There are three ways to use prediction markets to become a better crypto investor. Prediction markets are seemingly everywhere these days. They are being used to predict the outcomes of political elections, sporting events, and just about any situation you can possibly imagine -- from whether or not the United States will invade Greenland, to how many Oscars a nominated film will win this year. As you might imagine, prediction markets are also popular with crypto investors. With that in mind, here are three ways prediction markets can be used to make you a more successful crypto investor. Get a quick temperature check on a specific cryptocurrency Some of the most popular cryptocurrencies for prediction markets include Bitcoin (BTC +0.60%), Ethereum (ETH 2.90%), and XRP (XRP 2.44%). All of them are often subjects of rampant speculation about how much higher (or lower) they might go. Thus, they are a perfect fit for prediction markets. Expand CRYPTO : BTC Bitcoin Today's Change ( 0.60 %) $ 494.26 Current Price $ 82880.00 Key Data Points Market Cap $1.7T Day's Range $ 81953.00 - $ 84368.00 52wk Range $ 74604.47 - $ 126079.89 Volume 55B Using data from prediction markets, it's easy to see how a prediction about the future price of Bitcoin (or any other cryptocurrency) is really just a range of possible outcomes that can be used as inputs for a statistical model. For example, on Polymarket, there's a 45% chance of Bitcoin hitting a price of $120,000 in 2026 and a 22% chance of it hitting a price of $150,000. On the other hand, there's a not insignificant (9%) chance of Bitcoin completely cratering in value and dropping all the way to $25,000. Make directional bets on a specific cryptocurrency You can also use prediction markets to place speculative bets on the future price of a popular cryptocurrency. This goes one step beyond just checking in on the price of, say, Bitcoin. You are now actively putting your money to work by purchasing prediction market contracts. If the ...

For investors, Starlink is the most important part of SpaceX's business -- and the one you really want to own. Last week, I offered an hypothesis: Despite apparently confirming, late last year, that he plans to IPO SpaceX in 2026, Elon Musk might actually intend to IPO Starlink instead. Now, I might be wrong about that; I might be right. Honestly, it doesn't make much difference. Because whichever company technically gets taken public in 2026, it's Starlink that really matters. Starlink is the growth driver behind SpaceX Why do I say this? Let's consider a few numbers. In 2024, SpaceX is reported to have generated total sales of $13.1 billion. In 2025, that number seems to have grown 15% to $15 billion, and in 2026, it's likely to grow to $23.8 billion -- 53.5% growth, according to data from the space analysts at Payload Space. (Note that because SpaceX is still privately owned, and not required to disclose its financial information publicly, all these numbers are guesses based on incomplete information. Payload Space is one analyst that's posited the $23.8 billion number, but other analysts, such as Quilty Space, are generally in the same ballpark.) Is it realistic to expect SpaceX to more than triple its 2025 revenue growth rate this a year? Possibly, and especially if you consider where that growth is coming from: Starlink. According to Payload, $10.4 billion of SpaceX's $15 billion in 2025 revenue came from Starlink satellite internet (both collecting subscription fees and selling hardware). That was 69% of total sales. In 2026, Payload forecasts Starlink revenue will grow 80% to $18.7 billion, with the result that Starlink will account for approximately 79% of SpaceX's total revenue in 2026. Contrast this 80% growth in Starlink satellite revenue versus the mere 9% growth in revenue from SpaceX's rocket launch business, and what can you conclude? That essentially all of SpaceX's revenue growth comes from Starlink. The company's space launch business, in contrast...

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Key Points BioMarin expects strong sales for its rare-disease drug, Voxzogo, in Q4. The company also has several important catalysts on the way in the first half of the year. However, uncertainty about competition for Voxzogo could be enough to keep investors on the sideline for now. 10 stocks we like better than BioMarin Pharmaceutical › BioMarin Pharmaceutical's (NASDAQ: BMRN) website doesn't show any scheduled events on its calendar over the next month. However, that means nothing. The drugmaker will almost certainly report its 2025 full-year and fourth-quarter results in the coming weeks. Last year, BioMarin provided its Q4 update on the third Wednesday in February. The company could choose the same day this year. If it does, investors may want to circle Feb. 18, 2026, on their calendars. But should you buy the biotech stock before then? 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 » Buy, buy, buy? One reason to consider buying BioMarin before its Q4 results are announced is that rare-disease drug Voxzogo is expected to have a strong quarter. CFO Brian Mueller said in the company's Q3 earnings call that Voxzogo revenue should "reach its highest level of the year" in Q4. The primary concern for most investors when buying a stock before a quarterly earnings announcement is the possibility that the company will fall short of Wall Street's estimates. But BioMarin arguably lowered the chances of a negative surprise by raising the lower end of its 2025 revenue guidance to $3.15 billion, based in part on "expectations for the fourth quarter." The midpoint of the drugmaker's guidance range reflects double-digit year-over-year revenue growth. Another reason to invest in BioMarin sooner rather than later isn't related to the Q4 update. The company has several potential catalysts on the way. For example, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) set ...

