German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said he can imagine a trade deal with China in the future, signalling a new softening stance towards Beijing in European capitals. “We have set quite a lot in motion when it comes to trade policy. I can also envisage further agreements, for example, in the longer term an agreement with the People’s Republic of China,” Merz said in the German parliament on Wedne...
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said he can imagine a trade deal with China in the future, signalling a new softening stance towards Beijing in European capitals. “We have set quite a lot in motion when it comes to trade policy. I can also envisage further agreements, for example, in the longer term an agreement with the People’s Republic of China,” Merz said in the German parliament on Wednesday. Merz’s remarks underscore how surging trade and geopolitical tensions with Washington are...
As Israelis grow weary of sheltering from missile attacks, their prime minister is using the war to distract from the Palestinian issue An opinion poll conducted in Israeli two weeks into its war on Iran, prosecuted together with the US, demonstrated what looked like euphoria: surveys by thinktanks such as the Israel Democracy Institute and the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) show t...
As Israelis grow weary of sheltering from missile attacks, their prime minister is using the war to distract from the Palestinian issue An opinion poll conducted in Israeli two weeks into its war on Iran, prosecuted together with the US, demonstrated what looked like euphoria: surveys by thinktanks such as the Israel Democracy Institute and the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) show that nearly 80% of the public supported the war. Among Israel’s Jewish population that figure rose to 91%. The true picture is more complicated. The INSS also found that among Arab citizens, who are predominantly Palestinian and make up about 20% of the Israeli population, about two-thirds were opposed to the war. And reality is always more complex than polling figures: from Tel Aviv, I can see that the Jewish Israelis driving the sweeping support are simultaneously exhausted after what is now more than three weeks of running from missile attacks day and night, and by the economic, social and physical damage of the war. Continue reading...
Eline van der Velden says she developed her ‘digital twin’ to provoke discussion but backlash from some has been worse than expected The creator of the AI actor Tilly Norwood has said she received death threats after a global backlash against the project, and said she developed it to “provoke thoughts and discussion” about the impact of AI in the entertainment world. Eline van der Velden caused an...
Eline van der Velden says she developed her ‘digital twin’ to provoke discussion but backlash from some has been worse than expected The creator of the AI actor Tilly Norwood has said she received death threats after a global backlash against the project, and said she developed it to “provoke thoughts and discussion” about the impact of AI in the entertainment world. Eline van der Velden caused anger and panic in Hollywood and beyond last year after she said talent agents had been interested in signing her creation. Prominent actors and acting unions immediately condemned the idea. Continue reading...
(Ninja Tune) The duo’s snotty nonchalance may capture the post-Brat zeitgeist, but their true appeal lies in a talent for turning vintage dance influences into pointed modern pop Those who suggest the era of the hyped artist is over – a victim of declining interest in the music press – might consider the case of New York’s Fcukers. Such was the buzz generated by the electroclash-adjacent duo’s ear...
(Ninja Tune) The duo’s snotty nonchalance may capture the post-Brat zeitgeist, but their true appeal lies in a talent for turning vintage dance influences into pointed modern pop Those who suggest the era of the hyped artist is over – a victim of declining interest in the music press – might consider the case of New York’s Fcukers. Such was the buzz generated by the electroclash-adjacent duo’s early singles that they ended up touring five continents within barely a year of their first live show. They were invited to DJ at Paris fashion week by Celine and to collaborate on a remix by James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem. Charli xcx pronounced herself a fan, as did Billie Eilish, David Byrne and Beck, the last appearing on stage with them in Los Angeles to perform their cover of his 1996 single Devils Haircut. Tame Impala subsequently took them on tour as a support act, then Harry Styles – never tardy when it comes to associating himself with a hip name – invited them to open for him. The effect of all this has been startling. A video for 2024 single Homie Don’t Shake featuring nothing more than vocalist Shanny Wise miming to the song while sitting on an NYC bus – its budget allegedly amounting to nothing more than the cost of the ticket – has earned nearly half a million views. Another single, Bon Bon , has more than 10m streams on Spotify alone. Continue reading...
How about a bunny – or a mini sheep – instead? If you like chocolate and nut butter, Radek’s Chocolate is doing wonderful things with both, and its dairy free Silky Almond Chocolate Rabbit is magically creamy. Looking more like subservient mice than bunnies, NearyNógs’ dark chocolate bunnies , stuffed with salted caramel, were my favourite. A superb, successful marriage of very good Ecuadorian cho...
