News follows Guardian report on licence given to British firm exporting machinery to Armenian firm linked to Russian war effort British firms will face “much tougher” controls to prevent their goods from reaching Russia via other countries, undermining sanctions and aiding Vladimir Putin’s assault on Ukraine. Under plans to be unveiled on Wednesday, the government will be able to require UK manufa...
News follows Guardian report on licence given to British firm exporting machinery to Armenian firm linked to Russian war effort British firms will face “much tougher” controls to prevent their goods from reaching Russia via other countries, undermining sanctions and aiding Vladimir Putin’s assault on Ukraine. Under plans to be unveiled on Wednesday, the government will be able to require UK manufacturers to obtain a licence if they want to export to a country suspected of acting as a staging post for exports ultimately destined for Russia. Continue reading...
No indignity is too great for the leads of these darkly funny shows as they pursue a comeback at any cost In the fifth and final season of sitcom Hacks , the legendary comedian Deborah Vance has once again been plunged into crisis. After leaving America’s number one late-night talkshow in a flurry of controversy, a vengeful non-compete clause is barring her from performing new material. Season fou...
No indignity is too great for the leads of these darkly funny shows as they pursue a comeback at any cost In the fifth and final season of sitcom Hacks , the legendary comedian Deborah Vance has once again been plunged into crisis. After leaving America’s number one late-night talkshow in a flurry of controversy, a vengeful non-compete clause is barring her from performing new material. Season four of the Emmy-winning comedy ended on a cliffhanger, with TMZ mistakenly reporting that Deborah (Jean Smart) had died. Freshly resurrected for season five, the prodigal mother of comedy worries that her lifetime of work will be defined by her premature late-night exit. To secure her legacy, she sets her sights on staging a major comeback show at Madison Square Garden – and she’ll stop at nothing to make it happen. Not uncoincidentally, the final season of The Comeback begins on a similar note of desperation. Valerie Cherish – the high-cringe sitcom star played by a red-haired Lisa Kudrow – is handed a career lifeline when she scores the lead role in a new sitcom. There’s just one catch: the script has been written by AI , and this is a secret that Valerie is forbidden from sharing. It’s the type of toe-curling scenario that could only come from Kudrow and her collaborator, Michael Patrick King, who is back on form after terrorising the world with And Just Like That . Continue reading...
Macaques have learned to eat soil to avert gut irritation caused by salty and sugary snacks, researchers believe Troops of monkeys living on the Rock of Gibraltar have learned to eat soil in what scientists believe is an effort to settle their stomachs after all the junk food they receive – and sometimes steal – from crowds of tourists. Researchers spotted the intentional mud eating, known as geop...
Macaques have learned to eat soil to avert gut irritation caused by salty and sugary snacks, researchers believe Troops of monkeys living on the Rock of Gibraltar have learned to eat soil in what scientists believe is an effort to settle their stomachs after all the junk food they receive – and sometimes steal – from crowds of tourists. Researchers spotted the intentional mud eating, known as geophagy, while observing groups of Barbary macaques in the territory. Monkeys that had the most contact with tourists ate the most soil and consumption peaked in the holiday season, they found. Continue reading...
Council proposal to use glyphosate to tidy up pavements criticised over potential harm to humans and wildlife Cornwall is famed for its glorious gardens and verdant landscapes but a bitter row has broken out over a plan to tackle a less glamorous type of vegetation – roadside weeds. The unitary authority has announced plans to use the controversial herbicide glyphosate to tidy up pavements and ker...
Council proposal to use glyphosate to tidy up pavements criticised over potential harm to humans and wildlife Cornwall is famed for its glorious gardens and verdant landscapes but a bitter row has broken out over a plan to tackle a less glamorous type of vegetation – roadside weeds. The unitary authority has announced plans to use the controversial herbicide glyphosate to tidy up pavements and kerbsides, after largely phasing out its use over the last decade amid concerns about potential harm to humans and the peninsula’s rich ecosystems. Continue reading...
Conservative host says he’s ‘tormented’ by previous support for Trump – could this presage his own run for president? He can’t live with him and can’t live without him. But, finally, the conservative podcaster Tucker Carlson seems to have made up his mind about Donald Trump . Their up-and-down marriage of political convenience is heading for the divorce court. On Tuesday Carlson admitted that he w...
