香港對中藥業實施明確規管，以保障公眾健康與用藥安全。根據香港《中醫藥條例》，中藥材及中成藥的定義、銷售及標籤要求皆有清晰規定，業界與市民均應了解相關法例。 中藥材與中成藥的法定定義 根據條例，「中藥材」指《中醫藥條例》附表1及附表2內指明的藥材，這些附表列出了認可的中藥材品種。 而「中成藥」則指符合以下說明的專賣產品：首先，其有效成分必須純粹由中藥材、慣常獲華人使用的任何源於植物、動物或礦物的物料，或兩者混合組成；其次，產品必須配製成劑型形式，例如藥丸、藥粉或藥水等；最後，產品須為已知或聲稱用於診斷、治療、預防疾病或調節人體機能的用途。 中藥商須領牌經營 香港設有中藥商發牌制度。任何人士如欲經營中藥材零售、中藥材批發、中成藥批發或中成藥製造，均必須向香港中醫藥管理委員會申領有關牌照，並在獲發牌照後方可經營相關業務。此制度確保從業者符合專業標準，從而維護中藥品質與安全。 中成藥必須註冊及附有標籤說明書 根據《中醫藥條例》第119條，任何人不得銷售、進口或管有未經香港中醫藥管理委員會註冊的中成藥。所有中成藥必須通過註冊程序，確認其安全、品質及效能符合要求，方可在市場流通。 此外，條例第143及144條規定，任何人不得銷售或管有未附上標籤或說明書的中成藥。標籤及說明書的具體要求載於《中藥規例》第26至28條，一般包括註冊編號、成分、用法、用量、保存方法及注意事項等重要資訊，讓使用者能夠安全正確地用藥。 市民購買中成藥時，應留意產品是否附有清晰的標籤及說明書，並確認產品已註冊，以保障自身健康與權益。業界亦應遵守相關法規，共同維護中藥的專業與安全水平。 《新聞透視》：是藥？不是藥？

Vitaliy_ph/iStock via Getty Images Originally Published on February 4, 2026 By Jennifer Nash The January U.S. Services Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) from S&P Global inched up 0.2 points to 52.7, indicating sustained growth in the services sector last month. The latest reading marks three straight years of continuous service sector expansion and was lower than the forecast of 52.5. From the latest press release , Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said: “Sustained service sector growth, supported by a robust rise in manufacturing output in January, indicates the economy is growing at an annualized rate of around 1.7%. However, that’s a lower gear compared to the pace of expansion seen prior to December’s slowdown, and hints at GDP growth cooling in the first quarter. “Consumer-facing companies are increasingly reporting a challenging environment, with demand for services falling in January having nearly stalled in December, reflecting low levels of consumer sentiment and cost of living pressures. “While financial and business service providers are reporting a more resilient picture, demand growth here is also showing signs of fraying amid heightened concerns over the economic outlook, in turn often blamed on political uncertainty. However, lower interest rates and favorable financial conditions, higher government spending, combined with more active sales and marketing efforts, are propping up business sentiment and spending, and also encouraging modest hiring. “Inflationary pressures in the service sector meanwhile remain elevated, blamed on the pass-through of tariff-related price increases and wage growth, though stiff competition is often reported to have limited the impact on final selling prices.” Background on the S&P Global US Services PMI The S&P Global US Services PMI™ measures the activity level of purchasing managers in the services sector through a questionnaire of ~400 service sector companies. The sectors co...

Poliuszko/iStock via Getty Images American Battery Technology ( ABAT ) is a battery recycling and materials company based in Reno, Nevada, which is in the eye of the storm around the strategic development of onshore critical materials in the U.S. As described on Seeking Alpha: American Battery Technology Company operates as a battery materials company in the United States. The company explores for resources of battery metals, such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese; and develops and commercializes technologies for the extraction and refining of battery metals. It also commercializes an integrated process for the recycling of lithium-ion batteries. The company was formerly known as American Battery Metals Corporation and changed its name to American Battery Technology Company in August 2021. American Battery Technology Company was incorporated in 2011 and is headquartered in Reno, Nevada. The company is inching slowly towards profitability while sitting on large-scale mineral deposits, which are becoming ever more valuable as the electrification boom continues. Developing these assets requires funding, and the Department of Energy (DOE) has supported the company by providing fast-track approvals and development grants. I have covered ABAT regularly over the last year and would encourage readers new to the stock to read my previous articles for full details of the company and its operations. ABAT has proven to be a highly volatile stock, with dramatic pumps and dumps. I advocate a dynamic strategy hedging with options to take advantage of the volatility while reducing risk. In my last coverage of ABAT, I upgraded the stock to a Buy rating and outlined a covered call strategy that I was using. ABAT announced Q4 earnings on 5th February, reporting continued good progress on several fronts. The market took the news positively, with a close to 17% increase in the share price on an overall green day for the markets. Data by YCharts This, however, is against a backdr...

