A press release issued by the University of Liverpool, UK, announced that treatment with a common diabetes medication may be associated with less development of intermediate age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to the senior author Nicholas AV Beare, MD. He is a reader in the Department of Eye and Vision Science, University of Liverpool, and St. Paul’s Eye Unit, Liverpool Ophthalmic R...
A press release issued by the University of Liverpool, UK, announced that treatment with a common diabetes medication may be associated with less development of intermediate age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to the senior author Nicholas AV Beare, MD. He is a reader in the Department of Eye and Vision Science, University of Liverpool, and St. Paul’s Eye Unit, Liverpool Ophthalmic Reading Centre, Liverpool University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, both in Liverpool, UK. This finding was based on the results of a study published in BMJ Open Ophthalmology1 that patients with diabetes who were over 55 years of age and being treated with metformin were “37% less likely to develop the intermediate stage of AMD over a 5-year period compared to those not taking metformin,” according to the press release. Metformin is described as “the first-line treatment for type 2 or adult-onset diabetes. It reduces the production of sugar (glucose) in the liver along with other effects that benefit diabetes. Metformin also has anti-aging effects, including being antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and stimulating house-keeping functions and energy production in cells (pro-mitochondria).” If the anti-AMD effects are true, the benefits of the drug are that it is inexpensive and may ease the treatment burden of AMD. Imaging study In their study, the investigators evaluated ocular images from 2,000 patients who attended the routine diabetic eye disease screening program in Liverpool over 5 years. The researchers recounted that they assessed the images for the presence and severity of AMD. They then compared the patients treated with metformin to those who were not. After adjustment for age, sex, and duration of diabetes, they reported that “the odds of developing intermediate AMD over 5 years in the metformin group was 0.63 compared to the no metformin group (95% confidence range, 0.43 to 0.92).” The basis for the study, they explained, was that “a potential benefit from metformi...
Bunge press release ( BG ): Q4 Non-GAAP EPS of $1.99 beats by $0.17 . Revenue of $23.76B (+75.5% Y/Y) beats by $1.45B . Taking into account the current margin and macro environment and forward curves, Bunge expects full-year 2026 adjusted EPS in the range of $7.50 to $8.00 vs $8.94 consensus The Company expects the following for 2026: an adjusted annual effective tax rate in the range of 23% to 27...
Bunge press release ( BG ): Q4 Non-GAAP EPS of $1.99 beats by $0.17 . Revenue of $23.76B (+75.5% Y/Y) beats by $1.45B . Taking into account the current margin and macro environment and forward curves, Bunge expects full-year 2026 adjusted EPS in the range of $7.50 to $8.00 vs $8.94 consensus The Company expects the following for 2026: an adjusted annual effective tax rate in the range of 23% to 27%; net interest expense in the range of $575 to $625 million; capital expenditures in the range of $1.5 to $1.7 billion; and depreciation and amortization of approximately $975 million. More on Bunge Bunge Global: Soybean Oversupply Pressures Profits, Viterra Effect Priced In Bunge: A New Era Of Agribusiness Dominance Bunge Q4 2025 Earnings Preview Top performing consumer staples stocks in the past month Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Bunge
Stanley Black & Decker press release ( SWK ): Q4 Non-GAAP EPS of $1.41 beats by $0.13 . Revenue of $3.7B (flat Y/Y) misses by $80M . The Company expects 2026 EPS to be in the range of $3.15 to $4.35 on a GAAP basis and in the range of $4.90 to $5.70 vs $5.62 consensus on an adjusted basis. This represents growth of 42% and 13%, respectively, at the midpoint of each range. The Company is targeting ...
