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Japan hikes interest rates to 0.5%, highest since 2008, as core inflation accelerates to 3%

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Trump signs executive order to cull Biden AI policies and develop a version ‘free from ideological bias’

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Trump repealed Biden’s 2023 guardrails for fast-developing AI technology just hours after returning to the White House on Monday. Read More

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5 Physics Equations Everyone Should Know

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5 Physics Equations Everyone Should Know

All the tech we rely on, from cars to smartphones, was engineered using physics. You don’t need to know the science to use these things. But a well-rounded human should understand at least some of the key concepts—along with some music, art, history, and economics. Robert Heinlein said it all in Time Enough for Love:

“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.”

So, in the interest of not being insects, here’s my top-five physics equations you should know.

1. Newton’s Second Law

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I’m sure you’ve seen this one before—it’s over 300 years old, and it’s popular for science memes and T-shirts. It says the net force on an object equals its mass (m) times acceleration (a). But what does that really mean? It’s all about interactions—like when you kick a soccer ball or drop a water bottle on the floor.

Newton’s second law says we can describe these interactions with the concept of “force.” And what do forces do? The net force on an object changes the object’s motion. But wait! There’s a bunch more cool stuff in this simple-looking equation.

See those arrows over F and a? That indicates variables that are vectors, meaning they contain more than one piece of information. For example, if someone asks you to “socially distance” yourself by 1 meter, where would you end up? Who knows? You could go 1 meter to the east or west or 39 degrees from north. The distance by itself isn’t the full story; you also need to specify a direction. This is true for both the forces and the acceleration. Other quantities (like mass or temperature) don’t have direction. We call those scalar values.

Newton’s second law is super useful, but weirdly, people don’t seem to believe it. The common misconception is that a constant force makes an object move at a constant speed. What this equation says, rather, is that if you push on an object with a steady force, it will keep accelerating.

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Solana stablecoin supply hits $10B ATH, TVL up 800% — Can SOL price reach $1K?

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Can Solana hit four figures this year? Several market analysts believe that a $1,000 price target is possible this cycle, particularly under Trump’s administration.

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Martin Lewis issues update as banks slam DWP over account ‘spying’ under benefit fraud crackdown rules

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Martin Lewis issues update as banks slam DWP over account 'spying' under benefit fraud crackdown rules

Martin Lewis has issued a warning about changes to bank accounts from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Ministers have argued the change will speed up the debt recovery process and help contribute to a wider crackdown on benefits fraud.


The UK banking industry has raised concerns that the Government’s plan to tackle benefit fraud could put banks at risk of violating consumer protection rules.

Under the new law, the DWP can reclaim money from accounts without a court order. While ministers argue this will speed up debt recovery, UK Finance warns that it could undermine banks’ efforts to protect vulnerable customers.

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Commenting on the changes, Lewis took to X and wrote: “Banks are (rightly) objecting to allowing DWP to take back benefits money directly via people’s bank account.

“YET I’ve never heard em object to the rule of Setting Off which allows banks to decide to directly take money from ur account to pay off another debt with them…” (sic)

Martin Lewis DWP Benefit fraud crackdown

Martin Lewis comments on banks concerns on DWP benefit debt recovery power under fraud crackdown

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The Money Saving Expert highlighted that both situations involve “taking money from your bank account without permission”.

Responding to a man’s reply, Lewis added: “Ultimately for the individual both have same effect ie using position of power to make yourself priority creditor, when that may be destructive. For me, that is a valid comparison.”

The new law will be passed under the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error & Recovery) Bill, which aims to save £8.6billion over five years by cracking down on benefit fraud.

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Privacy campaigners have described the measures as “one of the biggest attacks on welfare in a generation,” as the bill is set to give the DWP new powers to access bank statements of individuals suspected of benefit fraud and require banks to report potential violations of eligibility rules.

The DWP would be able to make banks take money directly from claimants’ accounts through “direct deduction orders.” Banks could charge fees to process these deductions.

Before taking any money, the DWP must check the claimant’s bank statements for the past three months and ensure the deduction won’t make it hard for them to cover basic living costs. The new rules mainly target people who are no longer receiving benefits or who are self-employed.

