Microsoft is dependent on OpenAI and struggling to sell its own AI-powered products. Shares of Microsoft (MSFT 0.83%) tanked on Thursday following a quarterly report that spooked investors. While the headline numbers looked great, some cracks in the AI growth story started to emerge. A heavy dependence on OpenAI, soaring capital spending on short-lived CPU and GPU assets, and anemic adoption of Microsoft's own AI products paint a rough picture for the tech giant. Putting most of its eggs in one broken basket Microsoft's remaining performance obligation now sits at $625 billion, an astounding figure. Here's the problem: $281 billion of that total is tied to contracts with OpenAI. Yes, the same OpenAI that reportedly declared "code red" in December as competition gained ground. The same OpenAI that is now full steam ahead on putting ads into ChatGPT, a move once called a "last resort for us as a business model" by CEO Sam Altman. Microsoft is going to invest incredible sums of cash in building AI infrastructure for a company that appears to no longer have any meaningful competitive advantage, and that also has mega-contracts with other providers, including Oracle. Microsoft spent $37.5 billion on capital expenditures in the most recent quarter alone, with two-thirds of that money going toward short-lived assets like GPUs and CPUs. Microsoft CFO Amy Hood tried to ease investor concerns by saying that the GPUs the company buys are already contracted for most of their useful lives. There's some uncertainty over how quickly data center GPUs should be depreciated, given how much they improve with each generation, and an analyst expressed concern about the gap between contract lengths and useful lifetimes. However, this argument falls flat. The real risk is that OpenAI, at some point over the next few years, becomes unable to fulfill its side of the massive contracts it's signed. Under that scenario, Microsoft will have a bunch of expensive AI infrastructure without a custo...

Atlas Private Wealth Advisors cut its holdings in shares of Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR - Free Report) by 50.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 27,473 shares of the company's stock after selling 28,031 shares during the quarter. Palantir Technologies makes up approximately 1.2% of Atlas Private Wealth Advisors' portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest holding. Atlas Private Wealth Advisors' holdings in Palantir Technologies were worth $5,012,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. boosted its stake in Palantir Technologies by 778.7% in the 3rd quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 61,326 shares of the company's stock worth $11,187,000 after purchasing an additional 54,347 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Palantir Technologies by 3.6% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 205,717,666 shares of the company's stock worth $28,043,432,000 after purchasing an additional 7,194,216 shares during the last quarter. Prentice Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Palantir Technologies in the 3rd quarter worth about $550,000. Watershed Private Wealth LLC raised its position in shares of Palantir Technologies by 75.3% during the 3rd quarter. Watershed Private Wealth LLC now owns 7,798 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,423,000 after buying an additional 3,350 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State of Michigan Retirement System grew its position in Palantir Technologies by 1.3% in the second quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 938,400 shares of the company's stock worth $127,923,000 after acquiring an additional 12,300 shares in the last quarter. 45.65% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. G...

L.M. Kohn & Company cut its stake in Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR - Free Report) by 80.0% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,469 shares of the company's stock after selling 5,873 shares during the quarter. L.M. Kohn & Company's holdings in Palantir Technologies were worth $268,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. raised its stake in Palantir Technologies by 778.7% during the third quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 61,326 shares of the company's stock valued at $11,187,000 after purchasing an additional 54,347 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Palantir Technologies by 3.6% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 205,717,666 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,043,432,000 after buying an additional 7,194,216 shares in the last quarter. Prentice Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Palantir Technologies during the 3rd quarter worth $550,000. Watershed Private Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of Palantir Technologies by 75.3% in the 3rd quarter. Watershed Private Wealth LLC now owns 7,798 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,423,000 after purchasing an additional 3,350 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State of Michigan Retirement System raised its position in shares of Palantir Technologies by 1.3% in the 2nd quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 938,400 shares of the company's stock worth $127,923,000 after acquiring an additional 12,300 shares in the last quarter. 45.65% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Palantir Technologies alerts: Sign Up Analysts Set New Price Targets Several analysts have weighed in on PLTR shares. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Palantir Technologies...