Stanley Black & Decker press release ( SWK ): Q4 Non-GAAP EPS of $1.41 beats by $0.13 . Revenue of $3.7B (flat Y/Y) misses by $80M . The Company expects 2026 EPS to be in the range of $3.15 to $4.35 on a GAAP basis and in the range of $4.90 to $5.70 vs $5.62 consensus on an adjusted basis. This represents growth of 42% and 13%, respectively, at the midpoint of each range. The Company is targeting free cash flow* to be in the range of $700 to $900 million, reflecting an increase of 16% at the midpoint. These underlying planning assumptions include CAM results for the first half of 2026 and the current tariff landscape. The difference between the GAAP and Adjusted EPS* assumption range is approximately $1.35 to $1.75, consisting primarily of charges related to footprint actions and other cost actions. More on Stanley Black & Decker Stanley Black & Decker: Addressing Leverage Ahead Of Promised Green Shoots Stanley Black & Decker: Good Opportunity To Buy A Quality Income Asset On The Cheap Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. (SWK) Presents at Goldman Sachs Industrials and Materials Conference 2025 Transcript Stanley Black & Decker Q4 2025 Earnings Preview Howmet Aerospace to acquire Consolidated Aerospace Manufacturing from Stanley Black & Decker for $1.8 billion
China will “deeply participate” in agricultural trade and expand imports of products in short domestic supply, a senior official said on Wednesday, signalling strong and sustained demand for overseas soybeans – a long-standing food security concern and a flashpoint in its ties with the United States. Despite a tight balance between production and demand, China would diversify import sources and ma...
China will “deeply participate” in agricultural trade and expand imports of products in short domestic supply, a senior official said on Wednesday, signalling strong and sustained demand for overseas soybeans – a long-standing food security concern and a flashpoint in its ties with the United States. Despite a tight balance between production and demand, China would diversify import sources and make full use of international markets, said Han Wenxiu, head of the office of the Communist Party’s rural affairs leading group. His remarks followed Tuesday’s release of Beijing’s 2026 rural blueprint, known as the “No 1 Document” and traditionally the leadership’s first policy directive of the year. Advertisement The blueprint pledged to boost soybean output by prioritising yields and better aligning domestic production with trade, marking a shift from Beijing’s years-long emphasis on expanding planting acreage to curb dependence on major overseas suppliers such as the US. “We will actively pursue broader and higher-level opening-up, including in agriculture”, Han said, while stressing that “it is essential to appropriately regulate the pace and extent of farm product imports to protect national food security”. Advertisement The remarks were consistent with Beijing’s commitment to buy at least 25 million tonnes of US soybeans annually through 2028, a figure announced by the White House, under a trade deal reached between the two superpowers in October
Oaktree Specialty Lending press release ( OCSL ): Q1 Non-GAAP NII of $0.41 beats by $0.03 . Total investment income of $75.1M (-13.3% Y/Y) misses by $0.19M . Adjusted total investment income was $74.5 million ($0.85 per share) for the first fiscal quarter of 2026 as compared with $76.9 million ($0.87 per share) for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2025. Net asset value ("NAV") per share was $16.30 as ...
Oaktree Specialty Lending press release ( OCSL ): Q1 Non-GAAP NII of $0.41 beats by $0.03 . Total investment income of $75.1M (-13.3% Y/Y) misses by $0.19M . Adjusted total investment income was $74.5 million ($0.85 per share) for the first fiscal quarter of 2026 as compared with $76.9 million ($0.87 per share) for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2025. Net asset value ("NAV") per share was $16.30 as of December 31, 2025, down as compared with $16.64 as of September 30, 2025. More on Oaktree Specialty Lending Oaktree Specialty Lending: I Don't Trust The Dividend Oaktree Specialty Lending: Pricing An Inevitable Decline 12% Yields: Why Blackstone Secured Lending Beats Oaktree Specialty Lending Oaktree Specialty Lending FQ1 2026 Earnings Preview Oaktree Specialty Lending signals continued focus on nonaccrual reduction and prudent leverage amid shifting credit spreads
(RTTNews) - Silgan Holdings Inc. (SLGN) announced earnings for fourth quarter that Decreased from last year but beat the Street estimates. The company's bottom line totaled $18.2 million, or $0.17 per share. This compares with $45.1 million, or $0.42 per share, last year. Excluding items, Silgan Holdings Inc. reported adjusted earnings of $70.7 million or $0.67 per share for the period. Analysts o...
