We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2020: Frank Fisher, now 90, was a traditional high street butcher his whole working life – as were three generations of his family before him. How does a man dedicated to serving his community decide when it’s time to hang up his white coat? By T...
We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2020: Frank Fisher, now 90, was a traditional high street butcher his whole working life – as were three generations of his family before him. How does a man dedicated to serving his community decide when it’s time to hang up his white coat? By Tom Lamont. Read by Jonathan Andrew Hume Continue reading...
Many will recognise their own experiences of digital abuse in Collien Fernandes’s allegations – the sense that technology offers perps both tools and cover Some stories that unfold in real life would read like the plot of a bad crime novel if you wrote them down. Too obvious, too contrived, almost lazy in their cruelty. For example, this one: a woman spends years trying to identify the person who ...
Many will recognise their own experiences of digital abuse in Collien Fernandes’s allegations – the sense that technology offers perps both tools and cover Some stories that unfold in real life would read like the plot of a bad crime novel if you wrote them down. Too obvious, too contrived, almost lazy in their cruelty. For example, this one: a woman spends years trying to identify the person who has allegedly been violating her online, only to eventually conclude that it was her husband all along. This is how the case of Germany’s once-favourite celebrity couple Collien Fernandes and Christian Ulmen now presents itself to the public . Fernandes, TV presenter, actor and author, has been a familiar face in mainstream entertainment for more than two decades. Ulmen, an actor, producer and former MTV presenter, is long associated with a certain kind of ironic, self-aware masculinity. The two married in 2011, had a daughter, and cultivated the image of a modern, witty supercouple, working together on series and advertisements, in which they playfully talked about their seemingly average marriage for comedic effect. Until that image fractured. Continue reading...
People who are not obese but overweight and at risk of serious cardiovascular events eligible for weekly jabs The NHS in England is to offer more than 1 million people weight-loss drugs to reduce their risk of heart attacks and strokes. Semaglutide (Wegovy) is already available on the health service for some people living with obesity, and also offered under the brand name Ozempic to treat type 2 ...
People who are not obese but overweight and at risk of serious cardiovascular events eligible for weekly jabs The NHS in England is to offer more than 1 million people weight-loss drugs to reduce their risk of heart attacks and strokes. Semaglutide (Wegovy) is already available on the health service for some people living with obesity, and also offered under the brand name Ozempic to treat type 2 diabetes. Continue reading...
The great Shakespearean shares his passion project, there’s a sneak peek of Sam Ryder’s Jesus Christ Superstar and Back to the Future: The Musical hits reverse When stages went dark during the Covid crisis, all sorts of impromptu performances popped up online. Patrick Stewart’s pandemic hobby was to recite one Shakespeare sonnet each day on social media – a project inspired by him reading one to h...
The great Shakespearean shares his passion project, there’s a sneak peek of Sam Ryder’s Jesus Christ Superstar and Back to the Future: The Musical hits reverse When stages went dark during the Covid crisis, all sorts of impromptu performances popped up online. Patrick Stewart’s pandemic hobby was to recite one Shakespeare sonnet each day on social media – a project inspired by him reading one to his wife over dinner. Now, all 154 from the 1609 quarto are collected on Audible – including Stewart’s favourite, Sonnet 116 (Let me not to the marriage of true minds). Almost four hours long, the recording includes his personal commentaries. Available from 7 April . Continue reading...
China is doubling down on mega chemical plants to secure the “industrial gold” needed for its green technology and to scale the coal-based production of chemicals whose global supply is stalled by conflict in the Middle East. On March 20, construction began on the world’s largest coal-to-ethylene glycol project in Xinjiang’s Turpan prefecture, which is expected to produce 2.4 million tonnes per ye...
China is doubling down on mega chemical plants to secure the “industrial gold” needed for its green technology and to scale the coal-based production of chemicals whose global supply is stalled by conflict in the Middle East. On March 20, construction began on the world’s largest coal-to-ethylene glycol project in Xinjiang’s Turpan prefecture, which is expected to produce 2.4 million tonnes per year, according to state news agency Xinhua. China’s first 100,000-tonne/year solution process-based...
