Trumpeter Robyn Steward thought clubs weren’t for her until she encountered Fabric’s accessible upgrade – the new home for her radically inclusive, space-themed night Until May last year, trumpeter Robyn Steward had never been in a nightclub space, save for playing trumpet with Lancaster duo the Lovely Eggs at London’s Heaven, and a few nights in a university hall that doubled as a lunch room. Ste...
Trumpeter Robyn Steward thought clubs weren’t for her until she encountered Fabric’s accessible upgrade – the new home for her radically inclusive, space-themed night Until May last year, trumpeter Robyn Steward had never been in a nightclub space, save for playing trumpet with Lancaster duo the Lovely Eggs at London’s Heaven, and a few nights in a university hall that doubled as a lunch room. Steward is autistic and has multiple disabilities including cerebral palsy. “Sometimes strobes can trigger migraines for me, or feel a bit overwhelming,” she says. “I feel like my body’s a bit lost.” When she wanted to see a gig at Fabric nightclub in London, she asked a friend to go with her as a carer. “I was amazed at how accessible it was,” she says. Subtle touches integrate multiple access needs into the space. “The mezzanine level meant that I didn’t have the strobes in my face. There was a rail that I could hold on to, and there was seating opposite the balcony so I could sit and watch the gig.” She also noticed Fabric’s recently upgraded sensory dancefloor, which deliberately transforms sound into tactile vibrations to better cater for the hearing impaired. “I could see that the lights were strobing and everything, but I felt safe,” Steward says. Continue reading...
ToucanStudios London ( UKX ) +0.63% Germany ( DAX:IND ) -0.66% France ( CAC:IND ) -0.74% In other parts of Europe, producer price inflation in Spain spiked to 8.3% year-on-year in April 2026, the steepest since December 2022, from a downwardly revised 3.1% in the prior month. The pan-European Stoxx 600 ( STOXX) eased 0.2% on Tuesday as investors tracked developments in the Middle East and Ukraine ...
ToucanStudios London ( UKX ) +0.63% Germany ( DAX:IND ) -0.66% France ( CAC:IND ) -0.74% In other parts of Europe, producer price inflation in Spain spiked to 8.3% year-on-year in April 2026, the steepest since December 2022, from a downwardly revised 3.1% in the prior month. The pan-European Stoxx 600 ( STOXX) eased 0.2% on Tuesday as investors tracked developments in the Middle East and Ukraine amid renewed volatility in oil markets, following strong gains across the region’s major bourses in the previous session. On the geopolitical front, U.S. forces carried out what Central Command described as “self defense” strikes in southern Iran early Tuesday. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is in India, said that the Strait of Hormuz ultimately will have to be opened “one way or the other.” Investors are also closely monitoring events in the ongoing war in Ukraine, after Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, told his U.S. counterpart, Marco Rubio, to evacuate diplomats and citizens from Kyiv ahead of fresh “systematic strikes” on the Ukrainian capital. In corporate news, shares of Ferrari ( RACE ) tumbled more than 6% after the luxury automaker introduced its first fully electric vehicle, the Ferrari Luce, on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Kingfisher ( KGFHF ) — the owner of U.K. home improvement chains B&Q and Screwfix—climbed to the top of the Stoxx 600 after reporting its first-quarter earnings update. In the bond market, the yield on the US 10-year Treasury was down 6 basis points to 4.51%. UK's 10-year yield was down 4 basis points to 4.86%. Germany's 10-year yield was up 3 basis points to 2.96%. Currencies: ( EUR:USD ) ( GBP:USD ) ( CHF:USD ) ETFs: (NYSEARCA: EWG ), (NYSE: GF ), (NYSEARCA: EWI ), (NYSEARCA: EWQ ), (NASDAQ: FGM ), (NASDAQ: DAX ), (NYSEARCA: FLGR ), (NYSEARCA: FXB ), (NYSEARCA: EWU ), (NASDAQ: FKU ), (BATS: EWUS ), (NYSEARCA: FLGB ), (NYSEARCA: GREK ) More on Europe, GREK: Stealthy YTD Gains Likely To Continue, Eyes On Banks A Final Path To Peace? Markets...