(RTTNews) - Silgan Holdings Inc. (SLGN) announced earnings for fourth quarter that Decreased from last year but beat the Street estimates. The company's bottom line totaled $18.2 million, or $0.17 per share. This compares with $45.1 million, or $0.42 per share, last year. Excluding items, Silgan Holdings Inc. reported adjusted earnings of $70.7 million or $0.67 per share for the period. Analysts on average had expected the company to earn $0.64 per share. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items. The company's revenue for the period rose 4.0% to $1.468 billion from $1.411 billion last year. Silgan Holdings Inc. earnings at a glance (GAAP) : -Earnings: $18.2 Mln. vs. $45.1 Mln. last year. -EPS: $0.17 vs. $0.42 last year. -Revenue: $1.468 Bln vs. $1.411 Bln last year. This increased fourth-quarter sales reflect the contractual pass-through of higher raw material costs in the current year quarter and favorable foreign currency translation. Looking ahead, for the first quarter of fiscal 2026, the company expects adjusted income of $0.70 to $0.80 per share, less than the $0.82 per share posted for the first quarter of fiscal 2025. For fiscal 2026, Silgan anticipates adjusted profit of $3.70 to $3.90 per share, compared with $3.72 in fiscal 2025. The company projects capital expenditure of around $310 million for fiscal 2026, higher than $307.1 million in fiscal 2025. This increased capital expenditure is anticipated to be used to support continued dispensing and pet food product growth. The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
Leading US and Chinese artificial intelligence models are frustrating to use in real-world settings because they struggle to learn from context, Tencent Holdings said in a new technical paper – the first co-authored by Vinces Yao Shunyu since he took up the role of chief AI scientist at the firm AI developers need to place “context learning” at the centre of future model design if their products a...
Leading US and Chinese artificial intelligence models are frustrating to use in real-world settings because they struggle to learn from context, Tencent Holdings said in a new technical paper – the first co-authored by Vinces Yao Shunyu since he took up the role of chief AI scientist at the firm AI developers need to place “context learning” at the centre of future model design if their products are to become genuinely useful outside controlled environments, according to researchers from Tencent and Fudan University’s Institute of Trustworthy Embodied AI. “Models often fail in subtle but consequential ways,” the researchers wrote in a paper published on Tuesday . “Until [context learning] improves, [models] will remain brittle precisely in the settings where we most want them to help: messy, dynamic, real-world environments.” Advertisement The research comes as Yao – a former star researcher at OpenAI – seeks to reinvigorate Tencent’s foundational model efforts after a series of internal restructurings. The Shenzhen-based conglomerate’s Hunyuan models trail domestic rivals such as DeepSeek while its flagship consumer AI app Yuanbao had roughly half the number of users of ByteDance’s market-leading Doubao as of January. Chinese tech giant Tencent poached Vinces Yao Shunyu from OpenAI in 2025. Photo: Handout To test levels of context learning ability among existing models, Tencent’s researchers developed a new benchmark called CL-bench, testing 19 leading models across 1,899 tasks designed to measure on-the-job learning.
BlackRock Inc. ’s Larry Fink says it’s vital for India’s population to invest alongside the country’s economic growth, a key reason the world’s largest asset manager is expanding its presence in the country. “If you believe in the era of India, we need to compel hundreds of millions of Indians to invest alongside that growth,” Fink said during a forum in Mumbai on Wednesday. He was joined on the p...
BlackRock Inc. ’s Larry Fink says it’s vital for India’s population to invest alongside the country’s economic growth, a key reason the world’s largest asset manager is expanding its presence in the country. “If you believe in the era of India, we need to compel hundreds of millions of Indians to invest alongside that growth,” Fink said during a forum in Mumbai on Wednesday. He was joined on the panel by Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani , chairman of Reliance Industries Ltd . Fink said that India’s rise will be fueled both by foreign investors, who believe in its potential, and by the strength of the domestic economy, underpinned by retirement savings.
As a fierce contest takes shape between Labour, Reform UK and the Greens, John Harris and John Domokos take the temperature in an area of Manchester that feels like a microcosm of Britain - and find voters split between two completely different views of their lives, and the future Continue reading...
As a fierce contest takes shape between Labour, Reform UK and the Greens, John Harris and John Domokos take the temperature in an area of Manchester that feels like a microcosm of Britain - and find voters split between two completely different views of their lives, and the future Continue reading...
NEW YORK, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Amazon (AMZN) was once the upstart running ahead of Walmart with its revolutionary e-commerce business. It now finds itself betting on the kind of mega-store typically associated with its Bentonville, Arkansas, rival. Analysts expect Amazon's fourth-quarter physical store revenue, which includes Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go sales, to increase 5.4% from a ye...