格隆汇2月8日｜印度炼油和贸易界消息人士表示，印度炼油商正在回避采购4月交付的俄罗斯石油，且预计将在更长时间内远离俄油。此举可能有助于印度与美国达成贸易协议。美国和印度目前已向达成贸易协议迈进了一步，双方宣布了一项旨在3月前完成谈判的协议框架。一位曾接洽印度炼油商的贸易商表示，印度石油公司、巴拉特石油公司和信实工业公司目前不接受贸易商提供的、装载期为3月和4月的俄罗斯石油报价。

格隆汇2月8日｜国产全栈高性能GPU在医疗AI领域的应用解决方案在昨天举行的上海市健康数据产业协会第一届第二次会员大会暨高质量发展学术大会上发布。这项医疗AI领域的应用解决方案是复旦大学附属中山医院牵头建设的国家人工智能应用中试基地（医疗领域）孵化的重要产出，它将大幅降低医疗人工智能推广应用门槛，助力医疗人工智能从“数智创新”走向“生产力工具”。大会上，沐曦集成电路 （上海） 股份有限公司及生态企业与上海市健康数据产业协会现场签订合作协议，沐曦宣布为协会提供算力券等多元支持。

全球体育消费用品行业迎来大规模高层震荡与格局重构。 刚进入2026年，体育消费用品圈就先迎来一波震荡。 “老大哥”耐克集团在1月下旬一口气公布了全球四大区域中三个区域的高层管理人士调整。其中，现任大中华区CEO董炜将于3月31日正式卸任。同期，耐克也公布了欧洲、中东及非洲分部的管理层调整。 董炜的离任让人意外但又或是早晚之事。业绩承压成为高管们“下课”最直接导火索。作为全球体育消费品牌的领头羊，耐克近两年深陷业绩困局，其大中华区业务持续低迷：2025财年（2024年6月1日至2025年5月31日），大中华区营收同比降幅达13%，也是耐克全球跌幅最大的市场。2026财年第二季度（2025年9月1日11月30日），耐克大中华区业绩同比下降17%。 但耐克的问题又岂止大中华区。过去两年，耐克总部也是各种动荡。2024年10月，面对危机已有一段时间的耐克召回了退休四年的贺雁峰（Elliott Hill）重新担任集团总裁兼CEO。此后，总部高层便开始大规模重组，品牌、产品、营销、战略、人力资源等关键岗位纷纷换帅。 事实上，这个行业不止耐克一家产生了危机感。全球的体育鞋服用品消费市场在过去几年里经历了一轮洗牌，格局与十年前大不一样。对于消费者而言，这个市场变得更精彩、更有趣了：品牌、产品层出不穷，选择也更多元。但对于企业来说，无疑更残酷了。行业竞争格局发生剧烈重构，新兴的、垂类的新玩家不断跑出来分食那些老牌企业的蛋糕，“我们的客户正在被抢走”。 换人！品牌高层大洗牌 耐克高层团队的洗牌并非个案。 实际上，全球体育鞋服消费用品企业集体迎来了内部的高层变动。过去两年里，一场轮番的“换帅潮”几乎席卷了这个行业。 执掌lululemon七年的卡尔文·麦克唐纳（Calvin McDonald ）于2026 年 1 月 31 日卸任公司CEO。虽然一直以来被已离开公司的品牌创始人质疑、抨击，但在任期内，这位前CEO确实也是推动lululemon进一步实现全球化进程的功臣。在他的任期内，公司实现了营收从33亿美元到百亿美元的跨越式增长。他还一手推动品牌从单一瑜伽品类扩张到跑步、网球、骑行等多运动品类，并大力发展男装、鞋履、配饰等。 时间再往前些，其他更老牌的公司也在调整。 2025年4月，彪马（PUMA）当时的CEO阿恩·弗伦特（Arne Freundt）离任。据官方发布的信息，此次变动归因...

财联社2月7日讯（记者 卢阿峰 何凡） 晚上九点，成都一家轻医美诊所的候诊区仍灯火通明。玻璃门外，商场人流已明显减少；玻璃门内，取号屏上的数字却仍在滚动刷新，前台不时提醒，“后面的客人稍等几分钟。” 财联社记者近日通过调研、多方采访了解到，1月份以来，全国各地医美机构逐渐迎来客流高峰期的同时，医美消费者的需求也在发生结构性变化。 从机构排期、门诊接诊量到营业时间延长，多项指标均显示，节前医美市场已提前进入“满负荷运转”状态。多位医美机构负责人、整形科医生在接受财联社记者采访时表示，今年节前医美消费热潮启动时间明显早于往年，且客流高峰持续时间更长。 这场热潮并非单纯的周期性回暖，多位受访者表示，轻医美项目取代传统手术类项目，成为节前消费的绝对主流；项目选择更趋精准化、复合化。与此同时，公立医院加码医美科室、线上平台加速线下布局，正共同推动医美行业运行逻辑发生变化。 节前医美进入“拉满模式”：启动更早、客流更密 “今年忙得特别早。”这是多位医美从业者对今年春节前市场的直观判断。 “元旦假期前就已经明显忙起来了，连喝口水的时间都没有。”西安国际医学中心医院整形美容科主任孙峰向财联社记者表示，其所在的眼整形门诊，一上午面诊人数最多能达到45人，“以我个人的排期为例，一天四五台是常态，年前早就约满了，部分顾客的手术已经排至春节后了。” 西安国际医学中心医院整形美容科门诊诊室外排队等候就诊的消费者 孙峰的感受，并非个例。与往年春节前两周才逐步升温不同，今年节前医美消费从元旦假期前便已提前启动，且客流量明显高于往年，成为今年节前医美市场最突出的特征之一。 深圳禾思医美某门店排队人潮 深圳地区亦呈现相似态势。禾思集团创始人翁依力向财联社记者表示，今年春节医美旺季启动时间较往年提前了10到15天，元旦过后市场热度持续升温，腊月中旬至除夕前客流达到高峰，整体客流和预约量较去年同期均明显增长。 “排期紧张是今年最直观的变化。”翁依力表示，节前热门项目和医生普遍需要提前7到10天预约，部分爆款项目甚至提前两周就已排满，“一医难求、一位难求”的状况在多地医美机构出现。 轻医美连锁机构的数据同样体现了节前医美市场的火热。新氧集团旗下的轻医美连锁品牌新氧青春诊所向财联社记者提供的数据显示，元旦过后，其门店消费热度持续走高，1月消费量较12月环比增长14%，与去年同期相比激增235%。 新氧内购会...