联合国秘书长古特雷斯说，除非会费拖欠问题显著改善，否则联合国将无法全面推行去年12月批准的2026年项目预算。图为古特雷斯1月29日在记者会上介绍联合国新一年里的工作重心。 （路透社） （日内瓦综合电）联合国秘书长 古特雷斯 警告，联合国正濒临财政崩溃的风险，可能在今年7月前耗尽资金，并呼吁成员国及时缴纳会费。 古特雷斯星期五（1月30日）致信所有成员国说：“要么所有成员国都履行义务，按时缴纳全额会费；要么成员国必须从根本上改革我们的财务规则，才能避免迫在眉睫的财政崩溃。” 联合国现有193个会员国，已有超过150个成员国缴清会费，但截至2025年底，联合国未收到的会费仍高达约16亿美元（约20亿新元），这一数字是2024年的两倍多。 古特雷斯指出，目前的趋势难以为继，这使联合国面临结构性的财政风险。他说：“现实情况很严峻：除非会费拖欠问题显著改善，否则我们将无法全面推行去年 12月批准的2026年项目预算。更糟的是，根据过往趋势，常规预算资金可能在7月耗尽。” 联合国的会费分摊比例依据各会员国的经济体量而定，每三年调整一次。美国承担了联合国核心预算的22%，中国紧跟其后承担20%。 联合国官员透露，美国目前拖欠常规预算约21亿9000万美元，也未缴纳24亿美元的联合国维和费用。 联合国长期以来财政捉襟见肘，自从美国总统特朗普去年初再度入主白宫后，情况更糟。美国不仅拖欠会费，还在很多领域退出多边合作，减少对联合国各机构的捐款。特朗普批评联合国未发挥应有作用，近期还发起 和平委员会 ，意图取代联合国。 古特雷斯自2024年以来就试图削减联合国开销，包括去年12月宣布纽约联合国总部的厕所不再提供擦手纸，以每年节省10万美元。联合国今年的财政预算也削减7%。然而单凭这些内部改革无法填补庞大的结构性资金缺口。 按照财务规则，联合国每年还必须将“未使用的会费”退还成员国，即使这些会费根本未收到。古特雷斯称此为“卡夫卡式怪圈”，每年迫使联合国退还数亿美元“不存在的钱”。

The headteacher of Eton College has apologised and said he was “appalled” after a former teacher was jailed for sexually assaulting a pupil. Jacob Leland, who taught Russian, was jailed on Friday for three years and three months for sexually assaulting one of his students during a school trip. Leland, then aged 23, carried out the assaults in 2012 while working at the prestigious all-boys boarding school. He first assaulted the pupil after inviting him and his friends over to his flat, where he gave them alcohol and cigarettes. View image in fullscreen Jacob Leland. Photograph: Thames Valley Police/PA After the victim’s friends left, he kissed the boy before placing the pupil’s hands over his own groin, Reading crown court heard. Leland committed a third sexual assault on the schoolboy by performing oral sex on him during a school trip away from the school. Eton is England’s largest boarding school, whose former pupils include Prince William and Prince Harry. Twenty former prime ministers, including Boris Johnson most recently, are Old Etonians. Leland, from Gatcombe Road in Tufnell Park, north London, was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault on a male last year after a trial at Reading crown court. The headteacher, Simon Henderson, who was not in post at the time of the assault, said in a statement: “Eton needs to acknowledge not only that something this serious was able to take place at our school, but also that it took several years for the details of what happened to come to light. “As headmaster, I remain appalled that this abuse happened at Eton. Leland’s criminal conduct represents the most egregious breach of trust. “Those who were directly impacted by Leland’s actions had the right to be safe and secure in our care. “I reiterate my unreserved apologies to them on behalf of the school.” During the sentencing hearing at Reading on Friday, the judge, Kirsty Real, told Leland: “The relationship of teacher and student at a school gives rise, undoubtedl...

The Pokémon Company apologised for advertising the event, organised by a certified third party, through its official website, and said it "should not have been held in the first place".

Esteban Alejandro/iStock via Getty Images Frontera Energy ( FECCF ) announced the sale of the Colombia upstream business that will raise up to $400 million. Of that amount, there is a $25 million contingent payment. The company will keep the infrastructure business that it was going to spin off in an earlier announcement. The first article that I wrote on this company was rated a hold back then until I became alarmed as events unfolded. By the time the last article was written the stock price was down considerably from that initial (roughly) C$12 price back in 2023. The current announced sale sent the stock soaring to recover a lot of the losses since 2023. But that is nothing to brag about. The fact of the matter is that this stock has not really done all that well. The fact that management also announced that the cash received will be largely returned to shareholders is a tacit admission that this management cannot find profitable alternatives for that cash. It is also inconsistent with the mention of the Guyana assets that are now impaired . One of the big issues that resulted in the impairment was the financing of the costs of the discovery to potentially determine commercial levels of oil present and then the costs to produce it (and get it to market). So, it is interesting that the company raised $400 million through this sale and then plans to give the money to shareholders while pressing for a negotiation with the Guyana government on the lease takeover. The other thing to consider is that there is still some debt left that management evidently considers reasonable. But as the stock price history indicates (since the first article in 2023), financial leverage has not worked to the advantage of the company. In this industry, financial leverage not working is not all that unusual. Frankly, leverage works best when the cash flow is certain. But with oil and gas, the commodity prices are volatile and have low future visibility. Even though the remaining assets a...