NEW YORK, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Amazon (AMZN) was once the upstart running ahead of Walmart with its revolutionary e-commerce business. It now finds itself betting on the kind of mega-store typically associated with its Bentonville, Arkansas, rival. Analysts expect Amazon's fourth-quarter physical store revenue, which includes Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go sales, to increase 5.4% from a year ago to $5.9 billion when it reports results on Thursday, according to estimates from LSEG. Overall earnings are expected at $1.97 a share. The company's retail operations are still a key part of the business, even as it sees fast growth from its technology division, Amazon Web Services, which accounts for 18% of its revenue. Its decision last month to close all of its Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go locations and convert them into Whole Foods Market stores was a signal of a changing strategy. Its newest bet is a 225,000-square-foot mega-store outside Chicago, its first ever, meant to compete with Walmart or Costco. The planned store will sell produce, household essentials and general merchandise while also serving as a distribution center for same-day deliveries. "Amazon knows that it needs to win in grocery because shoppers that tend to buy grocery and fast-moving consumer goods items tend to have the highest customer lifetime value," said Amazon seller consultant Martin Heubel, whose clients send merchandise directly to Amazon to be sold in stores and online. The company said its previous strategy failed to create a distinctive shopping experience that would allow for large-scale expansion. Amazon did not comment. "I think to go all-in on brick-and-mortar is probably not the long-term strategy for Amazon," S&P Global analyst Bea Chiem said. "It's going to take some time for them to catch up." Walmart (WMT) lagged behind Amazon in e-commerce for years, but the introduction of its Walmart+ membership program in September 2020 turned the tide. The program had 26.5 millio...
Monthly trading volumes have gone from millions to billions in short order. Exploring what that could mean for investors. To say that prediction markets have taken the world by storm would be an understatement. A recent report estimated that trading volume on prediction markets increased from under $100 million per month in early 2024 to more than $13 billion by the end of 2025. Prediction markets...
Monthly trading volumes have gone from millions to billions in short order. Exploring what that could mean for investors. To say that prediction markets have taken the world by storm would be an understatement. A recent report estimated that trading volume on prediction markets increased from under $100 million per month in early 2024 to more than $13 billion by the end of 2025. Prediction markets allow people to trade contracts tied to the outcome of future events. That's a fancy way of describing betting on events, from politics to sports. The risks involved in prediction markets position it alongside cryptocurrency trading and help explain the industry's explosive growth. It has launched companies such as Polymarket to mainstream fame and unlocked growth opportunities for Robinhood Markets. But as exciting as prediction markets are, there are three warnings to keep in mind before trading in them or investing in the companies involved. 1. Like cryptocurrencies, trading in prediction markets is speculative While cryptocurrencies have various potential uses, many people trade them in hopes of making a quick profit. The appeal of a quick and easy payout has swayed people for centuries, if not longer. After all, people don't evolve nearly as quickly as technology does. Remember that trading in prediction markets is arguably equivalent to gambling. It's crucial to isolate any capital used in prediction markets to money you can afford to lose, and it should be a tiny amount compared to what you're investing. 2. The rules aren't clear yet You're not necessarily up against the house when you trade in prediction markets; this isn't quite a casino. That said, the rules of prediction markets aren't always concise. Suppose you buy a contract on a recession occurring this year. How does the platform define recession, and how does it apply to your contract? Additionally, there aren't clear guardrails for maintaining fair play in prediction markets. What if someone knows somethi...
STORY: Nvidia’s H200 AI chip sales to China are in question due to a pending U.S. national security review. That’s according to the Financial Times Tuesday (February 3), citing sources. It comes almost two months after U.S. President Donald Trump approved the tech giant’s exports. Meanwhile, the report said, Chinese customers aren't placing orders for the powerful H200 chip with Nvidia. They’re wa...