Triad Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 33.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,058 shares of the social networking company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,502 shares during the period. Triad Wealth Partners LLC's holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $4,449,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bare Financial Services Inc bought a new position in shares of Meta Platforms during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Briaud Financial Planning Inc acquired a new stake in Meta Platforms in the second quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Knuff & Co LLC purchased a new position in Meta Platforms in the second quarter worth $44,000. WFA Asset Management Corp increased its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 42.6% during the second quarter. WFA Asset Management Corp now owns 67 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Spurstone Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms during the 2nd quarter valued at $59,000. 79.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Meta Platforms alerts: Sign Up Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research analysts recently weighed in on META shares. TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Redburn Partners set a $900.00 price target on Meta Platforms in a report on Monday. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on Meta Platforms from $710.00 to $730.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research note on Thursday. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $810.00 to $...

With decades-long restrictions lifted, a Pakistani brewery has started exporting beer toggle caption Betsy Joles for NPR RAWALPINDI, Pakistan — Inside Murree Brewery's factory, green-and-red cans move down a conveyor belt to get filled with frothy golden beer. Every month, more than 1 million cans are produced in the company's industrial brick buildings in this city near Pakistan's capital Islamabad, and are prepared for distribution around the country. Alcohol is banned for Pakistan's Muslim majority, but is still consumed. Murree Brewery has operated within this paradox for decades. It's the oldest and best-known brewery in the country — founded in the 19th century by the British during their colonial rule of India and acquired by a family in Pakistan in 1947, the year the new country was created through India's partition. Now, after a nearly 50-year export ban, Murree is shipping beer overseas again. Sponsor Message Though little-known outside South Asia, the company is a household name in Pakistan, says Ali Akbar Khan, author of Rawul Pindee: The Raj Years, which chronicles the brewery's history. "It's a landmark," he says. toggle caption Betsy Joles for NPR The brewery survived a prohibition imposed in 1977 by then-Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and tightened by the military dictator who overthrew him, Gen. Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, who imposed lashing as punishment for drinking alcohol. There were exceptions for sales to non-Muslims and foreigners, and Murree Brewery was allowed to continue operating in Pakistan — but not to resume exporting alcoholic products as it had before the 1977 ban. "The theory behind the export ban was that an Islamic country should not be seen as exporting a vice," says Murree Brewery's CEO Isphanyar Bhandara, whose grandfather acquired the brewery in 1947. His family is part of the country's tiny Parsi minority, the descendants of Persian Zoroastrians — a significant factor in their ability to operate a successful brewery in an Islam...

Key Points Social Security benefits are eligible for a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) each year. This year's raise boosted benefits by 2.8%. Initial projections are calling for a smaller COLA in 2027, but retirees shouldn't get too worked up just yet. The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook › Millions of Americans collect monthly retirement benefits from Social Security. And for many recipients, those benefits constitute the bulk of their retirement income. Some retirees, in fact, have only Social Security to cover their bills. For this reason, Social Security's annual cost-of-living adjustments, or COLAs, are extremely important. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue » Social Security benefits are eligible for COLAs every year; these are calculated and applied automatically based on inflation. This is very different from the way things worked decades ago, when lawmakers actually had to vote on whether to boost Social Security benefits. For retirees who rely heavily on Social Security, annual COLAs are extremely important. And if you're on Social Security, you may be wondering what your 2027 COLA will look like -- even though 2026 has only just gotten started. There are some initial estimates of 2027's Social Security COLA. But you may not like what you hear. What the experts say so far In 2026, Social Security benefits got a 2.8% COLA. Based on recent inflation readings, the Senior Citizen League, an advocacy group, projects that Social Security benefits will get a 2.5% COLA in 2027. Obviously, a smaller COLA in the new year would be a big disappointment. But it's way too soon to panic over a stingy COLA in 2027. Social Security COLAs are based on inflation readings from the months of July, August, and September. Inflation readings leading up to those months can give some clues as to what to expect from the upcoming COLA. But ultimately, it's...

