Everyone on Wall Street wants to get ahead. 

Investors use algorithms, mathematical models, research, and their gut to come up with investment ideas that will deliver outsized returns.

SumZero, a professional network for investors, has recognized the crème de la crème of those ideas in its 2017 Top Stock Challenge.

According to SumZero, the contest represents the best of the best of forward-looking research from SumZero's community of money management professionals. 

The winners were picked out of 150 entrees by a panel of 25 experts. Contestants were judged on their thesis, strength of their argument, feasibility of the trade, and originality. 

The 5 winning ideas are featured in a report out January 18 by SumZero and were broken up by 5 categories:

• Special Situations: Event-triggered idea
• Shorts: idea bets against a company's stock
• Ex-US: idea associated with companies that are based on a non-American country
• Small Caps: idea related to companies with market caps lower than $2 billion
• Mid/Large Caps: idea related to companies with market caps higher than $2 billion

The winners have earned a free ticket to a global 2017 Sohn Investment Conference event of their choosing, and a free, one-year subscriptions to the Canalyst Equity Model Database. Read on to see the 5 winning ideas:

Winner: Best Special Situation

Long on Liberty Media Corp Braves Grp

Winner: Willis Manley of Mitotic Investments

Symbol: BATRK

Expected Return: 109.2%

Rationale:"High-growth monopoly trading at 50% NAV. Unique tax shielding benefits + mixed-asset security + underestimated impact from new facilities + company errors in their own valuation."

Winner: Best Short

Short on Wingstop

Winner: Adam Patinkin of David Capital Partners, LLC.

Symbol: WING

Expected Return: 65.4%

Rationale: "We think richly-valued Wingstop Inc has 70% downside to fair value as (i) same-store sales growth goes from positive to negative and (ii) unit expansion misses expectations."

Winner: Best Ex-US

Long on Bollore

Winner: Steven Wood of GreenWood Investors

Symbol: BOL

Expected Return: 236.1%

Rationale: "World class assets trading at 60% discount at the exact moment when multiple segments are poised to show substantial improvements in '17. Run by an outsider in a very attractive market."

Every year the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority publishes the most complained about ads of the year.

All of the ads in this year's top ten were deemed offensive by complainants.

Moneysupermarket.com led the list with three of the top five most complained about ads.

Check out the ten most complained about ads of this year.

10. Maltesers - 151 complaints. Viewers said this TV ad was offensive to disabled people and overly sexual. The complaints were dismissed.

Youtube Embed:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/YgUqmKQ9Lrg
Width: 560px
Height: 315px

9. Gourmet Burger Kitchen - 195 complaints. This campaign prompted a social media backlash from upset vegans and vegetarians. GBK removed all in the series except for the ads mentioning Quinoa and lettuce. No additional action was taken on those ads.

Tweet Embed:
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/689068068367142913
@gbkburgers cheers for making it even easier to ignore your food chain. Really bad advertising.#gourmetmurderkitchenpic.twitter.com/ZX1PwYD7fl

8. Home Office - 216 complaints. People complained that this ad implied that only men engaged in abusive behavior and would prevent men from seeking help for abuse. The complaints were dismissed.

Youtube Embed:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/V9GjpheIMro
Width: 560px
Height: 315px

The 2017 People's Choice Awards air Wednesday night at 9 p.m. on CBS.

"Community" star Joel McHale is hosting the the 43rd annual event from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Tom Hanks, Robert Downey Jr., Jennifer Lopez, and more are expected in attendance along with a performance from Fifth Harmony.

As the stars begin to enter the red carpet, here's what everyone is wearing.

We'll continue to update this throughout the evening.

"The Good Place" star Kristen Bell showed up in an interesting pantsuit.

America's dad, Tom Hanks, looks classy as always.

Blake Lively's looking fun and flirty without husband Ryan Reynolds.

LONDON — Even for someone trying to break a record for visiting every country in the world, travel is about more than just ticking places off a list.

Planning a trip is an opportunity to see something unique, and to discover people, places, cuisines, and scenery you didn't know existed.

We asked James Asquith, the youngest person to visit all 196 countries, which places around the world are being overlooked — and which ones people should be adding to their travel bucket lists.

Last year alone, Asquith received the official Guinesss World Record, released a travel book, and started an Instagram account, which has garnered over 84,000 followers in just over three months.

From back alleys in Iran to Salt Flats in Bolivia, scroll down to see his picks of the most incredible under-the-radar places around the world — including what to do and where to stay in each location.

Bhutan.

Why you should go:"Until recently there were strict quotas on tourist numbers per year, and although it is opening up slightly more now, this country feels like you have stepped back in time," Asquith said.

"There is a Gross Happiness Index that ranks Bhutan as the happiest nation in the world and it's easy to see why. Everyone smiles here and the Buddhist religion is entrenched in daily life. You already know this visit will be special as your plane weaves through the hills to the landing strip (there is little flat land here) and the weather changes at a moment's notice with thunderstorms passing through the valleys."