STORY: Nvidia’s H200 AI chip sales to China are in question due to a pending U.S. national security review. That’s according to the Financial Times Tuesday (February 3), citing sources. It comes almost two months after U.S. President Donald Trump approved the tech giant’s exports. Meanwhile, the report said, Chinese customers aren't placing orders for the powerful H200 chip with Nvidia. They’re waiting for clarity on whether they’ll be able to secure licenses - or the conditions that could be attached. Reuters couldn't immediately verify the report. Nvidia and the U.S. State Department didn't immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. In January, the Commerce Department eased export curbs on the H200 for China. But it required license applications to be reviewed by the U.S. departments of State, Defense and Energy. According to the FT, the Commerce Department has completed its analysis but the State Department was pushing for tougher restrictions... With its goal being to make it harder for China to use the H200 chips in ways that would undermine U.S. national security. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said last week his firm's license to sell the chip in the country is being finalized. Reuters reported last month that China had approved its first batch of H200 chips for import. It marks a shift for Beijing as it tries to balance its AI needs against pushing domestic development.
Democrats are launching an aggressive campaign to win back voters they lost, not to Donald Trump, but to the proverbial “couch,” as they look to regain support ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. On Wednesday, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) rolled out a new initiative called Local Listeners with the goal of targeting over one million “infrequent” voters in key battleground districts. See...
Democrats are launching an aggressive campaign to win back voters they lost, not to Donald Trump, but to the proverbial “couch,” as they look to regain support ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. On Wednesday, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) rolled out a new initiative called Local Listeners with the goal of targeting over one million “infrequent” voters in key battleground districts. Seeking to build on the party’s string of off-year election victories, which extended into 2026 with an upset in Texas last weekend, the DNC is betting that early, localized outreach will be crucial in winning back these voters’ trust – and their ballots – this time around. “If we want to keep earning back the trust and support of voters, we have to listen to them,” DNC chair Ken Martin said in a statement, shared in advance with the Guardian. “This program modernizes the way we are talking to and hearing from the voters that we need to win elections now and for years to come. The Democratic Party is done with waiting until the last minute to engage voters – these conversations need to happen early and often.” The program marks the DNC’s most ambitious early voter outreach effort for a midterm cycle, according to the organization. More than 2,000 volunteers have already signed up to participate in what the groups says is a sign, of “renewed grassroots energy” for the party. Volunteers will undergo a seven-week training program on how to better engage these voters, including sessions on “active listening” and “having difficult conversations about politics”. The goal is to engage voters who cast ballots for Joe Biden in 2020 but sat out in 2024, with volunteers aiming to conduct at least 250,000 phone conversations and host more than 50 grassroots events in key congressional districts by the end of March. The Trump campaign employed a similar strategy in 2024, investing heavily in outreach to newly registered and “low propensity” voters – those who are registered but often don’t...
Portmanteau series’ latest instalment has nice touches with eerily jolly villains and haunted soda, but it could use a bit of an edit This horror bonanza, the eighth instalment in the V/H/S anthology series, is a mixed bag, with some very high highs and regrettably poor lows. This is essentially a collection of Halloween-themed shorts, and while they’re billed as “found footage” in keeping with th...
Portmanteau series’ latest instalment has nice touches with eerily jolly villains and haunted soda, but it could use a bit of an edit This horror bonanza, the eighth instalment in the V/H/S anthology series, is a mixed bag, with some very high highs and regrettably poor lows. This is essentially a collection of Halloween-themed shorts, and while they’re billed as “found footage” in keeping with the conceit of the original, the idea that you’re watching found footage has been more or less worn away to a nub at this point. The series would in all honesty be better off ditching that element, and simply leaning into the broader idea of a regular horror anthology of unsettling short films. Among the highlights is a riotous and disgusting chapter called Fun Size, made with grisly flair by Casper Kelly, whose viral masterpiece Too Many Cooks took the internet by storm in 2014 and whose feature film Buddy just premiered at Sundance. Fun Size sees a group of young adults stumble into what might best be described as a wrongness zone where they’re pitted against a villain who comes on like the vicious kid brother of the Ghostbusters Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man. Continue reading...
Striking Starbucks baristas are calling on customers of the world’s largest coffee chain to delete its popular mobile app in solidarity with their demands for a first union contract. Starbucks Workers United, which has been coordinating a strike for almost three months, is vowing to press ahead. “We baristas are still fighting for a fair contract, and this fight is active and ongoing,” said KC Ihe...
