For just the first three months of 2026, Rocket Lab's launch business reports $63.7 million in revenue, reports CNBC — plus another $136.7 million from its space systems business. Besides beating Wall Street's expectations, Rocket Lab also announced that its backlog has more than doubled from a year ago to $2.2 billion, and that it's buying space robotics company Motiv Space Systems.
Friday its stock price shot up 34% in one day...

Rocket Lab's stock has more than quadrupled over the past year, benefiting from skyrocketing demand for businesses tied to the space economy ahead of SpaceX's hotly anticipated IPO later this year. Demand for space systems and satellites is also escalating as President Donald Trump pursues his ambitious Golden Dome missile defense project and NASA's crewed Artemis missions rev up.

Rocket Lab said Thursday that it signed its largest contract ever with a confidential customer for its Neutron and Electron rockets through 2029, weeks after landing a $190 million deal for 20 hypersonic test flights... "The demand signal is clear," CEO Peter Beck said on an earnings call with analysts, calling the pace of new product releases from the company this year "relentless".... Rocket Lab's good news lifted other space companies. Firefly Aeropspace and Intuitive Machines both jumped more than 20, while Redwire gained 19%. Voyager Technologies rose 14%.


"The company anticipates revenue between $225 million and $240 million during the second quarter."

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IT sector unemployment "increased to 3.8% in April from 3.6% in March," reports the Wall Street Journal.

But they add that the increase reflects "an ongoing uncertainty in tech as AI continues to play havoc with hiring. That's according to analysis from consulting firm Janco Associates, which bases its findings on data from the U.S. Labor Department."
On Friday, the department said the economy added 115,000 jobs, buoyed by gains in industries including retail, transportation and warehousing and healthcare. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.3%. But the information sector lost 13,000 jobs in April.

While it's still too early to say exactly how AI is affecting employment overall, some businesses, especially in the tech industry, have said it's part of the reason they're cutting staff. In April, Meta Platforms said it would lay off 10% of its staff, or roughly 8,000 people, as it seeks to streamline operations and pay for its own massive investments in AI. Nike will reduce its workforce by roughly 1,400 workers, or about 2%, mostly in its tech department, as it simplifies global operations. And Snap is planning to eliminate 16% of its workforce, or about 1,000 positions, as it aims to boost efficiency. In other areas of IT, which includes telecommunications and data-processing, employment is now down 11%, or 342,000 jobs, from its most recent peak in November 2022.

But there's not just AI to blame. Inflation and economic uncertainty linked to the Iran conflict is giving some chief executives and tech leaders reason to pull back or pause their IT hiring, said Janco Chief Executive Victor Janulaitis.

The article even notes that postings for software developer jobs "are up 15% year-over-year on job-search platform Indeed, according to Hannah Calhoon, its vice president of AI". But employers do seem to be looking for experienced developers, which could pose a problem for recent college graduates.

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Wie “duif” zegt, denkt vaak aan vieze stoepen, fladderende stadspleinen en overlast. Maar dat beeld is veel te simpel. Het aangeleverde Stern-artikel zet juist een andere werkelijkheid centraal: duiven zijn veel beter en interessanter dan hun beroerde imago doet vermoeden.

Duiven zijn namelijk niet zomaar stadsvogels die toevallig overal rondlopen. Ze leven dicht bij mensen, passen zich uitzonderlijk goed aan en hebben eigenschappen die we meestal pas opmerken als we verder kijken dan het cliché van de “rat met vleugels”.

Een reputatieprobleem

De afkeer van duiven is voor een groot deel cultureel bepaald. In veel steden zijn ze het symbool geworden van vervuiling en drukte, terwijl we bij andere vogels veel makkelijker romantische of bewonderende eigenschappen projecteren. Dat contrast is opvallend, want de duif is niet per se viezer of “slechter” dan veel andere dieren die in onze directe leefomgeving voorkomen.

Het probleem is vooral dat duiven overal zichtbaar zijn. Wat dichtbij is, wordt sneller als hinderlijk ervaren. Daardoor kijken we minder naar wat het dier eigenlijk is, en meer naar wat wij erin zijn gaan zien: een plaag, een lastpost, een vanzelfsprekend decorstuk van de stad.

Slimme overlevers

Juist dat overleven in een harde stedelijke omgeving zegt iets over hun kwaliteiten. Duiven zijn taai, flexibel en opmerkzaam. Ze weten voedselbronnen te vinden, navigeren efficiënt en kunnen zich aanpassen aan lawaai, verkeer en menselijke drukte — omstandigheden waarin veel andere dieren het moeilijk zouden hebben.

Dat maakt ze evolutionair gezien eerder succesvol dan armzalig. Een dier dat zich zo goed weet te handhaven in een door mensen gedomineerde wereld, verdient niet alleen irritatie, maar ook een beetje respect. Stadsduiven zijn in feite specialisten in samenleven met de mens, ook al hebben wij dat zelf lang niet altijd door.

