 | From the Editor's Desk
Just how rich are businesses getting in the AI gold rush? - The Economist (No paywall) Barely a day goes by without excitement about artificial intelligence (AI) sending another company’s market value through the roof. Earlier this month the share price of Dell, a hardware manufacturer, jumped by over 30% in a day because of hopes that the technology will boost sales. Days later Together AI, a cloud-computing startup, raised new funding at a valuation of $1.3bn, up from $500m in November. One of its investors is Nvidia, a maker of AI chips that is itself on an extended bull run. Before the launch of ChatGPT, a “generative” AI that responds to queries in uncannily humanlike ways, in November 2022 its market capitalisation was about $300bn, similar to that of Home Depot, a home-improvement chain. Today it sits at $2.3trn, $300bn or so short of Apple’s.
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WorkWorkSony's PS5 Pro is up to three times faster, may arrive holiday 2024
 /cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/21991383/vpavic_4261_20201023_0058.jpg) Sony is reportedly working on a PlayStation 5 Pro model that may well include a far more powerful GPU that’s up to three times faster for certain tasks than the existing PS5 models. YouTuber Moore’s Law is Dead claims to have gotten access to a technical overview document for the PS5 Pro, codenamed Trinity, and now Tom Henderson at Insider Gaming reports that the leaked specifications are accurate and the console is currently set to release during the holiday 2024 period. | � | | WorkJapan's wage hikes create game-changing inflation dynamic as BOJ meets - Nikkei Asia (No paywall)
 TOKYO -- Last week's paradigm shift -- big Japanese corporations promising record pay raises -- has lifted hopes that the country's ever-cautious employers have finally stopped economizing on salaries. The new dynamic came after three decades of low inflation and nominal wage growth, and days before a Bank of Japan policy meeting at which a possible overhaul is now firmly on the table. Work | � | | | | � | | | | WorkHow Foreign Policy Became a Campaign Issue for 2024 - The New Yorker (No paywall)
 Presidential elections rarely hinge on issues of foreign policy, yet candidates delight in them. The lure is the scale. Spot a political pattern emerging across the globe, pin its fortunes to yours (Clinton’s Third Way neoliberalism, Reagan’s cheerily fierce anti-Communism), and your legacy might reach far beyond Washington, your ideas imprinted in the hearts of billions. Donald Trump praised foreign autocrats so frequently (Xi Jinping is “smart, brilliant, everything perfect”; Kim Jong Un is “a tough, smart guy”) that he seemed to envision them as strongman pals. John Kelly, Trump’s former chief of staff, recently told CNN’s Jim Sciutto that the ex-President had mused repeatedly that Adolf Hitler “did some good things” and commanded “loyalty.” Kelly had to break the news that the Führer’s own officers tried, on several occasions, to disloyally assassinate him. WorkWorkWorkThe long-awaited real-estate revolution is finally here - Business Insider (No paywall)
 I wrote late last year that 2024 would mark the beginning of a great experiment in real estate that would upend the way homebuyers and sellers pay their agents. Well, the experiment officially got underway Friday when the National Association of Realtors agreed to a $418 million settlement to bring to an end a series of class-action lawsuits over agent commissions. WorkWorkWorkWorkKushner Deal in Serbia Follows Earlier Interest by Trump
 Richard Grenell, whom Mr. Trump had appointed as a special envoy in the Balkans, pushed a related plan during the Trump administration that Serbia and the United States jointly work to rebuild the Defense Ministry site. He argued in favor of using American investments to transform the Belgrade site while he was still serving in his official capacity as an American diplomat in 2020, according to transcripts and a recording of remarks made during several government news conferences. WorkTrump Doubles Down on Migrants ‘Poisoning’ the Country
 He went on: “These are people at the highest level of crime, and then you have mental institutions and insane asylums — I always say the difference is one is ‘Silence of the Lambs,’ you know, it’s a mental institution on steroids, OK? — and those mental institutions and insane asylums are being emptied out into the United States, and then you have terrorists pouring in at levels we have never seen before.” Work‘We’re Not a Banana Republic,’ Netanyahu Says, Rejecting Criticism From U.S.