The Xi-Trump summit in Beijing unfolded much more cordially than the tense truce in Busan. In the six months since the leaders met in the South Korean city, America’s bargaining position has weakened considerably from developments both domestic and international. From a reluctant respite in tensions, US-China relations have evolved to what may be the beginning of a reconciliation. The two great po...
The Xi-Trump summit in Beijing unfolded much more cordially than the tense truce in Busan. In the six months since the leaders met in the South Korean city, America’s bargaining position has weakened considerably from developments both domestic and international. From a reluctant respite in tensions, US-China relations have evolved to what may be the beginning of a reconciliation. The two great powers interact at three levels. At the bottom is trade and investment; we can expect the terms of the Busan trade truce to be revised as the context evolves. At the top is geopolitical rivalry – with an America drained by the Iran war. In the middle is the most strategic layer, involving technology and critical supply chains, shaping cooperation in the level below and constraining conflict in the level above. The bottom layer is the easiest to self-maintain. In Beijing, the United States and China agreed to set up separate boards to manage bilateral trade and investment. These boards primarily cover non-sensitive sectors, however, and function well only if there is strategic stability in the top layer. Advertisement Trump’s trade war against the world is losing steam. The US Supreme Court and Court of International Trade have ruled that Trump’s tariffs are invalid. Despite the Section 301 trade investigations against China, given the understanding reached at the pre-Beijing talks in Seoul, US tariffs may be capped at levels established in last year’s truce. Furthermore, the bid to leverage tariffs to narrow US trade deficits and suppress China’s exports has largely failed. Last year, the US goods trade deficit hit a record of US$1.24 trillion while China reported a record trade surplus of US$1.2 trillion. Although the US trade deficit with China shrunk, this has neither helped the US nor hurt China – the US has merely shifted import sources while China diversified its export markets. Even as trade flows are reconfigured, the overall trade balances for US and China hardly bud...
BEIJING, May 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sunlands Technology Group (NYSE: STG) (“Sunlands” or the “Company”), a leader in China’s adult online education market and China’s adult personal interest learning market, today announced its unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026. First Quarter 2026 Financial and Operational Snapshots Net revenues were RMB440.7 million (US$...
BEIJING, May 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sunlands Technology Group (NYSE: STG) (“Sunlands” or the “Company”), a leader in China’s adult online education market and China’s adult personal interest learning market, today announced its unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026. First Quarter 2026 Financial and Operational Snapshots Net revenues were RMB440.7 million (US$63.9 million), compared to RMB487.6 million in the first quarter of 2025. Gross billings (non-GAAP) were RMB304.8 million (US$44.2 million), compared to RMB412.3 million in the first quarter of 2025. Gross profit was RMB381.1 million (US$55.3 million), compared to RMB415.3 million in the first quarter of 2025. Net income was RMB76.8 million (US$11.1 million), compared to RMB75.2 million in the first quarter of 2025. Net income margin 1 was 17.4%, compared to 15.4% in the first quarter of 2025. was 17.4%, compared to 15.4% in the first quarter of 2025. New student enrollments 2 were 102,127, compared to 169,083 in the first quarter of 2025. were 102,127, compared to 169,083 in the first quarter of 2025. As of March 31, 2026, the Company’s deferred revenue balance was RMB500.5 million (US$72.6 million), compared to RMB585.3 million as of December 31, 2025. _____________________________ 1 Net income margin is defined as net income as a percentage of net revenues. 2 New student enrollments for a given period refer to the total number of orders placed by students that newly enroll in at least one course during that period, including those students that enroll and then terminate their enrollment with us, excluding orders of our low-price courses, such as “mini courses” and “RMB1 courses”, which we offer in the form of recorded videos or short live streaming, to strengthen our competitiveness and improve customer experience. “We opened 2026 with net revenues of RMB440.7 million and net income of RMB76.8 million, our 20th consecutive profitable quarter. Net income margin remained s...
Conflict is intensfying around the world, from Latin America to the Middle East to potentially the Pacific. In preparation for a less peaceful future, the U.S. is substantially increasing its defense budget, boosting it by 44% to $1.5 trillion in 2027 alone. Full budgets are not out yet, but it is clear there will be a huge rise in spending on new military technologies and in stockpiles of key pro...
