Jessie Buckley and Timothée Chalamet might be winning all of the awards but as Oscar voting begins, these actors also deserve inclusion Every January, if not earlier, awards narratives leading up to the Oscars take shape. While the specifics of the Academy Award nominations are never known in advance, and can always be counted on for some surprises when they’re actually unveiled, critics and pundi...
Jessie Buckley and Timothée Chalamet might be winning all of the awards but as Oscar voting begins, these actors also deserve inclusion Every January, if not earlier, awards narratives leading up to the Oscars take shape. While the specifics of the Academy Award nominations are never known in advance, and can always be counted on for some surprises when they’re actually unveiled, critics and pundits and fans all enter into that final stretch with a pretty good idea of who won’t be nominated. Some of this is because of the endless spitballing. But the “won’t” list is also easy to compile because it ultimately houses almost everyone who acted in a movie over the past year. Twenty performances are selected for the Oscars annually, and given the other high-profile awards bodies with additional preferences, category numbers and a never-complete overlap with the Academy, let’s say about 40 are in the broader competition of real possibilities. But there are so many more great performances every year than that, across all sizes, scopes and genres. Continue reading...
China’s Henan province has tightened controls on state-owned enterprises (SOEs) issuing offshore bonds, moving to close a loophole that allowed them to borrow abroad with limited oversight. Under new rules recently released by the provincial government, local SOEs must secure shareholder approval before issuing offshore bonds, including short-dated bonds that had previously avoided review by the N...
China’s Henan province has tightened controls on state-owned enterprises (SOEs) issuing offshore bonds, moving to close a loophole that allowed them to borrow abroad with limited oversight. Under new rules recently released by the provincial government, local SOEs must secure shareholder approval before issuing offshore bonds, including short-dated bonds that had previously avoided review by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).
Iranians gather while blocking a street during a protest in Tehran, Iran on January 9, 2026. Mahsa | Afp | Getty Images As Iran's future hangs in the balance as civil unrest gathers steam, its powerful ally Russia can do little but watch and wait as the U.S. ponders its next move against the Islamic Republic. U.S. President Donald Trump has not ruled out using military strikes against the conserva...
Iranians gather while blocking a street during a protest in Tehran, Iran on January 9, 2026. Mahsa | Afp | Getty Images As Iran's future hangs in the balance as civil unrest gathers steam, its powerful ally Russia can do little but watch and wait as the U.S. ponders its next move against the Islamic Republic. U.S. President Donald Trump has not ruled out using military strikes against the conservative religious regime that has ruled Iran since 1979. On Tuesday, he repeated that threat, warning the U.S. would take "very strong action" if Iran executed arrested protestors. Trump has already said any country doing business with Iran would be hit with a 25% tariff . Russia will be focused on how events unfold in Iran given Tehran's position as a key strategic, military, economic and trade partner for Moscow in the Middle East. The prospect of another ally falling in the Middle East will be a worrying one for Moscow, particularly after it has seen its alliances with Venezuela, Syria, and the Caucasus upended recently, denting its power and influence abroad. "Moscow sees the potential loss of Iran as a much more significant risk to both its regional national posture than it saw the loss of Syria, Venezuela, or arguably its influence in Armenia over the last few years," Max Hess, founder of political risk consultancy Enmetena Advisory, told CNBC Tuesday. "The reason for this is because Iran is itself a regional power projector, which offers Russia a platform to build alliances and expand its own influence," he said. Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures as Iranian Minister of Petroleum Javad Owji (second from left) looks on during the welcoming ceremony at the airport on July 19, 2022, in Tehran, Iran. Putin and his Turkish counterpart Erdogan arrived in Iran for the summit. Contributor | Getty Images News | Getty Images Mario Bikarski, senior analyst of Europe and Central Asia at Verisk Maplecroft, agreed that any regime collapse would be worrying for Moscow as it wou...
While Grok has introduced belated safeguards to prevent sexualised AI imagery, other tools have far fewer limits “Since discovering Grok AI, regular porn doesn’t do it for me anymore, it just sounds absurd now,” one enthusiast for the Elon Musk-owned AI chatbot wrote on Reddit. Another agreed: “If I want a really specific person, yes.” If those who have been horrified by the distribution of sexual...
While Grok has introduced belated safeguards to prevent sexualised AI imagery, other tools have far fewer limits “Since discovering Grok AI, regular porn doesn’t do it for me anymore, it just sounds absurd now,” one enthusiast for the Elon Musk-owned AI chatbot wrote on Reddit. Another agreed: “If I want a really specific person, yes.” If those who have been horrified by the distribution of sexualised imagery on Grok hoped that last week’s belated safeguards could put the genie back in the bottle, there are many such posts on Reddit and elsewhere that tell a different story. Continue reading...
