IT’S a woman’s world for Sacha Baron Cohen in his latest film. The comedian , 53, plays a male chauvinist in a parallel world which is dominated by women. His character gets catcalled by female builders on the London set of Ladies First. There was also a “women at work” road sign. Saltburn’s Rosamund Pike , 45, then filmed the same scene but with male builders leering at her. She stole the show in a short skit, grey tweed overcoat and curled blonde hair with an earth-tone handbag on set in the City of London. READ MORE FILM NEWS Pike and Baron Cohen have chemistry as they face off in a complicated new world which proves tough to adapt to. The fiery romantic comedy, directed by The Beautiful Game creator Thea Sharrock, will also star Richard E Grant. The Netflix movie is a remake of the 2018 French romantic comedy, I Am Not An Easy Man. Rosamund began dating Robie Uniacke in 2009. Most read in News TV The two reportedly met at a soiree, but they have kept other details private. Rosamund said about Robie: "I have a very clever partner who's got a very astute mind and is very, very well read and articulate and ruthless about how something I do might play out on screen. "My tendency is to identify with a character and imagine there is more on the page than there is. He's quite good at putting a check on that."Mbanq Debuts AI-Powered Loan Origination Platform Comet
NoneThe US brokerage industry saw its first disruption in decades when Robinhood pioneered commission-free trading in 2013. NEW YORK - Robinhood Markets will expand into Asia next year, with its local headquarters to be in Singapore, chief executive officer Vlad Tenev said. “We plan to be serving customers across Asia soon,” Mr Tenev said on Dec 4 at the firm’s investor day in New York. The global expansion announcement comes on the heels of the US-based company entering the UK this year, offering some though not all of its trademark services to those customers. Mr Tenev also said the retail brokerage will expand its contracts offerings linked to specific events - potentially even to sports competitions - building on the firm’s success with those tied to this year’s US presidential race. Long dominated by high-profile names like Vanguard, Charles Schwab and Fidelity Investments, the US brokerage industry saw its first disruption in decades when Robinhood pioneered commission-free trading in 2013. It has been credited with bringing change to the US stock market industry by making trading of certain stocks and exchange-traded funds accessible by app 24 hours a day, five days a week. The 11-year-old trading app, which became synonymous with mom-and-pop investors in 2021, is now seeking to mature into a full-fledged financial services provider and compete with established brokerages that serve institutional investors. The company had 11.8 million monthly active users and 1.98 million premium customers, as of June 30. Robinhood’s shares climbed 3.5 per cent to $40 in New York on Dec 4. They have more than tripled this year. BLOOMBERG, REUTERS Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads. Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards Spin the wheel now
As Bitcoin hovers around $100,000, the entire crypto market is rejoicing with greens, which has sent the total crypto market cap past $3.5 trillion. While BTC, much like always, continues to lead bull cycles, memecoins have emerged as the leading narrative, surpassing utility coins. This time, there are no whitepapers or litepapers to take a deep dive into the project's value and understand the fundamentals. Crypto's run-up these past two years has been dominated by memecoin. A primary reason for this traction has been regular crypto users being fed up with backroom dealings where projects raise money from venture capitalists (VCs) by selling their coins at a really low price. These VCs then dump their coins on the retail after the project goes live, and the token gets an exchange listing. But with memecoins, there's no such shenanigans involved. With platforms like Pump.fun making it extremely easy for anyone to launch memecoins, everyone has to buy tokens in the open market and race to dump on each other. There are no rules either; memecoins are simply an attempt to be lighthearted and attract a user base by promising a fun community while offering a really low entry point. They have no utility beyond this and tend to be highly volatile, even more so than the typical crypto. Memecoins are simply cryptocurrencies representing animals, artwork, characters, or individuals. As a matter of fact, absolutely anything can be used for a memecoin. Actually, the coins that have been utility coins throughout your crypto journey have been switching into memecoins, too. This is exactly what digital silver and Bitcoin's digital gold, Litecoin (LTC), have done. On Nov. 14, this over-a-decade-old coin got renewed interest when the person behind Litecoin's X (previously