For any bodily function you want to measure these days there is a gadget – a wristband for step-counting, a watch to track your heart rate or a ring for measuring sleep. Now the march of wearable tech is coming to the aid of what some say is a long underserved market: menopausal women. One startup has recently launched a high-end cooling bracelet that kicks into action during a menopausal hot flus...
For any bodily function you want to measure these days there is a gadget – a wristband for step-counting, a watch to track your heart rate or a ring for measuring sleep. Now the march of wearable tech is coming to the aid of what some say is a long underserved market: menopausal women. One startup has recently launched a high-end cooling bracelet that kicks into action during a menopausal hot flush. The device is one of a growing number of lifestyle products being launched in this area, which some experts say is growing as stigma around menopause recedes. Companies are developing everything from apps offering dietary advice to devices that track symptoms, hormones and body temperature. While some caution that a boom in the menopause market could mean brands with overhyped solutions cash in on women’s fears, there is no shortage of investors who see a technological solution to the problems brought on by middle age. View image in fullscreen The MyCelsius bracelet is worn on the wrist to cool down wearers who experience hot flushes triggered by menopause. Photograph: MyCelsius The global menopause market is projected to reach approximately $24bn (£19bn) by 2030 according to the San Francisco-based market research and consulting firm Grand View Research. Leading investors in menopause products include venture capital funds, corporate giants such as Bayer and Unilever Ventures, and retail partners such as Tesco. The MyCelsius bracelet, a £229.99 cooling device, is worn on the wrist to instantly cool down wearers who experience hot flushes triggered by menopause. Its designers say it also alleviates the effects of hormonal changes such as stress, anxiety or other everyday factors on body temperature. Sarah Garlick, 50, went into surgical menopause after having a hysterectomy and her ovaries removed at 43. She is on HRT but still experiences many other symptoms. She said she bought a range of products when it first happened, including a £60 nightie that promised to regulat...
Costa Rica heads to the polls on Sunday in an election dominated by increasing insecurity and warnings of an authoritarian turn in a country long seen as a model of liberal democracy in the region. Crime is a big concern for many voters as criminal groups battle to control lucrative cocaine trafficking routes to Europe and the US, casting a shadow on the Central American country famous for its wil...
Costa Rica heads to the polls on Sunday in an election dominated by increasing insecurity and warnings of an authoritarian turn in a country long seen as a model of liberal democracy in the region. Crime is a big concern for many voters as criminal groups battle to control lucrative cocaine trafficking routes to Europe and the US, casting a shadow on the Central American country famous for its wildlife tourism. Voters are choosing the president and 57 members of congress for the next four years after a campaign that centred on President Rodrigo Chaves, a polarising figure who has upended Costa Rica’s political system, even though he was unable to run again as the constitution prohibits consecutive terms. The president’s handpicked candidate, Laura Fernández, 37, a former minister promising a hard line on security, leads the latest polls with about 40% of the vote – enough to secure a first-round win. Meanwhile, the opposition is fragmented, with no candidate exceeding 10%. However, roughly a third of voters are still undecided, meaning the outcome is wide open. “Where [these voters] flip will determine everything,” said James Bosworth, founder of Hxagon, a consultancy. He said Fernández could get a majority or even a supermajority in congress. Alternatively she could get a minority, and struggle in the second round if the opposition vote consolidated. The Costa Rican political landscape was transformed in 2022 when Chaves, an economist who left the World Bank after being accused of sexual harassment, tapped into anger at corrupt and discredited political elites, with a late surge in the polls winning him the presidency. Since then, Chaves has worked to boost the economy – with mixed results – while scorning political norms with his abrasive style, and clashing with Costa Rica’s institutions. View image in fullscreen President Rodrigo Chaves addressing supporters in November. Photograph: Mayela López/Reuters Courts sought to prosecute Chaves on charges of corruption ...