Key Points Applied Digital was one of the top stocks of 2025, returning some 221%. It has surged another 41% through the first month of 2026. Is Applied Digital stock a buy now, or is it too late? 10 stocks we like better than Applied Digital › As a developer and owner of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, Applied Digital (NASDAQ: APLD) is literally at the center of the AI boom. In 2025, Applied Digital was one of the top stocks, returning about 221%. This year, it has already gained a staggering 41% as of Feb. 3, trading at more than $35 per share. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks » In a span of just 13 months it has been a five-bagger -- increasing roughly fivefold from around $7 per share at the start of 2025. Can it keep going higher? Let's take a look. 250% revenue growth Applied Digital posted its second-quarter earnings on Jan. 7, and the stock shot some 24% higher on its strong results. Revenue increased 250% year over year to $127 million, while it narrowed its net loss to $37 million, or $0.22 per share. That was considerably improved from a $0.63-per-share loss in the same quarter a year earlier. The AI data center developer energized its Polaris Forge 1 facility in North Dakota, the first of three buildings being built on that campus. It has been contracted out to CoreWeave for 15 years in an $11 billion agreement. It also inked a 15-year lease with a U.S.-based hyperscaler for 200 megawatts (NW) of AI and high-performance computing capacity at Polaris Forge 2, which is under construction and expected to open in 2026. This deal will generate another $5 billion in revenue for Applied Digital. The company anticipates full capacity at Polaris Forge 2 in early 2027. Then a third facility will be online at Polaris Forge in 2027. It also has two other facilities in North Dakota that are at full capacity and handle mostl...

澳大利亚自由党和国家党8日召开新闻发布会，宣布两党重组反对党联盟。此前两党分裂源于在反仇恨犯罪法问题上的分歧。在1月20日参议院会议中，苏珊·利与提出法案的执政党工党领袖安东尼·阿尔巴尼斯达成一致意见，3名国家党议员则对相关法案投了反对票，于次日退出影子内阁。国家党随后决定剩余8名影子内阁成员辞职以示团结，并于1月22日退出自由党-国家党联盟。（央视新闻）

财联社2月8日讯（编辑 卞纯） 特斯拉首席执行官埃隆·马斯克日前再次就美国债务问题发出严厉警告，并表示， 若没有人工智能（AI）和机器人技术，美国肯定会破产 。 在上周晚些时候的一场播客访谈中，当被问及，既然技术能够推动经济增长并减轻债务负担，那为何在担任政府效率部（DOGE）负责人期间还要大力削减开支时，马斯克回应称，他担心政府存在浪费与欺诈行为。 他还称：“若没有人工智能与机器人技术，我们就真的彻底完了，因为美国国债正疯狂激增”。 马斯克指出，目前美国38.5万亿美元债务的利息支出每年约达·万亿美元，这一数字甚至超过美国军费预算。偿债成本也超过了联邦医疗保险等社会保障项目的支出。 谈及自己在DOGE的工作经历，马斯克表示，他原本希望能够减缓美国难以为继的财政趋势，为AI和机器人技术拉动经济增长争取更多时间。 “这是唯一能够解决国家债务问题的办法。如果我们没有人工智能和机器人技术，这个国家将1000%走向破产，走向衰落。”马斯克表示。“除此之外，没有任何其他办法能够解决国家债务问题。我们需要足够的时间来部署AI和机器人，避免在此之前就陷入破产境地。” 去年11月，马斯克就发表过类似言论，他表示，大规模部署人工智能和机器人技术是解决美国债务危机的唯一途径。但他也提醒称，这些技术带来的商品和服务产出增长可能会引发严重的通缩。 全球最大对冲基金桥水基金的创始人雷·达里奥此前也警告称，美国正走向“债务死亡螺旋”，政府不得不单纯为了支付利息而举债——这是一个恶性循环，会不断自我强化。 但与马斯克不同的是，达里奥并不认为美国会破产。 “不会出现违约——央行会出手，我们会印钞并买入（债券），” 他表示，“而这会带来货币贬值。” 换言之，从技术层面看，政府或许永远不会 “没钱”，但美元可能会快速贬值。马斯克也曾警告称，如果当前趋势持续下去，“美元将变得一文不值”。 美元购买力的缩水已经显而易见。据明尼阿波利斯联储的数据，2025年的100美元，购买力仅相当于1970年的12.06美元。

