Odd News // 1 month ago
Maryland man stops for lunch, wins $50,000 lottery prize
Feb. 27 (UPI) — A Maryland man made a stop for lunch during his break for lunch and ended up winning a $50,000 prize from a scratch-off lottery ticket.
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Russell Brand Rape Trial Start in London Pushed Back to October
The start of a London trial over allegations of rape and sexual assault against disgraced comedian and actor Russell Brand has been pushed back from mid-June to October.
The 50-year-old is accused of three counts of rape, three charges of sexual assault, and one allegation of indecent assault, with six women alleging crimes dating from 1999 to 2009. Brand has denied all the charges.
Last month, he appeared at Southwark Crown Court in central London to enter a not guilty plea to two more alleged incidents with two separate women in the British capital in 2009. The first charges against Brand were brought in April 2025 with alleged offenses against four women.
His trial was so far set to start on June 16 at Southwark Crown Court. During a hearing on Monday, Justice Joel Bennathan unveiled a delay of the start of the trial, saying it would now kick off on Oct. 12, Sky News reported. Brand was not present in the court for Monday’s hearing, but was represented by his lawyer.
At the hearing, the judge officially brought together the two sets of charges against Brand into one trial case. Sky News also highlighted that the trial is now scheduled to last longer. Instead of the original plan for up to five weeks, it is now expected to last for around two months.
The police began investigating Brand in September 2023 after receiving a number of allegations, which followed reporting by Channel 4’s Dispatches and The Sunday Times. One of the women told Dispatches that Brand entered a relationship with her when he was 31 and she was 16. Their relationship lasted three months, she had said, and Brand had been “emotionally abusive and controlling.” Another claimed that Brand raped her in 2012 in his L.A. home, according to the Sunday Times.
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Global Streaming Subscription Revenue Tripled In Five Years, Poised to Top $200 Billion by 2030
Global streaming subscription revenue surpassed $150 billion for the first time in 2025, according to a new survey from Ampere Analysis, which highlighted that as “a major milestone” for the subscription market. And streaming subscription revenue will hit $202 billion by 2030, up 29 percent, “as streamers shift focus from subscriber growth to price increases and ad-supported tiers,” the research firm predicted on Monday.
“While international expansion remains an important driver of the market, platforms are increasingly focusing on monetization through price increases and the rollout of ad-supported tiers, particularly in mature markets,” Ampere emphasized in its latest report. “As ad-free subscriber numbers stabilize, hybrid subscription and advertising models are playing an increasingly important role in revenue growth.”
Global streaming subscription revenue jumped 14 percent in 2025 to reach a total of $157.1 billion. That amounts to a tripling over the past five years from $50 billion in 2020. “The international expansion of global streaming services, the rollout of ad-supported tiers, and consistent price increases across major platforms have contributed to the increase,” Ampere noted.
Including advertising revenue, streaming services generated $177 billion in revenue worldwide in 2025, Ampere said, putting ad revenue at around $20 billion. The share of total revenue of subscription streamers from ad tiers has risen “rapidly” over the past five years, up from less than 5 percent in 2020 to 28 percent in 2025, the Ampere research highlighted.
“As adoption of ad tiers grows and platforms expand their ad loads, advertising is expected to become an increasingly important revenue stream, adding a further $42 billion in annual revenue by 2030,” the company estimated.
The U.S. remained the largest driver of the streaming sector last year, accounting for 50 percent of global streaming subscription revenue in 2025, according to the research firm. “Netflix is the largest contributor in the U.S. market, with revenues up by 14 percent in 2025 following an across-the-board price increase at the start of the year,” Ampere explained. “In more crowded markets such as North America and Western Europe, the next phase of expansion is increasingly driven by ad-tier subscriptions.”
Concluded Lauren Liversedge, senior analyst at Ampere: “As the streaming market matures, the emphasis is no longer on pure subscriber growth but on extracting greater value from existing audiences. Price optimization and the rise of ad-supported tiers are driving revenue growth, particularly in the most competitive markets.”