It may not be the most auspicious way to start an interview, but I have to ask: Fab, is it you reading your audiobook? Please confirm you aren’t just a pretty face hired to front it? Fabrice Maxime Sylvain Morvan considers my question, then laughs. I’m teasing: it definitely is Morvan narrating You Know It’s True: The Real Story of Milli Vanilli. But as the recording of his book has been nominated...
It may not be the most auspicious way to start an interview, but I have to ask: Fab, is it you reading your audiobook? Please confirm you aren’t just a pretty face hired to front it? Fabrice Maxime Sylvain Morvan considers my question, then laughs. I’m teasing: it definitely is Morvan narrating You Know It’s True: The Real Story of Milli Vanilli. But as the recording of his book has been nominated for best audiobook, narration and storytelling recording at the 2026 Grammy awards – and Milli Vanilli are the only winners to have had their Grammy (given in 1990 for best new artist) rescinded, due to the revelation that the duo didn’t sing on their records – I do need confirmation. “It’s all me,” a smiling Morvan says. “I co-wrote the book with Parisa Rose, a journalist with the Los Angeles Tribune, and throughout I have been as truthful as I can possibly be.” Truth and lies feature through Morvan’s memoir: as half of Milli Vanilli he enjoyed pop stardom while living a lie, before being skewered by those demanding the truth. Almost everyone aged over 45 will probably have some memory of Milli Vanilli, so popular were they between October 1988 and November 1990: with three US No 1s, and more than 37m singles and albums sold in 1989 alone, they were positioned alongside Michael Jackson, George Michael and Madonna as pop’s most popular performers. We choreographed everything, and danced until our shoes were full of blood If 1989 was Milli Vanilli’s annus mirabilis then 1990 proved their annus horribilis: after their producer/svengali Frank Farian admitted they were “non-singing performers”. The duo were “cancelled” in today’s terms – Grammy rescinded, recording contract denuded, intense media and public opprobrium. Class action lawsuits under US fraud protection laws were served, while TV comedians ridiculed the photogenic performers. “It was an awful experience,” says Morvan, a youthful 59, speaking from his home in Amsterdam. “People hated us. And when we gave our press ...
In its latest efforts to reinforce the Communist Party line in China’s armed forces , the PLA Daily took aim at one particular invasive species: “big rats”. The rats were eating away at the PLA’s budget and undermining combat readiness , the military mouthpiece said, and had to be eradicated. “[We] must take strong and forceful measures to crack down on corrupt practices that undermine the buildin...
In its latest efforts to reinforce the Communist Party line in China’s armed forces , the PLA Daily took aim at one particular invasive species: “big rats”. The rats were eating away at the PLA’s budget and undermining combat readiness , the military mouthpiece said, and had to be eradicated. “[We] must take strong and forceful measures to crack down on corrupt practices that undermine the building of combat abilities, and thoroughly investigate and root out those ‘big rats’ who tamper with military spending,” the PLA Daily said in a commentary on Friday. Advertisement It was an unusual literary reference for the publication and dates back to the Book of Songs in classical Chinese poetry. Advertisement Authorities have offered no details about the case against Zhang, the country’s top uniformed officer and the first-ranked vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, and Liu, chief of the CMC Joint Staff Department.
For business owner Tracy Sung, flat-hunting in Hong Kong was complicated by two things – her pets and the intense competition in the rental market. Sung, who used to live in a 500 sq ft flat in Happy Valley, had to offer more than the landlord’s asking price to secure an 800 sq ft property in Tseung Kwan O. The 28-year-old is paying about HK$35,000 (US$4,480) a month for her new home, compared wit...
