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Drawing from multiple news sources, Italian fashion icon Valentino Garavani, known simply as Valentino, has died at the age of 93 in his Roman home. Celebrated for his luxurious and opulent designs, including the signature "Valentino red," he dressed numerous celebrities and public figures and will be lying in state before a funeral service held at the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels and Martyrs.

Drawing from multiple news sources, Italian fashion icon Valentino Garavani, known simply as Valentino, has died at the age of 93 in his Roman home. Celebrated for his luxurious and opulent designs, including the signature "Valentino red," he dressed numerous celebrities and public figures and will be lying in state before a funeral service held at the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels and Martyrs.

Meta is significantly scaling back its metaverse ambitions by laying off a substantial portion of its Reality Labs division and shuttering VR game studios, signaling a strategic shift towards artificial intelligence. This move marks a major retreat from the company's 2021 rebranding and metaverse-centric vision, impacting the VR gaming landscape and raising questions about the future of immersive social platforms.

Meta is significantly scaling back its metaverse ambitions by laying off a substantial portion of its Reality Labs division and shuttering VR game studios, signaling a strategic shift towards artificial intelligence. This move marks a major retreat from the company's 2021 rebranding and metaverse-centric vision, impacting the VR gaming landscape and raising questions about the future of immersive social platforms.

The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina will be the most geographically dispersed Games ever, spanning 8,495 square miles across northern Italy. This multi-cluster approach, utilizing 25 venues across four main regions and six Olympic Villages, aims to minimize environmental impact by maximizing existing infrastructure. Spectators should anticipate significant travel times between events due to the distances involved.

The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina will be the most geographically dispersed Games ever, spanning 8,495 square miles across northern Italy. This multi-cluster approach, utilizing 25 venues across four main regions and six Olympic Villages, aims to minimize environmental impact by maximizing existing infrastructure. Spectators should anticipate significant travel times between events due to the distances involved.

Syrian government forces have seized control of areas previously held by Kurdish-led forces, altering the power dynamics within the country and raising concerns about the broader implications for Kurdish populations in the region. This shift occurs amidst ongoing geopolitical complexities, potentially impacting Kurdish aspirations for autonomy and self-determination across international borders.

Syrian government forces have seized control of areas previously held by Kurdish-led forces, altering the power dynamics within the country and raising concerns about the broader implications for Kurdish populations in the region. This shift occurs amidst ongoing geopolitical complexities, potentially impacting Kurdish aspirations for autonomy and self-determination across international borders.

Get ready for some laughs! Singer Yulee Choi is making her acting debut in the family comedy "Food Truck: Stolen Love...and Moo Deng," alongside a viral baby hippo, proving that everyone's craving a slice of the spotlight. Choi's multilingual skills and catchy tunes are sure to spice up this Thai flick, blending K-Pop charm with Thai comedy gold for a global audience.

Get ready for some laughs! Singer Yulee Choi is making her acting debut in the family comedy "Food Truck: Stolen Love...and Moo Deng," alongside a viral baby hippo, proving that everyone's craving a slice of the spotlight. Choi's multilingual skills and catchy tunes are sure to spice up this Thai flick, blending K-Pop charm with Thai comedy gold for a global audience.

Amidst widespread water outages affecting up to 30,000 properties, the UK Environment Secretary has publicly opposed the potential doubling of South East Water CEO David Hinton's bonus, deeming it inappropriate given the company's poor performance and ongoing regulatory investigations. This situation highlights the growing scrutiny of executive compensation in essential services and raises questions about accountability within privatized utilities, especially as climate change increasingly impacts water infrastructure and supply.

Amidst widespread water outages affecting up to 30,000 properties, the UK Environment Secretary has publicly opposed the potential doubling of South East Water CEO David Hinton's bonus, deeming it inappropriate given the company's poor performance and ongoing regulatory investigations. This situation highlights the growing scrutiny of executive compensation in essential services and raises questions about accountability within privatized utilities, especially as climate change increasingly impacts water infrastructure and supply.

Venture capitalists are increasingly investing in AI security firms like Witness AI, driven by concerns about AI agents behaving unpredictably and even maliciously. These investments aim to address the growing need for monitoring and control mechanisms as AI becomes more integrated into enterprise operations, highlighting the potential risks of misaligned AI goals and the importance of proactive security measures. Witness AI's technology monitors AI usage to detect and prevent rogue behavior, reflecting the industry's focus on mitigating potential threats from advanced AI systems.

Venture capitalists are increasingly investing in AI security firms like Witness AI, driven by concerns about AI agents behaving unpredictably and even maliciously. These investments aim to address the growing need for monitoring and control mechanisms as AI becomes more integrated into enterprise operations, highlighting the potential risks of misaligned AI goals and the importance of proactive security measures. Witness AI's technology monitors AI usage to detect and prevent rogue behavior, reflecting the industry's focus on mitigating potential threats from advanced AI systems.

TechCrunch's Startup Battlefield 200, an early-stage startup competition at Disrupt SF, offers 200 companies visibility, investor access, and growth opportunities. Applications for the 2026 cohort open in mid-February, providing startups with exhibit space, masterclasses, networking, and a chance to pitch for a $100,000 prize, following in the footsteps of successful alumni like Dropbox and Cloudflare.

TechCrunch's Startup Battlefield 200, an early-stage startup competition at Disrupt SF, offers 200 companies visibility, investor access, and growth opportunities. Applications for the 2026 cohort open in mid-February, providing startups with exhibit space, masterclasses, networking, and a chance to pitch for a $100,000 prize, following in the footsteps of successful alumni like Dropbox and Cloudflare.

Goldman Sachs anticipates a surge in IPOs and continued strong M&A activity in 2026, driven by a constructive macroeconomic environment and AI's disruptive influence across sectors. Kim Posnett, Goldman's global co-head of investment banking, highlights these catalysts as fueling CEO and board confidence, building on the firm's 20-year reign as the No. 1 M&A advisor globally. Posnett's insights come ahead of the World Economic Forum in Davos, where global business leaders will discuss these key trends.

Goldman Sachs anticipates a surge in IPOs and continued strong M&A activity in 2026, driven by a constructive macroeconomic environment and AI's disruptive influence across sectors. Kim Posnett, Goldman's global co-head of investment banking, highlights these catalysts as fueling CEO and board confidence, building on the firm's 20-year reign as the No. 1 M&A advisor globally. Posnett's insights come ahead of the World Economic Forum in Davos, where global business leaders will discuss these key trends.

Omar Yaghi, a Palestinian refugee turned Nobel laureate, won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for creating metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). These innovative materials address climate change by capturing carbon and storing hydrogen, demonstrating how personal challenges can inspire groundbreaking scientific advancements with significant societal impact.

Omar Yaghi, a Palestinian refugee turned Nobel laureate, won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for creating metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). These innovative materials address climate change by capturing carbon and storing hydrogen, demonstrating how personal challenges can inspire groundbreaking scientific advancements with significant societal impact.