 With the humanitarian crisis worsening, the United States this month started airdropping food and water into the enclave. On Friday, a maritime shipment of aid reached northern Gaza’s shores, the first to do so in nearly two decades. Another shipment of essential goods is expected to soon set sail for Gaza from Cyprus. WorkMan dies after falling from hot-air balloon in Melbourne's north
 In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org WorkExxon Chief Goes on the Offensive as Wall Street Sours on ESG
 Even after its rally over the past few years, Exxon is only the S&P 500’s 17th largest company, trading at 12.2 times earnings, 42% below the index’s average. Energy stocks make up less than 4% of the index despite the US becoming the world’s biggest oil producer. WorkWhy Ireland's Leaders Spend St. Patrick's Day in Washington
 By any measurement, this year's St. Patrick's Day in Washington, D.C., will be historic. On March 17, political leaders from both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will make their annual pilgrimage to the nation's capital to mark the holiday. The former, most notably, will be represented by the newly appointed First Minister, Michelle O'Neill — the first Irish nationalist political leader of Northern Ireland since the creation of partition in 1921 — and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly. On the agenda will be the recent reestablishment of a power-sharing government in Northern Ireland and, with Sinn Fein’s expectant rise to political power in the Republic of Ireland within the next year, the potential for a referendum on Irish reunification within a decade. WorkWorkIn Kansas City, a Festive Yet Cautious St. Patrick’s Day Parade
 But the festivities were not without the somber reminder of a shooting at the Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade on Feb. 14 that left one dead and 22 injured, rattling the community. Two men, Lyndell Mays, 23, and Dominic Miller, 18, were charged with murder in connection to the shooting, and two teenagers were charged with resisting arrest and “gun-related” offenses. WorkBiden and Irish Leader Use St. Patrick’s Day Visit to Address Gaza
 While Mr. Varadkar said that he supported the administration’s efforts to secure a deal for a temporary cease-fire in exchange for the release of hostages, he also directly called out Israel’s bombing tactics. While Mr. Biden has struck a sharper tone recently with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, the White House has said there are no plans to leverage military aid to Israel. WorkNicole Shanahan Emerges as a Top Candidate to Be R.F.K. Jr.’s Running Mate
 In an interview with The Times last month about the Super Bowl ad she helped fund, Ms. Shanahan said that she had been an early backer of Mr. Kennedy’s bid, when he was running as a Democrat, but that she had soured on him when he left the party. In recent months, she said, she had moved back into the Kennedy fold, and had discovered “pockets of silent support all over the place.” WorkWorkWorkWorkNew mortgage deals being pulled within days
 If you are reading this page and can\'t see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. WorkGovernment told heat pump sales need massive jump
 Jess Ralston, energy analyst at research group the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), said that this delay is another example of \"dithering and U-turns by No 10\" which has caused the delay in heat pump rollout. WorkM25 reopens eight hours ahead of schedule
 National Highways said this was the first of five closures between now and September and the date of the next would be announced \"very soon to give people as much notice as possible\". The works are part of a £317m upgrade to the motorway. WorkIn Latest A.I. War Escalation, Elon Musk Releases Chatbot Code
 The move to open-source chatbot code is the latest volley between Mr. Musk and ChatGPT’s creator, OpenAI, which the mercurial billionaire sued recently over breaking its promise to do the same. Mr. Musk, who was a founder and helped fund OpenAI before departing several years later, has argued such an important technology should not be controlled solely by tech giants like Google and Microsoft, which is a close partner of OpenAI. WorkMargaret Grade, Whose California Inn Was Beloved by Stars, Dies at 72
 “She is not someone I would call warm, but you always felt the touch of her hand in every room,” the actor Frances McDormand, who for years spent holidays there with her family, said by phone. “She had an old-fashioned understanding of what true luxury is. Part of her real gift was making a fantasy that you just fell into. It was witchy.” WorkFor Some Mammals, Large Adult Daughters, Not Sons, Are the Norm
 It is not the first study to challenge the size narrative, which dates back to at least Charles Darwin in the 19th century. But it highlights the need to conduct more research into the varied mating systems, reproductive strategies and evolutionary forces shaping mammals, scientists said. WorkWorkWorkWorkOpinion | The Best Way to Find Out if We Can Cool the Planet
 Most research so far has been tentative and contained to computer simulations. But to know what will happen in the real world, we also need outdoor experiments. By launching an instrument-laden balloon into the stratosphere, for example, researchers could release a tiny amount of particles and measure how they interact with the atmosphere, with minimal environmental risk. WorkWorkWorkDan Ives Just Called Palantir the "Launching Pad of AI Use Cases." Here's What That Means.
 John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Adam Spatacco has positions in Amazon, Microsoft, and Palantir Technologies. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Lennar, Microsoft, and Palantir Technologies. The Motley Fool recommends Lowe\'s Companies and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. WorkWorkWorkWorkWorkWorkWorkWorkWorkWorkWorkWorkWorkUkraine hits oil and electricity facilities with drone attacks across Russia
 The primarily Russian-speaking region, which has long depended on Moscow for support, is home to 1,500 Russian troops, nominally there as peacekeepers. Last month Transnistria appealed to Russia for “protection”, fuelling fears of a new flashpoint.A man was detained earlier on Sunday after throwing two molotov cocktails at Russia’s embassy in the Moldovan capital of Chisinau, where voting for the presidential election was taking place. WorkWorkNetanyahu vows to press ahead with assault on Rafah
 Alon Pinkas, a former Israeli consul general in New York and an outspoken critic of Netanyahu, said the Israeli leader’s comments fitted in with his efforts to find someone else to blame should Israel not achieve a clear victory in Gaza. WorkUK house prices rise by 1.5% in biggest increase for 10 months
 “Sellers are right to feel more confident and optimistic this year, but buyer affordability remains stretched and higher mortgage rates are an ongoing challenge,” he said. “With the market still sensitive to pricing and external events, some caution and willingness to negotiate is advised.” WorkUK scientists working on breast cancer monitor fitted in bra
 “While this new technology could offer a new way to monitor the growth of breast cancer tumours and we look forward to seeing the final results, the device has not yet been tested on people and there’s a lot more we need to understand before we can consider whether or not it could be used in medical settings,” he said. Work'Laced with fear and a lot of fun': Punchdrunk announce new 'slumber party' show
 The same could be said for watching theatre at a time of ever more expensive tickets. Barrett stressed that Viola's Room is "super intimate, for a maximum of six people, but we are going to make sure there are enough tickets to get lots of people through". The cheapest preview performance tickets are £12.50; after opening night, they will be available from £28.50 upwards. WorkM25 reopens ahead of schedule
 The M25 normally carries between 4,000 and 6,000 vehicles in each direction every hour from 10am until 9pm at weekends between junctions nine and 11. This includes many airline passengers travelling to, from and between the UK’s two busiest airports, Heathrow and Gatwick. |
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