Google's strength in search is undeniable, and arguably unshakable. However, its years-long push into AI is generating controversy, and in some cases, pushing customers away altogether. While Google commands over 90% of the search engine market, distrust of AI and complaints of "enshittification" ...
Google's strength in search is undeniable, and arguably unshakable. However, its years-long push into AI is generating controversy, and in some cases, pushing customers away altogether. While Google commands over 90% of the search engine market, distrust of AI and complaints of "enshittification" ...
Stronger checks likely to be needed in England to safeguard reputation of GCSE, AS and A-levels, says Ian Bauckham Cheating in exams could be magnified by the new generation of wearable hi-tech devices such as smartglasses or invisible earpieces, according to England’s qualifications watchdog. Ian Bauckham, the head of the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual), also reveale...
Stronger checks likely to be needed in England to safeguard reputation of GCSE, AS and A-levels, says Ian Bauckham Cheating in exams could be magnified by the new generation of wearable hi-tech devices such as smartglasses or invisible earpieces, according to England’s qualifications watchdog. Ian Bauckham, the head of the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual), also revealed that GCSEs and A-level courses in England were being scrutinised over potential AI use in students’ coursework, after teachers said they were struggling to detect it. Continue reading...
Conservation groups say work has begun in protected coastal area, while prime minister insists project will bring jobs and investment Protests in Albania over a proposed luxury resort backed by Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, are set to intensify after opponents rejected an offer from the country’s prime minister “to discuss solutions”. Thousands took to the streets of Tirana for a third...
Conservation groups say work has begun in protected coastal area, while prime minister insists project will bring jobs and investment Protests in Albania over a proposed luxury resort backed by Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, are set to intensify after opponents rejected an offer from the country’s prime minister “to discuss solutions”. Thousands took to the streets of Tirana for a third straight day on Wednesday, some of them brandishing inflatable flamingos in a nod to feared environmental damage, amid mounting calls for the project to be blocked. Continue reading...
This look at the shocking 1992 murder of Rachel Nickell bravely gives you the unvarnished tale of her family’s struggles to deal with the tragedy – and the impossibility of coping with a living hell All murders are shocking, but few unsettle a nation in the way that of Rachel Nickell did in 1992. She was stabbed 49 times while walking on Wimbledon Common during the day with her two-year-old son, A...
This look at the shocking 1992 murder of Rachel Nickell bravely gives you the unvarnished tale of her family’s struggles to deal with the tragedy – and the impossibility of coping with a living hell All murders are shocking, but few unsettle a nation in the way that of Rachel Nickell did in 1992. She was stabbed 49 times while walking on Wimbledon Common during the day with her two-year-old son, Alex. The viciousness of the attack, in a public place and in front of a child, lingered darkly in the minds of the public, especially since Alex being the only witness enabled the killer to remain at large for years. It is a crime that has been discussed, analysed and dramatised, but never quite in the way The Witness does. Across its three episodes, narrative emphasis rarely falls where we expect it to, because the main characters are not the police or the killer but the family Rachel left behind: Alex (Jahsaiah Williams, then Max Fincham as the older boy) and his devastated father André (Jordan Bolger). This harrowing new perspective proves to be rewarding. Continue reading...
It’s just a week until the first whistle of the 2026 World Cup. To mark the occasion, Madeleine Finlay talks to Ian Sample about the science behind the tournament. It’s likely to be one of the hottest ever World Cups, and scientists have written to Fifa asking it to reconsider its heat mitigations for players and referees. Dr Oliver Gibson of Brunel University outlines their concerns. Also on the ...
It’s just a week until the first whistle of the 2026 World Cup. To mark the occasion, Madeleine Finlay talks to Ian Sample about the science behind the tournament. It’s likely to be one of the hottest ever World Cups, and scientists have written to Fifa asking it to reconsider its heat mitigations for players and referees. Dr Oliver Gibson of Brunel University outlines their concerns. Also on the agenda is the huge fossil-fuel impact of the tournament, and the effect of VAR on the psychology of referees and fans Subscribe to Football Weekly for coverage of all the World Cup games Support the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Continue reading...
In 2025, the tech journalist invited artificial intelligence to do nearly everything for her, including editing the book she was writing about the experiment. Some of it was useful, some not – but it was her time with a chatbot companion that really shook her For a year, Joanna Stern decided to turn herself into a “lab rat” – the object of her own experiment. Throughout 2025, she invited artificia...
