It's a day with a name ending in Y, so you know what that means: Another OpenClaw cybersecurity disaster.…
Thousands of motorcycle riders again made their annual pilgrimage to Southland for the 19th annual Burt Munro Challenge festival this year and all were rewarded with special memories to cherish.
Perhaps the most special moments of all, however, belonged to Bay of Plenty racer Mitch Rees as he took his Honda CBR1000RR-R to a perfect run of wins in two separate elements of the week-long extravaganza.
The 33-year-old businessman from Whakatane, the multi-time and current champion in both the New Zealand Superbike Championships and the popular Suzuki International Series as well, proved to be almost unstoppable at the opening event of the multi-discipline four-day festival on Thursday, despite extra challenges being put in front of him.
Rees headed off Wakefield rider Angus Phyn in the series of sprint races to the top of Bluff Hill, recapturing the trophy he had also collected when he won the same race at the Bluff Hill event the last time he raced there in 2018.
His father, Tony Rees (on an identical Honda CBR1000RR-R) is currently recovering from an injury sustained while racing at Manfeild in December - he won the Bluff Hill race last season (and also in 2023, and 2024) - and he acted as his son's mechanic during this year's Burt Munro Challenge.
Meanwhile, the reigning national superbike champion was on a mission at the Teretonga Park, the venue hosting the second round of four in the 2026 New Zealand Superbike Championships (NZSBK), with this separate two-day event being included within the Burt Munro Challenge programme.
However, while the elite 1000cc Formula One and superbike class riders were being raced on the track simultaneously, the two classes were scored separately.
Even so, Mitch Rees qualified fastest rider over both categories at the weekend and, despite a massive delay between when the NZSBK riders were set off at the race start and the Burt Munro F1 riders were released, Rees made short work of powering through the entire gaggle of bikes, impressively winning the first combined race of the weekend.
Rees was further nobbled in the last race on Sunday, the delay increased further between when the NZSBK riders were started and the F1 Burt Munro categories were launched, and he was unfortunately unable to bridge the gap in the short eight-lap race.
Mitch Rees was unbeaten in his four F1 race category outings over Saturday and Sunday, with Richmond rider Heath Botica (Ducati V4S 1100) finishing F1 class runner-up.
"I was forced to start behind the superbike riders and then battle through traffic in all the races, but I had a lot of fun," said Rees afterwards.
"I set a new track record at the same time.
"I'm going international for the next wee while and that's why I'm not defending my superbike crown in the nationals this season," he explained.
"I have the Isle of Man races coming up in May and June, but, before that, I will race a couple of rounds of the British Superbike Championships in early May and also the North-west 200 in Northern Ireland that same month."
Meanwhile, as regards the off-road brigade, the popular beach race phase of the Burt Munro Challenge again attracted hundreds of riders to Oreti Beach from all over New Zealand and from overseas too.
Southlander Johnny Racz (Honda CRF450, from Otautau) was simply too quick for his rivals, winning the main 50-lap feature race, finishing two laps ahead of runner-up rider Matthew Davies (Husqvarna FC450), of Australia.
With these major event wins ticked off, the Honda brigade certainly had reason to celebrate the Burt Munro Challenge 2026.
The post Burt Munro Challenge: Honda Rider Rees Dominates the Field appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.
The 2026 season is officially underway for Bodie Paige and Jake Paige, as the brothers opened their Idemitsu Moto4 Asia Cup campaign with the first official test at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.
This season, the Paige brothers are racing both the Idemitsu Moto4 Asia Cup and the full MotoAmerica series.
Sepang Test Results - Day One (Combined Sessions)
Monday's combined morning and afternoon sessions delivered clear progress for both riders:
-
Bodie Paige - 9th overall
Fastest lap: 2:18.871
Bodie Paige (12) at Sepang. Photo courtesy Moto4 Asia Talent Cup.
- Jake Paige - 20th overall
Fastest lap: 2:20.773
In a 22-rider international field, Bodie finished inside the top 10, less than two seconds from the fastest time, while Jake continued to build pace on a challenging circuit.
Highlights from Day One can be viewed HERE
The Idemitsu Moto4 Asia Cup is a key step on the Road to MotoGP, running alongside select MotoGP events across Asia and the Pacific region. The official 2026 series schedule can be found below.
The post Moto4 Asia Cup: Bodie & Jake Paige Open 2026 with Sepang Test appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.
When a customer chooses to reinvest after more than a year of successful operation, it sends a powerful signal. For european cleantech champion Syncraft, that signal now comes from long-time partner PurEnergy, which has decided to order a second climate-positive Syncraft power plant following the strong performance of their first ... [continued]
The post Syncraft Builds 2nd Climate-Positive Power Plant For PurEnergy In Austria appeared first on CleanTechnica.
VinFast is formally entering Indonesia's electric scooter market through partnerships with seven national level dealers. This is not a soft market test. It is a scale play aimed directly at a market long dominated by internal combustion engines. With its Subang manufacturing complex in West Java now operational, VinFast is ... [continued]
The post VinFast Accelerates Indonesia Green Transition With E-Scooter Launch appeared first on CleanTechnica.
The Philippine government has formally turned over operations of the Caliraya-Botocan-Kalayaan (CBK) Hydroelectric Power Plant complex in Laguna to the Aboitiz-led Thunder Consortium, completing one of the country's most consequential power sector privatizations at a time when grid flexibility is becoming just as important as sheer generation capacity. The Thunder ... [continued]
The post Philippines Hands Over Strategic Hydropower Complex to Private Consortium appeared first on CleanTechnica.