This new system will first be tested by a few banks and building societies before being fully rolled out in 2029. Banks have quietly opposed these plans for over a year, and this is their first public objection.

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Under the new rules, banks would need to flag accounts showing foreign activity or holding more than £16,000 (the Universal Credit savings limit).

Banks would be required to share account holders’ details, including names, dates of birth and account numbers, in cases where benefits may have been incorrectly paid.

UK Finance, representing major British banks, has warned that the new powers could force banks to breach their existing consumer protection obligations.

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Daniel Cichocki, director in economic crime and policy strategy at UK Finance, said the plans need further examination to ensure they don’t “create risks for vulnerable customers, or conflict with existing regulatory and legal obligations”.

The banking group specifically highlighted potential conflicts with the Financial Conduct Authority’s consumer duty, introduced in 2023.

This duty requires banks to maintain higher standards for consumer protection, with specific obligations to protect financially vulnerable customers. Banks face penalties from the FCA or financial ombudsman if they breach these protection rules.

While supporting anti-fraud efforts in principle, UK Finance called for more focus on preventing fraud from entering the benefits system initially.

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Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said the new powers would include “new and important safeguards”, including annual reviews by an independent body.

DWPThe DWP is is line to be awarded new powers Getty

The Government argues these measures will speed up debt recovery and contribute to tackling benefit fraud, which amounted to £7.4billion last year – around 2.8 per cent of total welfare spending. A further £1.6billion was overpaid due to claimant errors, while £800million resulted from DWP mistakes.

Officials say the powers would help reclaim funds from those no longer on benefits or self-employed individuals while easing pressure on the court system.

The DWP maintains that while they can request bank statements, they will not have direct access to bank accounts. They estimate these measures could save taxpayers around £500million annually once fully implemented.

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Privacy campaigners have branded the measures “one of the biggest assaults on welfare in a generation” as the bill is set to grant the DWP new powers to obtain bank statements from individuals suspected of benefit fraud and require banks to flag potential breaches of eligibility rules.

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Google agrees to crack down on fake reviews for UK businesses

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Google agrees to crack down on fake reviews for UK businesses

Google will take firmer action against British businesses that use fake reviews to boost their star ratings on the search giant’s reviews platform. The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced on Friday that Google has agreed to improve its processes for detecting and removing fake reviews, and will take action against the businesses and reviewers that post them.

This includes deactivating the ability to add new reviews for businesses found to be using fake reviews, and deleting all existing reviews for at least six months if they repeatedly engage in suspicious review activity. Google will also place prominent “warning alerts” on the Google profiles of businesses using fake reviews to help consumers be more aware of potentially misleading feedback. Individuals who repeatedly post fake or misleading reviews on UK business pages will be banned and have their review history deleted, even if they’re located in another country.

Google is required to report to the CMA over the next three years to ensure it’s complying with the agreement.

“The changes we’ve secured from Google ensure robust processes are in place, so people can have confidence in reviews and make the best possible choices,” CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell said in a statement. “This is a matter of fairness – for both business and consumers – and we encourage the entire sector to take note.”

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Google made similar changes to reviews in Maps last year, saying that contributions “should reflect a genuine experience at a place or business.” However, those changes apply globally while Google’s commitment to improving reviews across all its properties appears to just apply to the UK for now.

The changes to reviews follow a CMA investigation launched against Google and Amazon in 2021 over concerns the companies had violated consumer protection laws by not doing enough to tackle fake reviews on their platforms. The CMA says its probe into Amazon is still ongoing and that an update will be announced “in due course.”

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CryptoCurrency

Coinbase CEO Advocates for Bitcoin Reserves, ‘Better Than Gold’

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Brian Armstrong advocates for Bitcoin in government reserves, calling it better than gold

Armstrong’s comment trails the South African Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago rebuffing any claims of the crypto asset as a national reserve. He asked what strategic benefit Bitcoin has, considering history was replete with gold as a store of value.

Armstrong has argued that Bitcoin could outperform gold in a decade. He noted Bitcoin’s $2 trillion market cap already makes up 11% of gold’s $18 trillion value. He suggested countries consider allocating a similar portion of their gold reserves to Bitcoin.

