TikTok's services have been fully restored after a weather-related outage at an Oracle-operated US data center disrupted core features for its 220 million US users, including content posting and video metrics. The outage, impacting tens of thousands of servers, occurred shortly after the finalization of a deal establishing TikTok USDS, a US-controlled entity with an 80% stake held by a US investor consortium, signaling potential infrastructure challenges during this transition period.

TikTok's services have been fully restored after a weather-related outage at an Oracle-operated US data center disrupted core features for its 220 million US users, including content posting and video metrics. The outage, impacting tens of thousands of servers, occurred shortly after the finalization of a deal establishing TikTok USDS, a US-controlled entity with an 80% stake held by a US investor consortium, signaling potential infrastructure challenges during this transition period.

Multiple news sources indicate that Venezuela is experiencing a fragile normalcy a month after Nicolás Maduro's removal, with the U.S. reopening its embassy and the opposition hopeful due to U.S. pressure. Simultaneously, reports suggest companies are potentially misattributing layoffs to AI for investor appeal, while Tether's CEO promotes a new U.S.-compliant stablecoin amidst growing competition from traditional financial institutions.

Multiple news sources indicate that Venezuela is experiencing a fragile normalcy a month after Nicolás Maduro's removal, with the U.S. reopening its embassy and the opposition hopeful due to U.S. pressure. Simultaneously, reports suggest companies are potentially misattributing layoffs to AI for investor appeal, while Tether's CEO promotes a new U.S.-compliant stablecoin amidst growing competition from traditional financial institutions.

Drawing from multiple news sources, recent events span entertainment, politics, and social justice: John Lithgow defended his role in the "Harry Potter" HBO series, Markiplier's "Iron Lung" film saw unexpected box office success, and M83's early work is being re-evaluated, while Iran experienced a prolonged internet blackout amidst ongoing protests and state violence. In other news, the "Melania" documentary unexpectedly succeeded, Kendrick Lamar led Grammy nominations at the 2026 awards where Billie Eilish and Bad Bunny voiced opposition to ICE, a father and son were released from ICE detention following public outcry, and Netflix is releasing new content for Valentine's Day.

Drawing from multiple news sources, recent events span entertainment, politics, and social justice: John Lithgow defended his role in the "Harry Potter" HBO series, Markiplier's "Iron Lung" film saw unexpected box office success, and M83's early work is being re-evaluated, while Iran experienced a prolonged internet blackout amidst ongoing protests and state violence. In other news, the "Melania" documentary unexpectedly succeeded, Kendrick Lamar led Grammy nominations at the 2026 awards where Billie Eilish and Bad Bunny voiced opposition to ICE, a father and son were released from ICE detention following public outcry, and Netflix is releasing new content for Valentine's Day.

A shocking BBC investigation reveals a disturbing trend: men secretly filming women on nights out and cashing in on the footage! These "walking tour" videos, racking up billions of views on platforms like YouTube and TikTok, are sparking outrage and raising serious questions about consent, privacy, and the dark side of online content creation.

A shocking BBC investigation reveals a disturbing trend: men secretly filming women on nights out and cashing in on the footage! These "walking tour" videos, racking up billions of views on platforms like YouTube and TikTok, are sparking outrage and raising serious questions about consent, privacy, and the dark side of online content creation.

Drawing from multiple news sources, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that any U.S. attack would trigger a regional war amidst heightened tensions, as the U.S. military presence increases in the Arabian Sea following Iran's crackdown on nationwide protests. The warning coincides with planned Iranian military drills in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting U.S. military warnings against threatening American assets or disrupting commercial traffic.

Drawing from multiple news sources, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that any U.S. attack would trigger a regional war amidst heightened tensions, as the U.S. military presence increases in the Arabian Sea following Iran's crackdown on nationwide protests. The warning coincides with planned Iranian military drills in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting U.S. military warnings against threatening American assets or disrupting commercial traffic.

Enterprises adopting Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) for LLMs are finding that retrieval has evolved from a simple feature to a critical infrastructure component, as failures in retrieval can lead to business risks related to trust, compliance, and reliability. This shift necessitates a system-level approach to designing retrieval platforms that prioritize freshness, governance, and evaluation, mirroring the rigor applied to traditional infrastructure like compute and storage.

Enterprises adopting Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) for LLMs are finding that retrieval has evolved from a simple feature to a critical infrastructure component, as failures in retrieval can lead to business risks related to trust, compliance, and reliability. This shift necessitates a system-level approach to designing retrieval platforms that prioritize freshness, governance, and evaluation, mirroring the rigor applied to traditional infrastructure like compute and storage.