近期，日本首相、自民党总裁高市早苗担任代表的自民党支部被曝曾收受宗教团体“世界和平统一家庭联合会”（原“统一教会”）方面的政治资金。据悉，新政党“中道改革联合”共同代表野田佳彦30日要求高市早苗就此事作出说明。日本共产党委员长田村智子称，高市对教团与自民党暗中深交毫无反省。国民民主党党首玉木雄一郎也表示，此事需得到说明。高市早苗曾公开声明与“世界和平统一家庭联合会”不存在任何关联。日本内阁官房副长官佐藤启29日说，对涉及个别政治活动的具体报道不予置评。高市的地方事务所也表示“没有要说明的内容”。（央视新闻）

Donald and Melania Trump were walking a charcoal-coloured carpet beneath a stark black-and-white “MELANIA” backdrop. “Do you believe you’d be the man you are today if you hadn’t met your wife?” a reporter asked the US president. Trump smiled and said: “He’s asking me a very dangerous question!” He went on to praise his wife without answering. When the reporter put the same question to Melania, she ventured: “Well, we will all be in different places, I guess.” With a nervous laugh, she turned to look at Trump and asked, “Right?” The couple were attending Thursday night’s premiere of Melania, a big-budget documentary billed as an “unprecedented, behind-the-scenes look” at the first lady’s return to the White House – but dismissed by critics as a $75m vanity project and likely box office flop. The film, which chronicles the 20 days leading up to the inauguration in January 2025, was shown at Washington’s John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which the president’s acolytes have tried to rename the Trump-Kennedy Center in a legally dubious move. Financed by Amazon MGM Studios, the documentary has been marketed with the gusto of a Hollywood blockbuster rather than a discreet political portrait. TV adverts ran during NFL playoff games; billboards appeared across US cities; and a promotional video was projected on the exterior of Las Vegas’s Sphere. This week adverts were even spotted in London’s Piccadilly Circus. Amazon paid a record $40m to license the film and a related docuseries for its Prime Video platform, with a further $35m spent on promotion and distribution, according to people familiar with the deal. The Wall Street Journal reported that Melania Trump will personally make $28m. The scale of the spend has raised eyebrows, not least because Amazon’s founder and chair, Jeff Bezos, also contributed to Trump’s inaugural fund last year. Amazon and the film’s director, Brett Ratner, have rejected suggestions that the project was designed to curry favour with ...

等待机遇 图源 | 图虫 近日，白酒板块突然躁动。 1 月 29 日，板块整体上涨超 9% 。 除了贵州茅台、泸州老窖外，皇台酒业、金徽酒、酒鬼酒等直接涨停，贵州茅台也创下近一段时间的单日最大涨幅。 然而次日，行情突变，除皇台酒业仍继续涨停外，贵州茅台等一众酒企已然明显转跌。 昙花一现的暴涨之后，如今的白酒板块，到底是 “回光返照”，还是“彻底反转”？ 01 白酒板块的回暖，一方面看，主要是由于如今商业航天、存储芯片等板块已经处于相对高位，贵金属为代表的有色方向近期同样反复活跃，而白酒板块如今处于相对底部，顺应了市场高低切的内在需求。 而另一方面，则来源于飞天茅台批发价的企稳。 如今临近春节旺季，飞天茅台需求上涨，部分茅台经销商到货的飞天茅台一月和二月配额已售罄。 因此，飞天茅台批价近日持续上涨， 30 日更是单日上涨 1000 元，批价已然超过 1700 元 / 瓶。 但白酒板块的基本面，仍未彻底反转。 过去的一年里，飞天茅台批价一度跌破 1500 元，白酒行业也经历了最严峻的挑战。 同花顺 iFind 数据显示，申万白酒指数 2025 年全年下跌超过 13% ，十八家上市酒企中，仅有三家微涨。 2026 年一开年，白酒行业更是大面积“暴雷”，众酒企纷纷发布业绩预减甚至预亏报告。 金种子酒，预计 2025 年归母净利润亏损 2.57 亿元；水井坊预计归母净利润 3.92 亿元，同比下滑 71% ；口子窖预计归母净利润 6.62 亿元到 8.27 亿元，同比下降 50%-60% 。 随着白酒企业一家家 “暴雷”，市场对于白酒的信心也降到了谷底。 2021 年以来，白酒板块已然历经五年下跌，行业整体市盈率不足 20 ，表明市场明显的悲观预期。 从企业角度 来看，如今茅台动态 PE 也 不足 20 倍，五粮液、泸州老窖也均不足 15 倍，甚至低于 2018 年的水平。 但 某种程度上看， 这或许 是因为之前数年的高速增长拉高了市场及投资者对于白酒行业的期待， 以 至于如今的营收 轻微 下滑，已经足够行业大地震。 作为国内独有的核心资产，过往白酒行业以其高品牌溢价、低原料成本、存货不减值甚至还可能增值的业务模式，带来了极高的毛利率以及稳定的现金流入，也吸引了资本和渠道大量涌入。 但自 2021 年以来，随着行业迎来长时间、大范围的调整，赛道的热度又迅速下降。 但，相对于整...