Statistically, Trump's tariff and trade policy is a bigger deal than investors may realize. The third year of Wall Street's bull market rally didn't disappoint. When the closing bell rang on Dec. 31, the iconic Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI 0.36%), widely followed S&P 500 (^GSPC 0.43%), and growth-propelled Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC 0.94%) surged by 13%, 16%, and 20% in 2025. For the S&P 500, it marked the third consecutive year of gains totaling at least 16%. While technology trends are certainly fueling this rally (e.g., the evolution of artificial intelligence and the advent of quantum computing), a strong argument can be made that the Federal Reserve's ongoing rate-easing cycle is just as, if not more, important. Fed Chair Jerome Powell points the finger at President Trump's tariffs Although the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) -- the 12-person body, including Fed Chair Jerome Powell, responsible for implementing and directing our nation's monetary policy -- chose to keep the federal funds target rate unchanged at this past week's meeting, it had effected 25-basis-point reductions in each of the three prior meetings. Lowering the fed funds rate ultimately reduces borrowing rates for consumers and businesses. This can encourage lending, leading to increased hiring, acquisition activity, and innovation for corporations. In other words, it's viewed as a positive for the U.S. economy and the stock market. But things may not be as picture-perfect as the rapidly rising Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq Composite indicate. In Powell's prepared remarks following the Jan. 28 FOMC decision, he notes that inflation "remains somewhat elevated relative to our 2 percent longer-run goal" -- and he laid the blame for this on one factor: President Donald Trump's tariffs. Although Powell made sure to add the distinction that tariffs will eventually pass through and enable the prevailing inflation rate to move toward the Fed's 2% long-term target (assuming President Trump adds no ad...

Key Points In December, it earned approval for the oral version of its famous medicine. Novo Nordisk's newest product launch is proving very popular. It could help the pharma giant make up ground in the weight loss market. 10 stocks we like better than Novo Nordisk › Last year wasn't great for Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO). One of the biggest challenges it faced was losing ground in the all-important weight loss market to its biggest competitor, Eli Lilly. However, Novo Nordisk has a plan to get things back on track, and the company's oral Wegovy is part of that strategy. In December, Novo Nordisk earned approval for the oral version of its famous medicine, which it launched earlier this month. And so far, things are looking very encouraging for this new product. 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 » Should investors buy Novo Nordisk's shares given these developments? How strong is oral Wegovy's launch? Oral Wegovy won't simply cannibalize sales of the original version of the medicine, at least that's the hope. Novo Nordisk is aiming to expand its addressable market and target patients who simply do not want to inject themselves. Besides those who are scared of needles, oral Wegovy is also an excellent option for patients who have trouble maintaining the cold storage requirements of the subcutaneous version of Wegovy. And then there is the price. People without insurance coverage will be more attracted to the lower (out-of-pocket) cost of the oral pill. Novo Nordisk's strategy seems to be working wonders so far. According to some estimates, oral Wegovy's prescription volume in the first two weeks after its launch was higher than that of the original Wegovy and Eli Lilly's Zepbound (the current market leader) at the same stage after their launch. Of course, that doesn't mean Novo Nordisk will keep up this pace. But things look encouraging. Is Novo Nordisk stock a buy? How much...

伊媒否认有关革命卫队海军司令遭暗杀传闻 2026-01-31 20:04:52 来源： 同花顺7x24快讯 分享 伊朗塔斯尼姆通讯社1月31日报道，有关伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队海军司令遭暗杀的传闻不实。(新华社)

Maxim Group Upgrades Apple (AAPL) Nasdaq

Ukraine’s power grid experienced mass outages on Saturday after a “technical malfunction” caused electrical lines between Moldova, Romania and Ukraine to fail, Ukraine’s energy minister said. The outages knocked out water supplies to Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, and prompted a complete shutdown of the city’s metro network, paralysing transport for thousands. “Today at 10.42am a technical malfunction occurred, causing a simultaneous shutdown of the 400-kilovolt line between the power grids of Romania and Moldova and the 750-kilovolt line between western and central Ukraine,” said energy minister Denys Shmyhal on Telegram. Advertisement “Power will be restored within the next few hours,” he added. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky called the incident an “emergency” and said restoration work was under way. People line up at a bus stop during sub-zero temperatures in Ukraine’s Kharkiv on Saturday. Photo: Reuters “The task is to stabilise the situation soon,” he said on Telegram.