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Cathie Wood’s Ark Invest Dumps Meta, Nvidia and Bitcoin ETF Shares in Major Tech Sell-Off
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China Box Office: ‘Project Hail Mary’ Overtakes ‘Hoppers’ to Claim Top Spot
Columbia Pictures’ science-fiction epic “Project Hail Mary” climbed to the number one position at the China box office during the March 27–29 weekend, earning RMB53.3 million ($7.5 million) in its second frame, according to data from Artisan Gateway.
The film has now reached a cumulative total of $18.3 million.
Disney’s animated adventure “Hoppers” moved to second place in its sophomore weekend, taking in $5 million for a total of $16.3 million.
Racing-comedy “Pegasus 3” held the third spot, adding $3.4 million to its haul. Produced by PMF Pictures, the film has now reached a cumulative total of $612.3 million since its debut. Directed by Han Han and starring Shen Teng, the third installment in the franchise follows legendary racer Zhang Chi as he leads an underdog team into a grueling international rally.
Martial arts epic “Blades of the Guardians” followed in fourth place, earning $1.9 million for a cumulative total of $200.1 million. Produced by Peace Film Production and directed by Yuen Woo-ping, the adaptation of the popular manhua follows a wandering mercenary named Dao Ma as he escorts a mysterious fugitive across the treacherous Western Regions toward the capital of Chang’an.
Rounding out the top five, the comedy-drama “It’s OK” earned $1.7 million in its opening frame. Produced by China Film and directed by Yang Lina, the film stars Wen Qi, Qin Hailu, Bai Ke, and Li Xueqin. The story centers on Xu Ke, a young woman who is preparing for an urgent medical procedure when her plans are disrupted by the sudden arrival of her mother.
Mainland China’s overall weekend grosses reached $25.3 million, while the 2026 year-to-date revenue stands at $1.67 billion, down 51.3% from the same period in 2025.
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Korea Box Office: ‘The King’s Warden’ Surpasses 15 Million Admissions to Extend Record
Historical drama “The King’s Warden” continued its record-breaking trajectory during the weekend of March 27–29, crossing the 15 million admissions milestone at the South Korean box office.
Already the highest-grossing film of all time in South Korea, the feature added $3.3 million over the weekend to bring its cumulative gross to an unprecedented $99.4 million – just shy of the historic $100 million mark.
The film, directed by Jang Hang-jun and starring Yoo Hae-jin and Park Ji-hoon, drew 511,901 admissions over the three-day period, bringing its total attendance to 15,615,948. While it has already claimed the crown for absolute revenue (surpassing the $93.7 million held by “Extreme Job”), it is now rapidly closing in on the all-time attendance records. The film currently ranks third in total admissions, now less than 650,000 tickets away from overtaking “Extreme Job” (16.26 million) for the No. 2 spot on the all-time list.
In second place, Hollywood science-fiction epic “Project Hail Mary” maintained a strong presence, earning $2.9 million from 391,882 admissions. The film has reached a cumulative gross of $8.6 million with total admissions of 1,150,694 since its Mar. 18 debut. The adaptation secured a 37.57% revenue share, continuing to perform well as the primary alternative to the local leader.
Japanese animated feature “Detective Conan the Movie: The Last Wizard of the Century” debuted in third place, earning $330,899 over the weekend. The plot centers on the heist of a newly discovered Imperial Easter Egg – a priceless Romanov artifact – targeted by the Phantom Thief Kid. As Conan investigates, he uncovers a deeper mystery involving the Russian revolution and a deadly assassin known as Scorpion. The film has grossed $360,912 since its Mar. 27 launch.
Pixar’s “Hoppers” took fourth place, adding $289,973 to reach a cumulative total of $4.6 million. It was followed by a resurgence for “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Infinity Castle Arc,” which earned $187,608 from 25 screens. The film’s total South Korean gross now stands at $40.8 million.
Japanese anime “Attack on Titan The Movie : The Last Attack” took sixth place, earning $131,936 for a total of $7 million. French animated adventure “Pets on a Train” (Volez-vous !) debuted in seventh place, earning $57,094. It was followed by the action-thriller “Protector” in eighth place, which grossed $54,214 over the weekend and since its Mar. 25 debut, it has earned $104,344.
Peter Chan Ho-sun’s 1997 Hong Kong classic “Comrades: Almost A Love Story” re-entered the charts in ninth place following a re-release, earning $51,022 and has a total of $103,081. Rounding out the top 10 was the family musical “The Bath Fairy,” which earned $40,749 over the weekend for a total of $51,186. Based on the bestseller by Baek Hee-na, the film captures a live stage performance of the story about a young girl who meets a magical elderly fairy in an old neighborhood bathhouse.