Twitter) account put this on social media: The post came amidst the memecoin market cap reaching a new high, signaling a slow return of retail interest into the market. This was on the back of the listings of two popular memecoins, Pepe and Dogwifhat (WIF), and on major U.S. exchange Coinbase. Pepe, the frog coin that started the memecoin mania last year, was also listed on Robinhood, a leading brokerage platform popular among retail in the US. So, with its humorous attempt to get the same attention that memecoins have been getting, Litecoin also jumped in on the trend. As can be seen from the response the post generated, Litecoin suddenly got a lot of attention, which helped its price gain traction. The price of LTC surged more than 42% since that post as it moved past $106, a level last seen in early April this year. Crypto exchange Gate.io even listed it under the memecoin section. At the time of writing, the 26th largest cryptocurrency, with a market cap of $7.34 billion, has been trading at $97.57 while managing $1.174 billion in 24-hour volume. Still, LTC price is only up a mere 35.21% this year compared to other older coins like Bitcoin, which is up 133.35%, XRP's 144.5% gains, ADA's 79%, Tron's 96.69%, and XLM's 317% upside during the same period. But then, there's Ethereum, whose 52.66% year-to-date (YTD) performance has also been a disappointing one despite the second-largest cryptocurrency getting a Spot exchange-traded fund (ETF) approved. While ETH is only 29% off of its peak, LTC is a whopping 76.3% away from its all-time high (ATH) of $410.26 hit in May 2021. The same trend can be seen in Litecoin's open interest (OI), which surged to $472 million on Nov. 24, though nowhere near its last bull cycle peak of a billion dollars, as per Coinglass . A Memecoin or a Utility Coin: Understanding Litecoin Litecoin (LTC) was launched in 2011, only a few years after Bitcoin, by Charlie Lee, an MIT graduate and former Google engineer. It utilized Bitcoin's source code but made changes to make it faster and cheaper. Referred to as “the silver to Bitcoin's gold,” the idea with Litecoin wasn't to create a replacement for Bitcoin but to provide yet another blockchain to the developing crypto ecosystem, which is decentralized but has faster block generation. So, as a digital gold, Bitcoin acts as a store of value, while Litecoin, as a digital silver, is to be used to facilitate transactions. Much like Bitcoin, Litecoin also experiences halving every four years. So far, it has had three, with the last one occurring in August 2023, which reduced the block reward from 12.5 LTC to 6.25 BTC. The next halving is expected to occur in mid-2027, which will bring its rewards further down to 3.125 LTC, which is Bitcoins' current block reward following its most recent halving in April of this year. But while Litecoin also has a proof-of-work (PoW) blockchain , it uses the Scrypt algorithm to Bitcoin's SHA-256, making it less energy-intensive than the world's largest cryptocurrency. Despite having many benefits compared to Bitcoin, which has been garnering the attention from institutions and even nations as it gears up to be a reserve asset, Litecoin has been pretty much lost to irrelevance as the crypto sector continues to grow with more innovative projects and new narratives. This was until Litecoin changed its tactics and jumped on the new trend. As the project stated in an X post , it was a lighthearted jab at the market's state and a self-deprecating acknowledgment that despite being the “oldest and most reliable cryptocurrencies in the world,” their accomplishments have been largely unnoticed all these years. So, while the LTC price has been rather limited, the Litecoin blockchain has been working just fine. In fact, the Litecoin network has achieved the milestone of processing 84 million transactions so far this year. “$LTC is more active than ever!” – posted Litecoin Foundation on X while sharing this achievement Yet another development has been its hashrate, which has been experiencing a constant increase throughout this year. Currently, sitting around 1.4112 PH/s, the hash rate is near its ATH of 1.49 PH/s hit on Nov. 18, as per Bitinfocharts . The growing hashrate shows that more and more computational power is being contributed to the network in order to get a chance to successfully mine a block and earn rewards . Then there are the short-term LTC holders, which are on the increase too. The number of such holders spiked over 30% in the past month as the token gained market attention, and traders and investors jumped to take advantage of the opportunity. In an interview with CCN, David Schwartz, Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Litecoin Foundation, talked about Litecoin's speed, affordability, and utility as its unique selling point that makes it a practical tool for everyday transactions. Developers have also been working on offering Litecoin users optional privacy