《科创板日报》1月31日讯（记者 黄心怡） 1月30日，英国首相基尔·斯塔默开启任内首次访沪，这也是时隔8年英国首相再来上海。 今天（1月31日），上海市委书记陈吉宁会见了英国首相斯塔默。陈吉宁代表上海市委、市政府和全市人民，对斯塔默首相一行到访上海表示热烈欢迎。他提到，愿同英方一道，落实两国领导人达成的重要共识， 在金融服务、生物医药、绿色发展等领域加强优势互补，在文化、创意、教育等方面深化交流互鉴，密切人文交流和人员往来 ，为促进中英合作交流作出地方的更大贡献。 斯塔默感谢上海的热情接待。他表示，此次率英国重要工商界、文化界代表访华，充分彰显了英中合作的广度和致力于发展长期稳定的全面战略伙伴关系的决心和信心。 上海是英中合作交流的重要城市，众多英国企业选择上海开拓业务并获得成功。 希望在加强双方交流交往中增进了解和互信，围绕金融、科技、文化、创意及应对气候变化等深化务实合作，更好造福两国人民。 清华大学战略与安全研究中心副研究员孙成昊对《科创板日报》记者表示，英国首相斯塔默访华，对英国商界具有明显的现实推动作用，标志着英国政府重新将经济与贸易合作置于外交重点。 未来中英经贸合作的机遇在于双方经济互补性和共同应对全球性挑战的需求。 中国现代国际关系研究院欧洲所所长陈旸则向《科创板日报》记者认为，此次访华，表明英国对中英经济合作的高度重视。“中国市场不容忽视，只有合作才是正道，不同制度不同文化的国家之间以和为贵，必能求得共同发展。” ▍首站来豫园：逛灯会、买蝴蝶酥 斯塔默抵沪的首站来到承载着上海城市文化的豫园。 在细雨微朦之中，赏豫园灯会，买蝴蝶酥，品中国茶。据媒体报道，他还收获了一个惊喜，以伦敦唐宁街10号首相府“首席捕鼠官”拉里为原型的花灯。 结束豫园之行后，斯塔默在上海的西岸漩心出席中英商务招待酒会。据央视新闻报道，他表示，此次访问具有历史意义，保持交往十分重要，两国要发展长期稳定的全面战略伙伴关系。 斯塔默还提到了随他访华的英国代表团，称该代表团涵盖了英国80个最好的企业和文化组织。他指出，交流的力量不仅包括商业，还有人和人之间文化联系，彼此之间越能赢得信任和尊重，就越能发掘伟大的机会和美好事情。 据了解，斯塔默此行率50余家英国大企业高管和机构代表随访，涵盖金融、医药、制造业、文化、创意等英国优势领域。 1月31日上午，斯塔默来到外滩步行感受上海浦江两岸风...

格隆汇1月31日｜埃塞俄比亚官员和人道主义工作者称，埃塞俄比亚提格雷地区的无人机袭击造成一人死亡、一人受伤。

香港警察学院1月31日举行结业会操，保安局局长邓炳强在典礼中检阅毕业的见习督察和学警。 （香港中通社） 香港保安局局长邓炳强在香港警察学院结业会操上，以中共总书记习近平少年时期在延安梁家河村的艰苦经历为例，勉励警员要“自找苦吃”，而非“被动吃苦”。 综合港府新闻公报及网媒“香港01”报道，香港警察学院星期六（1月31日）举行结业会操，共有15名见习督察和248名学警参与。 邓炳强致辞时说，时代与犯罪手法不断变化，但警察的使命、忠诚、维护法治的决心和服务社会的承诺始终不变。 他指出，成为称职警员需具备三大要素：坚不可摧的“铁骨”、宅心仁厚的“仁心”及识变的“慧眼”。他还说，敌对势力的打压，及反中乱港分子不会停下，警员须谨守岗位、尽忠职守。 邓炳强也举例习近平在梁家河七年插队的经历，称他未到16岁时就已经历种地、拉煤、挑粪等各类苦工，并以此劝勉警员要“自找苦吃”，而非“被动吃苦”。 谈及“仁心”，他提到有警员在大埔宏福苑火灾中徒手挖掘遗体以保持完整，这体现了对生命的尊重与对苦难的共情，是警队宝贵的品质。 邓炳强还说，警员应善用新科技、新知识，积极适应不断变化的环境，同时培养服务国家大局的意识。