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing Hongkongers can expect a warm Lunar New Year with maximum temperatures climbing to 23 degrees Celsius when the three-day holiday begins on February 17. According to the Hong Kong Observatory’s nine-day weather forecast, the temperature on the first day of the Lunar New Year holiday will range between 19 and 23 degrees, with mostly cloudy skies and sunny intervals during the day. Advertisement On Sunday, temperatures dipped to 13 degrees in some urban areas, with most regions recording temperatures four to six degrees lower than those on Saturday. The city will experience another cool morning on Monday due to a strong northeast monsoon affecting the coast of southern China. Advertisement “The monsoon will moderate gradually and temperatures will rise in the middle of this week. A fresh easterly airstream is expected to affect the coast of Guangdong in the latter part of this week,” the Observatory said on Sunday.

【有線新聞】泰國眾議院選舉正點算得票，目前推算結果與選前民調相若，沒有政黨可單獨奪得過半議席。總理阿努廷領導的泰自豪黨表現可能更勝民調預期，有機會成為第一大黨。 投票結束後票站關門，工作人員陸續封存票箱，移交點算結果。泰自豪黨以總理阿努廷的圖片發文指感謝選民及每一張選票支持。 至於選前民調領先的人民黨黨魁納塔蓬，周日早上與父母到曼谷票站投票，他稱相信人民的選擇將決定未來發展方向。為泰黨則繼續由親近前總理他信的勢力領軍，推舉他信的外甥裕差南為總理人選，他早前指沒有人可抹去為泰黨過去推行的惠民政策。 投票過程傳出零星舞弊個案，當局指帕堯府有工作人員涉嫌假扮選民投票，但遭負責人發現阻止，又指疑犯承認受到政黨相關人士指使。北柳府則有票站在大風雨惡劣天氣下損毀，影響點票進度。 眾議院500個議席由逾5千萬合資格選民投選，分析指受年輕一代歡迎的人民黨，即使獲得較多議席，仍難以取得執政地位。相反親建制的泰自豪黨即使不能成為最大黨，亦有望順利籌組聯合政府。 人民黨前身是前進黨，2023年大選成為國會最大黨後，遭保守派及軍方控制的參議院阻止黨魁皮塔競逐總理，更因主張修改冒犯君主罪被逼解散。反而阿努廷和泰自豪黨無論最終能否成為第一大黨，估計都可獲得保守建制勢力支持，令阿努廷能籌組政府連任。

格隆汇2月8日｜据央视，今天是春运第七天，全国铁路预计发送旅客1325万人次，计划加开旅客列车1688列。公路方面，截至今天7点，因降雪及路面结冰，山西、四川、贵州、新疆等4省份国省干线共有30个路段采取主动封闭管控措施，其中14个路段封闭主线，16个路段关闭收费站。全国民航今天预计保障航班19614班，可提供座位数297万个，预计运输旅客239万人次。

随着AI基础设施建设的军备竞赛进入“深水区”，一个令投资者不安的转折点已然浮现：为了支撑AI算力需求，亚马逊、谷歌和Meta正面临自由现金流被耗尽甚至透支的风险。 根据摩根大通2026年2月5日发布的研究报告，美国四大云巨头——亚马逊、谷歌、Meta和微软，2026年总资本支出预计将达到 6450亿美元 ，同比激增56%，新增支出将达到惊人的2300亿美元。 对于投资者而言，2026年，或将是紧盯科技巨头资产负债表的一年。 谷歌的97%增速与亚马逊的“现金赤字” 在这场基建狂潮中， 谷歌 的投入非常激进。 2026年，谷歌的资本支出指引已上调至 1750亿至1850亿美元 ，同比增速高达 97% ，其资金正疯狂涌向服务器和技术基础设施。 如果说谷歌还只是在“疯狂花钱”，那么 亚马逊 则堪称“透支未来”。 2026年，亚马逊的资本支出指引约为 2000亿美元 （同比增长52%）。但问题的核心在于，亚马逊赚回来的现金已经盖不住支出了——据标普全球市场分析师预测，亚马逊2026年的运营现金流（OCF）约为 1780亿美元 。 这意味着， 亚马逊的资本支出将超过其运营现金流 ，导致实质性的现金净流出（Burn Cash）。此外，据《The Information》报道，亚马逊还在洽谈向OpenAI投资数百亿美元，这将进一步消耗其现金储备。 Meta的情况同样不容乐观。 其2026年资本支出预计增长75%至1150亿-1350亿美元。虽然不像亚马逊那样直接“入不敷出”，但这笔巨额开支将几乎“抹平”Meta的自由现金流，使其曾经的游刃有余财务状况变得捉襟见肘。 股东回报承压，微软或是“例外” 当现金流的蓄水池干涸，股东回报计划正面临调整压力。 过去几年，科技巨头通过大规模股票回购有力支撑了股价。但在2026年，这一引擎恐将熄火： 回购缩水： 去年，Meta在股票回购上花费了260亿美元，但随着今年自由现金流预计将大幅萎缩，其回购力度很可能被迫削减。 分红压力： 谷歌和Meta上个财年分别支付约100亿和50亿美元股息。它们今年应该还能负担得起这些股息，但这将进一步挤压本就紧张的现金流。 亚马逊不会面临同样的问题，因为它自2022年以来未进行过股票回购，且从未派发过股息。面对2026年的现金赤字，其重启回购的可能性微乎其微。 面对资金缺口，巨头们开始利用其资产负债表的弹性： 谷歌...