Conservative host says he’s ‘tormented’ by previous support for Trump – could this presage his own run for president? He can’t live with him and can’t live without him. But, finally, the conservative podcaster Tucker Carlson seems to have made up his mind about Donald Trump . Their up-and-down marriage of political convenience is heading for the divorce court. On Tuesday Carlson admitted that he will be “tormented” for a long time by his support for Trump in the 2024 US presidential election “and I want to say I’m sorry for misleading people”. What he did not say is whether this presages his own run for president in 2028. Continue reading...
Kevin Warsh, Trump’s ‘central casting’, has a long road ahead of convincing board members to lower interest rates Donald Trump’s fate is to be frustrated by monetary policy. Even assuming he gets his way and Kevin Warsh succeeds Jerome Powell as chair of the Federal Reserve next month, it is unlikely that the president will finally gain control of the Fed. Continue reading...
Kevin Warsh, Trump’s ‘central casting’, has a long road ahead of convincing board members to lower interest rates Donald Trump’s fate is to be frustrated by monetary policy. Even assuming he gets his way and Kevin Warsh succeeds Jerome Powell as chair of the Federal Reserve next month, it is unlikely that the president will finally gain control of the Fed. Continue reading...
These new lipsticks are so beautifully muted that even the colour-shy and faint-hearted will carry them off I have always said there’s a perfect red lipstick for every colouring, but not necessarily one for every disposition. I’ve had cause to reconsider. The new sheer, barely-there reds take the boldest, most classic of makeup looks and make it muted and unselfconsciously wearable by even the fai...
These new lipsticks are so beautifully muted that even the colour-shy and faint-hearted will carry them off I have always said there’s a perfect red lipstick for every colouring, but not necessarily one for every disposition. I’ve had cause to reconsider. The new sheer, barely-there reds take the boldest, most classic of makeup looks and make it muted and unselfconsciously wearable by even the faint-hearted. Merit’s entire brand is about understated makeup for the aesthetically cool, time-poor woman. Naturally, they’ve made her the perfect no-effort red. The new Signature Lip Blush (£25), a soft, very comfortable lip balm with a natural matt finish, is probably Merit’s cleverest formula to date. And with Kitten Heel, a classic, sheer, tomatoey red, it manages to make bold colour look as subtle as a nude. It’s so pretty and face-brightening without pulling focus that even the colour-shy will feel inconspicuous. Continue reading...
Asia is entering a dangerous summer for food production as scientists warn of a “super El Nino” suppressing rainfall while the war on Iran drives up energy and fertiliser costs for farmers. India’s Meteorological Department has forecast a below-average monsoon, after two successive years of above-normal rains, while in Australia – a major wheat producer and exporter – a shortage of farm inputs and...
Asia is entering a dangerous summer for food production as scientists warn of a “super El Nino” suppressing rainfall while the war on Iran drives up energy and fertiliser costs for farmers. India’s Meteorological Department has forecast a below-average monsoon, after two successive years of above-normal rains, while in Australia – a major wheat producer and exporter – a shortage of farm inputs and persistent dryness has reportedly pushed planting acreage to a seven-year low. Farmers across South...
Flights between China and Japan faced even more cancellations in March – with further cuts expected during the coming Labour Day holiday – as political tensions between the Asian neighbours continue to simmer. A total of 2,691 China-Japan flights were scrapped last month, according to figures from the data platform DAST cited by Chinese media outlet Yicai. That brought the cancellation rate to nea...
Flights between China and Japan faced even more cancellations in March – with further cuts expected during the coming Labour Day holiday – as political tensions between the Asian neighbours continue to simmer. A total of 2,691 China-Japan flights were scrapped last month, according to figures from the data platform DAST cited by Chinese media outlet Yicai. That brought the cancellation rate to nearly 50 per cent, 1.1 percentage points higher than February. Only 2,711 flights between the two...
[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] Octopus is moving further into Hong Kong’s transport system with the rollout of a taxi booking feature in its app, as the city steps up efforts to modernise a traditionally cash-heavy sector through regulation and fintech. The new “Easy Ride” feature allows passengers to book, ride and pay for taxis in a single interface, ...
[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] Octopus is moving further into Hong Kong’s transport system with the rollout of a taxi booking feature in its app, as the city steps up efforts to modernise a traditionally cash-heavy sector through regulation and fintech. The new “Easy Ride” feature allows passengers to book, ride and pay for taxis in a single interface, expanding the company’s role in transport from fare settlement to journey co-ordination. The launch...