This debate took center stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where Kganyago opposed industries lobbying for specific assets without clear public policy benefits. Armstrong then cited Bitcoin’s decade-long performance as the best-performing asset and asked for gradual adoption by governments.

In the U.S., Bitcoin reserves are gaining momentum. Wyoming, Texas, and Massachusetts are pushing legislation to classify Bitcoin as a strategic asset. At least 15 other states, including Ohio and Pennsylvania, are considering similar measures.

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Additionally, an executive order issued by Donald Trump recently seeks to create a “national digital asset stockpile” to show the probable shift in monetary strategy by the United States. The call comes amidst debate by Armstrong about the future monetary systems position of Bitcoin globally.

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Medical device maker Semler Scientific seeks $75m in convertible notes to buy more Bitcoin

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Over 50% of Americans sell gold or stocks to buy Bitcoin

Semler Scientific seeks $75 million through a private offering of convertible senior notes, intending to use a portion for Bitcoin investments.

Public medial device maker Semler Scientific announced plans to offer $75 million in convertible senior notes, with a portion of the funds set aside for purchasing Bitcoin (BTC). The offering will be made to qualified institutional buyers under Rule 144A of the Securities Act, the company said in a Jan. 23 press release.

The notes will be due in 2030 and will earn interest every six months. When converted, Semler Scientific can pay in cash, shares, or both. The final details, like the interest rate and conversion terms, will be set when the notes are priced, the press release reads.

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A key part of this offering includes “capped call transactions” to help protect the company’s stock from dilution. These transactions aim to reduce the impact of converting the notes. If the buyers decide to purchase more notes, more capped calls will be made.

The Santa Clara-headquartered company says it plans to use some of the proceeds to cover the costs of these capped call transactions. The rest will go toward general corporate purposes, including the “acquisition of Bitcoin.”

According to data from BitBo, Semler Scientific owns 2,321 BTC, worth over $244 million, or 0.011% of Bitcoin’s total supply. The company first revealed its Bitcoin treasury plans in May 2024, and since then, its shares under the ticker SMLR have risen by more than 140%, according to Google Finance data.

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X refuses to remove stabbing video watched by Southport killer

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Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free

Elon Musk’s social media platform X has refused to remove a video that Axel Rudakubana watched minutes before murdering three young children, despite numerous requests from authorities in Australia and the UK.

Australian internet regulator eSafety said on Friday it noted with “great sadness” that the video — which shows the violent stabbing of a bishop in Sydney in April — was watched by the killer on X even though the regulator had requested the material be taken down from the platform for months before the attack in Southport last summer

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Immediately following the Australian attack, companies including Google, Microsoft, Snap and TikTok “acted quickly to co-operate with eSafety and ensure the Wakeley stabbing video could not be accessed from their platforms. Some of these companies took additional, proactive steps to reduce further spread of the material,” the regulator said. “X Corp chose not to remove the video from its platform.” 

Video footage of the stabbing of a bishop at a church in west Sydney circulated online in April but X only geoblocked the footage in Australia, meaning that people elsewhere in the world, and local users of VPNs, could continue to view the violent attack. 

UK home secretary Yvette Cooper said this week that the government was contacting X directly to ask it to remove the video from the platform. “Companies should not be profiting from hosting content that puts children’s lives at risk,” she told the House of Commons.

Australian police respond to the stabbing of a bishop in Sydney in April 2024
Australian police respond to the stabbing of a bishop in Sydney in April 2024 © Paul Braven/Australian Associated Press/Alamy

Rudakubana, 18, was sentenced to life with a minimum of 52 years in prison on Thursday after admitting to the murder of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport.

Musk tweeted repeatedly in the wake of the killings, accusing UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer of “prioritising mosques over British girls in their dance classes”. Musk also amplified tweets by far-right agitator Tommy Robinson that claimed “Muslims run through the streets unchallenged by police, attacking any non-Muslim”. The interventions led to accusations that he was inflaming tensions that led to rioting across British towns and cities last summer.