Ibiza-based Moroccan artist Affani teams up with Bart Ricardo and French producer John Fritz for 'Don't Know', set for release on his LClub Music label. The collaboration marks a return to Affani's imprint for both Ricardo and Fritz, bringing together producers with established histories across record labels including 1980 Recordings, Farris Wheel Recordings, and Robsoul […]
YouTube is launching YouTube TV Plans this week, after revealing the program back in December. These are genre-specific subscription packages that let users opt into a curated version of the service and save a few bucks in the process. Yeah. It's pretty much cable, proving you can't cut a cord if it's made out of invisible radio waves.
There more than ten plans available and they are all cheaper than the typical asking price of $83 per month. There's a Sports Plan that costs $65 per month and includes channels like FS1, NBC Sports Network and all of the ESPN networks. Subscribers will pay $72 per month to add some news channels like CNN and CSPAN to the sports package.
The Entertainment Plan costs $55 per month and includes networks like Bravo, Comedy Central, FX and the Food Network, among many others. There's a beefier version of this that costs $70 per month and adds in family channels like the Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon, along with news channels.
Signing up for one of these plans still provides various perks of a standard YouTube TV subscription. These include unlimited DVR, multiview and the ability to add up to six members on one account. Of course, those with deep pockets can spring for some premium add-ons like HBO Max, 4K Plus and the NFL Sunday Ticket.
Some plans are rolling out later in the week, but YouTube says it could take "several weeks" for every plan to become available. New customers receive a discount for the first three months, which is worth looking into.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/youtube-tv-launches-curated-subscription-packages-this-week-170710000.html?src=rssMost microSD cards are fast enough for boosting storage space and making simple file transfers, but some provide a little more value than others. If you've got a device that still accepts microSD cards — whether it's an older gaming handheld, the new Nintendo Switch 2, a dash cam, a drone or an Android tablet — we've scoured the market and put close to 20 top contenders through a number of benchmark tests. You can find our recommendations for the best microSD cards below, alongside some general shopping advice worth knowing before you buy.
Best microSD cards of 2026
Best microSD Express cards for the Nintendo Switch 2
Read our full guide to the best microSD Express cards for the Nintendo Switch 2
Let's be clear about this: Unless you plan to own a Nintendo Switch 2 in the near future, you do not need a high-speed microSD Express card just yet. Nintendo's gaming handheld is the only popular device that natively supports this standard right now, and microSD Express cards themselves are highly expensive compared to more traditional options.
Still, if you do want to increase a Switch 2's storage, they're your only choice. Fortunately, determining exactly which model to buy for the console is pretty straightforward: Get whichever one you can find in stock, in the capacity you want, at a price you can stomach.
We benchmarked several microSD Express cards for a separate Switch 2 guide, and for the most part, the performance differences between them weren't great enough to justify paying extra for any particular model. Loading times weren't quite identical with every test we ran, but the cards were extremely close in most games and common scenarios. The few times when there was a notable gap — fast-traveling to a particularly resource-heavy region in Cyberpunk 2077, for instance — the gulf between the slowest and fastest card was only ever about four or five seconds at most. That's not nothing, but it's also not something most people are likely to fret over unless they have a stopwatch handy.
The only time you'd notice a major speed difference is if you transfer games to your Express card from the Switch 2's internal storage (and vice versa). In that case, the SanDisk microSD Express Card and Lexar Play Pro were generally the quickest, while PNY's microSD Express Flash Memory Card had particularly slow write speeds.
Moving Mario Kart World to the SanDisk and Lexar models, for example, took around four minutes and 35 seconds on average; with the PNY card, it took a little over seven minutes. That said, the PNY model was the fastest when it came to moving games back to the system storage. Walmart's Onn microSD Express Card was significantly slower to move games from the card to system storage, but it's also the most affordable card we've seen by a good distance. Either way, most people aren't constantly shuffling their games back and forth like this. Performance in actual games is more important, and in that regard the results were consistently much tighter.
What matters most is getting the most space for your budget. Unfortunately, stock for all microSD Express cards has been spotty since the Switch 2's launch. For your convenience, we'll list out all of the models we've tested thus far and their respective list prices below. Note that some lower-capacity versions — the 128GB SanDisk card, for one — advertise slower speeds than their more spacious counterparts.
SanDisk microSD Express Card: 128GB ($64), 256GB ($78), 512GB ($128)
PNY microSD Express Flash Memory Card: 128GB ($48), 256GB ($62), 512GB ($124)
Samsung microSD Express Card for Nintendo Switch 2: 256GB ($60)
GameStop Express microSD Card for Nintendo Switch 2: 256GB ($60), 512GB ($100), 1TB ($190)
Walmart Onn microSDXC Express Card: 256GB ($47), 512GB ($85)
Broadly speaking, we recommend getting at least 256GB of storage, as Switch 2 games tend to have much larger file sizes than games for Nintendo's previous handheld. But we also recommend holding off upgrading for as long as you can, if only because all of these cards should (tariff shenanigans aside) come down in price as time goes on.
There's no point in buying a microSD Express card for anything besides the Switch 2, but we did run the models above through our usual PC benchmarks as well. Unsurprisingly, they are miles faster than any traditional card on the market.
With the 256GB SanDisk card, for instance, sequential read speeds checked in just under 900 MB/s in CrystalDiskMark and ATTO, while sequential writes topped out around 650 MB/s. Sustained writes speeds were slower (around 210 MB/s), but that was still fast enough to move our 12GB test file to the card in 52 seconds on average. It took a mere 20 seconds to read the file back to our PC. The write test with our smaller 1.15GB test folder, meanwhile, averaged just 4.5 seconds.