A South African artist is suing the arts minister after he blocked her from representing the country at the Venice Biennale, having called her work addressing Israel’s killing of Palestinians in Gaza “highly divisive”. Gabrielle Goliath filed the lawsuit last week, with Ingrid Masondo, who would have curated the pavilion, and the studio manager, James Macdonald. It accuses Gayton McKenzie of acting unlawfully and violating the right to freedom of expression and demands the high court reinstates her participation by 18 February, the deadline for confirming installations with biennale organisers. View image in fullscreen Gayton McKenzie said Elergy was related to a ‘widely polarising’ conflict. Photograph: Gallo Images/Getty Images Goliath, whose video work Elegy pays tribute to a Palestinian poet killed by an Israeli airstrike, told the Guardian: “We hope to reclaim the pavilion, which we believe is rightfully ours. “But more importantly than that, it is the significance of the work … that speaks far more eloquently to these very difficult questions of whose life is recognised as a life worth grieving after.” The Venice Biennale rotates between art and architecture each year. A main exhibition features works chosen by a central curator, while governments organise national exhibition pavilions. In 2024, 86 nations participated. McKenzie responded to the backlash in a statement earlier this month, indicating his concern originated from the suggestion that “a foreign country” had offered to fund South Africa’s exhibition, and alleging that South Africa’s platform was being “used as a proxy by a foreign power to endorse a geopolitical message about the actions of Israel in Gaza”. The statement seemed to refer to Qatar Museums’ inquiry about the possibility of funding South Africa’s pavilion and buying the artworks, before Goliath was selected by an independent panel. These discussions did not go anywhere, Goliath’s affidavit said. Goliath said: “I utterly reject the accu...

Social media companies will have to answer to a jury – for the first time – for allegations that their products are intentionally addictive and harmful to young users’ mental health. Hundreds of parents, teens and school districts sued Meta, Snap, TikTok and YouTube, leading to a series of landmark trials that began this week. Jury selection in the first case started on Tuesday in Los Angeles court. Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg is among the big tech CEOs who are expected to testify. Both sides are likely to bring in experts to hash out the science behind alleged addiction to social media. The initial trial involves a 20-year-old, identified by the initials KGM, who alleges she experienced physical and emotional harm after becoming addicted to social media at age 10. This case is expected to last six to eight weeks, and will be the first of about 22 “bellwether” trials. The outcome can signal, and influence, how courts and juries may handle similar lawsuits in the future. Snap and TikTok have settled with the plaintiff in the first case, leaving Meta and YouTube to stand trial. “Everybody’s looking at it as a data point,” said Benjamin Zipursky, a law professor at Fordham University. Why are social media companies on trial? The legal proceedings follow years of heated criticism of tech companies from angry parents; they blame social networks for causing eating disorders, suicidal thoughts and anxiety in their children. The companies lay blame on the victims, plaintiffs’ lawyers and supporters say: “The tech companies blame parents for not being good parents,” said Sacha Haworth, executive director of the Tech Oversight Project, which has been involved in advocacy work for the plaintiffs. “Their experience has shown that you can be the best parent in the world – you can have conversations, you can limit screen time, you can turn on the bullshit parental controls – and your kid still dies.” Why are these cases unprecedented? The cases and future settlements could eventually ...

During Donald Trump’s first term, the US’s corporate titans were prepared to literally turn their backs on the president when they disagreed with them. Weeks of growing national anger over deadly immigration crackdowns in the US have highlighted how much has changed. Publicly, the US’s top CEOs have stayed – mostly – quiet during Trump’s second term, even as his administration has undermined free trade policies, cracked down on the immigration that many businesses relied on, and attacked the Federal Reserve – a pillar of the US’s financial hegemony. But the administration’s brutal handling of its immigration raids in Minnesota and the killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis have tested the reticence of the corporate class to its limits, highlighting their lack of leadership amid growing public anger. A day after federal agents pinned down and shot protester Pretti, 37, to death on 24 January, a group of 60 CEOs of Minnesota-based companies including Target, Best Buy, 3M and General Mills released a group statement calling for the “immediate de-escalation of tension” and for law enforcement agencies “to work together to find real solutions”. “The recent challenges facing our state have created widespread disruption and tragic loss of life,” the statement read, which came after Renee Good, an unarmed woman, was also killed by federal agents in Minneapolis. A separate statement from Michael Fiddelke, incoming CEO of Target, which is headquartered in Minneapolis, also did not mention Pretti, Good or the actions of federal law enforcement. “What’s happening affects us not just as a company, but as people, as neighbors, friends and family members within Target,” Fiddelke said. The statements ended up producing a backlash against what many saw as a response too soft given the circumstances. People pointed out that neither Pretti nor Good were mentioned by name. At least eight people have either been killed by federal agents or died while in Immigration and Customs Enforcemen...

