Author: Liam Porter

WASHINGTON – The Federal Reserve on Wednesday kept interest rates steady amid expectations of higher inflation and lower economic growth ahead, and still pointed to two reductions later this year.With markets expecting no chance of a central bank move this week, the Federal Open Market Committee kept its key borrowing rate targeted in a range between 4.25%-4.5%, where it has been since December.Along with the rate decision, the committee indicated, through its closely watched “dot plot,” that two cuts by the end of 2025 are still on the table. However, it lopped off one reduction for both 2026 and 2027,…

Silhouettes of laptop and mobile device users are seen next to a screen projection of the YouTube logo.Dado Ruvic | ReutersGoogle is using its expansive library of YouTube videos to train its artificial intelligence models, including Gemini and the Veo 3 video and audio generator, CNBC has learned.The tech company is turning to its catalog of 20 billion YouTube videos to train these new-age AI tools, according to a person who was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter. Google confirmed to CNBC that it relies on its vault of YouTube videos to train its AI models, but the…

The Princess of Wales and her 10-year-old daughter, Princess Charlotte, seemed to have shared not just a carriage but also outfit notes at trooping the colour last weekend, since they were both wearing neighbouring blues on the colour wheel. They do it a lot, this so-called “mini-me dressing” – via tartans and tiaras, nautical details and nifty colour accents.She’s not the only one. Kim Kardashian does it with her kids, Beyoncé does it with Blue Ivy. In fact, it tallies with the whole vibe of nepo babies, who are now appearing in the public eye wearing outfits that are sartorial…

Jun 19, 2025, 07:00 AM ETWith a third week in a row atop our list, the Tigers become the team with the most consecutive weeks at No. 1 so far in our 2025 power rankings, passing the Dodgers, who have spent two consecutive weeks in the top spot twice this season.Week 12 also saw a number of clubs continuing their rise up our rankings, including the Astros and Rays each moving up one spot, to eighth and ninth respectively, as well as the Brewers and Reds each rising three places.The mid-June blockbuster trade of Rafael Devers from the Red Sox…

June marks the start of summer wanderlust—school’s out, sunshine’s in full swing, and the travel world is buzzing with hot deals and dreamy destinations. Whether you’re chasing passport stamps, craving a scenic road trip, or planning a stateside staycation, now is the time to book before peak prices hit their highs. Nature lovers can head inland for a slower kind of magic: travelers can now save up to $300 with Amtrak on breathtaking rail journeys through America’s national parks. For those who prefer the open seas, Celebrity Cruises is offering 20% off sailings to the Galapagos Islands—where raw beauty meets…

Piles of trash-filled caves in Zhangjiajie, China, famous for its towering sandstone pillars.

The environment secretary, Steve Reed, has said the government is stepping up preparations for temporary nationalisation of Thames Water, indicating it will reject pleas from the company’s creditors for leniency from fines and penalties.Thames Water’s largest creditors control the utility and have made a bid to cut some of its debts and provide £5.3bn in new funding to try to turn it around.However, the creditors have said their plan needs considerable leniency from the water regulators Ofwat and the Environment Agency over fines for environmental failings.The Guardian this month revealed that the creditors had asked for immunity from prosecution for…

Many Uber drivers are earning “substantially less” an hour since the ride hailing app introduced a “dynamic pricing” algorithm in 2023 that coincided with the company taking a significantly higher share of fares, research has revealed.The findings are in a study released on Thursday by academics at the University of Oxford. They analysed data provided by 258 UK Uber drivers responsible for 1.5m trips.Having initially taken a fixed 20% cut of the UK fares charged, which subsequently rose to 25%, Uber introduced dynamic pricing in 2023, an algorithm that variably sets pay for drivers and fares for passengers. It is…

When Billy Porter talks, people listen. They have no choice. The actor, fresh from a stint as Emcee in the London run of Cabaret, and about to reprise the role on Broadway, speaks in a poised, purposeful, regal fashion. Each word is selected with care and weighed in his hand as if it were an avocado in the fruit and veg aisle, the gaps between words so lengthy that it isn’t always clear when he has finished speaking. Seated around the table in the south London studio where Porter is overseeing rehearsals for This Bitter Earth, which marks his UK…

An unprecedented planetary-scale seismic event caused the earth to vibrate for nine days straight back in 2023, but the reason why was unclear. Scientists initially had more questions than answers, labelling the event an unidentified seismic object and undertook a mammoth scientific collaboration across multiple countries and institutions to get to the bottom of what really happened. Josh Toussaint-Strauss looks into the mystery at the heart of this scientific investigation