It all adds up to performance that's at least twice as fast as the best UHS-I models we've tested in terms of sequential reads and writes, with three or four times the speeds in some cases. The gulf in random reads and writes is similar, and in some benchmarks even greater. But you need a pricey SD card reader to even see those increases on a PC, so only those with a Switch 2 in hand or serious cash to burn should consider one of these things.
Other notable microSD cardsThe Samsung Pro Ultimate was the closest competitor to the Lexar Professional Silver Plus across our benchmark tests, but it's tangibly worse in terms of sequential write speeds, typically costs more and doesn't offer a 1TB option. The Samsung Pro Plus is a bit slower for sequential reads, but it's close enough otherwise and usually easier to find at a lower price.
Lexar Professional GoldWe haven't used it ourselves, but if you're willing to pay for a more powerful UHS-II card built for heavy-duty video recording, the Lexar Professional Gold has tested well elsewhere and should deliver significantly faster sequential write speeds than our UHS-I picks above. It's one of the few UHS-II cards we could actually find in stock, but it's pricey, with a 128GB model normally priced in the $35 to $40 range.
The SanDisk Extreme effectively matched the Pro Plus in a few of our sequential tests, but that was partly due to us only being able to secure the 256GB model, which is higher-rated than the 128GB version. It's a fine choice if you see it on sale at a reputable seller, but it's broadly slower than our top pick and often costs more.
SanDisk GamePlayThe SanDisk GamePlay performs similarly to the SanDisk Extreme but costs a good bit extra as of our latest update. We couldn't get it to reach its advertised speeds with the company's own "Pro" card reader or other third-party options, so it fell short of our top picks.
SanDisk PokémonThe SanDisk Pokémon does outperform its advertised read and write speeds, but not by enough to outpace the Lexar Silver Plus or Samsung Pro Plus. It essentially charges extra for having a picture of Pikachu (or Gengar, or Snorlax) on a product you'll never look at.
The SanDisk Extreme Pro is a close analog to the Samsung Pro Ultimate but, as of this writing, is either unavailable at most trusted retailers or priced too high by comparison. The Lexar Professional Silver Plus has faster sequential write speeds as well.
PNY XLR8 GamingThe PNY XLR8 is an affordable card that comes with up to 512GB of space. Its sequential and random writes speeds checked in a little bit above those of Samsung's Evo Select, plus it comes with a lifetime warranty. But its sequential reads were much, much slower, putting it out of contention.
PNY Elite-XThe PNY Elite-X often goes for cheap and wasn't too far off the random read/write performance of Samsung's Pro Plus in CrystalDiskMark. Like the XLR8, it's also slightly above the Evo Select in write speeds. But its sequential reads were too far behind all of our top picks, and it no longer appears to be available in capacities above 256GB.
What to look for in a microSD card CapacityThe first thing to figure out when buying a microSD card is how much storage space you need. Modern cards are commonly available in sizes ranging from 32GB to 512GB, with several models now available in 1TB or 1.5TB capacities as well. The first 2TB cards from
An Anthropic researcher's efforts to get its newly released Opus 4.6 model to build a C compiler left him "excited," "concerned," and "uneasy."…
If you're running an online business, it helps to own a memorable domain. That's why a wealthy tech exec just paid $70 million to buy the hottest word you can own: AI.com.…
Salesforce has decided to stop developing new features for its Heroku platform-as-a-service.…
Carl Eschenbach has stepped down as Workday CEO and been replaced by co-founder and executive Aneel Bhusri following a round of job cuts and share price volatility.…
Researchers have established a clear link between lower nitrous oxide emissions and a higher concentration of zero emissions vehicles.
The post EVs Lower Nitrous Oxide Levels In California appeared first on CleanTechnica.
The local operations of Chinese automaker GAC have been consolidated under a single, factory-owned structure in the Philippines as the company expands its electric vehicle lineup. In late January of this year, GAC International Philippines confirmed that it had assumed unified control of all GAC-related brands operating in the country ... [continued]
The post GAC Takes Over Philippine Operations, Will Add 8 New Models This Year appeared first on CleanTechnica.
It's been interesting to be part of an all-inclusive tour of the Caribbean during one of the coldest weather snaps in recent memory. High winds and rough seas prevented us from visiting each originally planned destination. Since travelers were required to stay on the ship instead of touring cultural sites, ... [continued]
The post A Reminder About The Food We Eat: "Every Seed We Place In The Earth Is An Act Of Trust" appeared first on CleanTechnica.
Good things are happening in Africa, especially in the electric vehicle sector. We are starting to see significant traction in a number of countries on the African continent. In Ethiopia, a total ban on the import of fully built ICE cars has resulted in an incredible increase in the number ... [continued]
The post Electric Motorcycles Reach 15.3% Market Share Of New Registrations In Kenya In 2025 appeared first on CleanTechnica.
Real estate mogul Andrew Farkas (net worth estimated at around $2.34 billion) exchanged nearly 2,000 emails with Jeffrey Epstein over more than a decade. He called Epstein "one of the blessings" in his life and "one of the bravest men I've ever known." — Read the rest
The post Billionaire called Epstein "one of the blessings in my life" in newly released emails appeared first on Boing Boing.
Jorge Martin has been given the all clear by doctors to travel to Buriram for the final test of the 2026 MotoGP preseason.On Monday, he had a medical check at the Hospital Ruber Internacional in Madrid to assess his left scaphoid and right collarbone. That doctors gave a positive assessment to his recovery from surgery in mid December, allowing him to travel to Buriram in the hope of taking part in the test.
The factory Aprilia rider will have to pass a physical evaluation by the MotoGP medical team before he is actually allowed to ride, but in most cases, that is almost a formality, as the medical team treating the rider's injuries will have been in touch with the MotoGP medical team after the examination.