Conflict is intensfying around the world, from Latin America to the Middle East to potentially the Pacific. In preparation for a less peaceful future, the U.S. is substantially increasing its defense budget, boosting it by 44% to $1.5 trillion in 2027 alone. Full budgets are not out yet, but it is clear there will be a huge rise in spending on new military technologies and in stockpiles of key products, such as missile defense systems. Many stocks can benefit as suppliers to this new arsenal of democracy. Here are two defense stocks worth looking at. Anyone following the war in Ukraine knows that drones are the future of warfare. In land-based conflict, this means drones in the air. But for sea-based conflict, the U.S. Navy is increasing its defense and attack capabilities with underwater drones. The contractors making these drones can overlap with air drones such as start-up Anduril, but it is in a much earlier growth phase, with research and procurement only beginning now. Continue reading
Some palm oil refiners in Indonesia are avoiding buying fruit from small farmers, a sign of how the government’s commodity export overhaul risks squeezing grower incomes and crimping supplies of the crop. Several processors have stopped purchasing fresh fruit bunches from smallholders while they wait for clarity on the new export framework, according to people familiar with the matter. Large refin...
Some palm oil refiners in Indonesia are avoiding buying fruit from small farmers, a sign of how the government’s commodity export overhaul risks squeezing grower incomes and crimping supplies of the crop. Several processors have stopped purchasing fresh fruit bunches from smallholders while they wait for clarity on the new export framework, according to people familiar with the matter. Large refiners that already have sufficient supply from their own plantations are, meanwhile, choosing to avoid spot purchases due to the policy uncertainty, the people said, asking not to be named as they’re not authorized to speak to media. President Prabowo Subianto last week unveiled plans for the government to take direct control over exports of some of the nation’s most important commodities. Danantara Sumberdaya Indonesia, a new entity under one of Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund, will start by taking over export management of palm oil, thermal coal and some nickel products — markets that Indonesia dominates. Prabowo has said the policy is aimed at increasing transparency and curbing tax evasion, but, in the short term at least, it has rattled investors and whipsawed palm markets. State-linked tenders, which serve as a benchmark for domestic crude palm oil prices and export offers, have ground to a halt since the announcement as buyers slashed bids for spot cargoes, even as Malaysian palm futures climbed. Benchmark futures in Kuala Lumpur rose as much as 0.8% on Tuesday. Indonesia’s government, along with business operators and palm oil farmer associations, has agreed on steps to maintain the stability of prices and ensure smooth implementation of the new export policy, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Sudaryono said in a statement, following a meeting with industry stakeholders on Tuesday. The volatility in prices is being driven by “psychological fears,” including uncertainty and a lack of understanding on how the new regulations will work, Sudaryono said. After the meeting, ...
Key Points Claiming spousal benefits from Social Security before full retirement age could result in reduced monthly checks. Once full retirement age arrives, there's no sense in waiting. Spousal benefits aren't eligible for delayed retirement credits, and waiting too long to file could cost you a boatload of money. The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook › There's a lo...
Key Points Claiming spousal benefits from Social Security before full retirement age could result in reduced monthly checks. Once full retirement age arrives, there's no sense in waiting. Spousal benefits aren't eligible for delayed retirement credits, and waiting too long to file could cost you a boatload of money. The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook › There's a lot riding on your Social Security filing decision. That's because the age at which you take benefits has a direct impact on the amount of money you receive each month. This applies to Social Security benefits you collect in retirement based on your personal wage history as well as spousal benefits. When you're filing for Social Security benefits based on your own earnings record, there's a huge upside to delaying your claim past full retirement age. But that upside doesn't exist in the world of spousal benefits. And recognizing that could spare you from making a potentially huge mistake. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » Get your spousal benefit timing right Spousal benefits from Social Security could be a financial lifeline for you in retirement. So it's important to file strategically. As is the case with benefits you're claiming on your own earnings record, you can sign up for spousal benefits starting at age 62. But if you don't wait until full retirement age to claim spousal benefits, those monthly checks will be reduced permanently. Full retirement age is 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later. Now when you're claiming Social Security based on your own earnings record, there's a huge incentive to hold off past full retirement age. Each year you wait up until age 70 boosts your monthly checks by 8%. But those delayed retirement credits don't apply to spousal benefits. Rather, spousal benefi...
