Klara Raush, Вербна вулиця, Kyiv (2026)

11/03/2026

Germans protest against Russia on Paralympic podium

German cross-country skiers turned their backs on the Russian gold medallists on the Winter Paralympics podium in protest against the nation's inclusion at the Games.

For the first time since 2014, Russian athletes are competing under their nation's flag at a Paralympics after the International Paralympic Committee lifted its suspension of the country in September.

Russia and its athletes had been banned following the state-sponsored doping scandal before further sanctions followed after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

On Tuesday, Anastasiia Bagiian and her guide Sergei Siniakin won gold in the women's sprint classic vision impaired event, Russia's second of three golds at the Games so far.

As the national anthem played, Germany's Linn Kazmaier and her guide Florian Baumann, the silver medallists, turned their backs to the Russians.

Speaking to German outlet Bild,, external Kazmaier said: "The medal ceremony felt completely strange. I don't know the [Russians], I don't know if perhaps they also support the system in Russia as little as we do.

"Perhaps they are really nice people, who we could be friends with. That it is so totally overshadowed by politics is simply a complete shame.

"That's why we decided to leave our hats on and not turn towards the flag, because we do not support it."

In total, six Russian athletes and four from Belarus - an ally of Russia - are competing at the Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics after the lifting of the IPC's ban.

As a result, teams from seven countries - including Ukraine - boycotted Friday's opening ceremony in Verona.

Para-alpine skier Varvara Voronchikhina won Russia's first gold on Monday - her medal ceremony proceeded with no protest.

Bild also reported that Kazmaier and Baumann refused to be involved in the medallists' selfie that takes place after every medal ceremony.

"Four years ago in Beijing we had a great exchange with the Ukrainians. We wanted to show solidarity to them," said Baumann.

"It's not about the Russian athletes, themselves. It's also difficult for many of them, but the IPC's decision to have Russia here under their flag, with their anthem and their full contingent in attendance, while the Ukrainians are also here, I find simply not correct."

The IPC told BBC Sport it was aware of the protest and is gathering and analysing evidence on the matter.

The German Paralympic Committee said: "This was an expression of solidarity with their friends, the Ukrainian athletes."

Ukraine accuses IPC and Games organisers of 'systematic pressure'
On Wednesday, Ukraine's Paralympic committee accused the IPC and the Games organising committee of subjecting its athletes and coaches to "systematic pressure" during the Games.

In a lengthy statement, it said its team had faced "openly negative manifestations and even obstacles", including the removal of a Ukraine flag from the team's headquarters in Italy and the placing of it in a "less visible" location.

It added that the family of Para-biathlon Paralympic champion Taras Rad had Ukraine flags and scarves removed from them in the stands, while an IPC representative allegedly tried to force fellow gold medallist Oleksandra Kononova to remove earrings featuring the flag of Ukraine and the words "stop war".

Kononova said she received a warning from the IPC as athletes competing at the Paralympics are prohibited from displaying political messaging.

In the statement, Ukraine said: "There appears the impression of an incomprehensible and very special partnership of the IPC with the NPCs of Russia and Belarus."

In a statement, the Milan-Cortina 2026 organising committee told BBC Sport: "We are aware of the statement issued by the National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine and, with the IPC, are reviewing the matters referenced, several of which we are hearing about for the first time.

"Milano Cortina 2026 works closely with the IPC and national delegations to ensure a respectful and welcoming environment for all athletes. The rules and procedures in place during the Games are designed to support that environment and apply equally to all teams, without preference to any delegation."

On the case of the earrings, the IPC's chief brand and communications officer Craig Spence said: "While we are empathetic to the situation faced by Ukrainian people, that empathy does not stretch to allowing NPC Ukraine to break the rules that govern these Games.

"Earlier this week, a Ukrainian medallist was wearing earrings with the message 'Stop War' prior to heading to the podium. This messaging was spotted by a member of staff who politely asked for them to be removed as they could be in breach of the IPC's rules. The athlete agreed and removed them."

10/03/2026

Lego keeps beating the toy industry. Its secret weapon is not what you’d expect

Lego just put up another banner year — with help from a behind-the-scenes secret weapon.