How about a bunny – or a mini sheep – instead? If you like chocolate and nut butter, Radek’s Chocolate is doing wonderful things with both, and its dairy free Silky Almond Chocolate Rabbit is magically creamy. Looking more like subservient mice than bunnies, NearyNógs’ dark chocolate bunnies , stuffed with salted caramel, were my favourite. A superb, successful marriage of very good Ecuadorian chocolate and caramel: worthy of a royal telegram. Upmarket bakery Birley has an excellent little bag of various flavoured Little Chocolate Bunnies , some of which look a bit psychedelic. I’m not a fan of spiced chocolate, but North Chocolates gets it right with its Hot Cross Bunny Bar in dark or milk (my preference: the former). Family visiting? For the black sheep, there’s Mike and Becky’s subversive Box of Mini Sheep – 70% cocoa lambs sprinkled with amaranth seeds. Zotter has various offerings for Easter. Avoid all the fruit-flavoured ones and head for its Easter Delights : a dark milk bar with hazelnut praline, which requires discipline. It has no blocks or break lines, so there are no boundaries – not for the weak willed. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Paul Marshall also challenged over his own ‘misleading’ statements and £1.8bn of fossil fuel investments in his hedge fund The co-owner of GB News and “committed” Christian Sir Paul Marshall has been criticised by a group of church leaders over the TV channel’s attacks on climate science and action. The hedge fund manager was also challenged over his own statements, which were called “m...
Exclusive: Paul Marshall also challenged over his own ‘misleading’ statements and £1.8bn of fossil fuel investments in his hedge fund The co-owner of GB News and “committed” Christian Sir Paul Marshall has been criticised by a group of church leaders over the TV channel’s attacks on climate science and action. The hedge fund manager was also challenged over his own statements, which were called “misleading”, by the 100-strong group, which includes the former archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and two current bishops. Continue reading...
In a court of law, tech titans will be judged not for who they are, but what they do. We should take comfort in that Jury verdicts are meant to speak the truth , and today’s verdict in a California courtroom spoke the truth about the pernicious effects of platforms such as Instagram and YouTube on young people in the United States and around the world. The jury found two social media giants, Meta ...
In a court of law, tech titans will be judged not for who they are, but what they do. We should take comfort in that Jury verdicts are meant to speak the truth , and today’s verdict in a California courtroom spoke the truth about the pernicious effects of platforms such as Instagram and YouTube on young people in the United States and around the world. The jury found two social media giants, Meta and YouTube, responsible for injuries incurred by a 20-year-old woman over the course of her childhood. The plaintiff, referred to in court as KGM, claimed that her social media use had begun when she was six years old. Her suit alleged that the sites she regularly used had features designed to hold her attention and keep her coming back. Continue reading...
The Uruguay coach, who had such an impact at Leeds, needs a result at Wembley on Friday after a downturn for the South American side The pattern is not unfamiliar. Marcelo Bielsa arrives. The force of his personality, the radicalism of his ideas, his charismatic eccentricity, elevates everybody. Results are good, performances intoxicating. The football is not merely successful but comes to be rega...
The Uruguay coach, who had such an impact at Leeds, needs a result at Wembley on Friday after a downturn for the South American side The pattern is not unfamiliar. Marcelo Bielsa arrives. The force of his personality, the radicalism of his ideas, his charismatic eccentricity, elevates everybody. Results are good, performances intoxicating. The football is not merely successful but comes to be regarded almost as a moral good: playing the right way for a manager who projects a profound sense of integrity. Gradually the picture changes. Fatigue sets in. Players weary of their manager’s obsessive nature. Pundits and fans begin to wonder if everything has to be quite so relentless all the time. Bielsa’s quirks come to be regarded less with affection than with aggravation. Levels drop, Bielsa leaves. Continue reading...
Three decades after launching the awards, founder Kanya King reflects on being ahead of the crowd and why Mobo has always been more than music For the audience watching performances by twentysomethings Olivia Dean, Myles Smith and Aitch on Thursday night in the Co-op Live arena in Manchester it will seem like a lifetime away from 1996, when the Mobo awards began. What has become known as a joyful ...
