Author: admin
Grab your saddle, put on your riding boots, and let’s enter the Year of the Horse. The Lunar New Year, widely considered the most important event of the year in China and the Chinese community around the world, is approaching. The first new moon of the lunar calendar falls on February 17, 2026, marking the beginning of the 15-day Chinese New Year. Celebrations vary by country and region, but there are some common traditions. Whether you’re new to the event or need a refresher, this guide to welcoming the Year of the Horse will help. The incredibly complex Chinese zodiac…
D Keine | E+ | Getty ImagesThe average tax refund so far this season has increased by 10.9% compared to about the same point in 2025, according to IRS early filing data. The 2026 tax season opens on Jan. 26, and the average refund as of Feb. 6 was $2,290, up from $2,065 about a year ago, the IRS reported Friday night. As of February 6, total refunds totaled more than $16.9 billion, an increase of 1.9% from a year ago, according to an IRS release. This figure reflects only the current year’s revenue. Earlier Friday, Treasury Secretary and Acting…
This fall, something strange happened on the campus of the University of California. For the first time since the dot-com crash, enrollment in computer science has declined. The San Francisco Chronicle reported last week that the system as a whole is down 6% this year after falling 3% in 2024. Even though overall college enrollment increased 2% nationwide, students continue to rely on traditional CS degrees, according to January data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. The only exception is the University of California, San Diego. It is the only UC campus to add a dedicated AI major this…
Beijing — Minutes after top diplomat Marco Rubio declared in his conciliatory speech at the Munich Security Conference that the United States and Europe “belong as one,” a Chinese diplomat took to the stage to make his case. “China and the EU are partners, not rivals,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the audience on the same stage on Saturday. “To the extent that we firmly understand this point, we will be able to make the right choices when faced with challenges, prevent the international community from drifting toward fragmentation, and promote the continued progress of human civilization.” Rubio and…
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel (C) participates in an “anti-imperialist” protest in front of the U.S. Embassy against the U.S. invasion of Venezuela, which killed 32 Cuban soldiers in Havana, January 16, 2026.Yamil Raji | AFP | Getty ImagesCuba’s communist regime is facing its biggest challenge since the collapse of the Soviet Union.US President Donald Trump has gradually increased pressure on the Caribbean islands since a January 3 military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a longtime ally of the Cuban government. Cuba announced that 32 of its citizens were killed in the attack.Since then, President Trump has effectively cut…
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks at the Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Munich, Germany, on February 14, 2026.Thilo Schmuelgen | ReutersSecretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that the United States has no intention of abandoning its close alliance with Europe and wants the region to succeed.”We care deeply about you and our future,” Rubio told the Munich Security Conference (MSC).”We want Europe to be strong,” he said. “We believe that Europe must survive, because the two great wars of the last century serve as a great historical reminder that ultimately our destiny is and will always be…
Hong Kong — Every morning, 68-year-old Yip Ka-kui sends his wife a voice note that will never be heard. Sometimes he tells her about things he’s seen, or something that would make her laugh. Recently he shared that their granddaughter scored the second-highest grade in her class on end-of-year exams. This would typically be a cause for celebration for the tight-knit family. But last November, Yip’s wife Pak Shui-lin was among the 168 people killed in a fire that tore through seven high-rise residential blocks in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district. Now more than two months on, the city is…
Luxury brands from Harry Winston to Loewe are going all out with their Lunar New Year collections to attract Chinese customers. Ahead of the Year of the Horse, which begins on Tuesday, Harry Winston has unveiled a limited-edition $81,500 rose gold watch with a diamond bezel and a red lacquer horse. Luxury fashion brand Chloé unveiled a capsule collection that ranges from a $250 silk scarf to a $5,300 snakeskin and leather shoulder bag with a horsebit chain connecting the head and tail of a horse. Many other brands, including Loewe, Gucci and Loro Piana, have introduced new bag charms…
Even though it was covered in chocolate and warm fluffy dough, it was still a wrecking ball. The rapturous applause that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio received when he told the Munich Security Conference that the US was a “child” of Europe and that Europe’s fate would always be “intertwined” belied his tough policy message. These were applause of relief and encouragement from European audiences who were bracing for an onslaught like last year’s J.D. Vance. But Vance’s false accusations from last year’s conference — that Europe is suppressing free speech and democracy and facing civilizational decline — are…
(This is the Warren Buffett Watch newsletter, news and analysis about Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox every Friday night.)Berkshire Hathaway’s new CEO likes the surprising change of direction Berkshire Hathaway’s new CEO announced this week Kraft Heinz.During the food company’s fourth-quarter earnings call, Steve Cahillane said that since joining the company five weeks ago, “we have found that the opportunities are greater than expected and many of the challenges are fixable and within our control.”As a result, he decided to “pause work” on plans to separate Kraft from Heinz, which were…