The Danish company on Tuesday reported a 12% jump in revenue to 83.5 billion Danish kroner, or $12.9 billion, for fiscal year 2025. Operating profit rose 18% year over year to 22 billion Danish kroner, or $3.4 billion, the company said.

“When we look at the growth area, it’s kind of pretty broad-based in the sense that it’s not one product or one theme, it’s pretty much across the board,” Lego CEO Niels Christiansen told CNBC.

Lego’s consumer sales jumped 16%, outpacing the overall toy market’s 7% growth over the same period, the company reported. Lego has steadily outperformed the toy industry since the pandemic, growing its market share and its space on retail shelves.

The brickmaker’s secret: a combination of trendspotting and a streamlined supply chain.

Lego has a hearty licensed product line, featuring sets based on a wide range of popular films, TV shows and video games, as well as a substantial number of in-house brands like its flower arrangements, art pieces and architectural structures.

Last year, Lego launched its largest portfolio ever, with more than 860 sets hitting shelves, the company said. Around half of those were new items.

In expanding its catalog of products, Lego has also grown its consumer base. Gateways into the brand such as its line of botanicals — plants, flower bouquets and succulents — and its ongoing partnership with Epic Games — which brings Lego to the digital space and elements from the popular video game Fortnite into the physical world — have encouraged newcomers into the brick-building space, Christiansen said.

Once there, these customers discover other sets and continue building. And it’s not just kids, adult builders are an important piece of Lego’s sales.

Toy experts told CNBC that Lego was ahead of the curve, embracing adults as a key toy consumer long before the industry coined the term “kidult.” Adults buying for themselves account for between 25% and 30% of all global toy sales, according to data from Circana.

“We hit really well on a lot of different type of products and ways of building and passion points,” Christiansen said.

One of the company’s recent additions to the portfolio is its partnership with Formula One auto racing. Lego has been present at F1 races since last season, hosting in-person activities that have included functional, life-size cars and handcrafted trophies made out of bricks for podium finishers.

F1 building sets range from Duplo sets for preschool children, traditional sets for casual builders and Lego Technic sets for more advanced crafters. Additionally, as part of the ongoing relationship between the two brands, Lego has signed on as a team sponsor for an F1 Academy car starting in 2026.

But Lego’s real secret weapon in outpacing the toy industry isn’t as flashy.

Brick by brick
Lego has developed an incredibly efficient supply chain, which allows it to produce products closer to their final retail destination.

For example, right now the company’s Mexico-based factory supplies the Americas, while its Hungary factory helps supply parts of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Lego recently opened a Vietnam location to service the Asia-Pacific region and is set to open up a new facility in Virginia in 2027.

Christiansen said the new U.S.-based factory will help keep up with the growing demand for product in the Americas.

Not only does this make the shipping process more efficient and shorten delivery times for fans, it also reduces costs. Lego can tailor what it’s manufacturing based on regional demand, meaning it’s not creating excess inventory.

Lego can also be more nimble than its competitors during trade disputes or shipping disruptions because its factories are not all concentrated in one area.

“You come out of a year like 2025, and we’ve seen that growth that was beyond our expectations, and ... what a mountain to climb,” Christiansen said. “On the other hand, we have really strong momentum. It continues throughout the year and into this year. So, I think we feel good about growing on top of ’25, maybe not to the same growth rate. Our expectation would be high-single-digit, which would be fantastic.”

In 2026, Lego is introducing sets based on the likes of Pokémon, “Lord of the Rings” and The Legend of Zelda, as well as launching its new innovation: the Lego Smart Brick. The new high-tech, two-by-four Lego brick, which is part of several new “Star Wars” sets, contains sensors that react to movement and play sounds and light up when played with.

“So I think there are many different things that should take well throughout the year,” Christiansen said.

04/03/2026

TikTok won't protect DMs with controversial privacy tech, saying it would put users at risk

TikTok will not introduce end-to-end encryption (E2EE) - the controversial privacy feature used by nearly all its rivals - arguing it makes users less safe.