In 2025, the tech journalist invited artificial intelligence to do nearly everything for her, including editing the book she was writing about the experiment. Some of it was useful, some not – but it was her time with a chatbot companion that really shook her For a year, Joanna Stern decided to turn herself into a “lab rat” – the object of her own experiment. Throughout 2025, she invited artificial intelligence into “every corner” of her life. She let AI answer her texts, decide what she ate and cooked, mow her lawn, fold her washing, drive her places, parse her mammograms and even, in the darkness of a burner phone, be her lover. The resulting book, I Am Not a Robot: My Year Using AI to Do (Almost) Everything, asks all the big questions, including: what happens when AI can do everything humans can do? And what comes after that? If anyone can produce answers, surely it’s Stern. Last February, she ended a 12-year stint as a personal technology columnist at the Wall Street Journal. During her tenure, she won an Emmy for her short documentary E-Ternal: A Tech Quest to “Live” Forever, which explored digital legacies, and built a reputation for product reviews that were outlandishly creative and fiendishly stringent. She once took an Apple watch jetskiing on the Hudson river to evaluate its connectivity. Continue reading...
Islamic State-linked militia blamed for raids in North Kivu as governor says three patients with disease fled clinics Rebel attacks around a town that is one of the centres of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have left more than 30 people dead over the past few days, complicating the response to the disease. At least 10 people were massacred in raids on three villages aro...
Islamic State-linked militia blamed for raids in North Kivu as governor says three patients with disease fled clinics Rebel attacks around a town that is one of the centres of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have left more than 30 people dead over the past few days, complicating the response to the disease. At least 10 people were massacred in raids on three villages around the city of Beni, in North Kivu, in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Continue reading...
My friends and I wanted to tell the story of Cuban life, without interference. Before long, I was being isolated, monitored and interrogated A version of this essay was previously published in the Dial under the title The Sneeze . Translation by Lily Meyer One day, in the middle of 2014, my friend Carlos Manuel Álvarez asked me to join him on the newsroom’s balcony. Wind gusted in our eyes. Elbows...
My friends and I wanted to tell the story of Cuban life, without interference. Before long, I was being isolated, monitored and interrogated A version of this essay was previously published in the Dial under the title The Sneeze . Translation by Lily Meyer One day, in the middle of 2014, my friend Carlos Manuel Álvarez asked me to join him on the newsroom’s balcony. Wind gusted in our eyes. Elbows on the railing, we stared at the sea as we talked. We were killing time because neither of us had a computer to work on. All of them were in use. At OnCuba , the magazine in Havana where we worked, only editors got their own computers. The rest of us had to share, which sometimes meant waiting an hour. Several of my university friends and I had lucked into contributing roles at OnCuba, and even though we weren’t on staff, we were always in the newsroom. It was a way to keep our group together. Sometimes, over beers, we dreamed aloud about a newsroom coup. We wanted to topple Hugo Cancio, the publisher, and turn his resources – a giant office with multiple rooms and a balcony with sea views; computers and internet; money; connections – into the media outlet we wanted. Something with our imprint. Continue reading...
Bosses believe having single booking process will drive up ticket sales for all festivals to offset funding squeeze The Edinburgh festivals hope to launch a single box office for all the city’s 11 festivals to make it simpler to buy tickets and profit from the “lake” of customer data they hold. Festival directors hope a universal box office will allow them to increase ticket sales and attract a we...
Bosses believe having single booking process will drive up ticket sales for all festivals to offset funding squeeze The Edinburgh festivals hope to launch a single box office for all the city’s 11 festivals to make it simpler to buy tickets and profit from the “lake” of customer data they hold. Festival directors hope a universal box office will allow them to increase ticket sales and attract a wealthy corporate sponsor, such as Mastercard, to offset deep cuts in public funding they expect to see in coming years. Continue reading...
Sultanate says talks with Tehran are limited to lawful management of waterway, but Washington has doubts about neutrality Oman is resisting US pressure to break its links with Iran, and insists it has only been negotiating with Tehran on a future management system for the strait of Hormuz that would be compliant with international law. The aim would be to implement any regime after consulting the ...
Sultanate says talks with Tehran are limited to lawful management of waterway, but Washington has doubts about neutrality Oman is resisting US pressure to break its links with Iran, and insists it has only been negotiating with Tehran on a future management system for the strait of Hormuz that would be compliant with international law. The aim would be to implement any regime after consulting the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO). Traditionally Oman, a longtime US ally that shares stewardship of the strait, has adopted the role of a back-channel mediator allowing it to remain neutral in disputes that have led to fissures in other parts of the Gulf. Continue reading...
Some people living with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) have never been able to stand on their own. SMA is a genetic disorder that causes the nerves that connect the brain and muscles to deteriorate over time, making it challenging or even impossible for those affected to contract their muscles. Over time, their muscles shrink through lack of use. Depending on the severity, this condition can confin...