For business owner Tracy Sung, flat-hunting in Hong Kong was complicated by two things – her pets and the intense competition in the rental market. Sung, who used to live in a 500 sq ft flat in Happy Valley, had to offer more than the landlord’s asking price to secure an 800 sq ft property in Tseung Kwan O. The 28-year-old is paying about HK$35,000 (US$4,480) a month for her new home, compared with HK$28,000 previously. The neighbourhood in Hang Hau offered what she considered the most reasonable rent and pet-friendly flats, she said. The New Territories district’s larger area and open spaces suited her and her birds. Although commuting to Hong Kong Island and Kowloon would take longer, she did not mind because her business allowed her a flexible schedule. Advertisement “I took the flat on the same day we looked at it because the other two previous times when I negotiated, someone placed a higher offer after mine so I had to either bid higher or just give up,” Sung said. “It was quite harsh because other would-be tenants would make offers such as an outright one-year payment of the rent, so I either had to match or raise my bid.” Sung is not alone in finding Hong Kong’s rental market challenging. Newly married Eunice Fermin-Trin and her husband faced a different dilemma – choosing between bigger space and better location. Advertisement Their new flat in Wan Chai is about 200 sq ft bigger than their previous one in the same district, at essentially the same price. They now pay about HK$25,000.
A man in southeastern China who extracted 191 grams of gold from discarded SIM cards has sparked a sales frenzy. However, the man has warned of the serious safety risks involved in the process. Known online as “Qiao”, the man hails from Huizhou, Guangdong province, and specialises in refining precious scrap metal. Part of the process involves heating the extracted gold up to an extreme temperature...
A man in southeastern China who extracted 191 grams of gold from discarded SIM cards has sparked a sales frenzy. However, the man has warned of the serious safety risks involved in the process. Known online as “Qiao”, the man hails from Huizhou, Guangdong province, and specialises in refining precious scrap metal. Part of the process involves heating the extracted gold up to an extreme temperature. Photo: Weibo On January 20, he posted a video showcasing his gold refining process, which gained more than five million views. Advertisement In the clip, Qiao pours used SIM cards into barrels filled with chemicals, extracting gold mud through a series of reactions, including corrosion, displacement and heating. After filtering and heating, he ends up with 191g of gold, worth nearly 200,000 yuan (US$29,000). Scrap SIM cards, above, play a central role in the gold extraction process. Photo: Weibo Qiao told the Xiaoxiang Morning Post that he used nearly two tonnes of scrap to refine the gold, which did not solely come from SIM cards but from a mix of chip waste in the telecommunications electronics industry.
In case you had any doubt, a trillion dollars can go a long way. That cash figure, equivalent to a million millions, can cover the combined purchase cost of Apple $AAPL and McDonald's $MCD or buy every residential home in San Diego County. Or, it could snap up tickets to every football game at the University of Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium, with a capacity of 93,000 fans for the next 400 years, eve...
In case you had any doubt, a trillion dollars can go a long way. That cash figure, equivalent to a million millions, can cover the combined purchase cost of Apple $AAPL and McDonald's $MCD or buy every residential home in San Diego County. Or, it could snap up tickets to every football game at the University of Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium, with a capacity of 93,000 fans for the next 400 years, even if the Cornhuskers hit the gridiron every day. The $1 trillion figure is gaining traction on social media and among economists, as technology titan Elon Musk may see his net worth surpass the trillion-dollar mark as soon as 2027, if not sooner. That scenario could occur if Musk’s SpaceX goes public at a $1.5 trillion valuation, or if Tesla $TSLA hits the performance incentives required for his massive pay package approved by shareholders and upheld in court late last year. Musk’s not alone. Other corporate titans like Amazon $AMZN founder Jeff Bezos, Nvidia $NVDA CEO Jensen Huang, and Gautam Adani, an Indian industrialist and chairman of the Adani Group, are in play to become future trillionaires, although Musk appears to be the clubhouse leader in 2026. Here’s what the first trillionaire means to the global business culture Having a living person with $1 trillion in personal wealth would have ripple effects worldwide across commerce, finance, culture, and human equity, among other areas. These impactors may resonate most when the trillion-dollar club adds its first member, especially in the working realm. It could trigger a ‘fundamental imbalance’ heard ‘round the world Having an Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos with $1 trillion in wealth could trigger a massive societal backlash, stoked in large part by economic equity organizations and other leading voices. “The prospect of a trillionaire emerging as early as this year, with Elon Musk's wealth potentially crossing that threshold through his Tesla stake and SpaceX's anticipated 2026 IPO, isn't just a remarkable economic mileston...