E2EE means only the sender and recipient of a direct message can view its contents, making it the most secure form of communication available to the general public.

Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and X have embraced it because they say their priority is maximising user privacy.

But critics have said E2EE makes it harder to stop harmful content spreading online, because it means tech firms and law enforcement have no way of viewing any material sent in direct messages.

The situation is made more complex because TikTok has long faced accusations that ties to the Chinese state may put users' data at risk.

TikTok has consistently denied this, but earlier this year the social media firm's US operations were separated from its global business on the orders of US lawmakers.

TikTok told the BBC it believed end-to-end encryption prevented police and safety teams from being able to read direct messages if they needed to.

It confirmed its approach to the BBC in a briefing about security at its London office - saying it wanted to protect users, especially young people, from harm.

It described this stance as a deliberate decision to set itself apart from rivals.

TikTok, which claims to have 30 million monthly users in the UK and more than a billion worldwide, has faced scrutiny over its data protection practices.

The social video platform is headquartered in Los Angeles and Singapore, but owned by Chinese tech giant ByteDance.

Social media industry analyst Matt Navarra said TikTok's decision to "swim against the tide" is a savvy one - but comes with "pretty combustible optics".

"Grooming and harassment risks are very real in DMs [direct messages] so TikTok now can credibly argue that it's prioritising 'proactive safety' over 'privacy absolutism' which is a pretty powerful soundbite," he told the BBC.

But Navarra said the move also "puts TikTok out of step with global privacy expectations" and might reinforce wariness for some about its ownership.

E2EE has been hailed by privacy experts as the best way to protect conversations from hackers, corporations and even repressive authorities trying to snoop on users.

Which apps use end-to-end encryption?

E2EE is the default technology used in Signal, WhatsApp, Facebook DMs/ Messenger, Apple's iMessage and Google Messages

Instagram is in the process of making it default for DMs

X (formerly Twitter) DMs are E2EE-like but some critics argue the platform's system is not as secure as the industry standard

It is offered as a choice on Telegram but not as default

Snapchat uses it for DM pictures and videos. Snap previously said it plans to roll out more widely to include text content too

On Monday, Discord announced that voice and video calls will soon be E2EE as default

End-to-end encryption has been criticised by governments, police forces and child protection charities.

They warn it allows criminals to harm users and share illegal content without authorities or platforms being able to investigate the content exchanged.

TikTok insists all direct messages are still secured using standard encryption, similar to services like Gmail.

It also says only authorised employees can look at direct messages and only in certain situations, such as in response to a valid law enforcement request or a user report about harmful behaviour.

Should big tech be able to read people's messages?
UK child protection charity the NSPCC has welcomed TikTok's decision, citing the platform's popularity with young people.

"We know just how risky end-to-end-encrypted platforms can be for children, preventing the detection of child sexual abuse and exploitation and contributing to a worrying global decline in reports," said Rani Govender, its associate head of policy for child online safety.

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), which monitors and removes child sexual abuse material from the internet, also applauded it.

"At a time where platforms seem to be rushing to implement end-to-end encryption whatever the implications, the conscious choice to step back from this on safety grounds is an important precedent," said Dan Sexton, the IWF's chief technology officer.

Alan Woodward, cyber security professor at Surrey University, said the company's "Chinese influence might be behind the decision," adding E2EE is "largely banned in China".

Industry watchers also suggest the firm's decision could be about keeping lawmakers on side by continuing to offer support to police in cases where safeguarding of its young user base is impacted.

03/03/2026

Blackstone’s Gray: Market ‘noise’ fueled record redemptions from world’s largest private credit fund

Blackstone
president Jon Gray on Tuesday defended the quality of loans within the firm’s flagship private credit fund after investors pulled nearly 8% from it in the last quarter.

The alternative asset management giant said in a late Monday filing that it allowed investors to withdraw 7.9% of BCRED, which it calls the largest private credit fund in the world, with about $82 billion invested. Blackstone did so in part by allowing the firm’s own investors to plow $150 million into the fund.