The overall market collective gross for the weekend was $7.9 million, a steep drop from last week’s $15.5 million.
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Mind-Body Practices Like Qigong, Yoga May Help Treat Hypertension
Share on Pinterest Foreign trainees learn Baduanjin, a traditional breathing and stretching exercise, in Sanya, south China’s Hainan Province, Aug. 7, 2025. Image credit: Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images - A recent clinical trial found that a centuries-old mind-body practice known as baduanjin helped lower blood pressure in people with hypertension.
- Similar to qigong, baduanjin is a low impact movement practice emphasizing mindful breathing.
- Other mindfulness practices, such as yoga and meditation, have shown potential for managing blood pressure.
- While larger studies on these effects are still needed, experts say mind-body practices help with stress management and complement first-line treatments for hypertension.
It’s no secret that mindfulness practices like yoga and meditation offer numerous health benefits, from improved strength and flexibility to reduced stress and better heart health.
The cardiovascular benefits of certain mind-body practices may even extend to blood pressure management.
A recent clinical trial found that an ancient mind-body practice known as baduanjin effectively lowered blood pressure in hypertensive practitioners.
Similar to qigong, baduanjin is a low impact wellness practice originating in China that incorporates slow, aerobic, and isometric movement patterns, mindful breathing, and awareness. The practice involves a standardized eight-movement sequence that takes about 10–15 minutes to perform.
The researchers who conducted the trial found that, compared with other forms of self-directed exercise, practicing baduanjin 5 days a week led to a reduction in systolic blood pressure at a 3-month follow-up that was sustained for a year.
These results are comparable to some first-line hypertension medications, the researchers say. The baduanjin regimen also yielded results similar, if not superior to, brisk walking. The findings were published in JACC, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Accessible exercises like baduanjin, the researchers say, offer an alternative to gym memberships or exercises requiring specialized instruction or equipment.
“Given its simplicity, safety and ease at which one can maintain long-term adherence, baduanjin can be implemented as an effective, accessible and scalable lifestyle intervention for individuals trying to reduce their blood pressure,” senior study author Jing Li, MD, PhD, director of the Department of Preventive Medicine at the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases in Beijing, China, said in a statement.
Research on the cardiovascular benefits of mind-body practices is ongoing.
A 2023 meta-analysis suggests that qigong may offer cardiovascular benefits in people with metabolic syndrome, which can lead to high blood pressure. The authors say that qigong may offer an alternative exercise option, but note that more high quality studies are still needed.
“This meta-analysis found that qigong exercise appeared to have a beneficial effect on blood pressure,” said Cheng-Han Chen, MD, board certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA.
Chen wasn’t involved in the study.
“This is a promising finding that should be investigated further, as high blood pressure is a known risk factor for heart disease,” he told Healthline.
Jing explained that baduanjin is a subtype of qigong that includes coordinated breathing and physical movement.
He told Healthline he started practicing baduanjin four years ago due to an illness, and the improvements in his health piqued his interest in studying the effects of this modality on blood pressure.
“Baduanjin integrates slow, rhythmic movements (including aerobic, flexibility, and isometric resistance training), deep breathing, and focused awareness to harmonize body and mind,” said Jing.
Jing explained that the combined physiologic and psychological effects of baduanin may contribute to the blood pressure-lowering results.
Despite limited evidence on the effects of qigong on cardiovascular health, the results of the baduanjin study on blood pressure seem promising.
“Our evidence supports doctors to recommend baduanjin for blood pressure management,” Jing said. “Since elevated blood pressure is the largest risk factor for cardiovascular disease. It is reasonable to consider baduanjin improves overall heart health.”
A large body of evidence supports mind-body practices like yoga and meditation for overall health and well-being.
Yoga for hypertension
The benefits of yoga are well established, but lesser known are the effects the practice could have on hypertension, with limited studies requiring further investigation.
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2025 review found that yoga may help lower blood pressure in people diagnosed with prehypertension or hypertension. However, the authors note that larger high quality studies are still needed to confirm these findings.If you live with a cardiovascular condition or are at risk of developing one, ask your doctor which styles of yoga are best suited for your needs.