Minnesota citizens detained by ICE are left rattled, even weeks later toggle caption Adam Gray/AP It's a video many saw on social media soon after it happened: Officers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, dragging a woman out of her car and forcing her to the ground. The woman in the video is Aliya Rahman, a Bangladeshi-American and a U.S. citizen. The day she was arrested, Rahman wa...
Minnesota citizens detained by ICE are left rattled, even weeks later toggle caption Adam Gray/AP It's a video many saw on social media soon after it happened: Officers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, dragging a woman out of her car and forcing her to the ground. The woman in the video is Aliya Rahman, a Bangladeshi-American and a U.S. citizen. The day she was arrested, Rahman was on her way to the doctor, when she came across an ICE operation and a group of people protesting. She said the ICE officers told her to move her car, but the scene was chaotic and she received multiple instructions at once. Sponsor Message The Department of Homeland Security said in an earlier statement they arrested Rahman because she "ignored multiple commands." But Rahman, who is autistic and also recovering from a traumatic brain injury, says it sometimes takes her a moment to understand auditory commands. Before she knew it, the officers were carrying her away by her limbs. "I thought I might well die," Rahman said. She was placed in an SUV with three ICE officers. "I heard the laughing driver radio in, 'we're bringing in a body,'" she recalled. It took her a second to realize they meant her. In recent days, federal officials have signaled a willingness to reduce the large number of immigration agents in Minnesota, though they say any decrease will depend on state and local cooperation. Even if a draw-down occurs, they'll leave behind a changed community, including many citizens questioned and detained by immigration officers in recent weeks. Rahman was taken to the Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, where immigration agents have brought detainees before releasing them or sending them out of state. While at Whipple, Rahman experienced a severe headache, and asked for medical care for more than an hour. Eventually, she passed out. She says she woke up in a downtown hospital, where doctors told her she had suffered a concussion. Sponsor Message Her arrest was mor...
The latest data on the U.S. job market, along with a look at the finances of several top tech, media and pharmaceutical firms, are in store for investors this week. The jobs report for January comes as Federal Reserve officials are closely watching the labor market for signs of weakness. The central bank kept interest rates on hold last week. Investors will also be focused on earnings from several...
The latest data on the U.S. job market, along with a look at the finances of several top tech, media and pharmaceutical firms, are in store for investors this week. The jobs report for January comes as Federal Reserve officials are closely watching the labor market for signs of weakness. The central bank kept interest rates on hold last week. Investors will also be focused on earnings from several top tech firms, including Amazon and Google parent Alphabet. Reports from AMD, Qualcomm and Palantir are likely to provide insight into the artificial intelligence (AI) industry. Reports from Disney, Uber, Toyota and a slew of pharmaceutical firms are also on tap. Read to the bottom for our calendar of key events—and one more thing. Jobs Data Will Highlight the Strength of the Labor Market The U.S. jobs report for January is due Friday. The labor market in December showed more signs of weakening; while the unemployment rate edged lower at the end of the year, the 50,000 jobs that employers reported adding was lower than economists anticipated. Federal Reserve officials will be watching the labor market after the central bank voted last week to keep interest rates unchanged, citing elevated inflation risks, even as hiring has slowed. Some Fed officials have said that rates should continue to be lowered to shore up the job market. Investors will also get a look at consumer sentiment in February, while consumer credit levels and Purchasing Managers Index survey results for the manufacturing and services sector will also be in focus. Alphabet, Amazon, Disney on Tap for Earnings Reports Alphabet’s earnings come after the search giant surpassed the $100 billion revenue milestone in its most recent report. Amazon also posted strong revenue gains in the prior quarter. The online retailer recently announced another round of layoffs. The report from Advanced Micro Devices comes amid brisk sales of data center chips, fanning bullish sentiment among analysts following the chipmaker. W...