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On Friday, Musk shared an article about the Southport killings, saying “never forget”.

But he has so far refused to intervene to compel his company to take down the video that Rudakubana watched, and the video is still circulating on X as of Friday afternoon.

The Financial Times contacted X to ask why it had not removed the video, but received no response.

The court in the Rudakubana case heard this week that a search of a Lenovo tablet found in his house showed that he had deleted his entire browser history apart from one search on the day of the attack. Six minutes before he left to carry out the murders, he had searched X for “mar mari emmanuel stabbing”.

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When police carried out the same search of X during their investigation, they found it led to posts containing footage of the Sydney attack three months earlier. 

The prosecution also outlined Rudakubana’s online profiles and social media handles in court, including his X account. As of Friday, his X account — which is protected, so that only followers could see his posts — had not been taken down. 

The Australian regulator sought to take legal action to try to force X to comply with a ruling to fully remove the video in April, a move that divided the country over whether the government was suppressing free speech or was correct to protect social media users from harmful and violent content. 

Musk criticised the decision, accusing the eSafety “commissar” of trying to censor the internet. 

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That provoked a furious reaction from the country’s politicians, including Anthony Albanese, the prime minister, who said it was “distressing” that X was fighting the order to remove the video and criticised the billionaire’s stance. 

However, a court opted against extending an injunction on the video being shown on the basis that X had taken “reasonable steps” to stop the video being shown in Australia. The case had been seen as a potential test case for whether local regulations could be applied on a global basis. 

The eSafety commissioner dropped its case in June pending a review of Australia’s online safety laws. 

Additional reporting by Hannah Murphy

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LG Electronics takes majority stake in Bear Robotics, reportedly valuing startup at $600M

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Bear Robotics

LG Electronics is betting on robotics as its next big growth driver. The South Korean electronics company said on Friday that it has agreed to acquire an additional 30% stake in Bear Robotics, a California-based startup it previously backed that is building AI-powered server robots for restaurants. The deal gives LG a majority ownership of 51% in the startup, which will now become a subsidiary of the larger company. LG declined to comment on the value of its latest stake; a local outlet in Korea say it’s around $180 million. If accurate, that would give Bear an overall valuation of $600 million.

A company spokesperson added that the exact figure would be disclosed once the deal closes.

Bear is known for its expertise in AI technology that is capable of controlling multiple robots, specifically the management of fleets remotely, LG said in its statement. The tech giant intends to integrate Bear with its commercial robot unit, which has developed “LG CLOi Robots,” to reinforce its home robot and industrial robot divisions.

The tech behemoth says it is working on developing a comprehensive software platform for commercial, industrial, and home robots using Bear’s technology. With the robotics industry moving more towards AI-focused solutions, this investment and deal is expected to improve LG’s robotics software capabilities, LG said.

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The news comes less than a year after the electronics company poured $60 million into Bear Robotics in March 2024. That deal already made LG into Bear’s largest shareholder. Bear’s previous funding in 2022 valued it at over $490 million, per PitchBook data.

CEO and founder John Ha and the Bear management team will remain and continue to help create synergies with LG’s robotics unit.

Ha, a former Google software engineer turned restaurateur, founded Bear in 2017 after witnessing the challenges of running a restaurant, which motivated him to develop serving robots. The SoftBank-backed startup operates indoor delivery robots in the U.S., South Korea, and Japan. Its robots are designed to help deliver food to restaurant customers.

A man dressed in a barista’s outfit watches as an LG CLOi CoBot Barista robot makes pour-over coffee, at the LG booth, January 8, 2020 at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada. – CES is one of the largest tech shows on the planet, showcasing more than 4,500 exhibiting companies representing the entire consumer technology ecosystem. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP) (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)Image Credits:Robyn Beck (opens in a new window) / Getty Images

“This additional investment underscores our dedication to positioning robots as a pivotal growth engine for the company, reflecting our belief in their inevitable role in the future,” Lee Sam-soo, chief strategy officer at LG Electronics, said in a statement. “We will persist in driving innovation across all sectors of robotics, encompassing commercial, industrial and home applications.”

