How tiny Slovakia became a car making heavyweight

The European country is the biggest autos manufacturer relative to the size of its population.

When science jams: Biomedical engineer draws on musical roots to reimagine scientific collaboration

For Roy Maimon, hitting the bar stage and working in the scientific laboratory have never been separate worlds. During his Ph.D., the new NYU Tandon biomedical engineering assistant professor would spend his days pipetting samples and his nights playing drums in punk rock bands

Elizabeth Banks Heads Back to College to Produce Feature Comedy ‘Betas’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Elizabeth Banks is returning to the stomping grounds that cemented her as a career producer and box office draw: the rowdy college comedy. Banks’ Brownstone Productions will mount “Betas,” a film set in the viral world of sorority rush culture. Sammi Cohen (“You’re So Not

FCC Takes Aim at Political Interviews on Late-Night and Daytime Shows

With election season around the corner, the Federal Communications Commission issued a broadside on Wednesday aimed at late-night and daytime shows that air political interviews. The agency stated that shows like “The View” and “The Tonight Show” may not be considered “bona

Australia's conservative opposition coalition splits again over hate speech laws

SYDNEY, Jan 22 - Australia's conservative coalition split on Thursday for the second time in less than a year after the junior partner National Party severed ties with the Liberal Party, citing the Liberals' decision to back the government's hate speech laws.

10 things I learned from burning myself out with AI coding agents....

10 things I learned from burning myself out with AI coding agents . “Fifty projects later, I’ll be frank: I have not had this much fun with a computer since I learned BASIC on my Apple II Plus when I was 9 years old.”

'There is a world beyond Embervale': Enshrouded dev diary paves the way to 1.0 in fall of 2026, says 'development will continue for years to come'

Twitch Drops, Patch 13, and a new system for sharing creations are on the horizon.

Labubu Makers POP MART Hoping Viral Buzz Strikes Twice With Release of ‘Zootopia 2’ Blind Boxes

Hot off the hype of its Labubu dolls last year, accessories brand POP MART has unveiled a new collaboration with Disney’s “Zootopia 2,” with the release of four keychain figurines inspired by the characters in the film. The POP MART “Molly” Zootopia 2 series features variations

Don't call it a layoff: Ubisoft issues a full return-to-office order for all employees as it confirms more studio closures are coming

I can't help wondering if maybe there's a connection.

Africa: UN Assembly President Defends Multilateralism, UN Charter in Davos

[UN News] From Davos, the President of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday warned that the world has entered a "make-or-break" moment for multilateralism, saying the rules-based order can survive only if states speak the truth and act when it's hard. She called for a

Africa: World Enters Era of 'Global Water Bankruptcy'

[UN News] The world has moved beyond a water crisis and into a state of global water bankruptcy, says a new flagship report released on Tuesday by UN researchers.

Finland's president says 'it's not over yet' after Greenland de-escalation

Finnish President Alexander Stubb on Wednesday warned that "it's not over yet" after President Trump de-escalated his aggressive stance on possibly acquiring Greenland for the U.S. by force. "I took two positive takeaways from this speech," Stubb said on "Amanpour & Co" with

As Ubisoft struggles to get games out the door, it's investing even more into generative AI

Amid layoffs and cancellations, the publisher plans to up the ante on AI.

Africa: The World Is in Water Bankruptcy, UN Scientists Report - Here's What That Means

[The Conversation Africa] The world is now using so much fresh water amid the consequences of climate change that it has entered an era of water bankruptcy, with many regions no longer able to bounce back from frequent water shortages.

Hong Kong begins national security trial of Tiananmen vigil group

Beijing treats its 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown as taboo and allows no public remembrance.

Millions of people imperiled through sign-in links sent by SMS

Even well-known services with millions of users are exposing sensitive data.