The move sparked a sell-off in Blackstone shares, which fell as much as about 8.5% in morning trading Tuesday, as well as in other private credit peers.

“When you think about credit quality, the 400-plus borrowers here, they had 10% EBITDA growth last year,” Gray told CNBC’s David Faber, using a term referring to a company’s financial performance. “So when we look at this, we feel pretty darn good.”

Instead of calming markets, recent moves by alternative asset managers to allow investors to cash out of funds have only added to jitters around private credit and loans to the software industry. Last month, the storm intensified when Blue Owl said it found buyers for $1.4 billion of its loans, in part to help cash out 30% of an embattled credit fund.

Now, with the far larger asset manager Blackstone being swept up in it, concerns around private credit seem to be broadening.

“We’ve had a ton of noise,” Gray told CNBC. “As you guys know better than anybody in the press, this has become a story.”

Concerns were first triggered last fall with the collapse of Tricolor and First Brands, firms that also received funding from banks, the Blackstone executive noted.

“There’s a constant spin cycle, and so when that’s happening, it’s not a surprise that investors can get nervous,” Gray said. “Financial advisors can say, ‘Hey, I want to redeem.’”

A Blackstone spokesman said the firm and its employees’ investment in BCRED was “about meeting 100% of requests for the quarter with certainty and timeliness. They underscore our conviction in BCRED and alignment with its investors.”

The fund delivered 9.8% annualized returns since inception for Class I shares, the spokesman said.

02/03/2026

The winners of the smartphone boom think they know what the next big tech gadget is

The next wave of tech devices may not have a screen. You might not realize that they’re recording you. And you might not even realize they’re tech gadgets at all.

Qualcomm, whose chips power smartphones from major Android device makers, launched a new chip Monday for new products along those lines. The company says it’s seeing growing interest from tech companies in devices that look like pendants, pins, glasses and other discrete items worn on the body.

Tech companies are racing to predict whether AI’s popularity will result in a new hit product, similar to how the internet laid the foundation for the smartphone. Qualcomm’s chips power millions of devices from companies like Samsung, Motorola, Meta and many others, so its new commitment could be a sort of bellwether for the consumer tech world.

But tech companies will have to prove that new devices can do things better or differently than smartphones and alleviate privacy concerns around devices can surreptitiously record their surroundings.

Trying to do what your phone can’t

Ziad Asghar, who leads Qualcomm’s wearables and personal AI devices division, said Qualcomm saw the need for a new chip after companies approached them with new gadget concepts.

The early success of smart glasses was another indication for Qualcomm, according to Asghar. Global shipments of smart glasses grew 139% compared to last year in the second half of 2025, according to Counterpoint Research.

“We have seen the demand (for smart glasses) go way beyond what we had predicted in (2025), and that has given us a lot more confidence,” Asghar said.

The new chip, called the Snapdragon Wear Elite, was designed with new products like pins and pendants in mind but will also power smartwatches. Qualcomm said the chip is made for things like running AI models and working with other nearby devices without draining a battery, even in devices that are regularly recording and communicating with phones and other devices. Google, Motorola and Samsung are among the companies that will use the chip.

But tech giants face an uphill battle in convincing consumers to embrace new devices. At least one company has already learned this the hard way. Humane, a tech startup founded by former Apple executives, sold parts of its business to HP after its AI Pin failed to catch on with consumers.

But Asghar says wearable gadgets can potentially handle some tasks more efficiently than a phone, like instant translations during a conversation.

Smart glasses, earbuds and new potential devices can provide translations in your line of sight and your ear so that you don’t have to look down at a phone screen. Asghar also said he has seen interest from the retail industry in using AI devices with cameras to track where shoppers are looking.

Plus, devices worn on the body instead of being tucked away in a pocket may be able to understand context from one’s surroundings through cameras, microphones and other sensors, providing more information to tailor answers.

“It gives you an ability that basically you did not have before the device,” Asghar said.

The race to find what’s next

Meta, Google and Samsung are all betting big on smart glasses that use AI to analyze and answer questions about a wearer’s surroundings. Amazon says Bee, the voice-recording bracelet it acquired last year, is important to Alexa’s future.