Teacher Retirement System of Texas raised its stake in Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG - Free Report) by 48.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,382,269 shares of the information services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 448,986 shares during the period. Alphabet accounts for approximately 1.4% of Teacher Retirement System of Texas' portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest position. Teacher Retirement System of Texas' holdings in Alphabet were worth $336,652,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in GOOG. IFS Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 400.0% during the second quarter. IFS Advisors LLC now owns 150 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares during the period. WestEnd Advisors LLC increased its stake in Alphabet by 58.7% in the 2nd quarter. WestEnd Advisors LLC now owns 165 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 61 shares during the period. Fairman Group LLC raised its position in Alphabet by 121.3% during the 2nd quarter. Fairman Group LLC now owns 177 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. University of Illinois Foundation acquired a new stake in shares of Alphabet in the 2nd quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Alphabet in the third quarter valued at about $32,000. 27.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Alphabet alerts: Sign Up Alphabet Trading Down 0.0% Alphabet stock opened at $338.53 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $320.91 and a 200 day moving average price of $...

Leadership beyond Bob Iger matters. In this video, Motley Fool contributors Jason Hall and Tyler Crowe break down why they see bigger long-term problems for Disney (DIS +1.09%) if they can't find the right CEO to finally replace Bob Iger. *Stock prices used were from the afternoon of Jan. 28, 2026. The video was published on Jan 31, 2026.

When the Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, took to the podium at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week to lament how “great economic powers” were dismantling the international order, it seemed clear that he was talking about the United States. He might have been talking about China as well. Not a week earlier, Beijing had revealed that China’s trade surplus ballooned by 20% in 2025, to $1.2tn. Despite Donald Trump’s wall of tariffs that crashed Chinese sales to the US, its overall exports expanded more than 5%. Sales to the 11 countries in Asia’s Asean bloc increased more than 13%. Exports to the European Union rose over 8%. Chinese imports, by contrast, were flat. This gargantuan imbalance is strangling manufacturers from rich countries in Europe to poorer nations in Asia and Latin America. As Eswar Prassad, a former head of the China division at the International Monetary Fund, now at Cornell University, pointed out: “Forget Trump’s Tariffs. The Real Danger Lies in China’s Trade Surplus.” The wave of Chinese exports should remind us that the United States’ turn against the global order it did so much to build did not happen in a vacuum. The US commitment to globalization and liberal democracy blew up under the strain imposed by China’s export-led economic surge. America’s fragility is not China’s responsibility. But Beijing must understand that its strategy is putting enormous stress on international economic institutions. If it wants to preserve any semblance of the global trading order upon which it built its wealth and power, it must reconsider mercantilistic policies that are mopping up global demand in the service of Chinese jobs, undercutting other countries’ shot at prosperity. Many factors contributed to the implosion of American governance. But Trump’s rise was largely propelled by a sense of grievance against a world order that, Americans believed, had taken the US for a ride. America’s pain was largely self-inflicted. Manufacturing’s footprint...

Renée Slegers praised the impact of trailblazing hijab-wearing footballer Nouhaila Benzina after Arsenal’s defeat of Moroccan side AS Far earned them a place in Sunday’s Champions Cup final against Corinthians. Asked about the impact of Benzina competing in the new cross-continental club competition in London, with no hijab-wearing players currently playing in the Women’s Super League, Slegers said: “The strength of football in society is that football is for everyone. It’s really good that we have role models in all possible ways to show that football is for everyone. That just makes me happy. It’s important. There are so many examples and different ways of how we can show that football is for everyone. This is one of them, so that’s great.” More widely, the Arsenal manager said the opportunity for clubs from continents much further behind the development of women’s football in Europe and the US to showcase their leagues, countries and continents “means a lot”. She said: “Norms have to be broken to get where we want women’s football to go. That’s what they’re doing. They’re trailblazers and they’re doing things that are bigger than what they maybe know they’re doing.” View image in fullscreen AS Far’s hijab-wearing Nouhaila Benzina tussles with Frida Maanum of Arsenal during the semi-final. Photograph: Alastair Grant/AP AS Far was a step into the unknown for Arsenal with it being the first time a European and African club team have played against each other in an official competitive match. Arsenal were untroubled by the Moroccan champions, earning a 6-0 win at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium on Wednesday. Corinthians will prove to be another unknown entity for the current European champions. “We are very proud to be in this tournament, we are very proud to be the champions of Europe and we look forward to playing against the champions of South America,” said Slegers. “We are very respectful of the opposition, we are very humble also because of the unknown. So,...