Three decades after launching the awards, founder Kanya King reflects on being ahead of the crowd and why Mobo has always been more than music For the audience watching performances by twentysomethings Olivia Dean, Myles Smith and Aitch on Thursday night in the Co-op Live arena in Manchester it will seem like a lifetime away from 1996, when the Mobo awards began. What has become known as a joyful celebration of music of Black origin came from “a very real sense of frustration”, said Kanya King, Mobo’s founder and chief executive. “I could see the impact that Black music and culture was having on British culture – I mean it was shaping everything – but it wasn’t being properly recognised or respected by the mainstream industry.” Continue reading...
From a white chocolate cheesecake tart and flourless chocolate cake to double chocolate olive oil and marbled matcha cookies, explore chocolate’s endless versatility Chocolate is a truly magical ingredient. Not only is it a powerhouse of flavour, it also pairs beautifully with other ingredients to make something incredible. Chocolate isn’t one note, mind; from the heady richness of an intense dark...
From a white chocolate cheesecake tart and flourless chocolate cake to double chocolate olive oil and marbled matcha cookies, explore chocolate’s endless versatility Chocolate is a truly magical ingredient. Not only is it a powerhouse of flavour, it also pairs beautifully with other ingredients to make something incredible. Chocolate isn’t one note, mind; from the heady richness of an intense dark chocolate to the nostalgic creaminess of milk chocolate and the often maligned simplicity of white chocolate, it can be the star of the show or simply the supporting act. Chocolate can do it all. Continue reading...
(RTTNews) - Nordex SE (NDX1.DE, NRDXF, NRXXY), a manufacturer of multi-megawatt onshore wind turbines, on Thursday announced that it has received a 28 MW order from Windpark Nuscheler GmbH for a project in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.
(RTTNews) - Nordex SE (NDX1.DE, NRDXF, NRXXY), a manufacturer of multi-megawatt onshore wind turbines, on Thursday announced that it has received a 28 MW order from Windpark Nuscheler GmbH for a project in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News Visa ( V ) ( VISA:CA ) on Thursday announced the launch of a new value‑added service within its Digital Issuer Solutions business, an Enhanced Subscription Manager solution. Digital Issuer Solutions is a platform for delivering modern consumer‑facing experiences in an issuer's app. The new solution helps issuers respond to consumer demand, and helps reduce unwante...
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News Visa ( V ) ( VISA:CA ) on Thursday announced the launch of a new value‑added service within its Digital Issuer Solutions business, an Enhanced Subscription Manager solution. Digital Issuer Solutions is a platform for delivering modern consumer‑facing experiences in an issuer's app. The new solution helps issuers respond to consumer demand, and helps reduce unwanted charges by giving consumers greater confidence and control over recurring subscription payments. Issuers can give cardholders greater subscription visibility, easy payment switching methods, and cancellation capabilities, all without leaving their banking app. "As the subscription economy has exploded, consumers have lost visibility and control over their recurring spending," said Brian Karimi-Pashaki, chief revenue officer at Pinwheel, an in‑app bill management capabilities provider working in collaboration with Visa. More on Visa Visa Vs Mastercard: Why One Payment Giant Is The Better Buy For 2026 Visa Vs. Mastercard: Which Payment Giant Is The Better Buy Today? Visa Inc. (V) Presents at Wolfe Research FinTech Forum Transcript
Chinese computer scientists and researchers have been urged to boycott a major artificial intelligence conference after its organisers barred submissions from US-sanctioned institutions, including leading Chinese tech groups such as Huawei Technologies. The move by the China Computer Federation (CCF) is the latest flashpoint in deepening US-China tensions over AI, a fast-evolving field with far-re...
Chinese computer scientists and researchers have been urged to boycott a major artificial intelligence conference after its organisers barred submissions from US-sanctioned institutions, including leading Chinese tech groups such as Huawei Technologies. The move by the China Computer Federation (CCF) is the latest flashpoint in deepening US-China tensions over AI, a fast-evolving field with far-reaching economic, social and military implications. The influential professional body said on...
Downtown Atlanta once stood at the center of the city’s cultural and economic life. After decades of decline, a $5 billion redevelopment project called Centennial Yards aims to transform a stretch of underused land known as "the gulch" into a new 50-acre hub for housing, entertainment and business. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaching and billions of dollars on the line, can this ambitious bet...