Indian refiners avoid Russian oil in push for US trade deal Reuters

一名男子涉嫌聲稱年初一會在港鐵金鐘站放炸彈，被控一項「炸彈嚇詐」罪，明日提堂。 警方上月27日接報，指有人在手遊群組，聲稱將於2月17日在港鐵站放置炸彈，警方搜查後未有發現可疑物品，前日在沙田以「炸彈嚇詐」罪拘捕一名31歲男子，又在他的寓所檢獲仿製槍械等物品。他被暫控一項「炸彈嚇詐」，周一在東區裁判法院提堂。

For many U.S. Olympic athletes, Italy feels like home turf toggle caption Gabriele Facciotti/AP In January, American athlete Jessie Diggins, the world's top-ranked female cross-country skier, sprinted up a steep slope in Italy's Val di Fiemme, poles pumping, for her third Tour de Ski victory. Now, Diggins is back at the nearby Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium in Val di Fiemme, a valley in the Italian Dolomites, for the Olympics — on a course where she's raced many times. While the 2026 Winter Olympics take place thousands of miles from the U.S., centered around the business capital Milan and the ski resort town Cortina, the competition sites in northern Italy are familiar ground for many on Team USA. "Our athletes compete there often. Many of them train there," says Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. "It's a place where we know we can shine." To help even the playing field, cross country officials have reconfigured the course. "Most of it isn't the same; it's quite literally running backwards for part of it," Diggins says. "You have people like me who've been racing there for a very long time, but at the same time everyone's kind of relearning it all over again," she says. toggle caption Matthias Schrader/AP At Val di Fiemme, athletes will also be ski jumping off steep, specialized ramps — and both cross-country skiing and ski jumping in the Nordic combined. Sponsor Message Two hours to the north, driving over winding mountain roads, there's the Antholz-Anterselva Biathlon Arena. The valley is considered a "biathlon sanctuary," according to Biathlon World, where top athletes have been skiing and shooting rifles for more than 50 years. U.S. biathletes have a particular advantage. "Our head coach for the last eight years is from the Antholz Valley, born and raised," says Deedra Irwin, the top U.S. female biathlete. "Most of our wax staff have been ski racing there since they were kids." The U.S. has never medaled in biathlon. This co...

財政司司長陳茂波表示，去年本港新股集資額約七成屬於創科企業，未來要抓緊「十五五」規劃帶來的機遇，推動科技創新和產業創新深度融合。 陳茂波在網誌指出，去年上市的119家公司，共集資超過2,800億元，其中信息科技、生物科技、新能源和先進工業等企業，集資額佔約七成。港投公司至今投資逾170個項目，每投資一元，同時拉動市場投資超過六元。 至於生產力局作為「內地企業出海專班」成員，去年4月成立出海服務中心，至今逾350間企業表示有興趣使用服務，當中逾100宗正在具體跟進，連同其成立前已跟進的項目，累計逾450宗。 陳茂波指，要用好香港國際金融中心優勢，以金融賦能產業加速發展。

財政司司長陳茂波表示，去年本港新股集資額約七成屬於創科企業，未來要抓緊「十五五」規劃帶來的機遇，推動科技創新和產業創新深度融合。 陳茂波在網誌指出，去年上市的119家公司，共集資超過2,800億元，其中信息科技、生物科技、新能源和先進工業等企業，集資額佔約七成。港投公司至今投資逾170個項目，每投資一元，同時拉動市場投資超過六元。 至於生產力局作為「內地企業出海專班」成員，去年4月成立出海服務中心，至今逾350間企業表示有興趣使用服務，當中逾100宗正在具體跟進，連同其成立前已跟進的項目，累計逾450宗。 陳茂波指，要用好香港國際金融中心優勢，以金融賦能產業加速發展。

