8:59 pm - February 9, 2026Some locations mutter their cautions. Signs on lawns on Phoenix’s outskirts encourage people to save water. Concerns about disappearing streams are common among farming people in the arid interior of Chile. These are tales on AI as well as climate change. Even with its abstract appearance, artificial intelligence is becoming…
One late night, I paused on a video that appeared to show a well-known Canadian journalist supporting a fringe political organization. Although her cadence and voice were familiar, there was something strange about them. The lighting seemed too consistent, and the background seemed rather flat. The video went viral on…
The report could as well have been classified even though it hadn’t been. No one on Capitol Hill seemed ready to address the problems presented by the Pentagon’s climate research, which was quietly shared, internally disputed, and politically awkward. It’s about operational failure and deficiencies in national security, not just about rising waves or melting permafrost. A new type of vulnerability was described in the study, one brought on by flash floods, extreme temperatures, and deteriorating infrastructure rather than missiles or cyberattacks. The environment is changing more quickly than the defense budget can keep up, and some of the country’s…
I was thinking about a talk that hung between certainty and conjecture during a quiet time during the AI summit in Paris. A timeframe of five to 10 years for Artificial General Intelligence was provided by DeepMind’s smart and thoughtful CEO, Demis Hassabis. As usual, things were “complicated.” The message was yet sufficiently obvious to inspire action in spite of the hedging. AGI is becoming a planning assumption at high-level discussions between government agencies and IT businesses, rather than a hypothetical concept. Some even see it as a strategic necessity. In the last three years, we have seen a surge…
The town of Menindee reached 49.1°C on day seven of Australia’s record-breaking heatwave, with almost no one outside. The locals soon realized that staying inside was essential for survival and not an option. Power grids are under stress. Air conditioners put in extra hours. Even still, the night air stubbornly remained over 33°C, making sleep short. The most recent intense heat event that hit southeast Australia was a meteorological landmark rather than merely a typical hot spell. Large inland areas in Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, and New South Wales had daytime highs of above 40°C, frequently in the upper 40s,…
The European Union has made remarkable progress in recent months, moving its AI Act from paper regulation to actual enforcement. The ambitious and incredibly complex regulation aims to regulate AI systems in a similar way to how air traffic control controls congested skies, ensuring accountability, coordinating movement, and preventing collisions. For American tech behemoths, the upheaval has resembled an abrupt shift in weather patterns. Businesses used to relatively lax oversight in the US now have to deal with a very clear and highly structured regulatory environment. Since the Act started phasing in specific duties for general-purpose AI systems, the disparity…
The headline, “Google DeepMind’s new AI learns faster than any system before it,” seemed to carry an odd charge when a colleague initially slid the DeepMind research paper across my desk last winter. On first read, I was quietly fascinated, wondering whether this was merely another outstanding milestone or something more substantively revolutionary in the way machines develop understanding. Over the past decade, artificial intelligence has achieved advances that at times felt almost incredible, like a “swarm of bees” suddenly reforming itself to solve issues humans formerly found baffling. AI long ago matched or surpassed human performance in games like…
The world has entered an era of global water bankruptcy with irreversible consequences, according to a new United Nations report published Tuesday. The report, authored by the United Nations University and based on research in the journal Water Resources, warns that traditional terms like “water crisis” no longer adequately describe…
A deadly truck accident in the central Philippines has claimed the lives of nine workers after their vehicle plunged into a deep ravine in Negros Oriental province. The Philippines truck accident occurred shortly before noon in Bayawan city when the truck veered off a downhill mountain road and fell approximately…
Lawyers representing victims of Jeffrey Epstein have reached an agreement with the Justice Department to protect the identities of nearly 100 women following serious redaction failures in recently released documents. The Epstein document redaction deal was announced Tuesday after Florida attorney Brittany Henderson informed Judge Richard M. Berman in Manhattan…
Cleveland Guardians third baseman José Ramírez has signed a seven-year contract extension worth $175 million, with a significant portion of payments deferred until 2051. The José Ramírez contract, announced Friday, includes annual salaries of $25 million with $10 million deferred each year, marking one of the longest payment schedules in…
