocks surged, outperforming the broader markets, as rising Treasury yields took a breather mid-week with investors eyeing a possible U.S.-Iran deal . President Donald Trump reportedly said Wednesday that the U.S. is in the "final stages" of talks with Iran. Long-term Treasury yields fell , with the U.S. 10 Year Treasury yield (US10Y) falling 9 basis points to 4.57%. The U.S. 30 Year Treasury yield (US30Y) moved down 6 basis points to 5.11%. The trend differed from the prior week, when yields surged and borrowing costs across the curve reached about one-year highs. Real estate stocks declined on a weekly basis, underperforming the broader market. However, this week, the S&P 500 Real Estate Index Sector ( SP500-60 ) increased 3.04% to close at 282.91 points, while the accompanying State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF ( XLRE ) was up 3.08% to $44.56. The Dow Jones REIT Indx Equity REIT Total Return Index ( REIT:IND ) rose 3.18%, while the FTSE Nareit All Equity REITs index advanced 3.14%. XLRE was the third largest gainer among the 11 S&P 500 sectors. Weekly Winners & Losers American Tower ( AMT ) topped the gainers, adding 7.75% from the prior week to close at $183.85. The week saw AMT CFO Rodney Smith say that from next year onward, the telecom tower REIT will see churn decreasing rapidly and new business probably accelerating. Churn permeated most panel discussions at this year’s Fiber Connect 2026 in Orlando, Fla., held May 16-19. Sun Communities ( SUI ) followed, advancing 6.10% week-over-week to $127.75. The residential REIT announced a sale of its UK asset portfolio, including the Park Holidays business, to funds affiliated with Aermont Capital in an all-cash transaction valued at about $1.03B. Federal Realty Investment Trust ( FRT ) (+5.82% W/W to $119.75) and Crown Castle ( CCI ) (+5.54% W/W to $91.46) were other notable winners. KE Holdings ( BEKE ) (-9.74% W/W to $16.40) was the biggest loser in the c...
Seagate Technology (STX) has been one of the best-performing stocks in the S&P 500 Index ($SPX) this year, with shares soaring 195.42% year-to-date (YTD). The stock’s stellar rally places it among the market’s top gainers, behind only Sandisk (SNDK) and Intel (INTC), whose shares have climbed roughly 529.26% and 224.15%, respectively, over the same period. The surge in Seagate’s stock has been dri...
Seagate Technology (STX) has been one of the best-performing stocks in the S&P 500 Index ($SPX) this year, with shares soaring 195.42% year-to-date (YTD). The stock’s stellar rally places it among the market’s top gainers, behind only Sandisk (SNDK) and Intel (INTC), whose shares have climbed roughly 529.26% and 224.15%, respectively, over the same period. The surge in Seagate’s stock has been driven by growing demand for high-capacity data storage solutions as companies ramp up spending on artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure. The rapid expansion of AI applications is creating an enormous need for data centers capable of storing and processing massive amounts of information, and Seagate is benefiting from this trend. At the same time, favorable industry dynamics are strengthening the company’s financial performance. Limited supply across the storage market has helped improve pricing conditions, allowing Seagate to generate stronger revenue and higher profitability. These improving fundamentals have played a major role in driving investor confidence and supporting the stock’s sharp rise. Even after its impressive gains, here are three reasons why Seagate stock could still keep rallying. Reason #1: AI-Driven Storage Demand Appears Sustainable The rally in STX appears sustainable, supported by strong demand for high-performance storage solutions and favorable pricing. In its latest quarter, Seagate Technology reported $3.1 billion in revenue, driven primarily by its data center business, which accounted for nearly 80% of sales and grew 55% year-over-year (YOY). Growth reflects rising demand from hyperscale cloud and enterprise customers seeking scalable, cost-efficient storage infrastructure. Profitability improved sharply as adjusted gross profit reached $1.5 billion, while gross margin expanded to 47% from 42.2% in the prior quarter. Better pricing and an improved mix of high-capacity products supported the margin gains. Long-term, AI adoption is accelerating...
Shares of Broadcom (AVGO) have continued to grab attention on Wall Street as the AI infrastructure wave broadens out past GPUs and into semiconductor packaging innovations. As the latest catalyst, Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT) revealed that Broadcom had become its latest partner under its EPIC platform for developing cutting-edge innovations in AI chip packaging. The collaboration adds further fue...
