‘One Battle After Another,’ ‘Frankenstein’ Top Winners at Costume Designers Guild Awards

'Wicked: For Good,' 'The Studio' and 'Palm Royale' also took home honors at Thursday's ceremony.

3 accounts hacked every minute: Philippines confronts relentless tide of data breaches

Regulators warn the real threat is people being tricked into opening the door themselves.

Argentina moves first in Mercosur as lower house backs EU trade deal

Argentina became the first Mercosur country to secure an initial legislative green light for the trade agreement with the European Union, after the Chamber of Deputies approved the text late on Thursday. The bloc also includes Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay, which have launched

Reality behind Trump’s tariffs, AI job losses and Japan’s debt

Welcome to another roundup of interesting news and events from around the econosphere, from my traditional, 100% handcrafted human-written blog. 1. Fixing public spaces is actually pretty easy The Bay Area Rapid Transit system (BART) is in a parlous state. Ridership has

When machines do the flirting: AI agents create surprise dating accounts for humans

At least one of these platforms used a real person’s photos without permission.

Epstein, ICE and midterms: Trump balks at attacking Iran, but what happens if talks fail?

The U.S. President has clearly let it be known that he prefers negotiations to war - even if he and the Israeli prime minister are being tight-lipped over what course of action is open should the negotiations fail

‘Follow rules’: First Singaporean litterbug convicted under Malaysia's stricter law serves community service in KL

Mohamed Nuh Qurasaini Kayat, 25, was among four who carried out the public cleaning service in Kuala Lumpur on Friday (Feb 13), with 11 others doing likewise in other parts of Malaysia.

The war after the war: How violence is passed down through generations

From Gaza to Ukraine and from Sudan to Myanmar, war rages across the globe, exacting its gravest toll on those least implicated in the violence: children. Today, an estimated 520 million children worldwide—or one in six—live in conflict zones. Yet even when fighting subsides

Bangladesh's BNP wins two-thirds majority in landmark election

DHAKA, Feb 13 - The Bangladesh National Party (BNP) won a decisive two-thirds majority on Friday in general elections, a result expected to bring stability after months of tumult following the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a Gen Z-led uprising.

Cardi B Calls Out Trump’s DHS in Online Feud: ‘Why Y’all Don’t Wanna Talk About the Epstein Files?’

The rapper slammed the Department of Homeland Security after it mocked her for saying she'd "jump" ICE if they came after her fans during a show

Asteroid Bennu reveals a new pathway to life’s chemistry

Dust from asteroid Bennu is revealing a surprising origin story for life’s building blocks. New research suggests some amino acids formed in frozen ice exposed to radiation, not warm liquid water as scientists long believed. Isotopic clues show Bennu’s chemistry differs sharply

Cardi B jokes about fighting ICE at concert: 'They ain’t taking my fans'

Rapper Cardi B on Wednesday joked about fighting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a concert in California, saying that federal officers "ain't taking my fans" — prompting a response from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). "B----, if ICE comes in here,

War On Women Announce New Album Time Under Tension: Hear “Messages Unsent”

It’s been a while since War On Women’s last record Wonderful Hell, which we named our Album Of The Week. Now the Baltimore punks are finally announcing its followup, Time Under Tension. About the lead single “Messages Unsent,” vocalist Shawna Potter says, “This is the first

James Van Der Beek’s Family Earns $2 Million After His Death as Friends Thank GoFundMe Donors: ‘It Reminds Us That Love Is Real’

A GoFundMe campaign for James Van Der Beek’s family has raised $2 million after his death at 48. Van Der Beek, who starred as Dawson Leery on the hit WB series “Dawson’s Creek,” died on Feb. 11 following a battle with colorectal cancer. Shortly after the news broke, friends

Sussan Ley and the glass cliff: Does Australian politics still have a problem with women?

The Liberal Party elected its first female leader at a time of crisis. She lasted less than a year.

'Everyone knows somebody affected' - small Canadian town united in grief after mass shooting

The shooting in British Columbia has been met with shock and sadness, with residents saying nearly everyone has been impacted in some way.

Vulcan rocket launch suffers fiery booster issue but makes it to space, company says

United Launch Alliance suffered yet another fiery burn-through on one of its solid rocket boosters during a national security mission Thursday.

Japan says 'significant gaps' with US in trade package talks

Swarms of AI bots can sway people's beliefs, threatening democracy

In mid-2023, around the time Elon Musk rebranded Twitter as X but before he discontinued free academic access to the platform's data, my colleagues and I looked for signs of social bot accounts posting content generated by artificial intelligence. Social bots are AI software

China’s SDV sub exporting gray-zone warfare to the Gulf

China’s low-key rollout of an underwater commando craft in Saudi Arabia highlights how it is linking special operations warfare with a global arms-sales push. This month, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that China’s state-owned shipbuilder China State Shipbuilding

Joe Rogan explains his appearance in the Epstein files

Podcaster Joe Rogan on the Tuesday episode of his show explained his why his name appeared in the Department of Justice's (DOJ) last release of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. "The Joe Rogan Experience" host told guest Cheryl Hines, the wife of Health

Researchers identify key genes controlling rice tiller angle

Rice tiller angle is an important trait affecting population structure, light utilization, planting density, and yield potential. Although several genes affecting tiller angle have been reported, the upstream regulatory networks connecting gravity sensing and hormone

‘Punk wellness’: China’s stressed young people mix traditional medicine and cocktails

“TCM bars” have popped up in several cities across China.