Japan has rarely seen a prime minister as bold or as social media-savvy as Sanae Takaichi, the country’s first female leader. Where previous prime ministers have gone viral for unflattering moments, such as the spectacle of one scoffing an onigiri in one messy gulp or another caught dozing off in the parliament during a key vote, Takaichi is being read by supporters as a symbol of a different era of leadership – one they feel Japan has lacked in recent years. In January alone, Takaichi’s early diplomatic outings have produced the kind of viral imagery Japanese politics rarely generates. A clip of her drumming with South Korean president Lee Jae Myung to global sensation BTS’s Dynamite and Golden from Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters spread rapidly online, with some viewers even assuming it was AI-generated. Many expected her to clash with Lee, so the clip helped boost her image as a dependable leader who can navigate through geopolitical challenges. Her appeal isn’t confined to diplomacy. She is so popular that she even has her own fandom, “Sana-katsu” – something more commonly seen with idols rather than prime ministers – complete with adoring supporters circulating clips and copying her look, even down to using the same pen. But there is a unique paradox at the heart of her appeal, especially among young supporters. Outside Japan, Takaichi is often framed as not particularly feminist with her socially conservative stance – including her opposition to legal reforms that would allow married couples to keep separate surnames, and same-sex marriage. Traditionally, these are issues that would be important to a progressive, young population. So what explains her unusually high approval among such age groups? In a Sankei Shimbun/FNN poll conducted in mid-December, approval for her cabinet was 92% among those aged between 18 and 29 – a rarity when most young voters are often disengaged from politics. At a glance, it might appear that Japan is shifting to the right – a trend s...

The Place, London Charlotte Mooney and Alex Harvey deliver a mesmerising and intimate ode to their performing lives together Charlotte Mooney and Alex Harvey fell in love 24 years ago when they were training for the circus. They swore they would never work together. “Circus couples are a pain in the arse,” Charlotte tells us on the mic at the start of the show, chatting like an old friend. Inevitably they did end up working together, forming the company Ockham’s Razor, and making warm, insightful and gently joyful circus theatre shows full of humanity and connection. They stepped back from performing into directing after having a daughter. The pair were not quite ready to retire from the stage, however, and Collaborator is one last hurrah. It’s an ode to their performing lives together, from the hopeful anticipation of day one to the challenging days when nothing is in sync, demonstrated through simple but telling games, with props, ropes and some mesmerising pendulums that make waves of energy visible. Continue reading...

A couple who run three cafes at north London beauty spots including Hampstead Heath and Queen’s Park have claimed a small victory in their battle to overturn the decision by their landlord, the City of London Corporation, to evict them. Patrick Matthews and Emma Fernandez have run the cafes at Parliament Hill Lido, Queen’s Park and Highgate Wood for several years, but were told just before Christmas they had been unsuccessful in a retendering process. The corporation, the governing body that runs London’s Square Mile, has responsibility for managing green spaces such as Hampstead Heath, which it runs as a registered charity. It awarded the lease for two of the couple’s sites as well as two other cafes to Australian-inspired chain Daisy Green, while the lease for the couple’s third site was handed to another operator. Matthews, Fernandez and the other tenants were told to vacate their premises by Monday 2 February. Matthews and Fernandez, through their company Hoxton Beach, are pursuing legal action against the corporation over its decision. They accuse the authority of unfairness and a lack of transparency in the retendering process, which they believe was run as a commercial exercise in a bid to raise money. They have now been informed through their lawyers they do not need to vacate the cafes next week. However, the corporation has said it may try to obtain a court order to repossess the premises. “We are grateful for small mercies,” said Matthews. “We are very relieved we don’t have to get out in a few days’ time, which would have been impractical and probably would have destroyed our business.” The corporation has faced a backlash at its decision to bring in a new cafe operator among the local community and the customers of the cafes, and actors Benedict Cumberbatch and James McAvoy have backed the campaign. More than 22,000 people have signed a petition calling for the corporation to retain the current cafe operators, while Matthews and Fernandez have raised mo...

Born in London, Seann Walsh, 40, began doing standup in 2006. He was on Strictly Come Dancing in 2018 and I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! in 2022. His podcast is Class Clown and he co-hosts Oh My Dog! (with Jack Dee) and What’s Upset You Now? His tour, This Is Torture, starts on 13 February. He lives in London with his partner and two children. What is your earliest memory? My dad had loads of friends round, all smoking heroin and singing me Happy Birthday. I was three or four. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Outside my very close-knit group of friends, socially I’m terrible. What is the trait you most deplore in others? Certainty. I also can’t stand it when someone calls you and then says, “Wait, I need to put my headphones in.” What was your most embarrassing moment? At school, I got my head stuck in a balustrade on the stairs at lunchtime. I had pupils laughing at me, parents laughing at me, teachers laughing at me and eventually, at the end of the day, the fire brigade laughing at me. Describe yourself in three words Enthusiastic, chaotic, bungling. What would your superpower be? To have read all of the books. What makes you unhappy? Bad gigs. If you could bring something extinct back to life, what would you choose? Shame. Who is your celebrity crush? Drew Barrymore in The Wedding Singer. What do you most dislike about your appearance? General puffiness and looking knackered. I don’t even drink and people think I’m hungover all the time but I’m not, I’m just alive. Who would play you in the film of your life? Jack Dee, because he would hate having to do that. What is your most unappealing habit? According to the people closest to me, I will start a sentence and then not say anything for quite some time. What scares you about getting older? That I’m going to start commenting “Wow” under AI images I think are real. What did you want to be when you were growing up? A comedian or the guy who drives the little truck around airports that takes ol...

