STORY: From TikTok's major U.S. deal to a lip-syncing robot, this is Tech Weekly. :: Tech Weekly TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance finalized a move to avoid a ban in the U.S. The deal created a new, majority American‑owned joint venture aimed at protecting U.S. user data. The TikTok USDS Joint Venture will be responsible for securing U.S. data and apps, and TikTok’s recommendation algorith...
STORY: From TikTok's major U.S. deal to a lip-syncing robot, this is Tech Weekly. :: Tech Weekly TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance finalized a move to avoid a ban in the U.S. The deal created a new, majority American‑owned joint venture aimed at protecting U.S. user data. The TikTok USDS Joint Venture will be responsible for securing U.S. data and apps, and TikTok’s recommendation algorithm. American and global investors will own just over 80% of the venture, while ByteDance keeps the rest. Nvidia boss Jensen Huang waved off fears about an AI bubble. And he encouraged everybody to get involved with the technology during a talk at the World Economic Forum in Davos. "The AI bubble comes about because the investments are large. And the investments are large because we have to build the infrastructure necessary for all of the layers of AI above it. And so I think the opportunity is really quite extraordinary. And everybody ought to get involved." He also pushed back on concerns about AI taking human jobs. And instead said it will create a lot of jobs, especially for those in trades like plumbing and construction. Samsung aims to start production of its next-gen high-bandwidth memory chips - or HBM4. That's what a source told Reuters, who added the South Korean firm plans to supply them to Nvidia. Samsung has been trying to catch up with local rival SK Hynix. Which is a key supplier for advanced memory chips crucial for Nvidia's AI accelerators. France moved to ban children under 15 from social media. The country's Parliament supported the legislation in a vote. They're worried about online bullying and mental health risks linked to the technology. The move would follow Australia's lead, which placed a world-first ban on under-16s using social media platforms last year. And a robot has learned how to speak and sing. Engineers at Columbia University built a robotic face which learns to move its lips in sync with human speech and song. It watches itself in a mirror...
pixelfit/E+ via Getty Images During the time that I have been bullish about it, Axos Financial ( AX ) has had a really remarkable run. For instance, since I last reaffirmed the company as a ‘buy’ candidate back in August of last year, the stock has jumped 12.3%. That means it has outperformed the 9.5% increase that the S&P 500 saw over the same window of time. That alone is good, but what's even b...
pixelfit/E+ via Getty Images During the time that I have been bullish about it, Axos Financial ( AX ) has had a really remarkable run. For instance, since I last reaffirmed the company as a ‘buy’ candidate back in August of last year, the stock has jumped 12.3%. That means it has outperformed the 9.5% increase that the S&P 500 saw over the same window of time. That alone is good, but what's even better is the performance of the business since I initially rated it a ‘buy’ in December of 2023. From that time through today, the stock has risen an astounding 92.5%. That's almost double the 49.5% increase that the market experienced. This strong performance has been driven by strong asset quality that has encouraged investors to pay multiples that are, typically, a bit lofty in this space. However, high quality only goes so far. At the end of the day, shares of the business don't look as attractive as they did previously. And it is with that in mind that I believe downgrading it to a ‘hold’ is the appropriate choice. I am fully willing to accept that this downgrade might be premature. But we will find out one way or the other very soon. This is because, after the market closes on January 29th, the management team at Axos Financial will be announcing financial results for the second quarter of the company's 2026 fiscal year. As we approach that date, it's worth noting that analysts believe that revenue and profits will rise nicely. That could very well change my overall assessment, especially if results come in better than anticipated. But for now, I am confident with downgrading it out of an abundance of caution. Time to take a step back Probably the best place to start when it comes to analyzing banks is the balance sheet. And honestly, my favorite part of the balance sheet to look at here would be deposits. As the fuel for the institutions, deposits are incredibly important. And during the most recent quarter , which was the first quarter of the 2026 fiscal year, Axos ...
On the surface it was business at usual at this year’s Six Nations launch in a chilly Edinburgh. Had the city’s most famous literary sleuth poked his nose into the venue at the top of the Royal Mile, Inspector Rebus would have clocked the usual suspects: head coaches trying not to divulge any secrets, captains quietly studying their opposite numbers and content creators seeking to “jazz up” their ...
