Always wondered what everyday stuff celebrities buy, where they shop for food, and the basic they scrimp on? The actor talks well-brewed tea, never lending books, and the joy of dining at home with the Filter • Don’t get the Filter delivered to your inbox? Sign up here Kim Cattrall shot to fame when she played the sexually liberated Samantha Jones in the TV series Sex and the City. Her film roles ...
Always wondered what everyday stuff celebrities buy, where they shop for food, and the basic they scrimp on? The actor talks well-brewed tea, never lending books, and the joy of dining at home with the Filter • Don’t get the Filter delivered to your inbox? Sign up here Kim Cattrall shot to fame when she played the sexually liberated Samantha Jones in the TV series Sex and the City. Her film roles span comedy, drama and thrillers including Police Academy, Mannequin and The Ghost Writer. She also appeared to rave reviews in stage productions of Private Lives and David Mamet’s The Cryptogram. Born in Liverpool, she moved to Canada as a child and now divides her time between New York City, London and Vancouver. Cattrall is the face of a new Designer at Debenhams campaign, a collaboration between the retailer and the British designer Ashish. Continue reading...
In Nariño, guerrilla groups are swapping arms for legal mining as part of the country’s peace accord. But as presidential elections loom, armed rivals and delays threaten to derail progress Dressed in civilian clothing with Pasto Indigenous motifs across his sleeves, Royer Garzón, a guerrilla commander and delegate at the peace negotiation table, sits alongside about two-dozen combatants on a smal...
In Nariño, guerrilla groups are swapping arms for legal mining as part of the country’s peace accord. But as presidential elections loom, armed rivals and delays threaten to derail progress Dressed in civilian clothing with Pasto Indigenous motifs across his sleeves, Royer Garzón, a guerrilla commander and delegate at the peace negotiation table, sits alongside about two-dozen combatants on a small stand beside a concrete sports field in one of Nariño’s state-recognised Indigenous collective territories in Colombia . Most wear military fatigues and rubber boots, matching a huge red-and-white banner reading FC Sur-ELN – Frente Comuneros del Sur, or National Liberation Army, the guerrilla group they once belonged to – an identity they have not lost. Members of Comuneros del Sur. The group is estimated to have about 250 fighters in the Nariño department Continue reading...
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is preparing a new Create a Pass feature for iOS 27 that could make the iPhone's Wallet app more useful for users who still depend on QR codes from gyms, concerts, retailers and other services that do not support Apple Wallet directly. The current Wallet app is already central to Apple Pay, credit and debit cards, digital keys, retailer gift cards and passes from third-party ap...
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is preparing a new Create a Pass feature for iOS 27 that could make the iPhone's Wallet app more useful for users who still depend on QR codes from gyms, concerts, retailers and other services that do not support Apple Wallet directly. The current Wallet app is already central to Apple Pay, credit and debit cards, digital keys, retailer gift cards and passes from third-party apps, but the missing piece has been services that never built Wallet-compatible passes in the first place. According to people with knowledge of the matter, Apple's new tool is designed to address that gap by letting users take a QR code and generate their own customized pass around it.
Zimbabwe began trials of blending ethanol and diesel to offset rising costs caused by conflict in the Middle East, the nation’s energy minister said. The tests are being carried out by the government in partnership with privately owned entity Green Fuel Ltd., Energy and Power Development Minister July Moyo said in an interview on Monday. Zimbabwe already blends gasoline with ethanol. “The idea is ...
Zimbabwe began trials of blending ethanol and diesel to offset rising costs caused by conflict in the Middle East, the nation’s energy minister said. The tests are being carried out by the government in partnership with privately owned entity Green Fuel Ltd., Energy and Power Development Minister July Moyo said in an interview on Monday. Zimbabwe already blends gasoline with ethanol. “The idea is that we increase ethanol production, which we will blend with the diesel,” Moyo said in an interview. “It’s still early stages for us to determine the time lines when this will be completed, but results will guide us on the way forward.” The initiative highlights ways in which countries are trying to mitigate the impact of the surge in energy prices that’s resulted from the US-Israeli war on Iran, with Brent crude prices surging almost 60% and diesel futures jumping almost 80%. South Africa has introduced temporary fuel-tax cuts, while Indonesia is implementing a biofuel-blending policy and Ethiopia has introduced subsidies . Diesel consumption in Zimbabwe increased 20% to 338.7 million liters in the first three months of the year, according to official data from the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority. The country imported 163.7 million liters of gasoline in the period, compared with 175 million liters a year earlier, it said. Sign up here for the daily Next Africa newsletter and subscribe to the Next Africa podcast on Apple , Spotify or anywhere you listen .
For most military powers, proving the success of one’s technology in real combat almost always requires undertaking the grave risks of war and human casualties. In the case of the People’s Liberation Army, Beijing continues to exercise great caution about joining any armed conflict, and the past few decades have brought astounding progress yet an extremely limited combat footprint for its weaponry...