XRP was above $3 in 2025, and it might soon be once again. Can XRP (XRP 2.16%) hit $3 sometime in the next 18 months, given that its price is near $1.80 today? I think it's more likely to happen than not, barring any major market hiccup. There are three numbers in particular that each count as a reason. These numbers outline XRP's paths to adoption The first number, 10 drops, is denominated in a u...
XRP was above $3 in 2025, and it might soon be once again. Can XRP (XRP 2.16%) hit $3 sometime in the next 18 months, given that its price is near $1.80 today? I think it's more likely to happen than not, barring any major market hiccup. There are three numbers in particular that each count as a reason. These numbers outline XRP's paths to adoption The first number, 10 drops, is denominated in a unit you're probably not familiar with. It's the XRP Ledger's (XRPL's) typical base transaction fee, and it's equal to 0.00001 XRP per transaction. So even if XRP's price reached $3, that fee would still be just $0.00003 -- you and pretty much anyone else can afford to pay that fee over and over, and it will never add up to be more than a negligible amount. In fact, its fees are so cheap that they're usually lower than other dirt cheap chains, like Solana. In other words, for financial institutions that want to move money inexpensively, the network is a great choice for their needs, and if they decide to use it, they will first need to park that money on the XRPL, buying up some XRP in the process to use as working capital. Expand CRYPTO : XRP XRP Today's Change ( -2.16 %) $ -0.04 Current Price $ 1.66 Key Data Points Market Cap $101B Day's Range $ 1.56 - $ 1.71 52wk Range $ 1.56 - $ 3.65 Volume 6.3B The second number is also an important one for attracting financial institutions to the network, and it's 1 XRP. The XRP Ledger requires a base reserve of 1 XRP in a wallet address, so there's a small amount that must remain locked to reduce spam. This reserve is not a toll, but it does encourage adoption, as new users do not need to prefund much of anything in their wallet to get started, and users who might need many hundreds (or even tens of thousands) of different wallets won't find the start-up costs to be prohibitive. The third number is denominated in dollars, and it's $45. That's a common fee that people need to pay for an outgoing international wire transfer at a major U...
The latest data on the U.S. job market, along with a look at the finances of several top tech, media and pharmaceutical firms, are in store for investors this week. The jobs report for January comes as Federal Reserve officials are closely watching the labor market for signs of weakness. The central bank kept interest rates on hold last week. Investors will also be focused on earnings from several...
The latest data on the U.S. job market, along with a look at the finances of several top tech, media and pharmaceutical firms, are in store for investors this week. The jobs report for January comes as Federal Reserve officials are closely watching the labor market for signs of weakness. The central bank kept interest rates on hold last week. Investors will also be focused on earnings from several top tech firms, including Amazon and Google parent Alphabet. Reports from AMD, Qualcomm and Palantir are likely to provide insight into the artificial intelligence (AI) industry. Reports from Disney, Uber, Toyota and a slew of pharmaceutical firms are also on tap. Read to the bottom for our calendar of key events—and one more thing. Jobs Data Will Highlight the Strength of the Labor Market The U.S. jobs report for January is due Friday. The labor market in December showed more signs of weakening; while the unemployment rate edged lower at the end of the year, the 50,000 jobs that employers reported adding was lower than economists anticipated. Federal Reserve officials will be watching the labor market after the central bank voted last week to keep interest rates unchanged, citing elevated inflation risks, even as hiring has slowed. Some Fed officials have said that rates should continue to be lowered to shore up the job market. Investors will also get a look at consumer sentiment in February, while consumer credit levels and Purchasing Managers Index survey results for the manufacturing and services sector will also be in focus. Alphabet, Amazon, Disney on Tap for Earnings Reports Alphabet’s earnings come after the search giant surpassed the $100 billion revenue milestone in its most recent report. Amazon also posted strong revenue gains in the prior quarter. The online retailer recently announced another round of layoffs. The report from Advanced Micro Devices comes amid brisk sales of data center chips, fanning bullish sentiment among analysts following the chipmaker. W...