Today’s topics

• Wall Street reaches unprecedented heights

• Amazon vs Temu: battle for e-commerce supremacy

• Genetically modified pig kidney transplant

• Sagrada Familia is wrapping up 140-year construction

• Scientists engineer ‘super-diamonds’

• Return of supersonic travel

  and more…

On Monday, the three leading indexes closed with losses. The Dow Jones declined by 0.4%, whereas both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq experienced a decrease of approximately 0.3% each. This retreat follows a week of significant gains, which saw the indexes hitting new record highs at their closing.

Wall Street's bullish surge: S&P 500 hits new high. Wall Street is riding the wave of optimism as the S&P 500 reaches unprecedented heights. Oppenheimer's chief investment strategist, John Stoltzfus, sets a bold year-end forecast of 5,500 for the benchmark index, marking a 5% uptick from recent levels. This bullish call follows a remarkable stock rally that propelled the index beyond Stoltzfus's earlier target of 5,200 in record time, signaling robust investor confidence in the market's trajectory.

Amazon faces threat from Temu. In the battle for e-commerce supremacy, Amazon confronts a formidable challenger in Temu. While Amazon struggles with a loss of 2.6 million daily active users (DAUs), Temu has gained a staggering 51.4 million DAUs since its September 2022 launch. Amazon targets upscale consumers with its Prime service, emphasizing fast delivery, while Temu appeals to budget-conscious shoppers, prioritizing affordability over delivery speed. If Temu replicates its strategy stateside, targeting higher-income consumers, Amazon's decline in daily active users could persist.

62-Year-Old Receives Gene-Edited Pig Kidney

In a groundbreaking surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, a 62-year-old man, Richard Slayman, becomes the first living recipient of a genetically edited kidney from a pig. This milestone procedure offers hope to those with end-stage kidney disease. Doctors commend Slayman's courage; he is recovering well post-surgery and is expected to be discharged soon.

Diamonds under pressure: scientists engineer even tougher material. Physicists from the US and Sweden have pushed the limits of diamond hardness. Through quantum-accurate simulations, they've discovered a configuration known as the eight-atom body-centered cubic (BC8) phase, which surpasses diamond in resistance to compression by 30%. This discovery sheds light on potential applications in high-pressure environments, like those found within exoplanets, where such structures may naturally occur.

7,000-year-old canoes unearthed. Archaeologists have discovered five remarkably preserved canoes at the submerged site of La Marmotta, near modern-day Rome. These wooden vessels, crafted between 5700 and 5100 BC, provide insights into the Neolithic era's fishing and transportation practices in the Mediterranean region. Made from alder, oak, poplar, and European beech, these ancient canoes are the oldest ever found in the Mediterranean.

Boom Takes Flight: Supersonic Travel Returns

Colorado's Boom Supersonic achieves a milestone as its XB-1 prototype completes its inaugural flight over the Mojave Desert. Despite delays, this achievement signals progress towards reviving commercial supersonic aviation. With a maximum altitude of 7,120 feet and a top speed of 246 knots, the successful test means supersonic air travel is here to stay.

Sagrada Familia: 140-year construction nears end. Barcelona's iconic Sagrada Familia is set to wrap up construction by 2026, marking the finale of a 140-year endeavour. Designed by Antoni Gaudí, it's poised to be the world's tallest church, overtaking Ulm Minster in Germany.

Holi: The Vibrant Hindu Festival Spreads Joy (and Color) Worldwide

Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, heralds the arrival of spring with exuberant celebrations across India, Nepal, and beyond. Participants joyfully toss colored powders in the air and at each other, accompanied by music, dance, and traditional delicacies. More than just a festival, Holi symbolizes renewal and the shedding of negativity, fostering a spirit of rejuvenation and new beginnings for all who partake.

Hotel squatter's five-year stay ends in arrest. Mickey Barreto's $200 hotel check-in turned into a five-year residency at the New Yorker Hotel without paying rent. He triggered a legal battle with the hotel by exploiting a housing law loophole that allows occupants of single rooms in buildings constructed before 1969 to demand a six-month lease. Barreto even attempted to claim ownership of the entire building. After winning a court battle, he lived rent-free until his recent arrest for filing false property records, putting his freedom on the line.

Parisian waiter race is back. Paris witnessed the revival of a beloved tradition as waiters and waitresses raced through its streets, balancing trays of coffee and croissants. Dating back to 1914, this spectacle, known for its brisk walking and spill-checking judges, was absent since 2011 due to sponsorship challenges. Its return, ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics, brings a touch of old-world charm back to the French capital's bustling café culture.

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