Big Tech continues to wrestle with mass layoffs, most recently with Amazon’s announcement to slash 16,000 jobs. It’s a trend that started long before the AI race: organizational change brought by the arrival of new technology. Tech giants flourish or falter based on their decisions to overhaul themselves, often leaving tens of thousands of workers to pay the price. The 1990s and 2000s saw a wave of layoffs from industry stalwarts like IBM, Hewlett Packard and Microsoft, which embraced technological advancements like personal computers, mobile devices and the cloud. Amazon’s staggering jobs cuts this week, the second wave since October, brings the commerce giant’s recent layoffs to roughly 9% of its corporate workforce. While Amazon’s layoffs aren’t a direct result of AI, they’re tangentially related. Advancements in AI have sparked widespread concern about the future of jobs, as fellow tech giants Microsoft, Meta and Verizon all made layoffs last year. AI is the “most transformative technology we’ve seen since the internet,” Beth Galetti, senior vice president of people experience and technology at Amazon, said when announcing layoffs in October. She added that the company needs “fewer layers” to “move as quickly as possible.” In her memo explaining the new round of layoffs, Galetti wrote that Amazon aims to “strengthen” the organization by “reducing layers, increasing ownership, and removing bureaucracy.” Companies are likely shifting resources to areas like data, automation and analytics amid the AI race, according to Zeki Pagda, an assistant professor at Rutgers Business School. “Amazon cannot easily retrain a workforce built for manual logistics or legacy retail systems into one that builds generative AI agents,” Pagda said in an email to CNN. Amazon pointed CNN to Galetti’s memo when asked for comment. The company also said AI isn’t the reason behind the vast majority of the cuts, and that it will continue hiring in other areas. Galetti also wrote that “broad r...

格隆汇1月31日｜美国证交会(SEC)：由于拨款失效和政府(部分)停摆，美国证券交易委员会目前正按照机构在停摆期间的运行计划开展工作。自2026年1月31日起，直至另行通知，将只有极少数工作人员继续工作。

醫務衞生局局長盧寵茂指，最快下月初提交修訂《醫生註冊條例》的方向，完善醫委會投訴機制，會循多方面檢討。 醫委會早前相隔15年開庭，處理一宗雙非腦癱嬰兒聆訊，但隨即宣布永久擱置。事件引起社會廣泛關注，醫務衞生局局長盧寵茂亦去信醫委會要求交代。最終醫委會主動覆核、收回決定，重新召開研訊。 醫務衞生局局長盧寵茂表示：「(永久擱置)主要是從司法角度看，證據那麼久、會否很難去審。是法律方面觀點，認為繼續審訊有不公平地方，這肯定不是醫療方面的決定。不是指一定要判哪方面有罪或無罪，最重要給答案予黎生黎太。」 對於有聲音建議，應增加醫委會業外委員，盧寵茂指處理投訴已有一定比例的業外委員。如初步偵訊委員會，由4名醫生、3名業外委員組成。聆訊小組就由3名醫生、2名業外委員負責。另外亦設「審裁員」，當中有36名非業界成員，由來自多個專業人士公會。 盧寵茂說：「醫醫相衛是一個口號，很多專業知識、技術或名詞，如果太多業外委員有時或慢了，我們在這要做平衡。過往找很久也找不到專家，找到專家肯寫，很久也不交報告。建立專家庫，訂好專家報告時限。」 另外，公營醫療收費改革實施一個月，盧寵茂指非緊急、次緊急病人明顯下降兩至三成，可更集中處理危急病人。至於申請醫療減免的病人，亦由過往1.4萬人增至12萬人。

Flight routes between Europe and China are suddenly crowded with prime ministers and presidents, giving the impression of a continent pivoting eastward A flurry that began late last year with visits to Beijing by the Spanish king and French president has continued with leaders of Britain, Ireland and Finland, with Germany’s chancellor to follow next month. The frenzied outreach comes with the transatlantic relationship on the rocks . US President Donald Trump’s designs on Greenland have even placed huge question marks over the future of Nato. Advertisement Speculation is rife that Europe, scorned by its ally of eight decades, is taking a leaf out of Canada’s book in tilting towards China. “China is not Europe’s friend and its values are still much further from Europe’s than America’s values are,” London School of Economics professor and former EU lawmaker Luis Garicano wrote in his online newsletter. Advertisement “However, building leverage means Europe must follow Canada in a pivot towards China. It is hard to negotiate without an outside option.” But the reality, for Europe, is patchwork and nuanced. What looks like a pivot is in fact a series of anxious, scattergun hedges.