Turkey’s cost-of-living crisis has given rise to the country’s first salvage grocery chain, as shoppers squeezed by years of high inflation hunt for cheaper food. Yenir stores — meaning “eatable” in Turkish — sell near-expiry or past best-by products sourced mainly from major grocery chains. The startup, Yenir Teknoloji AS, opened its first store in Istanbul in late 2023 and now operates five loca...
Turkey’s cost-of-living crisis has given rise to the country’s first salvage grocery chain, as shoppers squeezed by years of high inflation hunt for cheaper food. Yenir stores — meaning “eatable” in Turkish — sell near-expiry or past best-by products sourced mainly from major grocery chains. The startup, Yenir Teknoloji AS, opened its first store in Istanbul in late 2023 and now operates five locations across four cities, catering largely to urban wage earners whose purchasing power has eroded. Turkey entered an inflationary spiral in 2021 after the central bank began cutting interest rates despite rising prices, pushing inflation above 85% in 2022 as the lira weakened sharply. While tighter monetary policy following President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ’s 2023 re-election has slowed inflation to 30.9% by the end of 2025, the burden on households remains heavy, with food prices up nearly sevenfold since 2021. “Our target isn’t people who are destitute, it’s the middle-income, white-collar masses,” Chief Executive Officer Servet Akdogan said in a phone interview. Customers mostly seek staples such as milk, cheese, eggs and cooking oil, he said. Official data show the strain on that group. The combined income share of Turkey’s three middle quintiles declined in 2025 compared with 2021, while the top 20% increased its share to 48% from 46.7%, according to TurkStat. “We sell products that companies are unable to offer through standard sales channels,” Akdogan said. Yenir’s suppliers, mostly major grocery chains, are pushing it to grow: The aim is to reach 20 stores by the end of 2026, supported by private equity funding. Yenir plans a second funding round in the first quarter, aiming to double its valuation to $10 million compared to an initial round in 2023. Its investors include Eksim Ventures, Founder One and Yahya Ulker , vice chairman of Yildiz Holding .
For Mehdi Taremi and others playing abroad, showing solidarity with their home nation can mean threats and possible detention Mehdi Taremi did what he does best. On Saturday, the Iranian striker turned inside the area and scored for Olympiakos, a well-taken eighth goal of the season for the 33-year-old that clinched a 2-0 win at Atromitos and a place at the top of the Greek Super League. Usually, ...
For Mehdi Taremi and others playing abroad, showing solidarity with their home nation can mean threats and possible detention Mehdi Taremi did what he does best. On Saturday, the Iranian striker turned inside the area and scored for Olympiakos, a well-taken eighth goal of the season for the 33-year-old that clinched a 2-0 win at Atromitos and a place at the top of the Greek Super League. Usually, millions of people in Iran follow every step of Taremi’s European career, one that took off with Porto and has settled in Piraeus via Milan, but not this time. The ruling regime in Tehran has cut the internet and all communications, which meant that residents of the football-loving nation also missed the non-celebration that followed. “It actually has to do with the conditions in my country,” Taremi said. “There are problems between the people and the government. The people are always with us, and that’s why we are with them. I couldn’t celebrate in solidarity with the Iranian people. I know that Olympiakos fans would like me to be happy, but I don’t celebrate the goals, in solidarity with what the Iranian people are going through.” Continue reading...
Looking for something gentle and kind for a sensitive nose? The new gen Z brands have you covered For someone who makes no secret of her obsession with fragrance, I’m always surprised by how frequently people ask me to recommend one for someone who hates the stuff. Sometimes wearing more potent fragrances is impossible for those prone to allergies or migraines, but mostly it’s an instinctive avers...
Looking for something gentle and kind for a sensitive nose? The new gen Z brands have you covered For someone who makes no secret of her obsession with fragrance, I’m always surprised by how frequently people ask me to recommend one for someone who hates the stuff. Sometimes wearing more potent fragrances is impossible for those prone to allergies or migraines, but mostly it’s an instinctive aversion to being held captive all day by scent too pervasive for one’s liking. And in these instances, I invariably suggest the layering of two more subtly scented products with compatible aromas, to add depth and interest without the same strength as a power perfume. Continue reading...
For fifteen years I have been devoted to the sport, but can still barely tackle or shoot. I decided to get a coach and give him the challenge of a lifetime If I told you I have played football for 15 years, you’d probably assume that I’m decent. Unfortunately, I am not. I have three left feet and a not-very-convincing shot on goal. Despite how many years I have put into the sport, these things sho...