Apple is also developing smart glasses and a pendant, according to Bloomberg. OpenAI is expected to launch its first hardware product — a smart speaker — next year according to The Information. And startups like the Friend AI pendant and Plaud pin have already been making waves.

Google hasn’t announced plans to expand beyond its glasses, watches, phones and earbuds. But Bjørn Kilburn, vice president and general manager of Google’s smartwatch software, said the company is paying attention to these new types of devices.

“At the end of the day, it’ll come down to, ‘Is it a superior product for the user? Does it do something that existing things couldn’t do?’ And so, if something like that emerges, then we’d be silly not to take a look at it,” Kilburn told CNN.

Such devices also mean it will be easier than ever to be recorded without one’s knowledge or consent. Most devices, like Meta’s smart glasses and the Amazon Bee bracelet, have an LED light that activates to let bystanders know it’s recording. Still, some women have reported that men used smart glasses to record them without their knowledge and post the videos on social media. Meta, currently the leading smart glasses company, mentioned the glasses’ LED indicator light in a previous statement to CNN and said people should use the product “in a safe, respectful manner.”

Google’s smart glasses haven’t launched yet. But the company no doubt remembers the fallout from Google Glass, the discontinued, first-of-its-kind smart glasses that sparked a wave of privacy fears in 2013.

Kilburn said Google has a “huge responsibility” to protect user privacy and that the company takes it very seriously.

“So that does mean that sometimes we go slower on some things, because we need to be deliberate and think through all of the different positive and potentially unfortunately negative use cases,” he said.

26/02/2026

Restaurant reservation wars heat up as DoorDash enters the arena with Resy, OpenTable

Now available on your favorite food delivery app: restaurant reservations.

The still-simmering reservation wars of the last decade could fully reignite this year, as a shifting tech landscape pits some of the biggest players against each other to capture businesses and users alike. Reservation incumbents, delivery app newcomers and premium credit card partnerships are all ramping up the fight for a shrinking pool of diners.

Delivery giant DoorDash
announced in June its $1.2 billion acquisition of SevenRooms, a reservation platform focused on direct bookings through a restaurant’s own website. Several months earlier, UberEats
and Booking Holdings’
OpenTable announced a partnership to integrate reservations on Uber’s app. And in 2024, American Express
, already the owner of Resy, bought Tock, a reservation platform focused on upscale restaurants, for $400 million.

“It’s three very large, very ambitious, very well-resourced companies all vying for the same exact piece of real estate, which is high-demand restaurants,” Resy and Eater founder Ben Leventhal told CNBC.

Resy was bought by AmEx in 2019, and today Leventhal — a strategic advisor for Resy until 2022 — focuses on Blackbird Labs, a loyalty program for independent restaurants that he founded that same year.

Bringing restaurants online
The reservation wars initially kicked off more than 10 years ago. Leventhal’s Resy burst onto the scene in 2014 and won market share, undercutting OpenTable’s legacy business, by charging eateries a simple monthly fee.

At the time, OpenTable, which was founded in 1998, charged restaurants both a monthly fee and a cover for each diner who booked through the platform. These days, the company still sometimes charges a variable cover fee for seated diners, depending on the establishment.

Despite Resy’s rise and buzzy partnerships with high-profile restaurants, OpenTable still significantly outstrips its rival by restaurant count.

Starting this summer, Resy will integrate the 5,000 eateries, bars and wineries that have listed on Tock onto its own platform, bringing its total number of venues to about 25,000. That’s still less than half of OpenTable’s roughly 60,000 restaurants.

But where OpenTable has scale, Resy has a “cool factor” and strong positioning in major cities, like New York, where dining out is big business.

And each companies’ relationships with credit card companies has added a new layer to the war, too.

Supercharging the platforms

Platinum American Express cardholders get special access to restaurant reservations at sought-after establishments, plus a $400 dining credit per year to use at Resy restaurants.

“We know that American Express card members spend close to $90 billion a year ... on dining, and it’s a passion area for them,” Resy CEO Pablo Rivero told CNBC. “And we know that they also spend more. People with a Resy credit on an American Express card spend over 25% more on dining transactions.”