Technically, many soups are spiced in some way, even if it’s just with pepper. But we all know what is meant by a spiced soup: something with a jolt to it, and a bit of heat to warm up a winter evening. When it comes to soup, spice is the ultimate companion to a main ingredient that may otherwise be considered boring or bland. In this sense, the spices are the most important component: they are what the soup will taste of. But which spices go with which ingredients, and how? Here are 17 different recipes to help you figure that out. View image in fullscreen Nigel Slater’s spiced suggestion offers more promise than your standard carrot soup. Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin/The Observer A word of advice: making soup is, by and large, a pretty forgiving endeavour. Presentation is not paramount, and amounts can be varied without much risk. A soup should ideally be made from things you already have to hand, so don’t give up on a recipe for the sake of a single missing ingredient – it will almost certainly be fine without it. One other thing: you’ll want to have a stick blender at the ready; almost all these soups are either wholly or partially liquidised before serving. View image in fullscreen Thomasina Miers’ Moroccan lentil and carrot soup is spiked with cumin. Photograph: Yuki Sugiura/The Guardian. Food stylist: Aya Nishimura. Prop stylist: Louie Waller. Food assistant: SongSoo Kim. Let’s begin with carrots. Nobody gets too excited at the prospect of carrot soup, but a spiced carrot soup such as Nigel Slater’s – spiked with cumin, coriander and chilli – offers a bit more in the way of promise. Thomasina Miers’s Moroccan spiced lentil and carrot soup combines cumin and paprika with cinnamon and ginger, and is served with lemon, yoghurt, coriander leaves and some crispy kale. Not a bad way to use up three carrots on a cold weekday night. My traditional method for dealing with leftover parsnips – letting them rot in the vegetable drawer of the fridge before binning them – ...

The faint outline of a hand in a cave in Indonesia ’s Sulawesi has been recognised as the world’s oldest known rock art , shattering a long-held scientific theory that human artistic expression first flourished in Ice Age Europe. Dating back at least 67,800 years, the faded stencil was found hiding beneath a more recent chicken sketch in Metanduno cave on Muna Island. Researchers say the finding, which was published in the scientific journal Nature on January 21, proves that ancient humans in Southeast Asia were already capable of reflecting on their existence and leaving intentional marks of meaning behind. Advertisement Dr Adhi Agus Oktaviana, a rock art specialist from Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), first spotted the hand stencil in 2015, its faint traces nearly obscured. Scientist Adhi Agus Oktaviana studies handprints on the walls of a cave in Sulawesi, Indonesia. Photo: Maxime Aubert/AP Four years later, he collected a sample that scientists at Griffith University in Australia subsequently determined predated all previously known rock paintings by at least 15,000 years.

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Applied Digital stock has delivered a 373% return for investors over the past 12 months. As a developer and owner of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, Applied Digital (APLD +25.52%) is literally at the center of the AI boom. In 2025, Applied Digital was one of the top stocks, returning about 221%. This year, it has already gained a staggering 41% as of Feb. 3, trading at more than $35 per share. In a span of just 13 months it has been a five-bagger -- increasing roughly fivefold from around $7 per share at the start of 2025. Can it keep going higher? Let's take a look. 250% revenue growth Applied Digital posted its second-quarter earnings on Jan. 7, and the stock shot some 24% higher on its strong results. Revenue increased 250% year over year to $127 million, while it narrowed its net loss to $37 million, or $0.22 per share. That was considerably improved from a $0.63-per-share loss in the same quarter a year earlier. Expand NASDAQ : APLD Applied Digital Today's Change ( 25.52 %) $ 7.11 Current Price $ 34.95 Key Data Points Market Cap $9.8B Day's Range $ 29.24 - $ 35.09 52wk Range $ 3.31 - $ 42.27 Volume 45M Avg Vol 32M Gross Margin 16.40 % The AI data center developer energized its Polaris Forge 1 facility in North Dakota, the first of three buildings being built on that campus. It has been contracted out to CoreWeave for 15 years in an $11 billion agreement. It also inked a 15-year lease with a U.S.-based hyperscaler for 200 megawatts (NW) of AI and high-performance computing capacity at Polaris Forge 2, which is under construction and expected to open in 2026. This deal will generate another $5 billion in revenue for Applied Digital. The company anticipates full capacity at Polaris Forge 2 in early 2027. Then a third facility will be online at Polaris Forge in 2027. It also has two other facilities in North Dakota that are at full capacity and handle mostly crypto mining operations for customers. But the Polaris Forge campus is built for AI and HPC comp...