Europe’s financial supervision battles are usually fought diplomatically. A tersely worded statement here, a veiled signal there. But on the tiny island of Malta — home to golden visas, legalized cannabis and a massive gambling industry — the rules of engagement are different. For months now, the EU’s smallest member state has been openly railing against plans to centralize crypto supervision unde...
Europe’s financial supervision battles are usually fought diplomatically. A tersely worded statement here, a veiled signal there. But on the tiny island of Malta — home to golden visas, legalized cannabis and a massive gambling industry — the rules of engagement are different. For months now, the EU’s smallest member state has been openly railing against plans to centralize crypto supervision under the Paris-based European Securities and Markets Authority, or ESMA. Should Europe’s council of leaders and parliament back the proposal, a process supporters are hoping to advance this summer, Malta would have to cede direct oversight of big industry names like Crypto.com, Gemini and Bitpanda. The EU says it’s centralizing the supervision of crypto and other parts of the financial markets to make investing safer and encourage people to redirect some €11 trillion in bank deposits into more growth-friendly areas like stocks and bonds. Malta, however, sees the initiative as a politically motivated assault, inspired by jealousy over the tiny island’s success in attracting prominent crypto firms. Regulating the sector and allowing other European countries to develop their own crypto economies should not come down to disempowering those who got there first, says Kenneth Farrugia , chief executive of Malta’s Financial Services Authority, which supervises banks, insurers and payments firms, including those focused on crypto. Speaking from his boardroom in Birkirkara, an industrial setting far from the island’s postcard-perfect beaches and cliffs, he says that Malta isn’t at fault for having an edge over rivals. Rather, he tells them, “you should have foreseen where the market is going.” As the EU, represented by financial commissioner Maria Luis Albuquerque, pleads with countries to act in the bloc’s interests instead of their own, crypto is shaping up to be an early front in the wider battle. ‘Blockchain Island’ In 2018, Malta became the first country in Europe to roll out a com...
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This is the forum for daily political discussion on Seeking Alpha. A new version is published every market day. Please don't leave political comments on other articles or posts on the site. The comments below are not regulated with the same rigor as the rest of the site, and this is an 'enter at your own risk' area as discussion can get very heated. If you can't stand the heat... you know what they say... More on Today's Markets: Moderation Guidelines: We remove comments under the following categories: Personal attacks on another user account Anti-Vaxxer or covid related misinformation Stereotyping, prejudiced or racist language about individuals or the topic under discussion. Inciting violence messages, encouraging hate groups and political violence. Regardless of which side of the political divide you find yourself, please be courteous and don't direct abuse at other users. For any issue with regards to comments please email us at : moderation@seekingalpha.com. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
kyoshino/E+ via Getty Images 7:00 AM MBA Mortgage Applications The Mortgage Bankers' Association compiles various mortgage loan indexes. The purchase applications index measures applications at mortgage lenders. 8:15 AM ADP Employment Report The national employment report from Automated Data Processing Inc. is computed from ADP payroll data and offers advance indications on the U.S. workforce. The...