Artificial intelligence in manufacturing rocket parts

Artificial Intelligence, or AI, promises many benefits in all domains, and rocketry is no different. The European Space Agency's Future Launchers Preparatory Program (FLPP) is investigating the use of AI to develop better processes and even whole new shapes in materials that

Copyright Kills Competition

We're taking part in Copyright Week , a series of actions and discussions supporting key principles that should guide copyright policy. Every day this week, various groups are taking on different elements of copyright law and policy, and addressing what's at stake, and what we

Australia’s opposition coalition collapses over hate speech law

It will deepen the malaise of the two centre-right parties following an election thrashing in 2025.

Africa: Senegal's Top Politicians Welcome Home Triumphant Africa Cup of Nations Squad

[RFI] Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko led the welcome- home delegation in the capital Dakar on Tuesday morning for the football squad that claimed the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations following a 1-0 victory over Morocco.

The Memo: Trump steps away from the precipice on Greenland

President Trump on Wednesday took two steps away from the precipice he had previously marched toward in the Greenland crisis. First, in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Trump ruled out the use of military force to seize the massive but sparsely

Africa: Trump's Africa Policy - Strategy or Shakedown?

[ISS] The 2025 US National Security Strategy recasts Africa from partner to price tag in a transactional, resource-driven era of great-power rivalry.

Africa: Half of Africans Give Their Governments Failing Marks On Education

[Afrobarometer] Attainment advances among younger generations but reflects persistent disadvantages for women, the poor, and rural residents.

These Democrats voted to hold the Clintons in contempt

A group of Democrats voted with Republicans on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to advance resolutions holding former President Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress. Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) sought

Why getting Greenland may not mean more minerals

{beacon} Energy & Environment Energy & Environment The Big Story Will Trump's Greenland push mean more minerals? Greenland holds large quantities of rare earth elements, but experts say annexing the territory may not vastly improve U.S. access to them. © Evan Vucci,

‘Red, White & Royal Wedding’: Uma Thurman, Sarah Shahi Among Returning Cast as Sequel Starts Filming

Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine reprise their roles in Amazon MGM's follow-up to the 2023 romance 'Red, White & Royal Blue.'

Intel's 'Big Battlemage' GPU rumoured to be launching soon but only as a megabucks Pro graphics card with 32 GB of VRAM

PC gamers just can't get a break...

Hong Kong's squeeze on Tiananmen crackdown commemorations

HONG KONG, Jan 22 - Hong Kong's High Court will begin on Thursday a landmark subversion trial of the leaders of a group that once organised annual commemorations of Beijing's Tiananmen Square crackdown on student-led pro-democracy protests in 1989.

Snow is vital for the Pyrenees, and it's disappearing fast

Snow is a defining feature of mountain ranges, and of winter itself for much of the world. But beyond its scenic value, snow plays a vital role in mountain ecosystems, as well as a range of human socioeconomic activity, and it is one of the climatic elements most sensitive to

Detailed View of Solar Flare Birth Caught for the First Time

They start small and end huge The post Detailed View of Solar Flare Birth Caught for the First Time appeared first on Nautilus .

Has Trump really 'defeated' US inflation, as he claimed in Davos?

Despite the US president’s optimism, the country’s inflation rate remains above the Federal Reserve’s preferred 2% target.

New analysis suggests carbon markets must account for storage duration in pricing removals

Carbon dioxide removal technologies are becoming increasingly important for climate action, but their differing storage times matter for policy design. A new study published in Environmental and Resource Economics by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)

The Great Crime Decline Is Happening All Across the Country. “What has...

The Great Crime Decline Is Happening All Across the Country . “What has changed nationally is a huge investment by the federal government in prevention in response to the COVID epidemic. Investing in education, police, librarians, community centers…”

Gabrielle Goliath to Seek Legal Action After Axed Venice Biennale Pavilion

The artist reportedly alleges that South Africa’s minister of culture acted unconstitutionally in canceling her commission, which included references to Gaza.

Man Allegedly Pretending To Be An ICE Agent Broke Into A House And Tried To Steal A PlayStation

A 17-year-old boy punched the man after he reportedly climbed in through a window while carrying a knife The post Man Allegedly Pretending To Be An ICE Agent Broke Into A House And Tried To Steal A PlayStation appeared first on Kotaku .