“Yoga likely helps with blood pressure by helping to control stress,” said Chen. “This lowers sympathetic nervous system stimulation and promotes parasympathetic nervous system tone, which then lowers blood pressure. Any yoga that is gentle and relaxing should help to lower blood pressure.”
Mindful breathing for hypertension
A 2024 study found that mindful breathing for 15 minutes per day at a rate of 6 breaths per minute helped lower blood pressure in participants with hypertension, suggesting the practice could complement first-line treatments.
However, the effects were short-lived, and the study examined only the effects of a guided meditation exercise delivered via consumer wearable devices.
While larger studies on the effects of mindful breathing on hypertension are still needed, there is enough evidence to suggest a potential benefit if practiced regularly.
“Both mindful deep breathing and meditation likely help with blood pressure by helping to control stress,” said Chen.
“They can both be useful as parts of a long-term strategy to help control blood pressure. I advise all of my patients, and especially those with high blood pressure, to avoid stress as much as possible. Mind-body practices such as yoga and meditation can be very useful in helping patients to control their stress,” he said.
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The Bitcoin market remains boring. Investors chasing yields may be partly to blame
The bitcoin market has been stuck in a rut for over a month, and investors chasing yields may be partly to blame.
Since mid-February, $BTC has traded in a range centred on $70,000. Some observers say counteracting forces have been at play. The Iran war-led haven demand has been supporting $BTC around $65,000, while rising U.S. Treasury yields have been holding back big gains beyond $75,000.
But another factor appears to have been quietly keeping bitcoin trapped in its range, and it’s tied to investors using call options to generate additional yield on top of their spot market holdings.
“Throughout Q1, institutional participants have been systematically overwriting calls at higher strikes to harvest premium in a down/sideways market. That activity transferred significant gamma exposure to dealers, who have been hedging by buying into dips and selling into rallies to maintain delta neutrality,” James Harris, CEO at Tesseract, the MiCA-licensed, multi-strategy digital asset manager.
Options are derivative contracts that give you the right to buy or sell the underlying asset, in this case, $BTC, at a preset price at a later date. A call option gives the right to buy and represents a bullish market bet. A put option offers protection against price slides in $BTC.
Think of it like reserving a concert ticket today for a small fee. You can buy it later at the reserved price, even if the ticket goes up, or sell your reservation to someone else for a profit. The ticket seller, meanwhile, keeps the small fee.
That’s essentially what traders have been doing—they’ve become the ticket sellers. By selling call options, they collect premiums (the fee) while covering the call buyer on potential $BTC price rallies. And they do this against their existing bitcoin holdings. That’s called the covered call strategy, a way of generating additional yield on top of spot holdings.
Now you might be wondering: what does this have to do with bitcoin’s range play? The answer lies in knowing that traders have been shorting, or selling, these calls to market makers – the firms that take the other side of these option trades.
By selling these calls, traders have left market makers with a position called positive gamma, which essentially means the market makers are forced to buy $BTC as prices fall and sell $BTC as prices rise to stay hedged. The result? A range-bound price action.
In other words, yield hunting by investors has been indirectly influencing market inflows in ways that limit price swings.
This also explains the decline in the bitcoin 30-day implied volatility index, BVIV, which stands in contrast to spikes in similar indices tied to equities, bonds and oil. The BVIV has declined 5% to 56% this month.
“The effect has been a mechanical suppression of realised volatility — the DVOL index has compressed by roughly six points this week despite the macro backdrop,” Harris said.
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France’s Second Largest Bank, BNP Paribas, Makes a Move into Bitcoin and Ethereum! Here Are the Details
BNP Paribas, France’s second-largest bank, announced it is expanding its services for crypto assets, offering new investment products to its retail clients. The bank has made a total of six exchange-traded notes (ETNs) focused on Bitcoin and Ethereum available to retail investors.
These ETN products allow investors to be exposed to Bitcoin and Ethereum price movements through traditional financial infrastructure without directly purchasing crypto assets. This structure is seen as a significant alternative, especially for investors who want to participate in the crypto market indirectly and prefer regulated financial products.