Striking Starbucks baristas are calling on customers of the world’s largest coffee chain to delete its popular mobile app in solidarity with their demands for a first union contract. Starbucks Workers United, which has been coordinating a strike for almost three months, is vowing to press ahead. “We baristas are still fighting for a fair contract, and this fight is active and ongoing,” said KC Ihekwaba, a barista at Starbucks in Lafayette, Colorado, on a solidarity union call earlier this week. “Our fire for change is still burning. Our spirits still strong. “What we’re asking for has not changed. We’re demanding livable wages, stable and predictable hours, and an end to union busting. Starbucks still has not delivered on any of that.” Since 13 November last year, Starbucks Workers United began an unfair labor practice strike. Since December 2021, workers won union elections at more than 600 Starbucks stores. With several stores hit by closures, Starbucks Workers United now represents about 11,000 baristas at 576 Starbucks stores in the US. A further 15 stores filed for a union election last month. At the end of December, the union scaled back the scope of the strike, with most stores giving a return to work notice to Starbucks, with the aim to keep several hundred to 1,000 workers on strike in a rotational basis given the financial burdens of long strikes for low-income employees, and to put energy into increasing the number of unionized Starbucks stores. About 1,000 baristas across nearly 50 stores are on strike. “We have definitely made it known that we deserve a fair contract and union busting has got to stop now,” said Christi Gomoljak, a Starbucks barista, during a solidarity call announcing the “Delete the App” campaign. Gomoljak and her co-workers recently organized a union at the Downtown Disney Starbucks in Anaheim, California, and walked out on strike in November 2025. “We are calling on Starbucks customers everywhere to delete the Starbucks mobile app of...
In the immortal words of Brenda from Bristol, not another one. Between 17 October 2021, the start of the tournament in the United Arab Emirates, and 8 March 2026, the date of this year’s final, four T20 World Cups will have been squeezed into four years, four months and 19 days. If they come along more regularly even than British general elections – to which Brenda produced her timeless reaction i...
In the immortal words of Brenda from Bristol, not another one. Between 17 October 2021, the start of the tournament in the United Arab Emirates, and 8 March 2026, the date of this year’s final, four T20 World Cups will have been squeezed into four years, four months and 19 days. If they come along more regularly even than British general elections – to which Brenda produced her timeless reaction in 2017 – they at least have more interesting results: the past five have had five different winners and the past three six different finalists. What’s more, though not much time has passed since the last one ended with India beating South Africa in Barbados, it seems to have been long enough for the game to shift into a fresh and exhilarating new gear. It is too soon to be drawing conclusions about the state of the game in 2026, but in 21 T20 internationals in the first month of this year 6,960 runs were scored at 9.13 an over – a massively higher scoring rate than any previous year. England scored at 9.91 an over in 2025, their best figure, and of the Test-playing nations only Bangladesh, who are not at the tournament, Australia and West Indies did not either break their run-scoring record in 2025 or set themselves on course to do so this year. The record for batting strike rates in the Indian Premier League was broken in 2023, again in 2024 and again in 2025. The figure for this year’s Big Bash was down slightly on last year’s record, but still above every other year. The 2025 tournaments sit second in the rankings for Pakistan’s PSL and the Caribbean Premier League in the West Indies, and first in Bangladesh’s BPL and England’s Blast. Not counting 2005 and 2006, when hardly any were played, in the first six years of T20 internationals, three teams successfully chased more than 200 to win games. It has happened twice this year and in matches between Test-playing nations three times in 2025 (while a few rungs down the ladder Gibraltar and Bulgaria managed to do it three ti...
I didn’t know how to refuse the offer of a drink without causing offence – until I learned how to kindly demur Although honesty is the best policy in general, justice for Pinocchio, because it turns out sometimes lying is the only option. In certain situations, if you didn’t smash the glass and break out an emergency fib, you’d simply be cruel. The secret to pulling it off in a way you can live wi...