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A Missouri appeals court has mandated revised language for a 2026 ballot measure that seeks to restrict abortion rights, ruling that voters must be explicitly informed the amendment would repeal reproductive healthcare rights they approved in 2024. The three-judge panel issued the order Thursday, marking another chapter in the ongoing legal and political battle over Missouri abortion access since the fall of Roe v. Wade. The court imposed new wording stating the measure would “Repeal the 2024 voter-approved Amendment providing reproductive healthcare rights, including abortion through fetal viability.” According to the ruling, the previous ballot summary written by Republican Secretary…
The UK Budget has introduced significant tax changes that will affect millions of households across the country. Income tax thresholds frozen until 2031, reduced Cash ISA allowances, and increased dividend tax rates are among the key measures announced. However, taxpayers can take strategic steps to minimize their tax burden through…
The Welsh Government has published ambitious plans to establish a new dedicated economic regulator for water in Wales, which would replace the current UK-wide regulator Ofwat. The proposals, announced on February 4, 2026, aim to strengthen regulation of the water industry through a framework designed to encourage investment, protect the…
The Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan is poised to become the site of America’s first commercial small modular reactors, marking a potential turning point in the nation’s nuclear energy landscape. Florida-based company Holtec is reviving the facility, which was decommissioned in 2022, and plans to install two small modular reactors…
The US stock market has achieved a remarkably rare feat, posting three consecutive years of double-digit gains for only the sixth time since the 1940s. The S&P 500 rose 16.39% in 2025, following gains of 23% in 2024 and 24% in 2023, according to financial data. This milestone comes despite…
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Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings announced Wednesday that its subsidiary has initiated arbitration proceedings against Panama following a Supreme Court ruling that deemed the company’s concession to operate Panama Canal ports unconstitutional. The move marks an escalation in a dispute involving geopolitical tensions between the United States and China over control of the strategically vital waterway. Panama Ports Company, the Hutchison subsidiary, filed the arbitration under International Chamber of Commerce rules on Tuesday, according to a company statement. The arbitration filing comes after Panama’s Supreme Court ruled last week that the port concession was unconstitutional. Hutchison expressed strong disagreement with…
Hindus in Bangladesh are facing mounting fear and insecurity as violence against the minority community surges ahead of national elections scheduled for February 12. The brutal killing of a 27-year-old Hindu garment worker in December has become a flashpoint, highlighting what human rights groups describe as a disturbing pattern of attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh fueled by rising religious polarization and the reemergence of Islamist political forces. Dipu Chandra Das was killed in December after Muslim colleagues accused him of making derogatory remarks about the Prophet Muhammad, according to reports. A violent mob attacked him at his workplace, and his…
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Northern mayors have united under the Great North initiative to attract investment to the region, with a new report highlighting how the partnership could transform the North’s economy. According to a briefing paper from IPPR North thinktank, the collaboration offers a unique opportunity to draw in much-needed public and private funding by creating a clearer pipeline of investment projects. The Great North initiative was launched by North East Mayor Kim McGuinness and has secured backing from most other Northern leaders. A board meeting took place at Everton FC’s Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool on December 4, bringing together regional mayors…
Bitcoin could plunge to $40,000 in the coming months as the cryptocurrency winter extends, according to John Blank, chief strategist at Zacks Investment Research. The forecast represents a potential 49% decline from current levels, with Blank outlining several factors that could drive the leading cryptocurrency deeper into bear market territory during an appearance on CNBC on Monday. The cryptocurrency has already suffered significant losses, falling below $75,000 on Monday to reach its lowest level since President Donald Trump won the presidential election in November 2024. Bitcoin is now down 37% from its peak of approximately $126,000 reached last year, officially…
