US/Iran talks in Oman open diplomatic channel amid nuclear tensions

SUMMARY Indirect talks between United States and Iranian officials began in Oman on Thursday as both sides test a diplomatic opening aimed at easing tensions over Iran’s nuclear program and broader regional stability. The US/Iran talks in Oman mark the first structured engagement between the two governments in months, following escalating rhetoric and military posturing.  … Read more

League of Legends Faces Widespread Server Disruptions on Feb. 5

KEY POINTS  Global players of League of Legends experienced widespread service disruptions on Thursday, Feb. 5, with reports of login failures, server connection errors, and matchmaking issues rising sharply, according to Downdetector, a real time outage tracking website. Millions of League of Legends users attempting to log in faced interrupted gameplay, raising concerns over the … Read more

TrumpRx.gov launches to offer most favored nation drug prices to US patients

KEY POINTS  President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced the launch of TrumpRx.gov, a federal website designed to give US patients access to steep discounts on brand name prescription drugs by aligning prices with the lowest paid in other developed nations under a most favored nation pricing model. The rollout of TrumpRx.gov marks the most direct … Read more

Magnitude 3.5 Utah County earthquake rattles northern Utah communities

KEY POINTS  A magnitude three point five earthquake struck near Utah County on Thursday afternoon, briefly shaking communities from Saratoga Springs to Draper amid a recent uptick in regional seismic activity. The Utah County earthquake occurred at a depth of about four point eight miles, less than four miles from Saratoga Springs, according to the … Read more

Nancy Guthrie missing after abduction as ransom note with sensitive details raises alarms

KEY POINTS  Nancy Guthrie remains missing after she was abducted from her Tucson, Ariz., home, authorities said, as a ransom note containing a dollar demand, deadline and information known only to the abductor intensified concern and prompted investigators to seek direct contact. The disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of “Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, has … Read more

Anthropic Launches Claude Opus 4.6, Boosting AI Capabilities for Enterprises

SUMMARY  San Francisco — Anthropic, the US based artificial intelligence startup, on Thursday unveiled its latest AI model, Claude Opus 4.6, designed to improve coding, sustain long duration tasks, and produce higher quality professional outputs.  The launch underscores the company’s focus on enterprise customers, which make up the majority of its business. Claude Opus 4.6 … Read more

World Faces Unconstrained Nuclear Risks as New START Treaty Expires

KEY POINTS  WASHINGTON — The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) between the United States and Russia officially expired Thursday, removing the last formal limits on the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals and raising concerns about renewed strategic instability.  The treaty’s lapse coincides with rising tensions in Europe, ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and accelerating … Read more

Billie Eilish Grammy speech backlash draws response from Finneas amid immigration debate

KEY POINTS  LOS ANGELES — Musician Finneas publicly criticized online backlash against Billie Eilish after her politically charged acceptance speech at the Grammy Awards. Where she condemned US immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump and urged continued protest during the live broadcast Sunday night in Los Angeles. The Billie Eilish Grammy speech backlash unfolded after … Read more

US stocks sell-off deepens as tech rout, weak jobs data rattle markets

KEY POINTS  US stocks fell sharply Thursday as a broad tech rout intensified, leaving investors searching for relief ahead of Amazon earnings while new labor data pointed to fresh weakness in the economy.  The US stocks sell-off erased more than a trillion dollars in market value, extending losses across equities, commodities and digital assets. Markets … Read more