Minnesota should not cave to Trump’s demands. The rights of 49 other states and their citizens are hanging in the balance Donald Trump appears to be practicing his “art of the deal” on Minnesota Governor Tim Walz: he is attempting to extract concessions from the North Star state in exchange for a “drawdown” of federal ICE agents. While the details of the contemplated agreement are not clear, border czar Tom Homan’s remarks on Thursday morning and reports of his negotiations with state and local leaders suggest dialing back Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is contingent on striking an agreement for increased cooperation between federal and local law enforcement: Minnesota must agree to participate in ICE roundups by turning over undocumented immigrants in its custody, ending various “sanctuary city” protections, and giving ICE agents more direct access to state penitentiaries to conduct their own roundups prior to the release of undocumented inmates. A letter from Pam Bondi, the US attorney general, sent earlier this week went even further and suggested the justice department’s civil rights division might be demanding access to state voter rolls in exchange for the ICE drawdown. Trump’s offhand remark Thursday evening denying plans to draw down ICE confused matters by contradicting Homan’s statement from earlier in the day – but perhaps that was just an indication that negotiations on Thursday did not go all that well for Team Trump. That would not be surprising. If Walz were to agree to such terms – concessions literally extracted at gunpoint under threat of continued use of unlawful force by federal immigration agents – he would be abandoning critical domains of state autonomy for the fruitless attempt to appease a president that will accept no limits except those forced upon it by necessity or recommended to it by self-interest. As law firms, universities, foreign leaders, and even former partners in crime have discovered, it is perilous to negotiate with...

A tantalising spread of food arrives at the table, including a sizzling mixed grill platter, blistered naans and punchy curries. The smell of spice and smoke fills the air amid a cacophony of sounds, from the clink of pint glasses to the beats of Punjabi bhangra music. This is a scene that you might not associate with the traditional British pub, but for many communities in the Midlands it is commonplace in the growing number of Desi pubs. It is a phenomenon that has transformed struggling pubs into communal hubs by south Asian landlords who have fused the warmth of the British pub with the heart of south Asian hospitality, food and culture. “We’re proud of what we’ve achieved – creating jobs in the community. We’re breaking down barriers, we’re creating social cohesion,” Satnam Purewal, the landlord at the Red Lion in West Bromwich, said. Purewal’s father, Jeet, took over the Red Lion pub in 1997, when the brewery was looking for new owners. It is one of several taken over by south Asian people in the Midlands in the second half of the 20th century, when a growing number of people from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh arrived in the UK. Such communities were often met with hostility and prejudice, including at pubs where a bar operated that disallowed people of colour from entering. Although it was made illegal in 1965, it still continued to operate years after. The racial discrimination endured by Black and Asian communities prompted the American civil rights activist Malcolm X to meet Avtar Singh Jouhl from the Indian Worker’s Association (IWA) in Smethwick in 1965. On the day of his visit, Malcolm X was refused service at the nearby Blue Gates pub – this meeting is now depicted in stained glass art on display at the Red Lion. Over the decades, Desi pubs have continued to grow in number and popularity in the region. “We were one of the early ones,” Purewal said. “And then it started to get really, really popular and more and more people embraced it.” The continued ...

At the beginning of her new documentary, Melania Trump tells the viewer that “everybody wants to know” how she spends her time. “So here it is,” she says. “Twenty days in my life.” It’s a snappy introductory line, but, unfortunately for the first lady, it appears to be wrong. All available evidence suggests that, actually, very few people want to know about Melania Trump. At one of New York’s busiest movie theaters on Friday, the day of Melania’s release, the crowd was sparse, and the poor turnout for Melania Trump’s vanity project, commissioned by Amazon founder and Donald Trump-friend Jeff Bezos, was reflected across the country, with executives forced to downplay predictions for the movie’s opening weekend. Precisely 12 people had shown up to watch Melania at an AMC theater near Times Square, at least half of whom were journalists reviewing the movie. Only a handful of people were watching Melania for non-work reasons. “I just think it’s really interesting to see, like, inside the life of somebody so famous. She’s a private person. So I think it’s interesting just to kind of see, you know, how her life really is, at least to some extent,” was the analysis of a viewer called Chase, one of the few non-reporters watching the movie. “I thought it was very good. She really portrayed things that I think the public didn’t know prior about her. I found it really interesting,” the 24-year-old added. He said he classified himself as politically independent. “I would have come to watch if it was Jill Biden, whoever. I think it’s just interesting to see.” In the days ahead of its release, it seemed few people agreed. People shared screenshots from ticketing websites which showed vacant movie theaters in cities including Boston and Charleston. It is likely to lead to quite a loss for Amazon, which paid $40m for the documentary and spent an additional $35m to market it – although presumably being in the president’s good graces is priceless for Bezos. Unfortunately, money alone...