Van overlast naar verwondering

Misschien zit daar wel de kern van het misverstand. We zien duiven vooral als massa, niet als dier. Waar een merel of roodborstje individualiteit krijgt, verdwijnt de duif in ons hoofd in de categorie “te veel, te grauw, te gewoon”. Het Stern-artikel probeert precies dat automatisme te doorbreken door te benadrukken dat deze vogels beter zijn dan hun naam doet vermoeden.

Wie eenmaal anders kijkt, ziet geen vliegend afval meer, maar een dier dat zich al generaties lang aan onze wereld heeft aangepast. Niet elegant misschien, niet zeldzaam, maar wel veerkrachtig en slim. En misschien is dat uiteindelijk precies waarom de duif een rehabilitatie verdient.

Darren Schiller has added a photo to the pool:

Victoria Square, Adelaide CBD

Darren Schiller has added a photo to the pool:

HX Holden Monaro.
Wakefield Street, Adelaide CBD

Darren Schiller has added a photo to the pool:

The General Post Office is a colonial-era building situated on 141 King William Street on the north-west corner of King William Street and Victoria Square in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. It is the former General Post Office for South Australia. Postal services operated from the building between 6 May 1872 and 11 October 2019.

A 14-story hotel was built behind the historic structure. It opened as the Adelaide Marriott Hotel in 2024.
The original building was constructed in the period 1867–1872, and was the most expensive building constructed to that time by the colonial government in South Australia. It was constructed from Glen Osmond and Glen Ewin stone and ornamented with Bath limestone.

A competition was held in March 1866 for the design of the building, with the winning design submitted by Edmund Wright in collaboration with Edward Hamilton. They were at the time in practice with Edward John Woods, and Robert Thomas may have had a hand in the design.

Prince Alfred, The Duke of Edinburgh, was involved in laying the foundation stone, who also officially named the clock tower Victoria Tower on 1 November 1867. The capstone was put in place at a ceremony on 25 May 1870. The height of the tower was put at 154 feet (46.9 m), a little taller than the Albert Tower of the Town Hall on the other side of King William Street. The original plans had the tower somewhat taller, but R. G. Thomas was obliged to redesign it, as a cost-saving measure.

The building was extended in 1891-92.

There was also an office tower addition to the original post office in the 1920s.

Hotel
On 14 October 2019, Adelaide's GPO was relocated to the adjacent GPO Exchange tower at 10 Franklin Street. Plans were announced for the original building to have with a Westin hotel built atop it.

In April 2021, South Australian premier Steven Marshall attended a sod-turning ceremony, to mark the beginning of construction on the hotel. The hotel was estimated to cost $200 million, with property developer Greaton handling the construction. Designed by local architects Baukultur, the tower, on the site of the 1920s addition, will retain the entire original GPO building, with some sections incorporated into the new hotel. Upgrades to the structure as well as additional seismic retrofit have been added, to ensure the structural integrity of both the old and new buildings. The topping out ceremony took place in October 2023 and included an Aboriginal smoking ceremony by traditional owner representatives Kuma Kaaru.

The 285-room, 14-story hotel opened as the Adelaide Marriott Hotel on 22 August 2024.

Source: Wikipedia

For Nottingham Forest, just how precious might Elliot Anderson’s late equaliser at home to Newcastle prove? Vítor Pereira’s side knew they had to match or better West Ham’s result later against the Premier League leaders, Arsenal, and if West Ham fail to win at the London Stadium, then Forest’s mood will improve again and relegation fears will substitute. In a game devoid of quality, the Newcastle substitutes Jacob Ramsey and Harvey Barnes combined to seize Eddie Howe’s side a 74th-minute lead, but the former Newcastle youngster showed great endeavour to level.

For Forest, who Pereira warned had no time to wallow after exiting the Europa League on Thursday, the wait goes on to guarantee Premier League survival, but this point – and their vastly superior goal difference – could go some way to doing so. Anderson has been Forest’s best player this season by some distance and after playing a give and go with James McAtee, a Forest sub, the England midfielder burned into the six-yard box and sent an effort past Nick Pope from a tight angle. The likelihood is this was Anderson’s penultimate Forest game at the City Ground, the 23-year-old a target for Manchester City and Manchester United this summer.

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Conservative and Reform leaders cheered as they address crowd, while Labour’s Pat McFadden met with boos and shouts of ‘where is Starmer?’

Thousands of people gathered outside Downing Street on Sunday to protest an increase in antisemitic hate crimes and violence, as senior politicians and interfaith leaders called for unity.

The Standing Strong: Extinguish Antisemitism rally, backed by more than 30 Jewish groups, drew thousands of people to Whitehall, as Conservative and Liberal Democrat party leaders, alongside Labour and Reform representatives, addressed a crowd studded with Israeli and union jack flags and ‘Where is Keir?’ placards.

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