Downtown Atlanta once stood at the center of the city’s cultural and economic life. After decades of decline, a $5 billion redevelopment project called Centennial Yards aims to transform a stretch of underused land known as "the gulch" into a new 50-acre hub for housing, entertainment and business. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaching and billions of dollars on the line, can this ambitious bet bring life back to the heart of Atlanta? (Source: Bloomberg)
Getty Images Co-authored by Kody's Dividends There's always a bigger fish When it comes to various sectors in the market, there are only a few ways a business can grow. Think about your personal portfolio; the ways you grow your personal investment portfolio typically will be through selling one position to buy another, reinvesting dividends, and injecting new capital into your portfolio to buy ne...
Getty Images Co-authored by Kody's Dividends There's always a bigger fish When it comes to various sectors in the market, there are only a few ways a business can grow. Think about your personal portfolio; the ways you grow your personal investment portfolio typically will be through selling one position to buy another, reinvesting dividends, and injecting new capital into your portfolio to buy new positions. Essentially, you can have organic growth from your positions growing or mechanical growth from you putting in capital to fuel the growth. Companies do this by retaining cash flow to reinvest in the business or issuing debt and equity to grow effectively. A lot of the investors will get frustrated when they see companies they love issuing new equity to grow further. This can be more common in the real estate investment trust (REIT) or closed-end fund (CEF), or the utility sector, where secondary issuances are more common. When it comes to some sectors, the primary way to grow is through acquisitions. You buy a smaller fish to become a bigger fish. You integrate their operations and their earnings, and then you turn around, and you do it again, and again, and again. Today, I want to look at a Dividend Aristocrat that has years of steady dividend growth to reward shareholders, but grows primarily by being the bigger fish. Let's dive in! A Dividend Aristocrat Bargain Brown & Brown Q4 2025 Earnings Presentation Brown & Brown ( BRO ) is an insurance broker. As we outlined in our January article , BRO primarily generates revenue from commissions paid by insurance companies. Secondary revenue sources include Social Security Disability and Medicare benefits advocacy services, and third-party claims administration. At the time, our thesis was that the growing demand for insurance would generate growth for BRO. Despite a modest softening in the insurance market recently, this is still our long-term thesis. In Q4 2025 , BRO reported $1.61 billion in total revenue. That was...
Jacob Wackerhausen/iStock via Getty Images Thesis Core Laboratories ( CLB ) provides essential services to the oil and gas industry. This company serves as the behind the scenes scientists that help drive improvement and optimization across the industry. Unfortunately, for as vital as the company’s services are for the industry’s survival, the company does not generate an appealing profit margin. ...
Jacob Wackerhausen/iStock via Getty Images Thesis Core Laboratories ( CLB ) provides essential services to the oil and gas industry. This company serves as the behind the scenes scientists that help drive improvement and optimization across the industry. Unfortunately, for as vital as the company’s services are for the industry’s survival, the company does not generate an appealing profit margin. Historical operating margins are just 10%, due to high costs of services and sales. The low margin allows for very little in terms of shareholder returns. The company trades at low single digit free cash flow yields, making an investment unattractive. The business is quite stable thanks to the necessity of the services provided. However, the company is more or less flatlined. For this reason, I continue to rate the company as a HOLD. Q4 Results And Middle East Impacts In February, the company reported earnings of $0.21/share after excluding special items. The company reported low single digit revenue growth and free cash flow of $5m. On a full year basis, the company generated $26m in FCF on essentially flat y-o-y revenues. Profit margin declined slightly from the previous year as overall oil field activity slowed. On the cash deployment front, the company deployed over 100% of free cash flow. The company deployed over $34m of available cash on a 50/50 split to both debt reduction and cash returned to shareholders in the form of share buybacks and dividends. In the quarterly conference call, the company outlined its intention to continue the current capital allocation strategy. By having a heavy component of free cash flow dedicated to debt retirement, the company expects to improve its debt metrics. In doing so, the company also expects to achieve a lower interest rate on its outstanding debt balance. The company identified a threshold target of a leverage ratio below 1x. Achieving this level would unlock a 25 basis point savings on its loans. First Quarter Guidance And Cu...
The Avata 360 looks a lot like the previous Avata 2. DJI's Avata 360 finds the company at an odd time. For one, it's been beaten to the punch - upstart Antigravity's A1 became the first 360-degree drone when it launched last December, and DJI is playing catchup (and filing lawsuits ). But this is also the last DJI drone you may ever be able to legally buy in the US, in the wake of the FCC's de fac...