For fifteen years I have been devoted to the sport, but can still barely tackle or shoot. I decided to get a coach and give him the challenge of a lifetime If I told you I have played football for 15 years, you’d probably assume that I’m decent. Unfortunately, I am not. I have three left feet and a not-very-convincing shot on goal. Despite how many years I have put into the sport, these things show little to no improvement. I play football for the joy of it: the rush of the first whistle; the exhilaration of making a successful tackle or a clever pass; and the feeling of all fears and concerns melting away the moment the game starts. So until recently, the fact that I’m so bad at it occurred to me as, at worst, incidental. I grew up at a time when football was largely considered a men’s sport. In the 90s, there were about 80 girls’ football clubs in England (there are more than 12,000 now ); there wasn’t a women’s premier league until 1994 ; and by the time I was in my 20s, boring jokes about women knowing the offside rule were wheeled out with disappointing regularity. As someone who still remembers the feeling of getting kicked off the pitch by the boys as soon as I entered year 3, I’ve always just felt blessed to play. Continue reading...
A production blunder at a factory in eastern China has turned toy ponies into viral crying-faced horses which have become popular mascots for the Year of the Horse. In January, a netizen shared a picture of a pony with a crying face and the retailer, amused by the mistake, offered to exchange it. The toy was made in Yiwu International Trade City, which is known as the world’s largest wholesale mar...
A production blunder at a factory in eastern China has turned toy ponies into viral crying-faced horses which have become popular mascots for the Year of the Horse. In January, a netizen shared a picture of a pony with a crying face and the retailer, amused by the mistake, offered to exchange it. The toy was made in Yiwu International Trade City, which is known as the world’s largest wholesale market for small commodities. The 20cm tall horse which costs 25 yuan (US$4), symbolises the Year of...
Ukraine Blocks Polymarket, Classifies Prediction Markets As Gambling Authored by Amin Haqshanas via CoinTelegraph.com, Ukraine has blocked access to the prediction market platform Polymarket, classifying its activities as unlicensed gambling under national law. The decision was issued by the National Commission for the Regulation of Electronic Communications (NCEC) on Dec. 10, 2025, under Resoluti...
Ukraine Blocks Polymarket, Classifies Prediction Markets As Gambling Authored by Amin Haqshanas via CoinTelegraph.com, Ukraine has blocked access to the prediction market platform Polymarket, classifying its activities as unlicensed gambling under national law. The decision was issued by the National Commission for the Regulation of Electronic Communications (NCEC) on Dec. 10, 2025, under Resolution No. 695. The ruling requires internet service providers to restrict access to online resources that organize, conduct or facilitate gambling without a valid license. As part of the enforcement, the domain polymarket.com has been added to Ukraine’s public register of blocked websites, effectively cutting off local access to the platform, local news outlets reported on Monday. Polymarket differentiates itself from traditional betting sites by allowing users to buy and sell shares tied to the outcome of real-world events, with prices reflecting market-implied probabilities, rather than offering fixed odds. Ukraine slams Polymarket over war-related bets The ban on Polymarket comes as Ukrainian authorities have criticized the platform for facilitating bets on geopolitical events linked to Russia’s invasion. Polymarket is restricted across 33 other countries, including France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, Belgium, Iran, Singapore, Iraq, North Korea, Thailand, Taiwan and Australia. Polymarket already blocks some regions in Ukraine. Source: Polymarket Founded in 2020 by Shane Coplan, Polymarket has grown into one of the most prominent prediction platforms globally, with an estimated valuation of $8 billion. All bets on Polymarket are placed using the USDC stablecoin on the Polygon blockchain, making transactions and settlements publicly verifiable. US lawmaker looks to ban insider trading on prediction markets As Cointelegraph recently reported, US Representative Ritchie Torres is preparing legislation that would restrict insider trading on prediction markets, fol...
The FBI is solely leading the inquiry into the killing of Renee Macklin Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross without help from Minnesota authorities. Legal experts explain why the move is unusual and why joint investigations are the norm. (Image credit: Scott Olson)
The FBI is solely leading the inquiry into the killing of Renee Macklin Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross without help from Minnesota authorities. Legal experts explain why the move is unusual and why joint investigations are the norm. (Image credit: Scott Olson)
It's not just the quintessential corporate jargon word. "Synergy" goes back hundreds of years, with history in Christianity, medicine and psychology. (Image credit: Nadzeya Dzivakova)
It's not just the quintessential corporate jargon word. "Synergy" goes back hundreds of years, with history in Christianity, medicine and psychology. (Image credit: Nadzeya Dzivakova)
In an unprecedented move, NASA is bringing an astronaut crew home early from the International Space Station because one astronaut has an undisclosed medical condition. (Image credit: Courtesy of NASA)
In an unprecedented move, NASA is bringing an astronaut crew home early from the International Space Station because one astronaut has an undisclosed medical condition. (Image credit: Courtesy of NASA)