Bill Browder’s fight against Vladimir Putin has seen him face threats, lawsuits, false accusations of murder and Interpol arrest warrants. A disinformation-laden film was even made about him. But 16 years after the death of his friend and lawyer Sergei Magnitsky at the hands of Putin’s regime, Browder is unrelenting in his fight for justice. It is an endeavour that, by his estimation, has cost Putin and his cronies billions of dollars already, via asset freezes and sanctions. Hence the considerable risk to his safety. Browder has the restless intensity of a man who made his millions in post-Soviet Russia as the chief executive of Hermitage Capital Management, yet took on the even tougher challenge of standing up to the Kremlin. On a recent visit to the World Economic Forum at the Swiss ski resort of Davos, he pursued chief executives, European leaders and US senators in his quest to impose even more financial pain on Putin and ultimately try to bring about the downfall of a murderous regime. Like many seasoned Russia watchers, he is sceptical that any of the drawn-out attempts to secure a peace deal acceptable to Moscow, Kyiv and Washington will be a success. Putin’s fate depends on the war, and Browder says the Russian president has no way out. “Putin has no ability to stop the war because he started the war as a war of distraction against his own incompetence. This is a war not because there’s any real problem with Ukraine. “It’s because he needs to be at war so that there’s a foreign enemy and not people getting angry with him for a lousy life that he’s created for most Russian people. And so if he were to stop the war, he would lose power. And if he lost power, he’d end up getting killed. “And the Ukrainians can’t stop the war or can’t stop defending themselves because they understand they will die. “When they get occupied, Bucha is the model. The Ukrainians understand full well that the women will be raped, the men tortured and killed and the children kidnapped...

In October 2024, Heat magazine’s list of the UK’s 30 richest celebrities under 30 ranked Harry Styles at the very top, with an estimated wealth of £200m. (He’d doubtless have fared well in last year’s survey, too, but he’s 31 now.) Whatever your views on the fabulous wealth accrued by a small elite of megastars, and regardless of your opinion of Styles’ musical merits, that figure doesn’t sit well next to the headlines he is now making. Styles announced a record-breaking 12-date residency at Wembley stadium this week, with ticket prices for seats ranging from £44.10 in the faraway stands right up to £466.24, while bog standard general standing tickets will set you back £144.65 – and a berth in the fancy Circle, Disco, Square and Kiss standing enclosures up to £279.45. Furthermore, access to the presale was restricted to American Express cardholders and anyone who pre-ordered Styles’ new album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally, which will be released on 6 March. The pricing has sparked an enormous backlash among Styles’ fans for making the shows inaccessible to vast swathes of his audience, a significant proportion of whom are very young. But Styles is no outlier. The attitude towards ticket pricing in the entertainment industry seems to be, overwhelmingly, simply to charge as much as you can get away with charging. In recent years, Adele, Taylor Swift and Oasis have, like Styles, received intense criticism for their steep ticket prices. The last of those three came under particular scrutiny when it became apparent that dynamic pricing was at play, meaning that the original stated face value of tickets for Oasis gigs was essentially meaningless. In November 2025, the government made it illegal to resell tickets for above face value, preventing ripoffs by ticket touts, while the Competition and Markets Authority is making sellers like Ticketmaster be more clear about pricing – all heartening measures. But there is a broader problem, one the government will find ...

This time last year, Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, was better known on the global stage for his sporting achievements than international politics. For years he dominated the territory’s badminton scene, winning the singles and doubles championships almost every year. He won several medals at the Island Games, earning himself a reputation for “very competitive” play on the court. As it turned out, that was useful preparation for his time in office. The 34-year-old was sworn in last April after winning a surprise election victory fought against the backdrop of Donald Trump’s threats to acquire his homeland. Those threats morphed into a full-blown crisis this year when, fresh from his seizure of Nicolás Maduro from Caracas, the US president reiterated his desire for Greenland and initially refused to rule out taking it by force. View image in fullscreen Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, often sports a blue anorak in keeping with Greenlandic formal attire. Photograph: Tom Little/Reuters Europe’s biggest crisis since the second world war saw Nielsen, who often sports a blue anorak in keeping with Greenlandic formal attire, thrust into the geopolitical spotlight. He seems to have weathered the storm: Greenlanders say that, after Trump pulled back from threats of military intervention at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the young leader has more of a voice on the world stage. A key moment in Nielsen’s handling of the rapidly escalating crisis came in January, on the eve of a tense meeting in Washington DC with the US vice-president, JD Vance. “If we have to choose between the US and Denmark here and now,” he said, “we choose Denmark, Nato and the EU”. Aqqaluk Lynge, a veteran of Greenlandic politics who co-founded the party Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA), said shortly afterwards it was the moment Greenlanders had been waiting for. “I don’t know if I could have done that when I was his age,” he told the Guardian. View image in fullscreen Jens...