On the surface it was business at usual at this year’s Six Nations launch in a chilly Edinburgh. Had the city’s most famous literary sleuth poked his nose into the venue at the top of the Royal Mile, Inspector Rebus would have clocked the usual suspects: head coaches trying not to divulge any secrets, captains quietly studying their opposite numbers and content creators seeking to “jazz up” their tournament previews. This year’s booby prize went to the “influencer” who asked Caelan Doris, Ireland’s captain, whether or not he liked Fabien Galthié’s thick-rimmed glasses. It was almost on a par with the Breakdown’s all-time classic: the day someone asked Rob Baxter, Exeter’s director of rugby, to pick his favourite motorway service station. “Taunton Deane,” came the instant reply. “Because it means we’re almost home.” Brilliant. Modern rugby, though, is a fast-changing environment. The championship’s 143rd edition is imminent but at least one aspect will be different this year. The men’s tournament has been trimmed by a week, with just one fallow week as opposed to two. It will demand stamina and require every coach to think about how to nurse senior players through five huge matches in six weekends. Even at World Cups the schedule is less onerous; at least one match tends to be against lower-ranked opposition which permits some rotation. The Six Nations does not allow such luxuries: one of its big selling points is that every game is massive deal and there is no such thing as a meaningless fixture. On paper it should favour nations with greater strength in depth. England and France both have massive player reserves to draw on; others not so much. Ireland are already on the brink of a propping emergency while Wales will also be praying their main men can stay fit for the duration. On the other hand, as England’s head coach, Steve Borthwick, was quick to stress, the player welfare scenario is less clear-cut than it might initially appear: “The players are better physica...
SEOUL, Jan 27 (Reuters) - SK Hynix plans to establish a unit focussing on artificial intelligence investment, the company said on Tuesday, after a media report that it will be set up in the United States. SK Hynix, a South Korean chipmaker and major supplier of advanced AI chips to Nvidia, said in a regulatory filing that various measures were under consideration, including establishing a s...
SEOUL, Jan 27 (Reuters) - SK Hynix plans to establish a unit focussing on artificial intelligence investment, the company said on Tuesday, after a media report that it will be set up in the United States. SK Hynix, a South Korean chipmaker and major supplier of advanced AI chips to Nvidia, said in a regulatory filing that various measures were under consideration, including establishing a subsidiary for AI investment, after the report. The Maeil Business newspaper reported earlier that SK Hynix will establish a U.S. subsidiary and it will be in charge of managing a total of 10 trillion won ($6.92 billion) worth of AI-related assets held overseas by affiliates of SK Group, including their stakes in U.S. nuclear energy firm TerraPower. ($1 = 1,444.4800 won) (Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin and Jihoon Lee, Editing by Louise Heavens)
Neil Young has donated a year’s worth of access to his music and documentary archive to the people of Greenland after the territory’s future became the subject of a fraught dispute with the US. “I hope my music and music films will ease some of the unwarranted stress and threats you are experiencing from our unpopular and hopefully temporary government,” Young wrote in a statement on his website, ...
Neil Young has donated a year’s worth of access to his music and documentary archive to the people of Greenland after the territory’s future became the subject of a fraught dispute with the US. “I hope my music and music films will ease some of the unwarranted stress and threats you are experiencing from our unpopular and hopefully temporary government,” Young wrote in a statement on his website, Neil Young Archives, which offers comprehensive access to the 80-year-old songwriter’s recorded and live catalogues and other output. “It is my sincere wish for you to be able to enjoy all of my music in your beautiful Greenland home, in its highest quality. This is an offer of Peace and Love. All the music I have made during the last 62 years is yours to hear. You can renew for free as long as you are in Greenland. We do hope other organisations will follow in the spirit of our example. LOVE EARTH.” On 22 January, US president Donald Trump walked back his insistence on claiming “right, title and ownership” of Greenland and said that the “framework of a future deal” with the territory had been reached. He also withdrew the threat of tariffs against eight European countries after Nato allies deployed troops in response to Trump threatening to take the Arctic island by force. Young’s offering came as he reiterated his objection to Amazon on the basis of CEO Jeff Bezos’s support of Donald Trump. In 2024, Amazon donated $1m to Trump’s inaugural fund. In October, Young announced he would be removing his music from the corporation’s streaming platform, Amazon Music (his CDs and vinyl records remain available to buy). “Amazon is owned by Jeff Bezos, a billionaire backer of the president,” Young wrote this week. “The president’s international policies and his support of ICE make it impossible for me to ignore his actions. If you feel as I do, I strongly recommend that you do not use Amazon. There are many ways to avoid Amazon and support individual Americans and American companies ...