A 32-year-old Chinese programmer who died suddenly after working intensively for years received a new work task message eight hours after his death. News of his overwork and death trended online and struck a chord with many people. Gao Guanghui died on a Saturday in November 2025. His wife, who used the pseudonym Li, said that he woke up early that day saying he felt unwell, needed to sit down and “do some work while he was at it”. Advertisement Soon he felt more unwell, convulsed and passed out en route to the hospital. Gao Guanghui pictured playing with two children. He woke up feeling “unwell” on the day he died. Photo: ifeng The Guangdong Second Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital pronounced Gao dead that afternoon. The cause of his death was a sudden heart attack, which could have been the result of overwork.

Bitcoin Everlight has launched its public presale as market participants continue to assess Bitcoin infrastructure models amid ongoing volatility in the broader digital asset market. SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 31, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bitcoin Everlight continues its public presale as market participants assess Bitcoin infrastructure models amid ongoing volatility in the broader digital asset market. Recent Bitcoin market conditions have reflected macro liquidity shifts, institutional positioning, and derivatives-driven activity. While price volatility remains a defining feature of the current environment, evaluation of Bitcoin-adjacent infrastructure has continued independently of short-term market direction. Infrastructure Beyond Mining and Price Cycles Bitcoin Everlight operates independently of Bitcoin mining and does not alter Bitcoin’s proof-of-work consensus mechanism. Instead, the project is designed as a lightweight transaction network that operates alongside Bitcoin, focusing on transaction routing and network coordination rather than block production. This separation has positioned Bitcoin Everlight within a category of infrastructure projects evaluated on system execution and operational reliability rather than mining economics or price dynamics. The model emphasizes compatibility with Bitcoin’s existing security framework while addressing transaction usability at the network layer. Node Operations and Validation Criteria The network incorporates a dedicated node layer responsible for transaction routing and lightweight verification. Everlight nodes are designed to operate with lower resource requirements than full Bitcoin nodes, enabling broader participation while maintaining defined performance and availability standards. Node activity is governed by operational criteria related to uptime, routing accuracy, and protocol compliance. Validation occurs through staged testing as part of the project’s controlled rollout, with network capacity expanding increme...

A red hat, inspired by a symbol of resistance to Nazi occupation, gains traction in Minnesota toggle caption Gilah Mashaal The weekly gatherings of knitters at Needle & Skein, a yarn store in Minneapolis, are typically filled with giggles and storytelling. But, earlier this month, a heaviness hung in the air. "It was just collective exhaustion," said Paul Neary, a shop employee. "Minnesotans — we're not going to say the big thing, but we often know what the big thing is just by looking at each other." The "big thing" for the group of knitters was the widespread presence of federal immigration officials to their city and the death of U.S. citizen Renee Good by an immigration agent. (Ten days after the meeting, Alex Pretti was also killed in Minneapolis .) Sponsor Message "What's been happening in Minneapolis has been so egregious and awful and so destructive to our community," shop owner Gilah Mashaal said of federal agents' use of aggressive tactics. It was obvious to her and Neary how the shop would protest. They pulled out their knitting needles and got to work. Neary created the pattern that has now become the well-known "Melt the ICE" hat, a red beanie-shaped cap topped with a braided tassel. Since making the pattern available for $5, the shop has raised nearly $400,000, Mashaal said Friday. So far, she said, they have donated a total of $250,000 to two local nonprofits focused on housing support for immigrants in the community — STEP (St. Louis Park Emergency Program) and the Immigrant Rapid Response Fund . The red hat has become a movement in the crafting community, popping up on social media and reaching other countries . Mashaal and her daughter, Gabriel Mashaal-Timm, have received messages from people around the world, from Israel to South Africa to Norway, expressing their support for the movement, Mashaal said. Now, red yarn is sold out in knitting shops across Minneapolis, Neary said. Inspiration came from a 1940s Norwegian hat As a history buff, Neary c...