through MimbleWimble Extension Blocks (MWEB). This privacy feature enables confidential transactions without compromising the blockchain's integrity, which, according to Schwartz, makes it appealing to those individuals and businesses that value financial privacy. The average daily transaction activity for MWEB has tripled since July. But if this feature is incorporated by larger wallets, Schwartz sees it making “a significant difference in adoption. “ Besides adopting the memecoin trend, Litecoin has been keeping up with the market by integrating with DeFi. For this, the project introduced Wrapped Litecoin (wLTC), which enables the usage of LTC in the booming DeFi ecosystem. And now, Litecoin is seeing the potential to get its very own ETF, much like Bitcoin and Ether, which can supercharge its network metrics and market demand. The Most Bullish Upcoming Event: Will it Materialize? Spot ETFs have been the primary driver of Bitcoin's run-up this cycle. The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) giving Bitcoin Spot ETFs a green light sent BTC's price up by 525% since Nov. 2021 low under $16K. Since getting the approval, all the Bitcoin ETFs have recorded a total of $30.84 billion in inflows, achieving $107.5 billion in net assets, according to SoSo Value . BlackRock's IBIT leads this Bitcoin ETF race with $31.33 bln in net inflows, followed by Fidelity's FBTC, which captured $11.54 bln. Then, in late July, Ethereum ETF got approved, which has so far only managed to gain $106.80 million in cumulative inflows. This is because Grayscale's ETHE still leads in net assets at $4.95 bln. With these approvals, the market is now trying to have institutions gain exposure to other crypto assets. In October, Canary Capital Group filed for a Litecoin ETF in addition to submitting documents for an XRP fund. However, the firm has yet to disclose the ticker or management fee for the funds. The filing was just an S-1 document, which is the first step to getting a new security issued and listed on a public stock exchange. It needs to be followed by the 19b-4 filing for the S-1 filing to have any meaning. And once that happens, the SEC has to make a decision, under a strict timeline, to approve or deny the application. Despite the move being primarily, LTC price spiked 5% on the news of the filing. Given that Litecoin had no token sale or pre-mining, its fair launch makes it a viable candidate for an ETF. The Spot Litecoin ETF, according to Alex Thorn, head of research at Galaxy Digital, “should theoretically have the same pathway” as Bitcoin ETF. Already, there are several investment vehicles that give institutions a way to buy LTC. This includes CoinShares' LITE and ETC Group's ELTC, but both are in Europe. In the US, Grayscale remains the dominant force, which has several closed-end funds offering investment in various crypto assets such as Aave, Avalanche, Bitcoin Cash, Bittensor, Ethereum Classic, Filecoin, Horizon, Near, Solana, Stellar, XRP, Zcash, Stacks, and more. Grayscale Litecoin Trust ( LTCN ) meanwhile has $180.74 in assets under management (AUM). The asset manager charges a hefty management fee of 2.50% on this fund, but it still accounts for the majority of the funds invested in Litecoin-related ETPs globally. LTCN was launched in 2018 and began trading on the OTC market over two years later. While Grayscale has converted its both Bitcoin (GBTC) and Ethereum (ETHE) funds into an ETF, it hasn't filed for an ETF for LTCN. However, last month, Grayscale filed to have its multi-token fund converted into an ETF. The Grayscale Digital Large Cap Fund (GDLC:OTCQX) covers BTC, ETH, XRP, SOL, and AVAX. Despite all this, Litecoin creator Charlie Lee believes that Spot Litecoin ETF will get a green light from the regulator. “I'm excited to see the Litecoin ETF filing by Canary Capital. We are definitely seeing a lot of institutional demand for Litecoin. This is clear from the daily growth of the Grayscale Litecoin Trust, which has a price that is over twice the NAV. Given that Litecoin is a commodity that is very similar to Bitcoin, I hope to see the Litecoin ETF approved very soon.” – The Litecoin founder told Fox Business A Litecoin ETF is expected to see LTC as a seriously investable option for traditional market players, who can use LTC as a way to diversify their crypto portfolio without needing to buy the asset itself. The digital assets-linked ETF applications, as per Lee, can help more people adopt crypto. Much like Lee, Litecoin Foundation's Schwartz also believes it to be a matter of when and not if Litecoin will get an ETF due to LTC's value as a transactional currency. The approval, according to him, “could catalyze a broader recognition of Litecoin's utility.” Click here to learn if Litecoin can stand alongside Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH). Here's How to Buy Litecoin (LTC) in Four Easy Steps Now, if all these factors that paint a bullish picture