Shares of Broadcom (AVGO) have continued to grab attention on Wall Street as the AI infrastructure wave broadens out past GPUs and into semiconductor packaging innovations. As the latest catalyst, Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT) revealed that Broadcom had become its latest partner under its EPIC platform for developing cutting-edge innovations in AI chip packaging. The collaboration adds further fuel to a burgeoning trend: AI performance is becoming not only a function of computing capabilities, but also efficient interconnects between multiple chips within the system. About Broadcom Stock Broadcom Inc. is one of the largest semiconductor firms and infrastructure software companies in the world. With headquarters located in Palo Alto, California, Broadcom produces customized AI accelerators, networking chips, connectivity, and enterprise infrastructure software products. As of the writing, Broadcom boasts a market cap of nearly $1.96 trillion. The shares of AVGO stock have performed extremely well over the past 12 months. Broadcom was recently trading at $414.74 per share, representing growth of about 86% compared to a 52-week low of $226.18 and only modestly lower than a high of $442.36 recently. AVGO has decisively outperformed the S&P 500 Index (SPY) as investors continue favoring AI infrastructure stocks. Although it trades at relatively high valuations, much of that is due to the strength of Broadcom's business model and growth profile. For example, Broadcom trades at 41.24x forward earnings and 30.46x sales. Moreover, the price-earnings multiple has come in at 68.97x, which may seem relatively high based on conventional semiconductor competitors. However, Broadcom boasts extremely high margins, posting a profit margin of 36.2% and an adjusted EBITDA margin of nearly 68%. Broadcom is also quite friendly toward its shareholders through dividend payments and buybacks. Broadcom pays a dividend of $0.65 per quarter to stockholders and is executing a significant buyba...
Shares of Broadcom (AVGO) have continued to grab attention on Wall Street as the AI infrastructure wave broadens out past GPUs and into semiconductor packaging innovations. As the latest catalyst, Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT) revealed that Broadcom had become its latest partner under its EPIC platform for developing cutting-edge innovations in AI chip packaging. The collaboration adds further fue...
Shares of Broadcom (AVGO) have continued to grab attention on Wall Street as the AI infrastructure wave broadens out past GPUs and into semiconductor packaging innovations. As the latest catalyst, Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT) revealed that Broadcom had become its latest partner under its EPIC platform for developing cutting-edge innovations in AI chip packaging. The collaboration adds further fuel to a burgeoning trend: AI performance is becoming not only a function of computing capabilities, but also efficient interconnects between multiple chips within the system. More News from Barchart About Broadcom Stock Broadcom Inc. is one of the largest semiconductor firms and infrastructure software companies in the world. With headquarters located in Palo Alto, California, Broadcom produces customized AI accelerators, networking chips, connectivity, and enterprise infrastructure software products. As of the writing, Broadcom boasts a market cap of nearly $1.96 trillion. The shares of AVGO stock have performed extremely well over the past 12 months. Broadcom was recently trading at $414.74 per share, representing growth of about 86% compared to a 52-week low of $226.18 and only modestly lower than a high of $442.36 recently. AVGO has decisively outperformed the S&P 500 Index (SPY) as investors continue favoring AI infrastructure stocks. www.barchart.com Although it trades at relatively high valuations, much of that is due to the strength of Broadcom's business model and growth profile. For example, Broadcom trades at 41.24x forward earnings and 30.46x sales. Moreover, the price-earnings multiple has come in at 68.97x, which may seem relatively high based on conventional semiconductor competitors. However, Broadcom boasts extremely high margins, posting a profit margin of 36.2% and an adjusted EBITDA margin of nearly 68%. Broadcom is also quite friendly toward its shareholders through dividend payments and buybacks. Broadcom pays a dividend of $0.65 per quarter to stockhol...
Spyware attacks on journalists, human rights defenders, and political dissidents are no longer rare or exotic. In early 2025, WhatsApp notified roughly 90 users — many of them journalists and civil society members across Europe — that they had been targeted by Israeli spyware company Paragon Solutions. Months later, Apple sent threat notifications to a new group of iOS users; forensic analysis con...
Spyware attacks on journalists, human rights defenders, and political dissidents are no longer rare or exotic. In early 2025, WhatsApp notified roughly 90 users — many of them journalists and civil society members across Europe — that they had been targeted by Israeli spyware company Paragon Solutions. Months later, Apple sent threat notifications to a new group of iOS users; forensic analysis confirmed two of them, both journalists, had been hit with Paragon’s Graphite spyware using a zero-click attack, meaning they didn’t even have to tap a link to be compromised. These aren’t isolated incidents. They’re the norm. For the last 15 years, security researchers have documented countless cases where government hackers have targeted and successfully compromised journalists, human rights defenders, critics, and political opponents. These attacks rely on expensive, sophisticated, and stealthy tools that allow their operators to hack into and install spyware on computers, but especially smartphones, which hold virtually all of the data about a person’s daily life. Spyware gives its operators virtually full access to the target’s device and data. Government spies can record phone calls, steal chat messages, access photos, and switch on the device’s camera and microphone to record ambient sound and record nearby conversations. Spyware also typically tracks a person’s real-time location. In response to these attacks, tech giants now provide their users with better defenses. In particular, Apple, Google, and Meta offer opt-in features specifically designed to counter targeted spyware attacks. Generally speaking, these features add extra protection, sometimes by turning off or limiting some regular features. It’s a tradeoff, but having used these myself for a long time, I have never found them to be too onerous or annoying to use. Tech companies, security researchers who have studied spyware for years, and we at TechCrunch, recommend that you use these features if you suspect y...