Bruce Bilson, Emmy-Winning Director on ‘Get Smart’ and ‘The Odd Couple,’ Dies at 97

Bruce Bilson, who won an Emmy for directing “Get Smart” and directed hundreds of TV episodes, died on Jan. 16 in Los Angeles. He was 97. Bilson was best known for directing the secret agent sitcom parody “Get Smart,” for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding

Ubisoft's cancellations-and-closures announcement sparks major union backlash against CEO Yves Guillemot, and the inevitable call for a strike: 'Perhaps he needs to be reminded that it is his employees who make the games'

Raise your hand if you saw this coming.

David Siegel, Veteran Producer and Production Manager on ‘The Hangover’ Trilogy and ‘Crazy, Stupid, Love,’ Dies at 70

David Siegel, a veteran producer who worked on films including “The Hangover” trilogy, “Crazy, Stupid, Love” and more, died on Jan. 8 in Los Angeles. He was 70 years old. Over the last four decades, Siegel contributed to a number of the most enduring studio films, collaborating

Jeffries urged opposition to contempt recommendation for the Clintons

Funding bill claws back some EV charging cash, seeks to shield FEMA from Trump

A funding bill released this week would claw back hundreds of millions of dollars passed to fund electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure passed under the Biden administration. The bill in question, released Tuesday, would fund the departments of Homeland Security,

Taylor Swift, Ben Affleck, Jenny Slate, Anna Wintour Pulled Into Blake Lively’s Lawsuit Against Justin Baldoni

Newly unsealed messages show how Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds leaned on the support of their industry friends amid growing tension with Lively's It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni

Queens Museum Leader Sally Tallant to Step Down After Seven Years

Under Tallant, the museum secured a $26 million expansion allocation from the city, but also drew controversy and criticism.

Remembering Harvey Pratt, Roger Allers, and Robert Burleigh

This week, we honor the designer of the Native American Veterans Memorial, a Disney animator, a picture book illustrator, and others.

Most economists see Fed holding key interest rate through March: Survey

Most economists are expecting the Federal Reserve to hold key interest rates steady, according to a Wednesday survey. A Reuters poll found that 58 percent of surveyed economists predict no change this quarter, while a majority expect two cuts later this year. In a narrow vote

New York judge calls GOP-held House district 'unconstitutional,' orders new map

A New York judge ruled Wednesday that Rep. Nicole Malliotakis’s (R-N.Y.) congressional district was unconstitutionally configured and ordered the state’s Independent Redistricting Commission to create a new map ahead of the 2026 midterms. Acting New York state Supreme Court

From ‘Wuthering Heights’ to ‘Project Hail Mary’: The Best Books Hitting Your Screens This Year

The literary set is in for a treat this year, with a swelling slate of movies and T.V series based on bestselling books releasing throughout 2026. Just this month saw the HBO Max release of “Heated Rivalry,” adapted from Rachel Reid’s romance series, in addition to Netflix’s

Chinese EVs, batteries gain world market share as Trump backs oil

China strengthened its grip on global clean‑energy supply chains in 2025, taking about a 70% share in each of the electric vehicle (EV) and battery sectors, while US energy policy under former president Donald Trump continued to prioritize oil and gas. China accounted for 70.3%

Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes asks Trump for early prison release after fraud conviction

Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of now-defunct blood testing startup Theranos, has asked U.S. President Donald Trump to release her from prison with nearly six years left before she is eligible for release. Holmes sought to commute her 11-1/4-year sentence last year and her

Troye Sivan Takes To Substack To Tell Off Cosmetic Procedure Influencer Who Critiqued His Face

There are many, many valid reasons to critique celebrities. Showing natural signs of aging should not be one of them. And yet, there's a whole world out there full of cosmetic surgeons, estheticians, and other purported professionals of the youth-preserving persuasion telling