BNP Paribas announced that the new products will initially be offered to retail customers in France, with plans to expand them to high-net-worth (VIP) clients outside of France in the future. This move is seen as part of the bank’s strategic expansion in the digital asset space.
Experts say that traditional financial institutions offering crypto-asset-based products is increasing institutional adoption in the sector and contributing to market maturity. These types of products are expected to become more widespread, particularly in Europe, as the regulatory framework becomes clearer.
BNP Paribas’s move demonstrates continued interest in crypto assets within the banking sector, while also expanding investors’ access to alternative asset classes.
*This is not investment advice.
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Joni Mitchell Calls Canadian Leader Mark Carney a “Blessing” During Juno Awards
Legendary folk singer and songwriter Joni Mitchell made a rare public appearance in Canada at the Juno Awards on Sunday night, where she received a lifetime achievement award.
Canadian-born Mitchell appeared on stage at her country’s music awards alongside the country’s prime minister, Mark Carney, whom she praised. “I’m so glad to be back in Canada. This man is a blessing. You guys are so fortunate,” she added in tribute to Carney while he was at her side on stage in Hamilton, Ontario.
Mitchell, who lives in Los Angeles, added in a note of contrast: “I’m living in the States and you know what’s happening there.” The legendary musician while on stage also recalled a decade earlier when she “had a (brain) aneurysm, which changed my life. Oddly, for the better. I went into a coma, which helped me to quit smoking. And my house filled up with the most wonderful nurses. I was, on the road with men for years and years; now I live with a house full of women. So my life has changed for the better out of a catastrophe like a phoenix.”
For his part, Carney said of Mitchell during his tribute broadcast countrywide on the CBC network: “During a career spanning six decades, Joni drew a map of of Canada. Oh Canada.” Also Sunday night, during a Junos awash in Canadian nationalism, award show host Mae Martin, a non-binary comedian and actor who created and stars in Netflix’s Wayward series, welcomed returning home to Canada after touring her comedy act in the U.S.
“I just feel like I’m with my people, you know, people who care more about which hockey team I support then which gender I am… Coming back to Canada after living in the U.S., it feels like seeing your old friends after you’ve been in a toxic relationship that you just got out,” Martin said when taking a few swipes at Americans to the south.
Martin also pitched while on stage fellow Canadian Nelly Furtado on a video cover of her hit song “Promiscuous,” which she would retitle “Promiscuous They/Them.” “The video could be good. It’s me in sensible jeans, trying to decide which bathroom to use,” Martin added.
Also at the Junos, Canada’s version of the Grammys, The Beaches all-women rock band took home the prize for best group of the year, after winning n the same category in 2024 and 2025. “I promise you all I’ll keep working hard and I’ll stay sober,” Cameron Whitcomb said on stage after winning for breakthrough artist or group of the year with his debut album, The Hard Way, which has lyrics about his addiction and recovery journey.
In other prize giving, the best contemporary R&B recording of the year trophy was picked up by Toronto singer-songwriter Daniel Caesar for “Son of Spergy,” a tun inspired by his father. And the Juno Fan Choice Award went to Canadian rapper Alexander Leon Gumuchian, also known professionally as BBNO$.
In pre-telecast award giving, Tate McCrae, who was a no show at the Junos, won the best album of the year for So Close to What, best artist of the year, best single of the year for “Sports Car” and pop album of the year.
Another emotional high point during the Junos came when “I’m Like a Bird” singer and Latin Grammy winner Nelly Furtado was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, a tribute preceded by a pre-taped video tribute by Drake.
“Being a woman in the music industry, in any era, is something that I have to tip my hat to. The men in this business do not make it any easier. I think what was most impressive to me is the respect that all men had when they spoke about you,” the Canadian superstar said of Furtado.
That was followed a series of hits by the Portuguese-Canadian songstress performed on stage at the Junos by Alessia Cara, Jully Black, Shawn Desman and Tanya Tagaq. When accepting her career tribute, Furtado told the Junos audience: “I’m just really proud to be Canadian. I live in Canada. I make my music in Canada. And I work with Canadian musicians, songwriters and producers because I totally believe in the Canadian dream. Please believe in it, too.”
In other prize giving, the MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award to Raquel McIntosh from Adelaide Hoodless Elementary School in Hamilton.