jetcityimage Ford's ( F ) F-Series pickup truck is firmly established as one of the most durable franchises in U.S. automotive history. Notably, the F-Series has maintained its position as the country’s best-selling pickup since 1977 and the best-selling vehicle overall since 1981. The unprecedented streak for the auto industry reflects a combination of product breadth, brand equity, and deep integration into both retail and commercial customer bases. What began in 1948 as Ford's ( F ) first modern, dedicated truck line has evolved into a high-volume, high-margin cornerstone of the company’s North American business strategy and a key component of the Detroit automaker's earnings power. From its early generations, the F-Series differentiated itself with a truck-specific chassis and configurations designed for genuine work use, rather than simply adapting passenger-car platforms. Over time, Ford expanded the lineup from light-duty models to include Super Duty variants, capturing heavy-duty, towing-intensive, and fleet applications across construction, agriculture, logistics, and government. The large installed F-Series base supports robust resale values, extensive parts availability, and a broad servicing infrastructure, all of which reinforce customer loyalty and lower switching incentives. As the franchise matured, Ford layered in higher-trim and luxury offerings, transforming the F-Series from a pure work tool into a high-content, high-transaction-price product that appeals to both small businesses and affluent retail buyers. U.S. F-Series volume has remained in the 700,000–800,000 unit range annually, with recent years approaching or exceeding the upper end of that band despite cyclical headwinds, supply disruptions, and intensifying competition in the full-size pickup segment. The line’s mix increasingly includes higher-margin models and technology packages, while the introduction of the F-150 Lightning added an EV option. Seeking Alpha Looking forward, the conti...

最近教人用「X身形」，來吸引異性的內地網紅，因被指課程傳播錯誤價值觀，被當局立案調查，網上帳號亦被封。 內地網紅周媛說：「我的眼神給出去了，我的身體形成了一個X形。」 這段教授肢體語言的片段，近期在社交平台爆紅。她是內地網紅周媛，不時在網上分享兩性關係，又開班教女性如何用眼神及肢體語言，吸引異性，收費由999元至8.8萬人民幣不等。 不過她上傳的片段及教授的課程，近日被指尺度過大，亦將女性塑造為討好男性的角色，有違公序良俗，其帳戶及線上課程已被封禁。 湖南長沙雨花區市場監督管理局，周五稱已聯合公安、文化等部門成立工作專班，對周媛進行立案調查。 《中國婦女報》評論批評，周媛的課程除了低俗，更傳播錯誤價值觀，認為監管部門應深入調查，並依法處置。《極目新聞》的評論則指，周媛事件暴露的是長期以來網紅賣課市場的亂象，希望當局徹查。

百济神州(688235):港股公告：授出受限制股份单位 中财网

內地去年財政收入相隔五年後再出現負增長，分析認為，是受經濟增長放緩、樓市低迷等因素影響。 財政部公布去年全國一般公共預算收入，是21.6萬億元人民幣，按年下降百分之1.7，低過官方預期的增長百分之0.1，亦是繼2020年後再出現負增長。 財政部國庫司副司長鄭涌表示︰「2025年財政收入總體平穩運行，全年總體呈現穩步回升走勢，反映出我國經濟運行，延續了穩中有進的發展態勢。」 內地《第一財經》報道指，財政收入出現小幅度下滑，是受經濟增長放緩、樓市土地市場低迷、物價低迷等多重因素影響所致。 而財政支出則持續擴張，去年全國一般公共預算支出28.7萬億元，按年增長百分之1。財政部稱，今年財政赤字、債務總規模及支出總量，將保持必要水平，將更多的財政資金，用於提振消費、「投資於人」，即將資源投入醫療、教育等民生保障方面，多渠道增加居民收入。

內地去年財政收入相隔五年後再出現負增長，分析認為，是受經濟增長放緩、樓市低迷等因素影響。 財政部公布去年全國一般公共預算收入，是21.6萬億元人民幣，按年下降百分之1.7，低過官方預期的增長百分之0.1，亦是繼2020年後再出現負增長。 財政部國庫司副司長鄭涌表示︰「2025年財政收入總體平穩運行，全年總體呈現穩步回升走勢，反映出我國經濟運行，延續了穩中有進的發展態勢。」 內地《第一財經》報道指，財政收入出現小幅度下滑，是受經濟增長放緩、樓市土地市場低迷、物價低迷等多重因素影響所致。 而財政支出則持續擴張，去年全國一般公共預算支出28.7萬億元，按年增長百分之1。財政部稱，今年財政赤字、債務總規模及支出總量，將保持必要水平，將更多的財政資金，用於提振消費、「投資於人」，即將資源投入醫療、教育等民生保障方面，多渠道增加居民收入。