Robots and robotics were a bit theme this year at CES 2025, and LG made itself a part of that story. with LG CEO William Cho emphasizing the potential for robots to broaden their applications beyond their current roles in sectors like hospitality and delivery logistics.

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LG’s interest in the tech goes back well before this year and the recent vogue of AI in everything, with both Korea and Japan being early commercial adopters of some of the earliest iterations in the field. The Korean electronics company has been researching and developing robot software and hardware more than a decade. In 2017, LG deployed guide robots at South Korea’s largest airport, Incheon International Airport.

LG also has a substantial home robotics business by way of its LG Home Appliance Solution Division. Its home robots are designed to work with home appliances and other domestic scenarios. One example the self-driving AI home hub, a project named Q9, which is scheduled for release later this year. It has autonomous driving technology and can sense voices, sounds, and images. The Q9 has Microsoft’s voice recognition and synthesis technology, so users can have easy and natural conversations with it.

Its industrial robot, the “Autonomous Vertical Articulated Robot,” uses sensors to navigate, move, and carry out tasks with its robotic arm.

Samsung, LG’s rival in the electronics sector, said earlier this month that it will roll out its home robot in the first half of this year.

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Pro-XRP Attorney Outlines 3 Possible Scenarios for the Ripple v. SEC Lawsuit

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Pro-XRP Attorney Outlines 3 Possible Scenarios for the Ripple v. SEC Lawsuit

TL;DR

  • John Deaton sees three possible outcomes for the Ripple case after Gensler’s resignation: continuing the appeal, settling with a $125M fine, or a full dismissal – though the last one is unlikely.
  • Trump’s positive crypto stance and recent policy moves could improve Ripple’s chances, with Deaton believing a decisive victory for the company is just a matter of time.

What Might Come Next?

Gary Gensler’s tenure at the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) might be over, but the lawsuit against Ripple remains ongoing. The former Chairman resigned on January 20 (the day Donald Trump officially became America’s 47th President) and was replaced by Mark Uyeda.

Gensler was considered an enemy of the cryptocurrency industry, while his successor stands in the opposite corner. Last year, Uyeda criticized the SEC’s previous leadership for its negative stance on the sector:

“The Commission’s war on crypto must end, including crypto enforcement actions solely based on a failure to register with no allegation of fraud or harm.”

The XRP Army has interpreted the changes as a positive factor that could lead to a faster and potentially favorable resolution in the Ripple case. Most recently, John Deaton (an American lawyer representing thousands of XRP investors in the lawsuit) also gave his two cents.

He believes there are now three possible scenarios. The first involves continuing the SEC’s appeal. The securities regulator opposed a verdict from 2023 when Judge Torres ruled that XRP sales on public exchanges to retail investors did not constitute securities transactions.

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The second option is a dismissal of the appeal. According to him, this would require Ripple to pay the previously ordered $125 million penalty. Recall that Judge Torres ruled that the company should settle the amount due to violating certain rules.

While the figure sounds substantial, it actually represents just a fraction of the $2 billion the watchdog initially asked for. Somewhat expected, many Ripple proponents viewed the decision as a major victory, while some of the company’s executives promised to respect the court’s ruling.

The third scenario seems like the most favorable (and most unlikely) for Ripple. According to Deaton, this includes the SEC withdrawing its appeal and scrapping the firm’s $125 million fine.

“I don’t see the SEC saying: “No, we’re going to deny a judge’s ruling.” So that’s why I think the middle one is the option.”

The SEC Looks Like the Underdog

Despite not outlining when the case might be officially over, Deaton believes Ripple’s victory is just a matter of time. He based his thesis on the fact that the current President of the USA – Donald Trump – has completely changed his stance on the digital asset sector, planning to make the country the crypto capital of the world. 

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Last week, he doubled down on his supposed affection for the industry, launching a meme coin of his own. At first, the token, called Official Trump (TRUMP), experienced a spectacular price increase before heading south.

Most recently, Trump signed an executive order to review the creation of a “National Digital Asset Stockpile.” His initial intention was to establish a strategic BTC reserve in the US, but now the effort’s scope seems to have expanded to other cryptocurrencies, too.

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