Abortion will remain legal in Wyoming after the state Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that two laws barring the procedure, including the country’s first explicit ban on abortion pills, violate the state constitution. The 4-1 decision by justices all appointed by Republican governors struck down abortion restrictions passed since 2022, ensuring continued access to reproductive health care in one of the nation’s most conservative states. The ruling sided with Wellspring Health Access, the state’s only abortion clinic in Casper, along with the advocacy group Chelsea’s Fund and four women who challenged the bans. According to the court, the laws violated a…
Truckers and merchants from Colombia and Ecuador gathered at a shared border crossing on Tuesday to protest against escalating trade tensions between the two South American nations. The demonstrators called on both governments to eliminate newly imposed 30% tariffs on dozens of goods, warning that the trade war between Ecuador and Colombia will devastate border economies and disrupt energy supplies in both countries. The protest took place as reciprocal tariffs entered their second week, affecting bilateral commerce worth approximately $2.3 billion annually, according to Colombia’s statistics agency. Carlos Bastidas, president of an Ecuadorian transportation workers association, told reporters that tariffs…
The S&P 500 has completed three consecutive years of double-digit gains, prompting Wall Street analysts to assess whether 2026 will extend this remarkable bull market run. Following a stellar performance in 2025, strategists are projecting continued S&P 500 gains for the year ahead, though forecasts vary considerably across major financial institutions. The benchmark index closed 2025 at 6,845.5 points after gaining more than 16 percent and notching 39 new record highs. Analysts surveyed by CNN show a broad range of S&P 500 targets for year-end 2026. Bank of America expects the index to reach 7,100 points, suggesting a modest gain…
Palantir Technologies experienced a significant stock surge following the announcement of its best quarterly results ever, signaling a strong comeback for the AI software company. Shares of Palantir jumped as much as 12% on Tuesday after the company reported record revenue of $1.4 billion for the quarter, representing a 70% increase compared to the same period last year. The company also provided robust guidance for 2026, projecting revenue of $7.18 billion, well above analyst expectations of $6.2 billion. According to CEO Alex Karp, speaking to CNBC on Monday, the firm’s financial performance marked “the best results” he was aware of…
Louisiana has filed extradition paperwork to bring a California doctor to face criminal charges for allegedly mailing abortion pills to the state, according to officials. The case involving Dr. Remy Coeytaux, a physician based in the San Francisco Bay Area, marks the second time Louisiana has pursued an out-of-state abortion provider under its strict abortion restrictions, setting up a potential legal clash over shield laws designed to protect telehealth abortion providers. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill announced Tuesday that Coeytaux faces a criminal charge of abortion by means of abortion-inducing drugs. Republican Governor Jeff Landry posted on social media that…
Mexico and the United States announced Tuesday that they have reached a water-sharing agreement requiring Mexico to deliver a minimum of 350,000 acre-feet of water annually to the U.S. under the bilateral water treaty. The Mexico-US water agreement comes after President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 5% tariff increase on Mexican imports if the country failed to address longstanding water delivery concerns. According to Mexican government ministries, the deal was confirmed following months of negotiations between the two nations. Under the new terms, Mexico commits to sending at least 350,000 acre-feet of water to the United States each year…
Frigid temperatures, massive snowfall and a deadly ice storm impacting regions east of the Rockies are raising questions about how extreme winter weather fits into the broader context of climate change and global warming. Millions of Americans are bracing for a prolonged period of Arctic cold, even as scientists confirm that winters overall are becoming warmer across the United States. The current severe weather event demonstrates that climate change does not eliminate winter extremes, and may even intensify certain conditions when atmospheric patterns align. According to meteorologists, bone-chilling cold is becoming less common and less severe as the planet warms.…
Political uncertainty and regulatory ambiguity are preventing UK businesses from effective long-term workforce planning, according to a new survey by law firm Lewis Silkin. The study of nearly 700 organisations reveals that close to 80 per cent of employers are unable to plan beyond a year ahead, with economic pressures and legislative changes creating significant challenges for strategic decision-making. The research, published in February 2026, highlights how shifting regulations and economic conditions are forcing companies into reactive management approaches. According to Lucy Lewis, partner and chair at Lewis Silkin, these economic pressures and political and regulatory changes narrow the planning…