For most military powers, proving the success of one’s technology in real combat almost always requires undertaking the grave risks of war and human casualties. In the case of the People’s Liberation Army, Beijing continues to exercise great caution about joining any armed conflict, and the past few decades have brought astounding progress yet an extremely limited combat footprint for its weaponry. The Iran war could change that. As tensions around Iran persist, Pakistan, whose imported weapons...
Washington, D.C., May 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Home prices rose in 71% of metro markets (167 out of 235) during the first quarter of 2026, according to the National Association of REALTORS ® ’ latest quarterly report . This is down from 73% in the fourth quarter. Seven percent of metro areas (16 out of 235) recorded double-digit price gains, up from 5% last quarter. The report provides the rea...
Washington, D.C., May 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Home prices rose in 71% of metro markets (167 out of 235) during the first quarter of 2026, according to the National Association of REALTORS ® ’ latest quarterly report . This is down from 73% in the fourth quarter. Seven percent of metro areas (16 out of 235) recorded double-digit price gains, up from 5% last quarter. The report provides the real estate ecosystem—including agents and homebuyers and sellers—with quarterly metro-area data on median home prices and housing affordability.
For the next four days only, you can buy one pass to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 and get 50% off a second of the same ticket type. That window closes May 8 at 11:59 p.m. PT. After that, prices go up, and you’ll pay more to bring a partner or colleague. Register today to get your plus-one pass at 50% off.
For the next four days only, you can buy one pass to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 and get 50% off a second of the same ticket type. That window closes May 8 at 11:59 p.m. PT. After that, prices go up, and you’ll pay more to bring a partner or colleague. Register today to get your plus-one pass at 50% off.
Runner 5, we are so back. | Image: Naomi Alderman Starting tomorrow, Zombies, Run! fans will be able to download a new eight-part story for the fitness app. That's nothing short of a miracle. In 2012, Zombies, Run! was one of the first fitness apps to find a dedicated community. A big part of that success was that it combined a couch-to-5K plan with immersive audio storytelling set in a zombie apo...
Runner 5, we are so back. | Image: Naomi Alderman Starting tomorrow, Zombies, Run! fans will be able to download a new eight-part story for the fitness app. That's nothing short of a miracle. In 2012, Zombies, Run! was one of the first fitness apps to find a dedicated community. A big part of that success was that it combined a couch-to-5K plan with immersive audio storytelling set in a zombie apocalypse. Six to Start - the company behind the game - was eventually sold to OliveX, a dubious purveyor of crypto and NFT products. It then fell into the same trap that befalls many indie apps and games after acquisition. A little over a year ago, all but two Six to Start staffers had been laid of … Read the full story at The Verge.
onurdongel/iStock via Getty Images I previously rated First Solar, Inc. ( FSLR ) as a Hold in February 2026, attributed to the cooling demand and the mixed booking trends. In this article, I shall discuss why FSLR remains a Hold here, pending further clarity to the renewables regulatory policy. FSLR Faces Numerous Headwinds & Tailwinds Entering FY2026 FSLR 1Y Stock Price (Trading View) Since my la...
onurdongel/iStock via Getty Images I previously rated First Solar, Inc. ( FSLR ) as a Hold in February 2026, attributed to the cooling demand and the mixed booking trends. In this article, I shall discuss why FSLR remains a Hold here, pending further clarity to the renewables regulatory policy. FSLR Faces Numerous Headwinds & Tailwinds Entering FY2026 FSLR 1Y Stock Price (Trading View) Since my last article, FSLR has notably bottomed at the $180s over the past few months, while delivering a more than decent stock price recovery by +7.3% compared to the wider market at +5.1%. 1. Higher Renewables Demand Part of the tailwinds may be attributed to the ongoing Iran conflict and the consequently, elevated oil/gas spot prices , with EV sales already on the boom as a result of the higher pump prices while building upon the growing used EV sales in March 2026. With it remaining to be seen when the conflict may be successfully resolved and when the gas/utility prices may normalize, I am of the opinion that demand for renewables/electrified offerings are likely to be robust in the mean time. FSLR has already fed the exuberance through the 1.6 GW of net bookings in FQ1'26 as well, compared to: -0.9 GW of net debookings in FY2025 (with 7.4 GW of gross bookings /8.3 GW of debookings) and 0.5 GW of net bookings in FQ1'25, with it lending credence to the robust utility demand for their cadmium telluride based solar panels. The same has been observed in the higher gross bookings of 1.9 GW between the FQ4'25 earnings call on February 24, 2026 and the FQ1'26 earnings call on April 30, 2026. If anything, readers may want to note that another US-based solar panel producer, Canadian Solar ( CSIQ ), has guided the US shipment growth to 6.75 GW at the midpoint in FY2026 (+11.2% YoY, based on 25% of its FY2025 global shipments at 24.3 GW). These lend credibility to FSLR's recent stock price recovery by +14.6% from the March 2026 bottom, as the market seemingly looks past the prior renewabl...