The news that Martin has been allowed to travel to Buriram makes it almost certain that the Aprilia rider will be able to compete in the Thai GP, the opening round of 2026, barring injury during the test.
David Emmett Mon, 09/Feb/2026 - 16:18
The ComEd branch of the powerful US utility Exelon has just doubled down on EV rebates and financial assistance for new charging stations.
The post Leading US Utility Goes Rogue, Offers New Round Of EV Funding appeared first on CleanTechnica.
If you've never towed a medium or large travel trailer, it might sound like it's an easy task. I mean, you can just hook the trailer onto the back of a capable pickup truck and drive off, right? Sadly, it's never that simple, even for a diesel truck. On top ... [continued]
The post Real-World RV Towing With The Silverado EV appeared first on CleanTechnica.
Relates to collapse because it shows how the global elites only care about protecting and benefitting each other. They normalise crime against women and girls just like they do with thier financial crimes and crimes against the planet.
submitted by /u/Still-Improvement-32[link] [comments]
TL;DR: Keep tabs on your most important belongings with the MagTag Ultra Slim Tracker Card, now just $23.99.
While AirTags are handy, they're not great for tiny spaces. If you're looking for an equally convenient option that's also compatible with Apple Find My App, meet the MagTag Ultra Slim Tracker. — Read the rest
The post Ditch bulky AirTags for this sleek wallet-friendly tracker, now 60% off appeared first on Boing Boing.
Furniture cut-outs for visualizing
Lay-It-Out
Last time I moved I threw out my back repositioning Grandma's china cabinet for the 10th time. My latest (and hopefully last) moving experience was a dream because of the Lay-It-Out furniture templates. These unique life-sized paper furniture templates are the shape of your bed, sofa, tables, chairs, rugs, billiard table. After trimming them to the appropriate size (measurements are in inches and centimeters), we placed them on the floor and — as I was directed to the appropriate location — continued moving them around with no effort. I had the whole house planned out before the moving truck arrived and it cost less than the physical therapy and pain killers I had to use before. They are a breeze to use. Measure, trim, position, then reposition and reposition and reposition again… You could buy a roll of something like cheap brown crate paper of course, but I liked that Lay-it-out was ready to go, sizes already measured, and in pretty colors. You can buy a "Total Home Package" or purchase smaller packages specific to the Living Room, Dining Room, Bedroom, Game room, Accessory Tables or Rugs packages. I purchased the whole house package and used most of the pieces, except the billiard table, which I kept pinned to the wall for two weeks as a piece of pop art. — Rick Sievering
Recycled moving boxes
I have mixed feelings about U-Haul and their prices, but one thing they have done that is priceless is create and maintain a surprisingly helpful Box Exchange forum. It's a standard web forum divided into geographical areas so people can request free used boxes or make theirs available for free or cheap. We just saved ourselves $250. After responding to two posts, we had something lined up in no time. We drove into the city (Manhattan) the next day from where we live in Jersey City and picked up a bunch of boxes in various sizes that were practically brand new — all for free. I basically ignored the "buy" forum as the "free" one was successful in under 24 hrs. We first tried Craigslist, but found that most people in our area at the time wanted money for boxes. From our experience, people on the U-Haul forum seemed willing to go a little out of their way to get rid of their boxes. Most of the posts are definitely from individuals, but interestingly, there were a couple of business disposing of boxes (we got ours from an electronics importer in Chinatown). We have not yet completed our big move to Wisconsin, but will be giving away our boxes the same way when we do. — Guil Barros
Keeps your carpet clean
Ever wanted to have friends over for a party at your house? Ever wanted to have a LOT of friends over for a party? Worried about spilled drinks staining your carpet? One solution is to cover it before the party with carpet film.
What is it? Picture a roll of Saran Wrap. Now imagine it thicker and more durable. Now imagine one side sticky. Voila! Carpet film.
I don't cover every carpet, just the most highly trafficked areas where people will be drinking and spilling: outside the bathroom where there's usually a line, up the stairs, by the entrance, in the coat room, and in the people-watching areas.
When the party's over, it pulls up easily. Best of all, all of the traffic on the carpet film will have pushed the adhesive side down into the carpet's nooks and crannies. When you pull the film, dirt will come out too. Free carpet cleaning!
Several companies make carpet film. You can get it at Home Depot, Lowes and Amazon for $10-20 per 2'x50′ roll. Wider widths and longer length rolls are also available. Make sure to buy it reverse wound (with the sticky side on the outside of the roll) to make the application process easier. — Joshua Keroes
Clearest box labeling
Two things smoothed out my family's move a few years ago: designating Open First boxes for each room in our new home, so that on the first night after the move we wouldn't be missing any essentials; and this Smart Move Tape.