Whether you want cordless designs or a budget buy, we’ve tested the top hair straighteners for every hair type • The best hair dryers, tested Straighteners are here to stay – but thankfully, heat styling has come a long way since GHD’s first ceramic straighteners ushered in an era of poker-straight hair in 2001. Today’s models feature adjustable heat settings and protective technology for hairstyl...
Whether you want cordless designs or a budget buy, we’ve tested the top hair straighteners for every hair type • The best hair dryers, tested Straighteners are here to stay – but thankfully, heat styling has come a long way since GHD’s first ceramic straighteners ushered in an era of poker-straight hair in 2001. Today’s models feature adjustable heat settings and protective technology for hairstyling with minimal damage. The looks you can achieve with a straightener have become more versatile as well: one twist of a modern, curved-edge straightener can create styles from ultra-smooth strands to structured ringlets and soft, beachy waves. There’s a wide range of styling possibilities with just one tool. Best hair straighteners overall: GHD Chronos Max Best budget hair straighteners: Remington Shine Therapy S8500 Continue reading...
Since he was 12, Bryan Kopsick has gotten an infusion of a drug called Remicade every eight weeks to control his Crohn’s disease, a painful bowel inflammation that can cause severe diarrhea. The medication lets Kopsick, now 30, caddy professionally on the PGA Tour and at other golf tournaments. This Jan. 1, however, his health insurance changed, and the new company, UnitedHealthcare , wanted him t...
Since he was 12, Bryan Kopsick has gotten an infusion of a drug called Remicade every eight weeks to control his Crohn’s disease, a painful bowel inflammation that can cause severe diarrhea. The medication lets Kopsick, now 30, caddy professionally on the PGA Tour and at other golf tournaments. This Jan. 1, however, his health insurance changed, and the new company, UnitedHealthcare , wanted him to try cheaper alternatives to Remicade, which costs tens of thousands of dollars a year. “My heart started beating fast,” Kopsick says. He didn’t want to mess with a treatment that had worked for more than half his life. The only time he’d missed a dose, he’d developed another inflammatory condition that caused painful cysts. Now, Remicade was controlling that too. “You don’t know what you’re going to do,” Kopsick recalls of the moment of panic. “You know you’re going to be screwed.” A UnitedHealthcare rep was supportive but powerless to override the denial, he says. And sure enough, Kopsick developed new cysts in February, not long after missing his dose. It was then that he began speaking with Warris Bokhari , a British doctor and entrepreneur. Three years ago, Bokhari co-founded Claimable, a company that helps patients appeal their health insurance denials using artificial intelligence. He also works directly on appeal letters that his company hasn’t yet fully automated, what Bokhari calls “hand-to-hand combat” with insurers. Bokhari walked Kopsick through a half-dozen prompts on the Claimable website about his experience with the disease. The site generated an appeal letter laying out the case for Kopsick to continue on Remicade, citing federal law and medical studies. The letter gave him a voice that sounded authoritative, as though an attorney had written it: “Forcing a switch now, after years of stability, exposes me to foreseeable and avoidable harm.” Bokhari told him to send the letter to UnitedHealthcare and copy his governor, senator, the company’s chief executiv...
Tesla Inc. investors are in for a rare treat Wednesday afternoon: a blowout earnings report. The trouble is the actual numbers are likely to get overlooked as Wall Street seeks evidence that Elon Musk ’s artificial intelligence and robotics ventures justify the stock’s sky-high valuation. Wall Street expects the electric-vehicle maker to post a 30% jump in first-quarter adjusted profits from a yea...