中国体育品牌上牌桌。 15.06亿欧元对价，29.06%股权。 2026年年初，全球体育用品消费市场迎来一场瞩目的交易。中国体育用品企业安踏集团以123亿元人民币从法国皮诺家族旗下Groupe Artémis收购了老牌体育用品彪马近三成股权，成为后者最大单一股东。 虽然溢价60%，但大多数外媒对这次交易给予双赢的评价。有外媒认为，“这是中国体育品牌全球化里程碑，安踏补齐欧美市场与足球品类短板，溢价反映控制权价值”。 能够在众多的竞争者里脱颖而出，除了安踏强悍的“氪金”能力，还与其先前的并购且成功运营不无关联。当年被安踏等联合财团纳入麾下的亚玛芬集团如今发展势头强劲，旗下的始祖鸟更是以高端户外的标杆之姿风靡全球。 虽然与耐克、阿迪达斯动辄数百亿年营收不在一个规模上，但中国的体育用品企业在中国全民体育的大背景下正在慢慢崛起，也在探索尝试“上牌桌”。 目前来看，在这场全球体育消费品市场远征中，安踏的“多品牌航母”战略最具标志性，从联合收购亚玛芬体育与入股彪马这两笔大交易，这家公司精准踩中全球体育市场在近些年消费变迁浪潮中的机遇。 时间回溯至2019年，安踏牵头与方源资本及腾讯等几个公司组成的投资者财团完成对芬兰亚玛芬体育的收购，将始祖鸟、萨洛蒙、威尔逊等多个国际体育品牌收入囊中。彼时，彭博社在一篇报道中惊呼，这是“中国体育品牌全球化的重要试水”。 而这场价值46亿欧元的交易，在当时被认为是标志着中国体育力量正式从“产品出口”向“全球资源整合”转型。 疑虑与期待并存。彼时有市场观点质疑，中国的体育用品企业起家代工厂，缺乏品牌运动之经验，特别是国际品牌运营经验。能否驾驭这笔高溢价并购需市场检验。 而后续安踏及其合作伙伴交出了一份漂亮的成绩单：收购亚玛芬体育后，安踏采取“保留核心团队+注入中国优势”的轻量化整合策略，既尊重始祖鸟等品牌的独立基因与专业调性，又将中国供应链的高效协同能力注入其中，推动旗下品牌营收持续增长。 归因于一部分前述成功案例，年初安踏得以成功入股彪马。有业内人士认为，中国企业的供应链效率与多品牌运营能力，正在被全球市场逐步认可。 如果说安踏的全球化是“借船出海”的并购之路，那么李宁则走出了一条“文化赋能”的差异化路径。 不同于安踏氪金并购，李宁更多地则是通过文化出海，公司将中国传统文化与体育产品设计深度绑定——从“悟道”系列的水墨意境，到“敦煌”系列的壁画元...

Torsten Asmus/iStock via Getty Images The bond market is exceptionally quiet right now. Juxtapose the 10-year yield price action with the volatile macro backdrop, and cross-asset trends and storylines are really quite breathtaking. The US benchmark interest rate ended last week right on a key long-term support/resistance level. 4.20% has proven to be a bull/bear battleground, and its next move could lay the groundwork for the S&P 500’s ultimate 2026 trend. Today, I’m revisiting the most widely followed broad domestic fixed income gauge—the iShares Core US Aggregate Bond ETF ( AGG ). I had a buy rating on the low-cost index fund back in November of 2024 . I called out its near-5% yield amid falling short-term Treasury yields. It has returned more than 7% since then, beating money markets. Today, I reiterate a buy rating. Long the product myself, I see positive real returns in the future, all while the Fed policy rate could inch closer to 3%. 10-Year Yield Steady at 4.20% StockCharts.com According to the issuer , AGG seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of the total U.S. investment-grade bond market. The ETF is a cost-effective fund for broad exposure to domestic Treasury securities and Investment Grade credit and can be used as a core holding for diversified portfolios seeking to balance risk and return while pursuing an income focus. Stepping back, AGG’s implied volatility has fallen to below 4%--near the lowest in many years. The $138 billion AUM fund sports a low 3-basis-point annual expense ratio and is priced to yield 4.4% . AGG Implied Volatility Sinks to 4% Fidelity Investments Treasury volatility as a whole hovers near the softest levels going back almost five years. It’s clear that the US bond market seems to think it’s in a good position. While there were “sell America” fears, as evidenced by the swarm of bond vigilantes who delivered a scare to the global stock market last April and May, macro conditions have quieted down in a hurry a...

Key Points QQQ leans heavily into technology and has delivered a higher 1-year return but comes with higher risk and a lower dividend yield SPY tracks the broad S&P 500, offering greater sector diversification and a lower expense ratio Both ETFs are extremely liquid, but QQQ’s max drawdown and volatility run higher than SPY’s 10 stocks we like better than Invesco QQQ Trust › State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEMKT:SPY) and Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (NASDAQ:QQQ) differ most in sector concentration, risk profile, and cost, with QQQ charging a higher fee and focusing more on technology stocks. Both the State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) and the Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (QQQ) are giants among United States exchange-traded funds, each tracking a large-cap index but with distinct portfolios and risk-return tradeoffs. This comparison outlines how the two ETFs stack up on cost, performance, sector tilts, liquidity, and portfolio construction to help investors evaluate which may better fit their strategy. Snapshot (Cost & Size) Metric SPY QQQ Issuer SPDR Invesco Expense ratio 0.09% 0.20% 1-yr return (as of 2026-02-04) 14.0% 15.5% Dividend yield 1.1% 0.5% AUM $709.2 billion $405.7 billion Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year weekly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months. SPY looks more affordable, charging about half the annual expense ratio of QQQ, while also offering a higher dividend yield. QQQ’s higher fee and lower payout may matter to cost-focused or income-oriented investors. Performance & Risk Comparison Metric SPY QQQ Max drawdown (5 y) (24.49%) (35.12%) Growth of $1,000 over 5 years $1,770 $1,828 What's Inside QQQ tracks the NASDAQ-100 Index, tilting heavily toward technology (55% of assets), with communication services and consumer cyclical sectors making up most of the rest. The fund holds 102 stocks, with the largest allocations to NVIDIA Corp (NASDAQ:NVDA)...