The clearly marked and color-coded designations (Office, Bedroom, Bedroom #2, Kitchen, Storage, etc.) made unloading go quickly for our movers, and organizing our many cardboard moving boxes much easier for us later on. No doubt we could have accomplished something similar with a handful of colored Sharpies, but it would have taken a lot of consistently careful writing to even approach the same effect — at a time when we were looking to make less work, not more — and the colored tapes really help make sorting a breeze. —Elon Schoenholz
Relocation advice
Moving Tips
Since I seem to move house every six months or so, I have ample opportunities to test new strategies. This time around I experimented by putting plastic storage totes through FedEx Ground, and for the items I moved myself I used cardboard boxes with the addition of nonadhesive strapping tape and tubular handles. Much quicker and easier, less effort, no breakages, big success. — Charles Platt
Plastic Totes via FedEx
Wal-Mart sells them for storing items such as bedding and clothes in the home, but their semi-rigid construction makes them ideal for moving fragile possessions such as dishes and stereo components. They are stackable, waterproof, easy to pick up (recessed handle at each end), reusable (can be nested during storage), and will pass unscathed through FedEx ground. Best of all they barely cost more than cardboard boxes! My local FedEx-Kinko's was skeptical about accepting them for fear that the lids would pop off during transport. I allayed their fears by putting 2-inch tape around the perimeter of the lid and folding it under the rim. I had to make little notches in the tape so that it would seal properly either side of plastic strengthening ribs under the rim, but this was still much easier, quicker, and safer than using cardboard. Wal-Mart sells gray Sterilite brand totes (the type I prefer) through its stores, but not online. Models 1830 and 1835 are the ones I have tested through FedEx without any problems. You can pay a little more and get "latch totes" (models 1940 and 1945 with a flip-up latch at each end) but since you'll still need to add tape, I feel the latches are unnecessary. (NOTE: One reader pointed out that plastic totes may buckle if they are stored in a very hot place with heavy objects on top of them. I haven't encountered this problem myself, but I do follow the standard practice of filling each container to minimize empty space inside it)
Strapping Tape
If you still want to use cardboard boxes for items you move yourself, or if you are moving stacks of books secured with cling wrap (as I have suggested previously), consider adding half-inch nonadhesive plastic strapping tape. This is the stuff you sometimes see wrapped around boxes containing big items such as refrigerators being transported as freight. Often it's yellow in color. Shipping departments have a tensioner that they use to pull the tape tight, but you don't need that. You can get 3000 feet of half-inch strapping and a lot of little buckles, with a manual tensioner, for ~$45. You thread the tape through the buckle, pull up on it while bearing down on the box, and you have it as tight as you need it. You trim the tape near the buckle. The advantages are that it greatly strengthens the box while giving you something to grab it by, especially if you augment it with a handle (described below). Also you can link two or three boxes together so that you can carry them easily with one hand, especially up and down stairs. Much more efficient and secure than cradling boxes in your arms, less hazardous (you can see your feet and obstacles in your path), and less risk of back injury, since you don't have to stoop to pick them up. Note that FedEx and UPS don't like string or strapping that can snag their package processing machinery, so strapping is for transporting packages yourself or with assistance from movers.
DIY Box Handles
Make handles from half-inch plastic water pipe sawn into 5″ lengths. My local Lowe's sold me six feet of pipe for around $3 and you can use any wood saw to cut it. You may feel this is a luxury, but if you want to protect your hands from the edges of the plastic tape, handles are nice to have.
Once a week we'll send out a page from Cool Tools: A Catalog of Possibilities. The tools might be outdated or obsolete, and the links to them may or may not work. We present these vintage recommendations as is because the possibilities they inspire are new. Sign up here to get Tools for Possibilities a week early in your inbox.
PSA: Valentine's Day is officially one week away. If your Valentine is a drinks enthusiast, last-minute gifting can be fairly easy; just head to your local liquor store and look for these bartender-approved, top-shelf picks. But if you want to grab something extra special, now is the time to order it. Here are my best ideas for your partner (or yourself—I wholly endorse picking up a little treat).
This is an excerpt from the Punch newsletter. Subscribe to get weekly tips like this in your inbox.
Jon Bonné's mini collection of books about French wine right now is comprehensive, an excellent resource and a stunning addition to your shelf. Spirits of Latin America and The Way of the Cocktail, about Japanese drinking traditions, are great, too.
In the new era of the wine decanter, it's less about fussiness and more about actual functionality. Personally, I think using a decanter, and some dedicated matching glassware, is also an invitation to take a beat and indulge in a ritual. Broc's decanter and glass set is beautiful and strikes a nice balance between dainty and casual. Relatedly: On Eater, Francky Knapp has extolled the virtues of the bedside water carafe. If you relate to the memes about boyfriends filling water bottles, perhaps it's the gift for you.
Matchbox Distilling is a cool, genre-bending line of spirits from Long Island. Its offerings are particularly suited to Valentine's, I think, because they get so specific (bier mash amaro, banana and saffron rum!); you can really tailor the bottle to your recipient (to be loved is to be known, etc. etc.). Also, the names are poetic. This is not simply triple sec; it's No Where Sun Kissed & Stargazed. Sounds romantic to me!
An antique goblet duo that, put together, forms a heart. Very '80s retro wedding coupes. A Cartier vermouth dropper modeled after a watering can (and a cheaper alternative if you don't have hundreds of dollars to spend on, essentially, a toy). A set of vintage lace coasters, perhaps monogrammed with your partner's initial. A cat jigger (because maybe you and your Valentine have a cat?). Cocktail picks that double as a mini bar set (I don't have a Valentine's angle here, this is just really adorable to me).
I'd bookmark these handy recs so you can always find something for the Martini lovers, Negroni devotees and Daiquiri drinkers in your life.
The venerable BBC just reported that 10,000 new EV chargers will be installed in Kent, UK. Kent is a county in southeast England, perhaps most well known as the location of Canterbury Cathedral and the white cliffs of Dover. Charles Dickens had a home there and he took long walks ... [continued]
The post 10,000 New EV Chargers Planned For UK appeared first on CleanTechnica.
Deutschland verfügt inzwischen über einen unter Druck stehenden Abschnitt seines Wasserstoff-Backbones, der physisch fertiggestellt, aber betrieblich leer ist. Es gibt keine angeschlossenen Lieferanten, die Wasserstoff einspeisen, keine vertraglich gebundenen Abnehmer, die Wasserstoff entnehmen, und keinen glaubwürdigen kurzfristigen Pfad, der an einem dieser beiden Punkte etwas ändern würde. Dies ist keine ... [continued]
The post Von Optionalität zu Ergebnissen: Wie Deutschland Wasserstoff neu ausrichten kann, ohne das Gesicht zu verlieren appeared first on CleanTechnica.