The Avata 360 looks a lot like the previous Avata 2. DJI's Avata 360 finds the company at an odd time. For one, it's been beaten to the punch - upstart Antigravity's A1 became the first 360-degree drone when it launched last December, and DJI is playing catchup (and filing lawsuits ). But this is also the last DJI drone you may ever be able to legally buy in the US, in the wake of the FCC's de facto ban , and even then it won't actually see an official release in the country. It means that if you're in the US, the Antigravity A1 remains the best (and only) option for a flying 360-degree camera. But in the rest of the world, the Avata 360 makes a good case for itself: it's faster than the A1, do … Read the full story at The Verge.
Fears of AI-driven job loss are growing fast, and they’re fueling backlash against data centers. Sen. Mark Warner suggests taxing them to help workers survive the transition.
Fears of AI-driven job loss are growing fast, and they’re fueling backlash against data centers. Sen. Mark Warner suggests taxing them to help workers survive the transition.
ORAN Development Company, LLC ("ODC"), a pioneer in AI-Native Radio Access Networks (AI-RAN) and the architect of the U.S.-based Odyssey RAN software platform, today announced the successful closing of a $45 million Series A funding round. The investment was led by a premier syndicate of global technology and infrastructure powerhouses, including Booz Allen, Cisco Investments, Nokia, and NVIDIA, a...
ORAN Development Company, LLC ("ODC"), a pioneer in AI-Native Radio Access Networks (AI-RAN) and the architect of the U.S.-based Odyssey RAN software platform, today announced the successful closing of a $45 million Series A funding round. The investment was led by a premier syndicate of global technology and infrastructure powerhouses, including Booz Allen, Cisco Investments, Nokia, and NVIDIA, alongside Tier-1 telecoms AT&T, MTN, and Telecom Italia. This strategic round joins these industry le
“I think 2026 is the year of fundamental, agentic transformation of the workflow.” Abridge co-founder and CTO Zack Lipton joins Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Jonathan Palmer to share how the company grew from a research-heavy idea into one of health care’s breakout AI leaders. Lipton breaks down the limits of point solutions, the complexity of evaluating generative AI in medicine, and why he sees...
“I think 2026 is the year of fundamental, agentic transformation of the workflow.” Abridge co-founder and CTO Zack Lipton joins Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Jonathan Palmer to share how the company grew from a research-heavy idea into one of health care’s breakout AI leaders. Lipton breaks down the limits of point solutions, the complexity of evaluating generative AI in medicine, and why he sees the future not as a better digital scribe alone, but as a unified platform that can guide documenta
Aligned Data Centers has raised $2.58 billion through a revolving credit facility to help the company finance its data center expansion in the US. The loan is backed by six data centers within Aligned’s portfolio that are already in the later stages of being built, according to the company. The centers are in locations including Dallas, Phoenix, and Northern Virginia. Aligned said it plans to use ...
Aligned Data Centers has raised $2.58 billion through a revolving credit facility to help the company finance its data center expansion in the US. The loan is backed by six data centers within Aligned’s portfolio that are already in the later stages of being built, according to the company. The centers are in locations including Dallas, Phoenix, and Northern Virginia. Aligned said it plans to use the facility to help finish constructing the sites, as well as to finance future development projects. The loan matures in three years with the option for two one-year extensions. Lenders include insurance companies, pension funds and other institutions — the latest example of investors helping to fund the data center boom. Aligned’s customers include hyperscalers, neocloud companies, and enterprise firms. “This facility is a little unique in that it is optimized to finance later-stage development assets, so assets that are more advanced from a leasing perspective and more progressed from a capex perspective,” said Chief Financial Officer Meghan Baivier in an interview. “That is a stage of development that is particularly attractive to this lender base.” Aligned already has a credit facility with banks and this new loan helps the company access more types of lenders, she added. Aligned plans to increase the new credit facility’s borrowing capacity as it adds to its portfolio of data centers. A group of investors led by BlackRock Inc. ’s Global Infrastructure Partners agreed last year to buy Aligned Data Centers in a $40 billion deal from Macquarie Asset Management . The acquisition is expected to close later this year. Read more: BlackRock’s GIP Buys Aligned Data Centers in $40 Billion Bet