Some people living with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) have never been able to stand on their own. SMA is a genetic disorder that causes the nerves that connect the brain and muscles to deteriorate over time, making it challenging or even impossible for those affected to contract their muscles. Over time, their muscles shrink through lack of use. Depending on the severity, this condition can confine individuals to a wheelchair or leave them bedridden. It can also make eating and even breathing...
kyoshino/E+ via Getty Images 5:30 AM Challenger Job-Cut Report This monthly report counts and categorizes announcements of corporate layoffs based on mass layoff data from state departments of labor. 8:30 AM Jobless Claims New unemployment claims are compiled weekly to show the number of individuals who filed for unemployment insurance for the first time. Claims are expected to drop to 212K from 2...
kyoshino/E+ via Getty Images 5:30 AM Challenger Job-Cut Report This monthly report counts and categorizes announcements of corporate layoffs based on mass layoff data from state departments of labor. 8:30 AM Jobless Claims New unemployment claims are compiled weekly to show the number of individuals who filed for unemployment insurance for the first time. Claims are expected to drop to 212K from 215K last week, moving back toward the 4-week moving average of 209K after rising 5K last week from 210K. 8:30 AM Productivity and Costs Productivity measures the growth of labor efficiency in producing the economy's goods and services. Revised Q1 productivity and costs are expected to show gains of 0.7 percent, revised down a tick, and 2.3 percent unrevised, respectively. 8:30 AM Thomas Barkin Speaks Richmond Federal Reserve Bank President Thomas Barkin participates in a fireside chat before the Loudon County Chamber of Commerce. 10:30 AM EIA Natural Gas Report The Energy Information Administration, or EIA, provides weekly information on natural gas stocks in underground storage for the U.S. and five regions of the country. 1:10 PM Mary Daly Speaks San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank President Mary Daly participates in a panel before the Bloomberg Technology Summit. 4:30 PM Fed Balance Sheet The Fed's balance sheet is a weekly report presenting a consolidated balance sheet for all 12 Reserve Banks that lists factors supplying reserves into the banking system and factors absorbing reserves from the system. More on U.S. Markets Investment Strategy For The Upcoming Inflationary Recession Macro Insights: The 'Dangerous Market' Playbook, 1999 Redux, And Navigating RAMpocalypse Midyear Forum: Speed Meets Scarcity Is the dot-plot already dead? JPMorgan sees the bond yield surge fading in the second half of 2026
SpaceX's initial public offering (IPO) may already be creating wealth even before public investors buy a single share. According to Reuters, the company is targeting a valuation of roughly $1.75 trillion, up sharply from the $1.25 trillion combined valuation assigned after its merger with xAI in February 2026. As anticipation builds for what could become the biggest IPO ever, investors are increas...
SpaceX's initial public offering (IPO) may already be creating wealth even before public investors buy a single share. According to Reuters, the company is targeting a valuation of roughly $1.75 trillion, up sharply from the $1.25 trillion combined valuation assigned after its merger with xAI in February 2026. As anticipation builds for what could become the biggest IPO ever, investors are increasingly seeking indirect ways to gain exposure before the listing. Here are three ways to get indirect exposure to this rocket and satellite company . Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading
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Marc Bruxelle/iStock via Getty Images The momentum factor leads the way in the US stock market. As all eyes are on tech (new and old), AI, and high-beta plays, momentum has been a winner flying under the radar. The Invesco S&P MidCap Momentum ETF ( XMMO ) has returned 24% on the year, easily outpacing the S&P 500 ETF’s ( SPY ) 11% total gain. I had a hold rating on XMMO back in May 2025 . Shares h...
Marc Bruxelle/iStock via Getty Images The momentum factor leads the way in the US stock market. As all eyes are on tech (new and old), AI, and high-beta plays, momentum has been a winner flying under the radar. The Invesco S&P MidCap Momentum ETF ( XMMO ) has returned 24% on the year, easily outpacing the S&P 500 ETF’s ( SPY ) 11% total gain. I had a hold rating on XMMO back in May 2025 . Shares have surged, despite the big drop in the first month after my previous analysis, tallying a 45% total return, and outperforming the S&P 500 by some 11 percentage points. Today, with the momentum factor appearing extended and June being a rather lackluster month for XMMO, I reiterate a hold rating. I expect another short-term dip (perhaps not to the same extreme degree we all experienced in March-early April 2025), and I’ll lay out the fundamentals and technicals today. XMMO Smashing SPY YTD, Lags Large-Cap MTUM Stockcharts.com Momentum Leads Across Timeframes WisdomTree Funds According to the issuer , XMMO is based on the S&P Midcap 400 Momentum Index. The Fund will invest at least 90% of its total assets in the component securities that compose the Index. The Index comprises the 80 securities in the S&P Midcap 400 Index with the highest “momentum scores,” which are computed by measuring each security's upward price movements relative to other eligible stocks within the S&P Midcap 400 Index. The Fund and the Index are rebalanced and reconstituted semi-annually. XMMO is a large ETF, now with $7.6 billion in assets under management as of June 2, 2026. That’s up from just $3.5 billion at the time of my last assessment. Its annual expense ratio is modest at just 0.35%, while the trailing 12-month dividend yield is low at only 0.61%. I’ll call out later why that’s the case, as it has a lot to do with the sector makeup at the moment. But share-price momentum has been intense (to the good side) in recent months, earning the product an impressive A ETF Grade in that category by Seek...