Tesla Inc. investors are in for a rare treat Wednesday afternoon: a blowout earnings report. The trouble is the actual numbers are likely to get overlooked as Wall Street seeks evidence that Elon Musk ’s artificial intelligence and robotics ventures justify the stock’s sky-high valuation. Wall Street expects the electric-vehicle maker to post a 30% jump in first-quarter adjusted profits from a year ago and a 15% increase in revenue when it releases results after the bell. That’s a strong turnaround from the fourth quarter, when adjusted earnings fell more than 30% and revenue slid about 3%, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. But in many ways, those figures are just an afterthought, since the stock is now trading primarily on Tesla’s ambitions for AI and robotics. That’s what pushed the shares to an all-time high in December. And the questions about those goals are what have sent the stock reeling 21% since it hit that record, making it the worst performing stock among the Magnificent Seven technology giants over that time while lagging the S&P 500 Index ’s 3.9% gain. “Investors are underwriting a decade-long vision,” said Dave Mazza , chief executive officer at Roundhill Investments, which owns Tesla shares. “That said, patience has a price.” Tesla shareholders are indeed paying a steep price for the stock. At 183 times forward earnings, it’s the third most expensive stock in the S&P 500 after Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. and Boeing Co. The Bloomberg Magnificent Seven Index is priced at around 27 times forward earnings, which is elevated because Tesla is such an outlier compared to the other six tech behemoths. For example, the next highest valuation in the group belongs to Apple Inc. at about 30 times forward earnings, followed by Alphabet Inc. at 26 times. AI chip giant Nvidia Corp. is toward the bottom with a multiple of 22 times. As a result, investing pros say strong quarterly numbers that beat already lowered expectations aren’t likely to move the richly ...
Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., arrives for the House Energy and Commerce markup of the FY2025 budget resolution in Rayburn building on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images Two data privacy bills set to be introduced Wednesday and shared first with CNBC would preempt nearly two dozen state laws to create a national standard limiting how tech and finance companies ...
Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., arrives for the House Energy and Commerce markup of the FY2025 budget resolution in Rayburn building on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images Two data privacy bills set to be introduced Wednesday and shared first with CNBC would preempt nearly two dozen state laws to create a national standard limiting how tech and finance companies handle user data. The bills — the SECURE Data Act, which focuses on technology companies and the GUARD Financial Data Act that focuses on financial services businesses – are designed to work together to form a single national standard. House Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., and House Financial Services Chair French Hill, R-Ark., are throwing their support behind the bills, likely giving them momentum for first votes to take place next month. Guthrie said in a statement to CNBC that the SECURE Act would "put an end to the confusing state-by-state patchwork of laws that fail consumers and small businesses alike." He added the measure would be similar to certain bills already passed by states like Kentucky. In addition to preempting state law, the bills would allow people to access, correct or delete their personal data, as well as opt out of targeted ads and the sale of their data, according to bill text first seen by CNBC. Neither bill would allow people to sue companies over data privacy violations, something Democratic lawmakers have pushed for in the past in previous data privacy bills. Congress tried repeatedly over the last few years to strike the right balance on data privacy protections. Besides differences between Republicans and Democrats, intra-party splits have meant past efforts struggled to get widespread support. Two years ago, a planned Energy and Commerce Committee vote on a data privacy bill was scraped at the 11th hour after numerous Republicans blocked it. Guthrie is attempting to avoid that this time. Last year, he formed a task force to bu...
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. caps off seven budget hearings in as many days, the first time he has testified before Congress since September. (Image credit: Jacquelyn Martin)
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. caps off seven budget hearings in as many days, the first time he has testified before Congress since September. (Image credit: Jacquelyn Martin)
The U.S. aviation system is being modernized — but FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford and other leaders say it will take more money to make the system more efficient and flexible. (Image credit: Ken Cedeno)
The U.S. aviation system is being modernized — but FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford and other leaders say it will take more money to make the system more efficient and flexible. (Image credit: Ken Cedeno)
On Earth Day, we take a look back at the rocky history of "tree-huggers." The term originated in the 1970s in the Himalayas and was later co-opted by American politics in the 1990s. Now, environmentalists are reclaiming the word. (Image credit: Niranjan Shrestha)
On Earth Day, we take a look back at the rocky history of "tree-huggers." The term originated in the 1970s in the Himalayas and was later co-opted by American politics in the 1990s. Now, environmentalists are reclaiming the word. (Image credit: Niranjan Shrestha)
Schools, colleges and other public institutions originally had until this week to make online content accessible to people with disabilities. Now, the Justice Department has delayed that deadline. (Image credit: Kristian Thacker for NPR)
Schools, colleges and other public institutions originally had until this week to make online content accessible to people with disabilities. Now, the Justice Department has delayed that deadline. (Image credit: Kristian Thacker for NPR)
Spirit has not confirmed a liquidation, though it has filed for bankruptcy protection twice. Experts predict rising fuel costs could push the company to close its doors for good. (Image credit: David J. Phillip)
Spirit has not confirmed a liquidation, though it has filed for bankruptcy protection twice. Experts predict rising fuel costs could push the company to close its doors for good. (Image credit: David J. Phillip)