Donald Trump’s attempted Greenland grab has driven a wedge between the US president and some of his ideological allies in Europe, as previously unstinting enthusiasm and admiration collides with one of the far right’s key tenets: national sovereignty. Trump’s subsequent disparaging remark that Nato allies’ troops “stayed a little off the frontlines” while fighting with US forces in Afghanistan has...
Donald Trump’s attempted Greenland grab has driven a wedge between the US president and some of his ideological allies in Europe, as previously unstinting enthusiasm and admiration collides with one of the far right’s key tenets: national sovereignty. Trump’s subsequent disparaging remark that Nato allies’ troops “stayed a little off the frontlines” while fighting with US forces in Afghanistan has only deepened the divide, piquing far-right patriotic sentiments and prompting an avalanche of criticism. The US president last week stepped away from his drive to seize Greenland, pledging he would not take it by force or slap tariffs on nations opposing him. Faced with a fierce backlash, he also appeared to walk back his swipe at non-US Nato troops. But for radical right populists – who lead or support governments in a third of the EU’s member states, are vying for power in others, and who saw in Trump a powerful ally for their nation-first, anti-immigration, EU-critical cause – he is increasingly a liability. View image in fullscreen Crowds outside the US consulate in Nuuk, Greenland, in January in protest against Trump’s policy towards the territory. Photograph: Evgeniy Maloletka/AP The divide could jeopardise the goals of his administration’s national security strategy, which set a US policy objective of “cultivating resistance” to Europe’s “current trajectory” by working with “patriotic allies” to avert “civilisational erasure”. Just over a year ago, Europe’s far-right leaders were effusively welcoming Trump’s return to the White House. A few months later, they gathered in Madrid to applaud his America First agenda under the banner “Make Europe Great Again”. More recently, some have been having second thoughts. Polling consistently shows Trump is hugely unpopular in Europe. Most Europeans, including many far-right voters, see the US president as a danger to the EU and want a stronger bloc. Polling published on Tuesday by the Paris-based European affairs debate platfo...
Jan 27 (Reuters) - United Parcel Service forecast higher annual revenue on Tuesday, as it reduces low-margin deliveries for its biggest customer, Amazon, and shifts toward higher-paying shipments. The world's largest package delivery company expects 2026 revenue to be $89.7 billion, compared to the $88.7 billion it reported last year. It forecasts adjusted operating margin of 9.6% for 2026. ...
Jan 27 (Reuters) - United Parcel Service forecast higher annual revenue on Tuesday, as it reduces low-margin deliveries for its biggest customer, Amazon, and shifts toward higher-paying shipments. The world's largest package delivery company expects 2026 revenue to be $89.7 billion, compared to the $88.7 billion it reported last year. It forecasts adjusted operating margin of 9.6% for 2026. "Looking ahead, upon completion of the Amazon glide-down, 2026 will be an inflection point in the execution of our strategy to deliver growth and sustained margin expansion," CEO Carol Tome said in a statement. Shares of the company were up 3.7% in premarket trading, while rival FedEx gained about 1%. UPS reported fourth-quarter consolidated revenue of $24.5 billion, compared with $25.3 billion a year earlier. (Reporting by Abhinav Parmar in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)
Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest broadly rotated its portfolios toward AI, autonomous driving, semiconductors, and crypto infrastructure names last week, while cutting exposure to defense, genomics, and software platforms. Significant buying was concentrated in autonomous mobility, led by WeRide ( WRD ), a self-driving tech company where ARK’s Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF ( ARKQ ) bought around 1....
Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest broadly rotated its portfolios toward AI, autonomous driving, semiconductors, and crypto infrastructure names last week, while cutting exposure to defense, genomics, and software platforms. Significant buying was concentrated in autonomous mobility, led by WeRide ( WRD ), a self-driving tech company where ARK’s Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF ( ARKQ ) bought around 1.04M shares worth around $9M. ARKQ ( ARKQ ) also added 29,601 shares of Kodiak AI ( KDK ), which develops autonomous trucking software. In the crypto space, Circle Internet Group ( CRCL ) drew notable interest, with ARK snapping up over 129K shares worth $9.24M, lifting its total notional exposure to the stablecoin issuer to $259M. ARK Invest purchased over 88.5K shares of Bullish ( BLSH ), worth about $3.23M, primarily through ARKK ( ARKK ), with smaller additions via ARKF ( ARKF ). The move follows a larger purchase of 143,089 shares on January 14, lifting total recent investments to over $50M. ARK's ARKK ( ARKK ) and ARKF ( ARKF ) added over 42K shares of Coinbase ( COIN ) worth over $9M, continuing the trend from the last few months. ARKK ( ARKK ) acquired an aggregate 72.2K shares of Broadcom ( AVGO ), with ARKW ( ARKW ) purchasing an additional 9,236 shares on Friday, amounting to approximately $26M in combined buying. The ARK Space Exploration & Innovation ETF ( ARKX ) purchased 3,165 shares of Advanced Micro Devices ( AMD ). The trades highlight ARK’s growing emphasis on AI infrastructure and data center demand. In healthcare, ARKK ( ARKK ) and the ARK Genomic Revolution ETF ( ARKG ) bought a combined 154.3K shares of Tempus AI ( TEM ), a healthcare AI company, and sold stakes in gene-editing and sequencing companies, including ~297K shares of Beam Therapeutics ( BEAM ), ~315K shares of 10x Genomics ( TXG ), 56K shares of Illumina ( ILMN ), and ~59.8K shares of Twist Bioscience ( TWST ), signaling a broad reduction in genomics exposure. Besides, ARK Invest reduced ex...
President Donald Trump’s US Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino and some Border Patrol agents are expected to begin departing Minneapolis as soon as Tuesday, according to local officials. The move comes following a mounting public outcry over the killing of two US citizens by federal agents in recent weeks. Jonathan Tamari of Bloomberg Government has more. (Source: Bloomberg)
President Donald Trump’s US Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino and some Border Patrol agents are expected to begin departing Minneapolis as soon as Tuesday, according to local officials. The move comes following a mounting public outcry over the killing of two US citizens by federal agents in recent weeks. Jonathan Tamari of Bloomberg Government has more. (Source: Bloomberg)
A former property agent has admitted planting urine-spiked soft drinks among other goods in supermarkets repeatedly for more than a year, telling a Hong Kong court he had developed depression since his divorce and retirement. Kowloon City Court heard that Franklin Lo Kim-ngai, 63, marked his discontent with supermarket staff by doctoring Coca-Cola Plus and 7-Up drinks with his urine and placing th...
A former property agent has admitted planting urine-spiked soft drinks among other goods in supermarkets repeatedly for more than a year, telling a Hong Kong court he had developed depression since his divorce and retirement. Kowloon City Court heard that Franklin Lo Kim-ngai, 63, marked his discontent with supermarket staff by doctoring Coca-Cola Plus and 7-Up drinks with his urine and placing them in Wellcome and ParknShop outlets across the city between July 21, 2024, and August 6, last year. He pleaded guilty on Tuesday to administering a noxious substance with intent to injure and a second count of attempting to commit the offence. The crime is punishable by up to three years in jail under the Offences Against the Person Ordinance. Advertisement Lo lost emotional support from his family following his parents’ death and separation from his ex-wife and son, who stopped contacting him after emigrating overseas, his lawyer told the court. The court heard the defendant, who previously had a clear record, had hoped to play a “prank” and cause trouble for Wellcome employees after having a quarrel with them. Advertisement Before Lo’s arrest, Swire Coca-Cola had received multiple reports about the discovery of urine-spiked soft drinks at five Wellcome and ParknShop outlets. A nine-year-old boy felt unwell after consuming a bottle of Coca-Cola Plus from the Wellcome branch at Mong Kok’s Union Park Centre on July 18, 2025. He was sent to hospital for treatment, although he was discharged the same day without lasting symptoms.