Iran has sentenced Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi to another seven years in jail. Mohammadi is reportedly on hunger strike following the conviction. According to the Guardian, Mohammadi's lawyer Mostafa Nili has been in touch with her.
He said:
She has been sentenced to six years in prison for 'gathering and collusion' and one and a half years for propaganda and two-year travel ban.
The paper added:
She had been arrested in December at a memorial ceremony honouring Khosrow Alikordi, a 46-year-old Iranian lawyer and human rights advocate who had been based in Mashhad. Footage from the demonstration showed her shouting, demanding justice for Alikordi and others.
Iran has been rocked by near-revolution since December. Protests which began among small businesses over living costs were reportedly brutally repressed. Figures of dead and wounded are hard to verify due to state-enforced media and internet blackouts. Some estimates put the killed and injured in the tens of thousands.
Nuclear talks in OmanThe blackout also makes claims about the degree of US and Israel involvement difficult to corroborate. Despite this - or as a result - conspiracy and rumour have proliferated.
The new sentence comes as the US and Iran prepare to negotiate over Iran's nuclear programme. US President Donald Trump has deployed a US navy armada to the region.
Iran and the US will meet in Oman. Iran's top security official Ali Larijani visited Muscat ahead of the talks. Anadolu Agency said:
The indirect negotiations between Tehran and Washington were halted following the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June last year, during which the US targeted three key Iranian nuclear sites.
Adding:
Narges Mohammadi: Venezuela connection?While Iranian media have not specified the agenda of Larijani's visit, sources said he is expected to discuss the contours of the next round of talks with the Omani mediators.
The Nobel Committee condemned Mohammadi's arrest on 12 December 2025:
The Norwegian Nobel Committee calls on the Iranian authorities to immediately clarify Mohammadi's whereabouts, ensure her safety and integrity, and to release her without conditions. The Committee stands in solidarity with Narges Mohammadi and all those in Iran who work peacefully for human rights, the rule of law, and freedom of expression.
They appeared to suggest there was a link between Mohammadi's arrest and the award of a Nobel to pro-US Venezuelan figure Maria Corina Machado:
Given the close collaboration between the regimes in Iran and Venezuela, the Norwegian Nobel Committee notes that Ms. Mohammadi is arrested just as the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to the Venezuelan opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado.
They offered nothing further to verify this specific claim.
Iran wants to appear strong in a crisisMohammadi had been temporarily released on a medical furlough from jail when she was re-arrested. She had been serving a 13 year sentence for:
charges of collusion against state security and propaganda against Iran's government.
During the recent protests Mohammadi:
kept up her activism with public protests and international media appearances, including even demonstrating at one point in front of Tehran's notorious Evin prison, where she had been held.
Mohammadi has reportedly had multiple heart attacks in jail. Her doctors fear she may also have cancer. This is why she was on medical furlough from her previous sentence. Now she appears to have been returned to prison. And at the precise moment the Iranian government is looking to avert internal crises and head off a threat of regime change.
The implications of this crunch moment for Mohammadi may be dire.
Featured image via the Canary
By Joe Glenton
Matt Goodwin is facing even more scorn, this time for attacking women. In a 2023 blog post unearthed by the Independent, the Reform candidate for Gorton and Denton proposed that people who don't have children should be taxed extra. What's worse, this was specifically meant as a punishment.
Reform pick: Matt Goodwin, Zionist, book eater, and woman haterOn his Substack, Goodwin said:
British family is imploding.
He went on to say that:
The collapse of the family has not only become unavoidable but is having very real and very negative effects on the country around us.
His solution to this was a raft of proposals that would create "a pro-family culture". These would include a national day to celebrate families and getting the king to send a telegram to families when they have a third child. For some fucking reason.
He also wanted "the importance of the family" to be represented in the school curriculum. This was alongside making sure British families were "prioritised" in the building of new houses. He also wanted to remove income tax for women with two or more children, presumably because he sees them as having done their duty.
Most bizarre of all was his proposal on child benefits:
Switching child benefit to incentivise families to have more children.
Which is hilarious when Reform is so opposed to lifting the two-child cap. Though not if you ask the two Reform MPs who accidentally voted for it.
Reform putting women in dangerBut then came his plan to not only push reproduction but to punish those who don't have children:
Introducing a 'negative child benefit' tax for those who don't have offspring
More worryingly, is that Reform agrees with him. A Reform spokesperson told the Huffington Post:
This is an idea that was first suggested by the respected demographer Paul Moreland as part of a range of measures that should be debated and discussed across developed nations if we are serious about dealing with our looming demography crisis.
He continued:
The Labour government has got its head in the sand when it comes to thinking about the long-term challenges facing Britain. We need a grown up, mature debate about how we can encourage people to have more children and support British families.
Of course, Goodwin as short-sighted as ever. Many could potentially be pressured into having kids and trapped in abusive relationships. It would mean that women are seen as only baby machines and not free to have their own lives or careers.
Deputy leader of Labour, Lucy Powell, expressed her disgust at this idea in the Independent:
Infertile women are not good enoughMatthew Goodwin's big idea is so ludicrous, you'd be forgiven for thinking this is something out of The Handmaid's Tale. It would punish millions of women and strip them of their basic dignity to choose.
But that's only the ones that physically can have children.
I can't imagine the pain that this would cause to those who are struggling with fertility. On top of the emotional and physical toll this puts on you will be financial pressures. For those of us who are infertile, it sends one message. You are not good enough and deserve to be punished for failing as a woman.