Likewise, eligible Visa and Chase
cardholders get exclusive OpenTable reservations.

Those partnerships have also helped the legacy player woo some big-name restaurants away from Resy through cash incentives made possible by the credit card companies.

Recapturing top-tier restaurants with Michelin stars or James Beard awards has been a priority for OpenTable over the last five years, said OpenTable CEO Debby Soo.

“Credit card companies are looking for a perk to differentiate their cards, especially for their premium cardholders,” Soo said. “Especially after Covid, the experiential has become even more important.”

Delivery’s here

Now, DoorDash is entering the fray with its SevenRooms acquisition.

The company is used to fighting for market share in a competitive industry. Before the pandemic, DoorDash was up against UberEats and Grubhub for market dominance of online third-party food delivery.

As of 2025, DoorDash was the biggest player in the U.S. market, with about 67% share, according to digital restaurant operations firm Deliverect. UberEats trails with a 23% share.

As it enters the bookings game, DoorDash is looking to capture the range of dining possibilities, whether it’s delivery, takeout or table.

In the early months of its reservations integration, the platform was offering users DoorDash cash to use on future delivery orders for dining using the reservations feature. And in select cities, it offers exclusive tables at trendy spots for members of DashPass, its subscription service.

Above all, the integration with SevenRooms gives DoorDash and its restaurants access to more data about diners.

“Delivery and dine-in have typically been siloed data sets,” SevenRooms co-founder Joel Montaniel said. “So if a customer has ordered six times, and they’re coming into the restaurant for the first time, are they a first-time customer or a seventh-time customer?”

Following a diner across touchpoints means a better experience, and more tailored marketing, he said.

“We’re seeing the flywheel happening and the excitement about the DoorDash reservation marketplace happening, but it’s still early days,” said Parisa Sadrzadeh, vice president of strategy and operations for DoorDash. “We’ve got a lot of room to continue to grow.”

24/02/2026

How Domino’s is trying to double its business during a rough patch for big pizza rivals

Domino’s Pizza shares climbed on a Monday after the company posted a better-than-expected quarter and laid out ambitious growth plans.

The strong performance came as the pizza chain said it saw higher transactions and better traction among lower-income diners with its value offerings.

The pizza chain reported same-store sales growth of 3.7%, better than the 3.1% projected by Wall Street. Revenue of $1.54 billion was also higher than the $1.52 billion estimated by analysts, at a time when the broader pizza category and restaurant sector at large has faced headwinds.

Domino’s chief executive told CNBC in an interview Monday that the company is really just getting started, and it aims to double its market share.

“I want people to understand that I think we can double this business, and it’s not a stretch, given our track record, and given how we are in other markets, to think we can get there,” CEO Russell Weiner said.

The quarterly report comes at a time when Domino’s two biggest public competitors are struggling. Sales rumors are circling both Yum Brands’ Pizza Hut, which has been under a recently completed strategic review, and Papa John’s.

While both Domino’s and Papa John’s stocks have fallen this year, Domino’s stock has fallen about 3.6%, versus a 13.8% drop for its rival.

Weiner said the success has come from offering value on Domino’s core menu item. In the past, he’s called this discounting on the center of the plate.

“The only disruption in the pizza category, is the disruption that we’re causing, right? Is the category still growing 1 to 2 percent [and] we’re up 11 share points in 11 years,” he said. “Two of our major competitors ... the rumor on both of those is they’re off for sale. And so if that goes through, we’re in a pretty unique place.”

The growth this quarter also came from traffic, or more purchases, instead of ticket, or order value — a rarity in the industry that McDonald’s and Starbucks were also able to achieve. Weiner touted strength in spending among lower-income consumers, which grew in the fourth quarter and for the year.

He’s calling it “profit power.”

“We can sustain this price and make money ... why would we want to take price [and] feed less consumers, if we can maintain and grow our franchisees’ profitability on this lower price and still take share,” he said.

Klara Raush

11/03/2026

10/03/2026

04/03/2026

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26/02/2026

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