izusek/E+ via Getty Images The housing bubble and unaffordable pricing have thwarted the launch plans of new households over the past decade. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported the typical age of first-time buyers climbed to an all-time high of 40 years in 2025, down from around 28 years old in 1991. The share of first-time buyers dropped to a record low of 21%. Aging baby boomers...
izusek/E+ via Getty Images The housing bubble and unaffordable pricing have thwarted the launch plans of new households over the past decade. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported the typical age of first-time buyers climbed to an all-time high of 40 years in 2025, down from around 28 years old in 1991. The share of first-time buyers dropped to a record low of 21%. Aging baby boomers (now ages 62 to 80) own the majority of the higher-end homes, and all boomers will be 65+ in 3.7 years. By 2030, nearly 25% of Canada’s population will be over 65, up from close to 20% in a 2024 Statistics Canada report. During the 2019-2022 FOMO (fear-of-missing-out) frenzy, some elders mortgaged their homes to give down payments to children and grandchildren and co-signed on loans with family members. Borrowers who secured mortgages in 2020–21 at rates under 2% are now seeing renewal offers in the 4–5% range. Equifax Canada has noted that non-mortgage delinquencies have reached levels not seen since 2009. As of the first quarter of 2026, non-performing mortgage loans in Canada reached approximately $7.2 billion — an increase of about 150% since 2022. These are “Stage 3” loans, meaning they are more than 90 days overdue and considered in default. (source: JDL Realty). The Office of the Superintendent of Canadian Financial Institutions (OFSI) predicts that rising residential mortgage arrears and defaults are the number one threat to Canada’s financial system (OFSI 2026-27 annual risk outlook report, April 2026). Far from ‘free money,’ the housing bubble and now bust have consequential impacts for all of us. Bubbles give, and then the busts take back. Three-quarters of those age 55+ surveyed in an online Angus Reid Forum indicated that supporting family is cutting into their retirement savings, according to research from Bloom collected last September. At the same time, falling home prices and weak sales are thwarting downsize plans. See, ‘ Not the right time’: Retirees del...
In 2026, infrastructure as a service is delivering measurable ROI through specialization, performance optimization, and pricing transparency. Enterprise buyers are aligning infrastructure choices to workload requirements such as AI training, AI inference, regulated environments, and general enterprise compute. This approach is improving cost efficiency, latency, and throughput by matching infrastr...
In 2026, infrastructure as a service is delivering measurable ROI through specialization, performance optimization, and pricing transparency. Enterprise buyers are aligning infrastructure choices to workload requirements such as AI training, AI inference, regulated environments, and general enterprise compute. This approach is improving cost efficiency, latency, and throughput by matching infrastructure to specific use cases.
New Action Board Scheduler helps AP teams automate recurring payment work while maintaining control and supporting a seamless end-to-end AP process Action Board Scheduler Mekorma Action Board Scheduler in Business Central enables AP teams to automate and schedule payment batch processing with full control over timing and approvals. BOULDER, Colo., May 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Accounts payable ...
New Action Board Scheduler helps AP teams automate recurring payment work while maintaining control and supporting a seamless end-to-end AP process Action Board Scheduler Mekorma Action Board Scheduler in Business Central enables AP teams to automate and schedule payment batch processing with full control over timing and approvals. BOULDER, Colo., May 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Accounts payable (AP) teams are under increasing pressure to reduce manual work while maintaining strong financial co
It hasn't been smooth sailing for Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) following the departure of its highly regarded CEO in the fall of 2024, as the fast-casual Tex-Mex restaurant operator has struggled with comparable-store sales growth ever since. However, the company gave investors some good news when it reported its first-quarter (Q1) results -- a surprise uptick in same-store sales . Let's div...
It hasn't been smooth sailing for Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) following the departure of its highly regarded CEO in the fall of 2024, as the fast-casual Tex-Mex restaurant operator has struggled with comparable-store sales growth ever since. However, the company gave investors some good news when it reported its first-quarter (Q1) results -- a surprise uptick in same-store sales . Let's dive into its quarterly results and prospects to see if this could be the start of a turnaround. After seeing its same-store sales sink by 2.5% in the fourth quarter, the restaurant operator turned in a surprise 0.5% increase in Q1. Traffic increased by 0.6%, while the average transaction edged 0.1% lower. The company credited the improvement to the return of its limited-time Chicken al Pastor offering and the introduction of its new Cilantro-Lime Sauce. It added that it has seen a nice step up in April, helped by the Easter shift and strong momentum with its Cilantro-Lime Sauce. Continue reading
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) has been rising in value lately, topping $80,000 for the first time in months. For the most part, however, it's been a volatile year for the leading cryptocurrency, which as of Tuesday was still down around 8% since the start of 2026. And it's nowhere near the highs of more than $126,000 that it reached last year. What level is the digital currency more likely to hit this yea...