BalkansCat/iStock Editorial via Getty Images I often say very clearly that some upsides (or downsides, for that matter) cannot be forecasted. But I also say that in some cases, the undervaluation in the cases of some companies is so very clear that there's no question whether there will be upside. The question is not if, but when. ams-OSRAM AG ( AMSSY ) was one such company and still to this day (...
BalkansCat/iStock Editorial via Getty Images I often say very clearly that some upsides (or downsides, for that matter) cannot be forecasted. But I also say that in some cases, the undervaluation in the cases of some companies is so very clear that there's no question whether there will be upside. The question is not if, but when. ams-OSRAM AG ( AMSSY ) was one such company and still to this day (at least for the time being) is one such company. I invested a bit (not much, but above 0.2%) at sub-$3/share for the ADR, in accordance with my last article on the company found here. You can see the return on that investment here. Seeking Alpha AMS Osram RoR Now, a few disclaimers on this one, since we're talking about a 410%+ return in less than 2 years, which is more than 15x the development of the SPY, which was also great. First, no, I was unable to forecast exactly this, nor the timing of when this occurred—obviously. If I had, I would have invested a lot more than 0.2% of my portfolio; I can tell you that much. Secondly, the company is still a risky business—again, reflected in my overall allocation size. However, there are a few things I'm willing to take credit for. Firstly, I forecasted a potential recovery by the 2026-2027 period. This has materialized. I further forecasted a return to positive results and better fundamental trends. This, too, has occurred. Out of most analysts on SA, I believe, based on articles, only I and one other analyst saw any sort of appeal in this. And when it comes to that, I also obviously didn't see the degree of reversal appeal. But this is where we now are. So, because we're now at a 400%+ return in the midst of a surging market, this requires a stance from me. I need to decide what to do with the position, which is now above 1.2% of my portfolio. It's a meaningful improvement, and what was a slightly small position has actually grown into a respectable size. So do I rotate, or do I keep it? And if either, what do I base this decis...
Key Points Inflationary pressures are calling Wall Street's bull market rally into question. The Iran war is taking its toll, with gas prices rising faster than they have in three decades. While the Cleveland Fed's Inflation Nowcasting tool offers a silver lining, it also points to growing risk of Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) interest rate hikes. 10 stocks we like better than S&P 500 Index...
Key Points Inflationary pressures are calling Wall Street's bull market rally into question. The Iran war is taking its toll, with gas prices rising faster than they have in three decades. While the Cleveland Fed's Inflation Nowcasting tool offers a silver lining, it also points to growing risk of Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) interest rate hikes. 10 stocks we like better than S&P 500 Index › Within the last two weeks, we've witnessed the iconic Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI), benchmark S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC), and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) reach all-time highs. But the sustainability of this bull market rally is being firmly called into question by rapidly rising inflation. While the latest May inflation update from the Federal Reserve offered the first glimmer of hope in weeks, the bad news continues to handily outweigh any silver linings for Wall Street. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » The Iran war is taking its toll Although now-former Fed Chair Jerome Powell repeatedly called out President Donald Trump's tariffs and their price stickiness in the goods sector for elevated inflation, the bulk of the inflationary pressures right now trace back to the Iran war. Since Trump gave the order for the U.S. military to attack Iran on Feb. 28, the latter has shut down the Strait of Hormuz to most commercial traffic. This includes halting the movement of approximately 20 million barrels of petroleum liquids per day (about 20% of worldwide demand). ⛽ Average U.S. gas prices per gallon on May 6, per AAA: • Regular: $4.54 (⬆️ $1.56 since war in Iran began on Feb. 28) • Premium: $5.39 (⬆️ $1.85 since war began) • Diesel: $5.67 (⬆️ $1.81 since war began) -- NBC News (@NBCNews) May 6, 2026 The largest energy supply disrupti...