I didn’t know how to refuse the offer of a drink without causing offence – until I learned how to kindly demur Although honesty is the best policy in general, justice for Pinocchio, because it turns out sometimes lying is the only option. In certain situations, if you didn’t smash the glass and break out an emergency fib, you’d simply be cruel. The secret to pulling it off in a way you can live with, as I’ve just learned, is in the branding. I was faced with a delicate dilemma: an acquaintance I had unwittingly socialised with in a group messaged me, suggesting a drink one-on-one. There is no way of saying thanks but no thanks to that kind of invitation without causing offence. This person is perfectly nice, it’s not like an evening with them would be an ordeal, but I was pretty confident we had more than covered the totality of our common ground during the group hang. Life’s quite short, isn’t it. I really didn’t want to hurt their feelings, but I also really didn’t want to go. However, backed into a corner, I came to the conclusion I’d have to spend time, money and small talk doing it anyway, because of stupid old politeness. Continue reading...
ITV will screen in-game commercials for the first time during Thursday’s Six Nations Championship opener between France and Ireland at Stade de France. The broadcaster’s new rights deal includes the option to air two split-screen adverts before a scrum is set in each half of every match of the Six Nations, the Guardian has learned. ITV is understood to have agreed in-game advertising deals with tw...
ITV will screen in-game commercials for the first time during Thursday’s Six Nations Championship opener between France and Ireland at Stade de France. The broadcaster’s new rights deal includes the option to air two split-screen adverts before a scrum is set in each half of every match of the Six Nations, the Guardian has learned. ITV is understood to have agreed in-game advertising deals with two major brands, with the screen to be divided in two so viewers do not miss any commentary or live action. The commercials will fill the right half of the screen and last around 20 seconds, with live pictures continuing on the left. Split-screen in-game advertising has been used by TV networks in the United States for several years and is being trialled by RTE in the Irish national broadcaster’s racing coverage in Ireland. If the Six Nations experiment is a success , there is a possibility ITV could sell in-game commericals for its coverage of this summer’s World Cup, when there all matches will feature a three-minute water break in the middle of each half to help players cope with the extreme heat. ITV is starting a new four-year deal for the Six Nations in partnership with the BBC, which gives Britain’s free-to-air commercial network 10 of the competition’s 15 matches each year, including every England game. ITV is understood to be paying more than two-thirds of the £63million-a-year deal, with advertising revenue a crucial means of recouping its spending. It has also agreed to pay £80m-a-year for exclusive rights for every game of the Nations Championship, the new 12-team competition featuring the Six Nations and their major southern hemisphere rivals – South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, Fiji and Japan – which begins this summer. View image in fullscreen Ireland and France will resume their Six Nations rivalry in the tournament opener on Thursday. Photograph: Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters ITV has also broadcast every men’s Rugby World Cup since 1991, but has yet...
(RTTNews) - McKesson Corp. (MCK) will host a conference call at 4:30 PM ET on February 4, 2026, to discuss Q3 26 earnings results. To access the live webcast, log on to https://investor.mckesson.com/events-and-presentations/default.aspx The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
(RTTNews) - McKesson Corp. (MCK) will host a conference call at 4:30 PM ET on February 4, 2026, to discuss Q3 26 earnings results. To access the live webcast, log on to https://investor.mckesson.com/events-and-presentations/default.aspx The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
(RTTNews) - CME Group, Inc. (CME) will host a conference call at 8:30 AM ET on February 4, 2026, to discuss Q4 25 earnings results. To access the live webcast, log on to https://www.cmegroup.com/investor-relations/events-and-presentations.html To listen to the call, dial 877-918-3040 (US) or +1 312-470-7282 (International), passcode 1944793. The views and opinions expressed herein are the views an...
(RTTNews) - CME Group, Inc. (CME) will host a conference call at 8:30 AM ET on February 4, 2026, to discuss Q4 25 earnings results. To access the live webcast, log on to https://www.cmegroup.com/investor-relations/events-and-presentations.html To listen to the call, dial 877-918-3040 (US) or +1 312-470-7282 (International), passcode 1944793. The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
(RTTNews) - Fox Corporation (FOXA) will host a conference call at 8:30 AM ET on February 4, 2026, to discuss Q2 26 earnings results. To access the live webcast, log on to https://investor.foxcorporation.com/news-and-events/events-and-presentations/ The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
(RTTNews) - Fox Corporation (FOXA) will host a conference call at 8:30 AM ET on February 4, 2026, to discuss Q2 26 earnings results. To access the live webcast, log on to https://investor.foxcorporation.com/news-and-events/events-and-presentations/ The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.