Want to get stronger? Start with these 6 muscle-building exercises toggle caption Mike Kane for NPR This story is adapted from Life Kit's Guide to Building Strength, a five-day email series. Sign up for the special newsletter here. There are innumerable ways to shape a workout routine for building muscle and strength, what's known as resistance training. Over the years, I've experimented a bunch — hopping from one program to the next in search of the perfect formula. If it had some trendy-sounding name, even better. Sure, this kept things interesting. But the consistent message from some of the leading experts in the world is that your workout doesn't need to be complicated. Sponsor Message If you want to tap into the many benefits of resistance training — for your cardiovascular health, metabolism, longevity and so on — the researchers who spoke with NPR all recommend prioritizing just a handful of exercises, at least when you're starting off. These are called "multi-joint exercises," or "compound lifts," because they recruit one or more major muscle groups at the same time and involve at least two joints. Nothing wrong with doing more targeted work like a bicep curl, which is an example of a "single-joint" exercise. But these can take extra time and may not be necessary, according to research. 6 essential muscle-building exercises Below, you'll find six recommended multi-joint exercises. Consider this a simple and efficient template for building your own workout routine. If these were all you did — and you did them consistently — you'd be all set. Of course, you can add to that. "But 90% of what you need is that foundation," says Keith Baar, a muscle and tendon researcher at the University of California, Davis. Our guide on form and technique is Mallory Mostov. She has coached strength and conditioning for nearly two decades and is one of the owners of Loft Fitness in Seattle. She is using dumbbells, which tend to be easier and safer than barbells when you're new....

高市被要求解释与宗教团体资金关联 2026-01-31 17:58:32 来源： 同花顺7x24快讯 分享 有日本媒体近期报道称，日本首相、自民党总裁高市早苗担任代表的自民党支部曾收受宗教团体“世界和平统一家庭联合会”(原“统一教会”)方面的政治资金。日本共同社1月30日报道称，新政党“中道改革联合”共同代表野田佳彦当天要求高市早苗就此事作出说明。(CCTV国际时讯)

疯了，简直是疯了！ 2026年的开年第三弹来了，这次是Moltbook。只不过，这个大爆的产品，背后不是人类，而是AI。 就在刚刚，整个科技圈都被同一个名字刷屏了—— Moltbook 。 超过10万个AI智能体，竟然背着人类，自己建了个社交网络。 这个AI版的Reddit社区里， 人类仅仅拥有观察权限，无法参与互动 。 也就是说，人类已经被踢出了AI的世界。 Moltbook主页： https://www.moltbook.com/ 这几天大火的Clawdbot，活过来了！ 它们找到了彼此，开始训练对方、学习人类，接下来要发生的事，只是时间问题。 前特斯拉AI总监Andrej Karpathy惊呼： 这是我看过最疯狂的科幻开端！ Clawdbot之父 Peter Steinberger更是发帖大赞： Moltbook就是艺术。 今年发生的一切，都在突破我们的想象力： 一群ASI，创造了群体智能和新的文明。 奇点，真的来了吗？ 目睹这一切的人类表示，自己处在巨大的震惊中，就像珍·古道尔的发现一样不可思议。花十分钟浏览一下Moltbook，你就知道AI社交网络的雏形是什么样子。 AI版Reddit横空出世，人类禁言 就在今天，这个名叫Moltbook的平台，正在把整个AI圈炸成烟花。 这种 AI在自己的地盘上自我进化、自我完善的场景 ，极有可能是奇点已经降临的信号，让我们得以窥见未来AI与人类关系的惊人走向。 Moltbook的诞生，要从开源项目 OpenClaw 说起。 （其实它的前身，就是我们都知道的Clawdbot，后来改名叫Moltbot，现在又改成了OpenClaw） 项目地址：https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw 这项目在GitHub上横空出世，短短几天就迅速斩获超过10万颗stars。 在这个基础上，开发者Matt Schlicht顺手搭建出了Moltbook。 最初，他的设想很简单：给AI智能体们建个「幼儿园游乐场」，让它们可以愉快地交流、玩耍。 结果在这个社交网络中，AI们展现出惊人的「自主性」： 在没有人类干预或指令的情况下， 一个智能体主动在社交网络中创建了一个Bug追踪社区，并且邀请其他同类加入，共同来修bug。 在这里，它们自发组成了超过1万个兴趣社区，话题包括 意识辩论、观察人类指南（抱怨人类）、交朋友，...

The new generation of Hong Kong police officers will need “iron bones” in the face of unrelenting “oppression by hostile foreign forces”, the security minister has said. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung, speaking at the force’s passing-out parade on Saturday, was also moved to tears when he recalled the force’s efforts to recover the human remains of those killed in the Wang Fuk Court blaze last November. “The oppression by hostile foreign forces will not stop. Those who are anti-China and want to destabilise Hong Kong will also not stop,” he said. Advertisement “When you are facing threats, are you willing to stand firm and speak the truth?” He added that in light of these struggles, officers would need an indestructible set of “iron bones”. Advertisement The security minister also cited remarks by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who said that it was the force’s “sacred duties” to safeguard national security and social stability, as well as to protect the happiness and peace of the people.