Radar evidence suggests a massive lava tube beneath Venus

Scientists have uncovered evidence of a massive underground lava tube hidden beneath the surface of Venus, revealing a new layer of the planet’s volcanic history. By reexamining radar data from NASA’s Magellan spacecraft, researchers identified what appears to be a huge empty

Sydney police to be investigated by watchdog after anti-Herzog protest violence

Videos have emerged of police appearing to punch protesters at rally against Israeli president on Monday.

North Korea warns of 'terrible response' if South sends more drones

Seoul initially denied any official involvement in a January drone incursion, with officials suggesting it was the work of civilians.

Xiaomi's electric SUV tops China sales in January, sells twice as many as Tesla's Model Y

Chinese smartphone company Xiaomi has priced its vehicles below Tesla's and marketed features it claims are comparable or superior.

How children's play with everyday objects can encourage skills needed for STEM success

Parents looking to support their children's learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) will find no shortage of branded STEM sets, subscription science boxes, private coding programs or educational toys for kids.

Taylor Swift asks US government to block 'Swift Home' trademark

Her team argued that a bedding firm's designs showed similarities to her trademarked signature.

The first two Dino Crisis games are on Steam for the first time and half-price, but packaged with Enigma DRM

The frogurt is also cursed.

What dating apps are really optimizing. Hint: It isn't love

In the weeks leading up to Valentine's Day, dating apps typically see a spike in new users and activity. More profiles are created, more messages sent, more swipes logged.

US lawmakers step up pressure on Taiwan parliament to approve defence spending

TAIPEI, Feb 13 - A bipartisan group of 37 U.S. lawmakers have written to senior Taiwanese politicians expressing concern about parliament stalling proposed defence spending, saying that the threat posed by China has never been greater.

US lawmakers step up pressure on Taiwan Parliament to approve defence spending

The opposition, with a majority in the Parliament, refused to review the proposed spending and advanced its own proposals.

Malaysia’s anti-graft chief says open to probe on his shareholding after media report

The report said Mr Azam Baki held shares that were currently worth about RM800,000 (S$259,000).

US, Taiwan finalise deal to cut tariffs, boost purchases of US goods

WASHINGTON, Feb 12 - Trump administration officials signed a final reciprocal trade agreement that confirmed a 15% U.S. tariff rate for imports from Taiwan, while committing Taiwan to a schedule for eliminating or lowering tariffs on nearly all U.S. goods.

Bipartisan push in U.S. House to create new visa program, help home builders who rely on immigrant workers

The South Texas Builders Association said construction sites are seeing fewer workers because of immigration enforcement and it's costing Americans big dollars.

Malaysia's anti-graft chief says open to probe on his shareholding after media report

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 13 - Malaysia's anti-corruption chief said on Friday he was willing to be investigated by a government committee amid calls for him to step down after a media report alleged he held shares in a company above the permitted limit for public servants.

Top Goldman Sachs lawyer Kathy Ruemmler shocks execs with abrupt resignation after ‘xoxo’ emails with Epstein surface

“Throughout her tenure, Kathy has been an extraordinary general counsel, and we are grateful for her contributions and sound advice on a wide range of consequential legal matters for the firm,” CEO David Solomon said in a statement Thursday night.

More cloud seeding under way to beat dry season, says Malaysian disaster agency

The agency is addressing the decli­ning water levels due to dry weather.

Highguard didn't flop

Most games aren't massive hits, but publishers, developers, and investors remain exceedingly hopeful that they'll be the exception.

Lawmakers resign themselves to lengthy DHS shutdown

Negotiations will keep going but Democrats and the White House are far apart.

After AI Video of ‘Tom Cruise’ Fighting ‘Brad Pitt’ Goes Viral, Motion Picture Association Denounces ‘Massive’ Infringement on Seedance 2.0

The Motion Picture Association on Thursday denounced the newest AI video generator, Seedance 2.0, saying it had unleashed a flood of copyright infringement in the day since it became available. ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, said the model represents a “substantial

Rare Red Rock sunflower at high risk of extinction, petition argues

About 3 million people visit Red Rock Canyon outside of Las Vegas every year, but few have noticed the tiny yellow sunflower that has called it home for centuries. It may face extinction without federal protection, two groups say.

Nancy Guthrie Missing: FBI Releases New Suspect Details and Raises Reward to $100,000

The bureau identified the male suspect's height and backpack seen in previously released photos

FBI Increases Nancy Guthrie Reward to $100,000 and Releases More Detailed Description of Kidnapping Suspect

The FBI announced on Thursday that it would increase the reward to $100,000 for information leading to the location of Nancy Guthrie or to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance. The agency also released new identifying details about a possible

2 arrested after woman found dismembered in Sabah, jealousy the motive, say police

A trash collector stumbled upon a dismembered arm that fell out of a rubbish bag.

Public spat between two Indonesia ministers raises questions about weak coordination

The dispute gained attention on social media but appeared to be resolved shortly after.

New Zealand net migration sinks to its lowest level in more than a decade

Data showed 66,300 New Zealand citizens left the country, with 61 per cent headed to Australia.