Multiple news sources report that five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Ecuadorian asylum seekers, were released from ICE detention in Texas after a judge questioned their initial detention in Minnesota, a case that drew public attention and celebrity criticism of ICE. Separately, the death toll from a Swiss Alpine bar fire on New Year's Eve has risen to 41, with investigators focusing on the role of sparkling candles and potential safety regulation violations.

Multiple news sources report that five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Ecuadorian asylum seekers, were released from ICE detention in Texas after a judge questioned their initial detention in Minnesota, a case that drew public attention and celebrity criticism of ICE. Separately, the death toll from a Swiss Alpine bar fire on New Year's Eve has risen to 41, with investigators focusing on the role of sparkling candles and potential safety regulation violations.

Amidst fading European trust in the US government due to policies under the Trump administration, a debate has reignited in Germany, and to a lesser extent Italy, regarding the repatriation of its gold reserves, with 1,236 tonnes currently stored in the US as a legacy of the Bretton Woods system. Some politicians argue that the current political climate makes it unjustifiable to leave the gold in the US, while others cite potential risks associated with such a move.

Amidst fading European trust in the US government due to policies under the Trump administration, a debate has reignited in Germany, and to a lesser extent Italy, regarding the repatriation of its gold reserves, with 1,236 tonnes currently stored in the US as a legacy of the Bretton Woods system. Some politicians argue that the current political climate makes it unjustifiable to leave the gold in the US, while others cite potential risks associated with such a move.

Based on multiple news sources, Fred and Peter Done, founders of Betfred, topped the UK's list of highest taxpayers with an estimated £400.1m bill, contributing to a total of £5.758bn paid by the top 100, which is up from last year. The list also includes notable figures like Harry Styles, JK Rowling, and Erling Haaland, with the increase in overall tax revenue potentially linked to changes in corporation and dividend tax rates.

Based on multiple news sources, Fred and Peter Done, founders of Betfred, topped the UK's list of highest taxpayers with an estimated £400.1m bill, contributing to a total of £5.758bn paid by the top 100, which is up from last year. The list also includes notable figures like Harry Styles, JK Rowling, and Erling Haaland, with the increase in overall tax revenue potentially linked to changes in corporation and dividend tax rates.

Multiple news sources report that John Lithgow defended his role in the upcoming "Harry Potter" HBO series, despite backlash against J.K. Rowling's views on transgender issues, which Lithgow finds "ironic" given the series' themes of acceptance. Rowling has faced ongoing criticism for her outspoken opposition to transgender ideology and defense of women-only spaces, even drawing criticism from some liberals.

Multiple news sources report that John Lithgow defended his role in the upcoming "Harry Potter" HBO series, despite backlash against J.K. Rowling's views on transgender issues, which Lithgow finds "ironic" given the series' themes of acceptance. Rowling has faced ongoing criticism for her outspoken opposition to transgender ideology and defense of women-only spaces, even drawing criticism from some liberals.

Multiple news sources report that John Lithgow is defending his role in the upcoming "Harry Potter" HBO series, finding it "ironic" given the controversy surrounding J.K. Rowling's views on transgender issues and the series' themes of acceptance. Lithgow emphasizes the inclusive nature of the new adaptation and the talented team behind it, noting Rowling's limited involvement, while Markiplier's "Iron Lung" film unexpectedly topped the box office.

Multiple news sources report that John Lithgow is defending his role in the upcoming "Harry Potter" HBO series, finding it "ironic" given the controversy surrounding J.K. Rowling's views on transgender issues and the series' themes of acceptance. Lithgow emphasizes the inclusive nature of the new adaptation and the talented team behind it, noting Rowling's limited involvement, while Markiplier's "Iron Lung" film unexpectedly topped the box office.

Based on multiple news reports, President Trump's initiative to make homeownership more accessible is facing challenges due to congressional and industry pushback, internal wavering, and concerns about devaluing existing homes. This comes as many Americans feel Trump's policies have not improved affordability, particularly with rising home prices and rents, making housing a significant concern ahead of the midterm elections.

Based on multiple news reports, President Trump's initiative to make homeownership more accessible is facing challenges due to congressional and industry pushback, internal wavering, and concerns about devaluing existing homes. This comes as many Americans feel Trump's policies have not improved affordability, particularly with rising home prices and rents, making housing a significant concern ahead of the midterm elections.