kyoshino/E+ via Getty Images 7:00 AM MBA Mortgage Applications The Mortgage Bankers' Association compiles various mortgage loan indexes. The purchase applications index measures applications at mortgage lenders. 8:15 AM ADP Employment Report The national employment report from Automated Data Processing Inc. is computed from ADP payroll data and offers advance indications on the U.S. workforce. The weekly ADP report has been showing jobs up 10K a week on average in March, so that means about 40K a month. 8:30 AM Retail Sales Retail sales measure the total receipts at stores that sell merchandise and related services to final consumers. Sales are by retail and food services stores. The consensus looks for retail sales up 0.4 percent in February, with sales ex-autos up 0. percent. 9:05 AM Alberto Musalem Speaks St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank President Alberto Musalem speaks and participates in a moderated conversation on the U.S. economy and monetary policy before the American Enterprise Institute. 9:10 AM Michael Barr Speaks Federal Reserve Board Governor Michael Barr speaks on "AI and Consumer Issues" at the National Fair Housing Alliance 2026 Responsible AI Symposium. 9:45 AM PMI Manufacturing Final Based on monthly questionnaire surveys of selected companies, the Purchasing Managers' Manufacturing Index ( PMI ) offers an advance indication of month-to-month activity in the private sector economy by tracking changes in variables such as production, new orders, stock levels, employment, and prices across manufacturing industries. No revision expected from the flash at 52.4. 10:00 AM ISM Manufacturing Index The manufacturing composite index from the Institute for Supply Management is a diffusion index calculated from five of the eleven sub-components of a monthly survey of purchasing managers at roughly 300 manufacturing firms nationwide. The consensus sees the index pretty steady at 52.3 in March vs. 52.4 in February, suggesting modest growth. 10:00 AM Business Inven...
The arrival of artificial intelligence (AI) propelled many technology stocks skyward, but that changed in 2026. Wall Street realized AI could make some software businesses obsolete, leading to a sell-off that contributed to the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite officially falling into correction territory . Still, the situation creates opportunities for the industrious investor to scoop up shares in exc...
The arrival of artificial intelligence (AI) propelled many technology stocks skyward, but that changed in 2026. Wall Street realized AI could make some software businesses obsolete, leading to a sell-off that contributed to the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite officially falling into correction territory . Still, the situation creates opportunities for the industrious investor to scoop up shares in excellent companies at favorable valuations. Some are at the point where their stocks are no-brainer buys. Two such companies are ServiceNow (NYSE: NOW) and Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) . ServiceNow stock is down a whopping 35% in 2026 through the week ending March 27. Salesforce dropped 32% in that time. Here are the reasons to purchase these stocks. Continue reading
Tippapatt/iStock via Getty Images Fund performance The Columbia Thermostat Fund, class institutional, returned 1.48% over the quarter. The fund's primary equity benchmark, the S&P 500 Index, returned 2.66%. The fund's primary fixed income benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, returned 1.10%, and the fund's 50/50 blended benchmark returned 1.88%. Absolute performance was positive duri...
Tippapatt/iStock via Getty Images Fund performance The Columbia Thermostat Fund, class institutional, returned 1.48% over the quarter. The fund's primary equity benchmark, the S&P 500 Index, returned 2.66%. The fund's primary fixed income benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, returned 1.10%, and the fund's 50/50 blended benchmark returned 1.88%. Absolute performance was positive during the quarter; however, the fund underperformed its blended benchmark on a relative basis. Asset allocation, specifically the funds underweight allocation to equities, was the main detractor from performance. Style positioning within equity and fixed income was mixed for the quarter. Manager Selection moderately detracted from performance. Asset Allocation: On an average basis, the fund was moderately overweight fixed income, and underweight equities over the period. This positioning was the primary driver of underperformance for the Fund. Style Effects: Relatively flat over the period. Fixed Income contributed positively, but not enough to offset negative equity effects. Within equities, our tilt to growth detracted from relative performance. In fixed income, exposure to MBS contributed, while Treasuries detracted. Manager Selection: Manager selection detracted from performance over the period. Equity results were positive, primarily due to outperformance in the Columbia Large Cap Enhanced Core Fund and the Columbia Cornerstone Growth Fund. Fixed Income Manager Selection detracted, offsetting positive Equity effects. Top holdings (% of net assets): as of December 31, 2025 Columbia Total Return Bond Fund 17.39 Columbia Corporate Income Fund 13.90 Columbia U.S. Treasury Index Fund 13.88 Columbia Quality Income Fund 10.41 Columbia Contrarian Core Fund 7.53 Columbia Large Cap Enhanced Core Fund 7.53 Columbia High Yield Bond Fund 6.99 Columbia Diversified Fixed Income Allocation ETF ( DIAL ) 6.92 Columbia Large Cap Index Fund 6.01 Columbia Research Enhanced Core ETF ( RECS ) 5...