I had an elective hysterectomy in 2017 after over a decade of pain. I chose my own health over a condition that was making me want to die, for the sake of one day having a baby. Many would call my decision selfish, but I frankly don't give a fuck what people who would rather I were in pain think of me.
As much as I loathe a Handmaid's Tale comparison, this is very apt here. In the novel, working-class women who are infertile are cast out of society. As they have no purpose in a society that values families over all else.
Reform hates women, but we already know thisGoodwin's comments are abhorrently cruel and show just how much society hates people who don't have children. But Reform supporting it is a sign of just how much Christian pro-life values are not so quietly creeping into the UK.
By seeing us as just baby machines, we are telling anyone who can't have a baby, or chooses not to, that they do not belong in society. But Reform is also telling voters plainly that they don't actually give a fuck about women. Plainly put Reform will be dangerous for women, and they're already proudly telling us that.
Featured image via the Canary
Bad Bunny just shook the US with his Super Bowl halftime show. And perhaps the most beautiful moment was when fellow Puerto Rican superstar Ricky Martin sang about US colonialism in Hawaii and Puerto Rico. This was especially poignant because of escalating US terror against Cuba right now.
Bad Bunny, Ricky Martin, and US colonialismPuerto Rico is a US territory that has been denied full democratic rights. And Bad Bunny speaks to the island's resistance during many years of financial crisis. His song Lo que le pasó a Hawaii ('What happened to Hawaii') expresses a desire that the US doesn't do to Puerto Rico what it has done to Hawaii.
Ricky Martin, who has previously joined Bad Bunny and others on the island in progressive political mobilisations, sang Lo que le pasó a Hawaii at the 2026 Super Bowl. The song says:
They want to take my river and my beach too
They want my neighborhood and grandma to leave
No, don't let go of the flag nor forget the lelolai
'Cause I don't want them to do to you what happened to Hawaii
RICKY MARTIN IN THE HOUSE
Another day, another media shill doing the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) job of turning the public against PIP claimants for them. Most annoyingly, this time it's a physically disabled person who is throwing people with mental health conditions under the bus. But then it is Julie Burchill.
DWP don't need a hand denigrating mental healthBurchill is, by her own definition. a 'Rad-fem, Christian Zionist', she's best known for her abhorrent views on immigration and transphobia. So it figures that she's also horribly lateral ableist too. In a column in the i Paper Burchill wrote:
If you're too anxious to work but go on holiday, you shouldn't get PIP.
Siiiigh, same old bullshit. It doesn't need pointing out (again!) that personal independence payments (PIP) isn't an out-of-work benefit. The article actually barely mentions claimants going on holiday; it's a throwaway comment. But that didn't stop the editor from making it the most clickbait possible headline.
Thankfully, Burchill does correct herself on the employment fact in the piece, but she also adds:
Of course, you can work and still receive PIP - as I do - but I do think too many people are getting it when they could be supporting themselves.
Such as, for instance, a columnist who brags about squandering their wealth.
Punching down againBurchill is of course, talking about people who she, and vast parts of the media, think don't actually deserve PIP from the DWP - people with mental health conditions. This is just the latest in a long line of the government trying to de-legitimise people with mental health conditions, whilst planning to make it harder for those same people to claim PIP.
Burchill rightly points out how hard it is to get PIP, even if you have a very physically obvious disability. In her case, she's a wheelchair user and can't walk. She said it took her six months to be approved for PIP, however she also took the chance to shit on other disabled people:
There's more joys in life than workI can't help thinking that had I claimed the mental equivalent of a "bad back" - anxiety perhaps - I would have been awarded it a lot earlier
Burchill's 'article' is mostly a bizarre rant about how, if she's worked nearly every day since becoming a wheelchair user, what's stopping everyone else? Dunno babe, probably less understanding bosses and less flexibility because they're not rich. Calling herself a 'grafter' not a 'grifter', she says:
I can't think of anything worse for anyone's mental health than not having a reason to get out of bed in the morning.
It's really fucking sad that work is the only reason to get out of bed in the morning for many. My dog is my reason for getting out of bed. For some it's simple joys like a good cup of coffee, their fave tv show to catch up on, or seeing friends. I love my job, but I'm also not some capitalist drone whose only joy is work.
The thing about the old 'work is good for your mental health' argument, though, is that it usually comes from people who are supported in their work. It doesn't take into account just how soul-destroying and detrimental to your mental health an awful job with a horrible boss, can be.
Playing into the government's handsInstead of sympathising with this point, Burchill essentially implies that disabled people should be happy with any old menial job, whether or not it's suited to their needs. Which, of course, fits the DWP's narrative perfectly and helps them push disabled people into work
There's also the point that apparently needs hammering home that PIP has fuck all to do with whether you can work or not. Because, despite stating this, she still spends the majority of the piece conflating anxiety with workshyness. Which, again, is something the government has done consistently.
Hilariously though, Burchill also thinks the government are on disabled people's side here. She calls them 'the chief sponsor of idleness'. It's always those who think they're sticking it to the establishment who are playing right into their hands.
The government and media are doing enough, we don't need one of our own doing it tooAt a time when the media and government are doing everything in their power to turn the public against people with mental health conditions, we don't need one of our own on their side too. Though it's made pretty clear that Burchill is one of those disabled people who thinks she will be spared from the hatred because she works hard and doesn't complain:
During my year in a wheelchair, I've had to deal with all of these, alongside other emotions as varied as fear and fury; if I and other severely physically disabled people can learn to process these feelings, why can't those with anxiety do the same
Let me tell you now, Julie, the hate mob doesn't give a fuck if you're on their side or not. They'll come for us all in the end and won't be happy until all disabled people are left to rot.