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) has been rising in value lately, topping $80,000 for the first time in months. For the most part, however, it's been a volatile year for the leading cryptocurrency, which as of Tuesday was still down around 8% since the start of 2026. And it's nowhere near the highs of more than $126,000 that it reached last year. What level is the digital currency more likely to hit this year: $50,000 or $100,000? Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading
As AI model providers increasingly move downstream, launching products and agents for specific enterprise applications and sectors like finance, one big question still remains: how will said AI agents be equipped with the proper context surrounding a task — who assigned it, which other stakeholders are involved, what data or discussions have taken place about it and how it should be done? This pra...
As AI model providers increasingly move downstream, launching products and agents for specific enterprise applications and sectors like finance, one big question still remains: how will said AI agents be equipped with the proper context surrounding a task — who assigned it, which other stakeholders are involved, what data or discussions have taken place about it and how it should be done? This practice of "context engineering" remains one of the great unsolved problems of the AI era. But SageOx , a Seattle-based startup founded by the veterans who built the original AWS EC2 and EBS infrastructure, believes it has the answer: a new systems layer it calls "agentic context infrastructure." Using a combination of small hardware recording devices and the existing applications enterprises already rely on — Slack, email, documents, files — and applying new, open-source frameworks and instructions atop it all, SageOX has developed a system by which enterprises can keep agents as "in-the-loop" and updated on the enterprise's tasks as their human employees are, and prevent them from "drifting" off their assigned tasks and the firm's larger goals. “We are capturing all of this context where it happens," said Ajit Banerjee, founder and CEO of SageOX and a former Hugging Face, Meta, Amazon and Apple engineer said in a recent video call interview with VentureBeat. "Product development is a team sport, and the context doesn’t just come from people typing on a keyboard. It happens in conversations.” By capturing the "why" behind the "what"—the intent that lives in Slack threads, whiteboarding sessions, and water-cooler conversations—SageOx aims to provide a "hivemind" that ensures agents don't drift and humans stay in flow. "The way people have to work is not old-school coordination, where I write down an issue and then it goes through a sequence. It has to be almost like playing jazz," Banerjee added. Today, the company emerged from stealth to announce its $15 million seed round l...
Central banks risk a global recession by raising interest rates in a bid to contain soaring energy costs, an analyst has said. Julian Howard, chief multi-asset investment strategist at GAM Investments, warned that rate-setters are now "on the verge of policy mistake territory" as expectations of rate rises grow. Howard said that the traditional response to rising energy costs — ramping up borrowin...
Central banks risk a global recession by raising interest rates in a bid to contain soaring energy costs, an analyst has said. Julian Howard, chief multi-asset investment strategist at GAM Investments, warned that rate-setters are now "on the verge of policy mistake territory" as expectations of rate rises grow. Howard said that the traditional response to rising energy costs — ramping up borrowing costs — is an error given the supply-side nature of the energy price shock. "The kind of interest rates that are needed to actually stop people filling up their car, to stop people flying, would be seriously high, very, very high — and recession-inducing," Howard said. watch now VIDEO 2:32 02:32 Central banks 'on verge of policy mistake territory': Strategist Squawk Box Europe The European Central Bank held interest rates steady last week , despite eurozone inflation coming in at 3% in April. The Bank of England also left rates unchanged as the U.K. grapples with higher oil prices. But investors are now pricing a June ECB rate hike, while BoE governor Andrew Bailey told CNBC that a protracted energy price shock could force the bank's hand on borrowing costs. The Reserve Bank of Australia has already moved, increasing rates by 25 basis points to 4.35% on Tuesday, after higher fuel prices pushed headline inflation in the country to 4.6% in March, from 3.7% the previous month. Other global monetary authorities could also follow suit. But speaking with CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe" on Tuesday, Howard recalled the expression "Central banks can't print molecules of oil." "The immediate emergency in the eyes of the central banks is is the actual cost of energy," Howard said. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Brent crude. While rate rises can help combat the second-round effects of inflation, such as wage demands, it would be a mistake for policymakers to try to tackle energy costs by increasing borrowing costs in the first instance, he added. "What tends to happen is that actually ...
Torsten Slok, chief economist at Apollo Global Management, expects that productivity gains from artificial intelligence will probably result in more jobs being created than are lost, similar to the effects after China joined the World Trade Organization. (Source: Bloomberg)
Torsten Slok, chief economist at Apollo Global Management, expects that productivity gains from artificial intelligence will probably result in more jobs being created than are lost, similar to the effects after China joined the World Trade Organization. (Source: Bloomberg)