J Studios/DigitalVision via Getty Images Market Brief – Market Volatility Returns Markets stumbled into February, a historically weak month. February tends to deliver modest returns, with average performance trailing the stronger gains typically seen in January and March. Seasonal tailwinds, such as earnings season and new-year fund flows, begin to fade, while macro headwinds, such as tightening liquidity or policy uncertainty, often reemerge. February also lacks the retail-driven momentum of the holiday season, leading to lower volume and more volatile price action. Investors should be cautious, as February has a track record of chopping sideways or pulling back before spring’s broader recovery patterns take hold. The good news is that both the first 5 days and the month of January were positive. As shown, when January’s performance is positive, the rest of the year has been positive 87% of the time. However, that does not mean there can’t be bumps along the way. Returning our focus to this past week, it was Technology stocks that led the decline, along with precious metals, particularly silver, and cryptocurrencies. While headlines suggested a combination of earnings guidance and rising capital spending triggered the sharp reversal in sentiment, it was most likely margin calls from leveraged longs in the metals and crypto markets that bled over into the stock market. While the decline in the technology stocks was notable, the earnings reports were very strong and certainly didn’t justify the price declines. For example, Alphabet ( GOOG ) reported solid revenue but shocked investors with a $50 billion AI capex plan. That raised concerns about future margins and capital discipline, leading the stock to decline by 6%. Amazon ( AMZN ) also exceeded earnings and revenue estimates by a hefty margin, with revenue rising 14%. But as with GOOG, the $200 billion capex commitment was noted as the reason for the 8% decline. Another area of significant weakness was in software...

Last spring, the National Security Agency (NSA) flagged an unusual phone call between two members of foreign intelligence, who discussed a person close to Donald Trump, according to a whistleblower’s attorney who was briefed on details of the call. The highly sensitive communique, which has roiled Washington over the past week, was brought to the attention of the director of national intelligence (DNI), Tulsi Gabbard. But rather than allowing NSA officials to distribute the information further, Gabbard took a paper copy of the intelligence directly to the president’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, according to the whistleblower’s attorney, Andrew Bakaj. One day after meeting Wiles, Gabbard told the NSA not to publish the intelligence report. Instead, she instructed NSA officials to transmit the highly classified details directly to her office, Bakaj said. Details of this exchange between Gabbard and the NSA were shared directly with the Guardian and have not been previously reported. Nor has Wiles’s receipt of the intelligence report. On 17 April, a whistleblower contacted the office of the inspector general alleging that Gabbard had blocked highly classified intelligence from routine dispatch, according to Bakaj, who has been briefed on details surrounding the highly sensitive phone call flagged by the NSA. The whistleblower filed a formal complaint about Gabbard’s actions on 21 May, Bakaj said. The Guardian reported earlier Saturday that the phone conversation was between a person associated with foreign intelligence and a person close to Trump, based on Bakaj’s recollection of the complaint, which he confirmed over multiple calls. However, after publication, Bakaj said he misspoke. He clarified his understanding of the complaint in a statement: “The NSA picked up a phone call between two members of foreign intelligence involving someone close to the Trump White House,” he said. “The NSA does not monitor individuals without a reason.” The person close to Trump is no...

The beginning of the year saw the start of a transition to the new issuer. Early 2026 saw a new chapter in Apple's venture into consumer finance, when banking giant JPMorgan Chase (JPM +3.95%) was chosen as the new issuer of the tech company's Apple Card. It's taking over the job from Goldman Sachs. Goldman said that stepping down from the product will help it narrow its business focus. Will taking it on benefit JPMorgan Chase, or might Apple Card become an albatross dragging down its fundamentals and stock price? Not your typical issuer Before I tackle that question, I should clarify the meaning of the term "issuer" for those unfamiliar with it. Typically, this is not, as some think, the name or brand stamped on the card; rather, it's the entity that is actually extending the credit to the user. Issuers tend to be banks because, of course, lending money in various ways is the core of their business. This is why Goldman was something of an anomaly with the Apple Card; it's historically functioned as an investment bank, not a traditional lender. In the mid-2010s, it decided to try its hand at consumer banking, but the effort was clunky, and it couldn't differentiate itself enough from a sea of competitors. In 2022, it started to retreat from the attempt. The handover of Apple Card, which all involved parties estimate will take around two years, is one of the last backward steps. Adding to a large pile The issuer-to-be is indisputably qualified for the position. In fact, Chase is the largest card issuer in this country by total credit card purchase volume. All told, recent data indicates that Chase provides the credit for roughly 150 million cards. The most recent figures I can find for the Apple Card, gleaned from an April 2025 article on Investing.com, indicate that the cool white rectangle was held by over 12 million users. While that's not exactly a drop-in-the-bucket addition to Chase's existing stack, it's not a dramatic expansion, either. Expand NYSE : JPM JPMo...