Deliberate choice to turn people against benefit claimants, againBurchill's piece was published alongside two others. The first by Carrie Grant who shares her own experience as a parent carer on how the SEND system failures feed into more people needing PIP. The second is by a former PIP assessor who points out how life-changing PIP can be for all claimants.
This could've and should've been an impactful and important series. However the i Paper couldn't help themselves and had to ensure they included a hefty dose of the scrounger narrative too. There are so many campaigners who also claim PIP that they could've asked to write this.
This was a deliberate choice to de-legitimise mental health claimants. 'Look, even REAL disabled people know they're faking!" The fact that it's a disabled person attacking other disabled people - and doing the DWP's job for them - shows just how insidious the media narrative really is.
Featured image via the Canary
A Saudi official has attacked 'foreign actors' for fueling the war in Sudan. Their comment came after a Rapid Support Forces (RSF) drone killed 24 in Kordofan province. Fighting has displaced millions and killed up to 150,00 people.
The war is now in its third year. And the UK and others have played their part in letting the carnage run on.
The Sudan Doctors Network said RSF targeted:
a vehicle transporting displaced people fleeing South Kordofan State. The vehicle was traveling from the Dubeiker area in North Kordofan when it was attacked near Al-Rahad city.
Two infants died in the attack:
The attack resulted in the deaths of 24 people, including 8 children—two of whom were infants—and several women.
Sudan Doctors Network: 24 Killed, Including 8 Women and Children, in Rapid Support Forces Attack on Vehicle Transporting Them from the Dubeiker Area to Al-Rahad in North Kordofan
The Rapid Support Forces carried out another massacre in North Kordofan State by targeting a vehicle… pic.twitter.com/jDmZxJaZnr
— Sudan Doctors Network - شبكة أطباء السودان (@SDN154) February 7, 2026
The Sudanese foreign ministry said on 8 February:
This attack does not represent an isolated incident, but rather a continuation of a pattern adopted by the militia to obstruct humanitarian work and use deprivation of food as a means of pressure against civilians.
RSF are an Arab supremacist militia given to carrying out massacres of the indigenous population of Sudan. They have also been used by the UAE as mercenaries in Yemen. Despite the UAE's denials, Emirati military support is substantial, traceable, and decisive.
RSF and UAEThe Saudi foreign ministry also commented, thought it did not name the offenders. They said:
The Kingdom affirms that these acts are unjustifiable under any circumstances and constitute flagrant violations of all humanitarian norms and relevant international agreements.
In a clear swipe at RSF's main backer, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), they added:
foreign interference and the continued actions of certain parties in supplying illicit weapons, mercenaries, and foreign fighters—despite their stated support for a political solution.
They said this foreign influence:
constitutes a primary factor in prolonging the conflict and exacerbating the suffering of the Sudanese people.
This is the latest development in the two oil-rich, Western allied Gulf states' failing relationship.
UAE/Saudi confrontationThe UAE and Saudi relations are are uneasy, to say the least. The two are traditionally allies - and recipients of US and other Western support - but their falling out is being felt throughout the Gulf and the Horn of Africa.
As the Times of India has it:
For more than a decade, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi appeared virtually inseparable. They crushed Islamist movements, dictated oil markets, blockaded Qatar and presented themselves as the ultimate power brokers in the Arabian Peninsula. The two kingdoms were often described as strategic siblings, bound by shared vision, capital and a mutual obsession with stability on their terms.
But that alliance has ruptured. Yemen is one point of contention:
Riyadh seeks a unified Yemen under its influence: manageable, stable and friendly to Saudi security interests. Abu Dhabi, however, is pursuing a different vision through its backing of the Southern Transitional Council.
But that disagreement has also played out in Sudan - with deadly consequences.
Proxy war in SudanThe Sudan war "amplified the stakes" offering:
both Gulf states an opportunity to project influence in Africa.
For the UAE:
Sudan's Rapid Support Forces, controlling gold mines, smuggling routes and borderlands, became a direct conduit to resources. Gold, logistics and influence could be secured without the bureaucracy of formal state structures.
The Canary discussed the role of Sudan's gold mines here. The Saudi regime "backed the Sudanese Armed Forces":
not out of friendship, but fear. Saudi Arabia recognised that paramilitary backed fragmentation could set a dangerous precedent, threatening its own southern flank and regional ambition
Three years in, the war in Sudan has undoubtedly been exacerbated by Gulf interference. But other regional and global powers bear responsibility too.
Israel and BritainIsrael has backed both RSF and the Sudanese government at different times. Turkey, Egypt, and Russia have a role too. And British-sourced equipment has been seen in RSF hands, presumably a result of UK arms sales to UAE.
On October 2025, Labour foreign office minister Stephen Doughty admitted:
We are aware of reports of a small number of U.K.-made items having been found in Sudan, but there is no evidence in the recent reporting of U.K. weapons or ammunition being used in Sudan.
However he resisted calls for an embargo on UAE and said the UK would use its UN security council role:
to call for an immediate end to this violence [and] ensure that international humanitarian law is respected and upheld.
This mealy-mouthed response is typical. Not least because Campaign against the Arms Trade (CAAT) have reported:
The third largest recipient of arms export licences was the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with £172m of military equipment.
CAAT added:
Of particular concern is the £1,966,582 of exports in the military vehicles and components category, given that UK-made engines have been found in armoured personnel carriers used by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in its genocide in Sudan.
The British Labour government is deeply implicated in the killing in Sudan. And it is aligned with both sides in the Saudi/UAE proxy war. The British will likely continue to prevaricate while people die. But as long as UK arms firm CEOs and shareholders get their new yacht or third home, that seems to be fine by Keir Starmer's Labour.
Featured image via the Canary
By Joe Glenton