for Litecoin make you want to have an LTC bag, then here's how you can get that. The entire process of buying LTC is a simple one that'll take as little as ten minutes. To get started, first get your phone or computer. It's up to you which device you are most comfortable with. Next, choose a cryptocurrency exchange. There are a lot of options out there, each offering a different feature and tool. While you'll find that a vast majority of exchanges have listed LTC, we'd recommend using Kraken, Coinbase, Binance, KuCoin, Uphold, or Gate.io. Once you have chosen the trading platform that you want to use, create an account by verifying your email address. You'll also be required to verify your identity (KYC) by providing documents to prove your identity, address, and other details. In the next step, make a deposit. To fund your account with fiat currency, you can make use of a debit card, credit card, and bank transfer. You can also deposit BTC and USDT, which are popularly available as trading pairs against LTC. Then, simply use your funds to buy BTC by finding the coin on the platform, choosing your investment size based on how much you want to buy, and then clicking ‘buy. ‘ You'll find the purchased LTC in your exchange wallet. Once you are ready to sell, depending on your financial goal, you can sell your LTC on the same platform using the ‘sell ‘ button. Click here to learn all about buying Litecoin (LTC). The Road Ahead for Litecoin As we saw, Litecoin has a lot of things working out for it. For starters, Litecoin has been in the market for over thirteen years now, which makes it one of the oldest coins. This longevity factor is further supported by the growing miner activity, transaction volume, and user addresses. Built to be complementary to Bitcoin, Litecoin's accessibility and reliability can help it get the market's attention and gain adoption. So, as BTC hits six figures and retail feels priced out, they may even turn to LTC as a cheaper option. Notably, Litecoin has a fixed supply of 84 million. So, a continued increase in its demand can help its prices elevate substantially. The potential of an ETF presents yet another big tailwind for Litecoin. Depending on the institutional interest and capital flow it sees, LTC price can see an upside. Then there's the mainstream attention that old coins like XRP, ADA, and XLM are getting, which forecasts good things for Litecoin, too. Add the memecoin trend LTC has onboarded and the mind share it has been getting, thanks to the voice behind its X account, and LTC can enjoy good momentum. Retail interest in meme coins also has a long way to go. “A strong indicator of retail interest, “ memecoin activity is still low compared to that seen during the previous peaks of most memecoins, noted IntoTheBlock, adding that this divergence from the total memecoin market cap hitting new highs “suggests retail enthusiasm hasn't fully re-entered the crypto space yet.” The broad crypto market has certainly started the party, though, with BTC ready to blast through $100K, driven by both strong spot demand and institutional inflows. With President-elect Donald Trump's win, the most crypto-friendly administration ever, prices are expected to climb much higher. So, against this backdrop, Litecoin can potentially rise to new heights, which, unlike the last cycle , can actually be much higher than the 2017 peak if the coin is able to capture the memecoin and ETF trend well in this bull market! Click here to learn all about investing in Litecoin.Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers, accused of domestic violence, cleared to practice and play
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Biden administration plans on reducing part of Intel's $8.5 billion in federal funding for computer chip plants around the country, according to three people familiar with the grant who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. The reduction is largely a byproduct of the $3 billion that Intel is also receiving to provide computer chips to the military. President Joe Biden announced the agreement to provide Intel with up to $8.5 billion in direct funding and $11 billion in loans in March. The changes to Intel’s funding are not related to the company’s financial record or milestones, the people familiar with the grant told The Associated Press. In August, the chipmaker announced that it would cut 15% of its workforce — about 15,000 jobs — in an attempt to turn its business around to compete with more successful rivals like Nvidia and AMD. Unlike some of its rivals, Intel manufactures chips in addition to designing them. Two years ago, President Biden hailed Intel as a job creator with its plans to open a new plant near Columbus, Ohio. The president praised the company for plans to “build a workforce of the future” for the $20 billion project, which he said would generate 7,000 construction jobs and 3,000 full-time jobs set to pay an average of $135,000 a year. The California-based tech giant's funding is tied to a sweeping 2022 law that President Biden has celebrated and which is designed to revive U.S. semiconductor manufacturing. Known as the CHIPS and Science Act , the $280 billion package is aimed at sharpening the U.S. edge in military technology and manufacturing while minimizing the kinds of supply disruptions that occurred in 2021, after the start of the coronavirus pandemic, when a shortage of chips stalled factory assembly lines and fueled inflation . The Biden administration helped shepherd the legislation following pandemic-era concerns that the loss of access to chips made in Asia could plunge the U.S. economy into recession. When pushing for the investment, lawmakers expressed concern about efforts by China to control Taiwan, which accounts for more than 90% of advanced computer chip production. In August, the administration pledged to provide up to $6.6 billion so that a Taiwanese semiconductor giant could expand the facilities it is already building in Arizona and better ensure that the most advanced microchips are produced domestically for the first time. The Commerce Department said the funding for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. meant the company could expand on its existing plans for two facilities in Phoenix and add a third, newly announced production hub. The administration has promised tens of billions of dollars to support construction of U.S. chip foundries and reduce reliance on Asian suppliers, which Washington sees as a security weakness. _____ Boak reported from Washington. Josh Boak And Sarah Parvini, The Associated PressMother orca and children make 'grocery shopping' trip near downtown Vancouver
ERDA extends Mack's contract another yearNorthern Territory Don't miss out on the headlines from Northern Territory. Followed categories will be added to My News. Darwin company Steeline GRP has emerged as an Australian manufacturing leader with its multimillion-dollar investment in the nation’s longest-reach robot welder, largest aluminium router and a state-of-the art beamline for metal processing and manufacturing. A collaboration between Steeline GRP, Territory-based industrial local robotics and automation company Diverseco and Charles Darwin University , the partnership will have the twin benefits of boosting the NT’s industrial self-reliance and skills base. The purchases were supported by an $800,000 co-investment from the Northern Territory Government’s Advanced Manufacturing Ecosystem Fund. The total investment pool of $3.5m consists of matching the $800,000 co-investment dollar-for-dollar, plus contributing an additional $1.9m through in-kind services, support and labour. Steeline GRP’s Kawasakil Long-reach robotic welding system Steeline’s facility features include advanced automated metal manufacturing technology, including a Kawasakil Long-reach robotic welding system with a 2.1m arm on an 8m track, a 14-axis ART metaltek XB1200 beamline fabrication machine and a true 2.5m x 11m ART Router Machine. In addition to the support from the AMEF, Steeline has further advanced its manufacturing capability by complementing these pieces of equipment with a new 12000kw fibre laser machine, a 40m Ocean Steel Shot Blasting machine and an LVD Turret Punch Press, to enable end-to-end processing capacity. Tony Halikos has invested hundreds-of-thousands in new machinery. The partnership is intended to reduce supply risk for many of the region’s businesses and create a local source of high-quality processed products for critical industries such as defence, energy, gas, mining and construction. Steeline conservatively estimates the project will lead to cumulative revenues of $7.25m and create 10 new jobs within five years across the entire manufacturing value chain including apprentices, truck drivers, other skilled workers, engineers and administrative staff. Four of the forecast new jobs do not currently exist in the NT, bringing a raft of new skills to the Top End. Steeline GRP general manager Tony Halikos said the company was passionate about local manufacturing and processing. “The new in-house advanced manufacturing capabilities we rival or match that of any manufacturer anywhere in Australia or South-East Asia and will complement all industries - defence, energy, gas, mining, maritime and construction, requiring the local capability for projects big or small,” he said. “Based on the advanced capabilities we now have, Steeline GRP is now able to process some of the largest carbon steel, aluminium steel and stainless steel products in sizes currently unable to be handled elsewhere in many parts of Australia. Steeline Darwin “Our overall aim is to ensure that the critical industries in the Northern Territory and Australia have access to world-class capabilities, underpinned by advanced machinery developed by sovereign entities and world class staff. “By doing so, Steeline GRP and the entire Top End manufacturing ecosystem can become more resilient, more prosperous and more capable as a result. “Improving our sovereign capability and capacity to the benefit of our local industry and local manufacturing environment is the driver of the investment.” Dr Jens Goennemann, managing director of the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre , said Steeline had shown the benefit of investing in manufacturing. “It creates a ripple effect of increased local business activity,” Dr Goennemann said. “The Territory government’s commitment to advancing its manufacturing ecosystem is yielding results with more mobs created and greater local spending retained within the Territory. “The impact of the investment in this project alone will be significant for the Territory, which has a substantive list of companies looking for local manufacturing and supply of sovereign products such as large pieces of finished structural steel, aluminium plate and even composite panelling, normally bought in from interstate or overseas. “This increased local capability reduces supply chain risks, lowers transport costs, increases efficiencies and cuts lead times.” More Coverage The local business bucking manufacturing trends in the NT Camden Smith NT manufacturer boosted by ‘ecosystem’ funding Camden Smith Originally published as Steeline GRP’s substantial investment in Territory jobs and capacity Join the conversation Add your comment to this story To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout More related stories News Spotted and snapped: Crikey that’s a cute croc A ‘bold and curious’ baby crocodile has been spotted at a Top End fishing spot. See the cute pictures. Read more Northern Territory Cure for range anxiety: AANT brings in roadside EV charging van FREE READ: The Automotive Association of the Northern Territory has introduced a mobile charging van for greater Darwin members who drive an electric vehicle. Here’s how it works. Read moreCanada’s Farm Show (CFS) in Regina, Sask. is shaking things up in 2025. The event, usually held in June, is now moving to Mar. 18 to 20. The show is built on three pillars: education, innovation, and collaboration with programming emphasizing seminars, hands-on experiences, and cutting-edge technology. Roberta Engel, acting President and CEO of the Regina Exhibition Association Limited said CFS is all about advancing agriculture while celebrating the people who power it. “Moving the show to March aligns with farmers’ seeding cycles, ensuring they get an early look at the tools and technologies they need,” she said. “Our goal is to create an inspiring and valuable experience for attendees and exhibitors alike.” With 80 per cent of spaces sold, returning exhibitors include Bourgault Industries, Brandt Group of Companies, Dutch Industries, Degelman Industries, Farm Credit Canada (FCC), Nick’s Service, Prairie Ram, Ritchie Brothers, Thunderstruck Ag, and Viterra. Several first-time participants are Apache Sprayers, Condie Seed, AG Access, DyMark Industries, FP Genetics, among others. The trade-show floor will include product showcases and launches happening throughout the three days. A CFS Kick-Off Party will feature award winning country artist Jelly Roll on Mar. 16. CFS will be offering a VIP Program for the concert before the week begins. The entertainment continues throughout the show at the Young’s Equipment Farmhouse Lounge, opening daily at 11:00 a.m. Monday will see Farm Management Canada host their Bridging the Gap Farm Transition Workshop and the annual Welcome Reception. On Tuesday, March 18, CFS will celebrate farmers with the Regina Pats’ Thank You Farmers Game where the Pats will take on the Swift Current Broncos. Each day of the show will feature a theme. Opening day on Mar. 18 is Farmer Appreciation Day which starts with breakfast at 9:00 a.m., followed by industry leaders and speaker panels and safety programming. The day concludes with a Thank You Farmers Tailgate Party. Day 2 is Innovation Day on Mar. 19 which spotlights advancements shaping agriculture’s future. The 2025 Innovator Recognition Program will honour four individuals in the categories of emerging, lifetime, farmer, and community Innovators. Cultivator, powered by Conexus, returns with a new session designed to help farmers integrate new technologies and practices into their operations. This year will include back-to-basics learning sessions, providing insights to evaluate and adopt the right innovations for each farming operation. Mar. 20 is Young Farmer Day which supports the next generation of agriculture leaders. CFS is home for the Saskatchewan Outstanding Young Farmers Program the Launch Your Career in Ag and Think AG. Show Passes are available now, with single-day and three-day options. – alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com On X: @farmnewsNOWHouston Korean-Americans split on political unrest in South Korea