What to do:"A trek up to 'Tiger's Nest' is incredible with all the colourful prayer wheels."

Where to stay:"The Taj Tashi Bhutan— a simply beautiful hotel and very authentic."

Tonga.

Why you should go:"Tonga is more developed, but I love the culture of people — so cool and laid back."

What to do: Try the local food. "Everything grows in Tonga, so they’re well fed."

Where to stay:"Fafa Island Hotel, which is on its own island away from the mainland. You are given a gaslamp at night — it's stunning and very homely."

Cartagena, Colombia.

Why you should go:"Colombia in general is an amazing country, but Cartagena on the Caribbean coast is just beautiful. Horses and carts trod along the old, cobbled streets. It's just a really romantic city.

What to do: Take in the "real flavour of Latin American and Caribbean culture mixed together with great, varied food and amazing music and people."

Where to stay:"Sofitel Santa Clara. It's in an old convent with stunning grounds right in the heart of the old town."

As President Barack Obama reflects on his time in office, he has a way of acknowledging his waning time in the position: A joke about his graying hair.

"Right now, we are waging war under authorities provided by Congress over 15 years ago — 15 years ago," he said during a speech reflecting on his administration's counterterrorism strategy.

"I had no gray hair 15 years ago."

Indeed, despite his close-cut hairstyle, it’s impossible not to notice the trademark presidential graying, as the president’s short black hair has become more of a salt-and-pepper color.

And though some dermatologists maintain that Obama is the latest victim of the expedited presidential aging process, appearing to age faster due to the stress of the office, others say that it’s more attributable to natural aging than stress.

Other studies, including a comprehensive analysis of elections dating back to the 1700s, have found that heading a nation can take years off a leader's life. That analysis, from the Harvard Medical School, found that elected heads of government, on average, have lives almost three years shorter than the candidates they defeat.

Here’s how the country's past presidents have looked near the beginnings and ends of their respective terms.

SEE ALSO: POWER RANKINGS: Here's who has the best chance at being the next US president

Obama takes the oath of office on Inauguration Day, January 20, 2009.

Obama speaks during his year-end 2016 news conference at the White House.

Former President George W. Bush makes a phone call shortly after the 2000 election.

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama, 2,920 days into his presidency, held his final White House press conference Wednesday.

With just hours to go until President-elect Donald Trump takes the oath of office, the James Brady Press Briefing Room was packed to hear Obama answer questions as president one final time.

Here's what it was like to be amid the scrum:

SEE ALSO: Trump's multibillion-dollar administration still has work to do to clear up potential conflicts

The room began filling up more than an hour before Obama took the podium. Much smaller than it appears on TV, the briefing room was sweltering in the back. People were crammed tightly hoping to get photos and footage of the president. Some joked they were excited for Trump's incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer to take action on his suggestion to move the briefings to a larger location.

At about 2:20 p.m., Obama took the podium. The sounds of shuttering cameras quickly enveloped the small space.

Reporters and photographers were packed like sardines against the near wall in the briefing room. Some began shooting on Facebook Live, with almost everyone jockeying for position to get a decent shot.

LONDON - A 27-foot sculpture made out of 100,000 knives will be placed on the fourth plinth in London's Trafalgar Square in tribute to victims of knife crime.

The sculpture, named "Knife Angel," was created in Oswestry, Shropshire, by the British Ironwork Centre. It took two years to build.

The knives were handed in by 41 police forces around the country during amnesties and confiscations.

The campaign, "Save a Life, Surrender Your Knife," and the statue aims to raise awareness of the growing issue of knife crime throughout the UK.

"The monument was created for one purpose, to highlight this extensive problem. Both government and the educational system need to open their eyes to the epidemic,"the British Ironwork Centre's website says.

Here are some pictures of the impressive statue:

This is "Knife Angel."

Families affected by knife crime, police officers, politicians, celebrities, community leaders, and ex-gang members welded their own knives on the sculpture as a symbolical gesture.

Some of the knives are engraved with victims' names or messages from their families.

President Barack Obama is set to leave office Friday, giving way to President-elect Donald Trump for a turn in the White House.

One of the staples of the Obama presidency has been a penchant for discovering his inner child. It's been revealed in candid photos of Obama, for example, holding babies and hanging out with children.

We've compiled some of the best.

Amelia Acosta and Matthew Spieser contributed to an earlier version of this post.

SEE ALSO: See Bill Clinton having an absolute blast playing with balloons at the DNC

The president is more amused than his young mohawked friend.

Obama greets one of his youngest fans in Prague in 2009.

Similarly sassy expressions.

If you log on to LinkedIn's website today, you might notice that things are a little ... different. 

The Microsoft-owned company is calling it the "largest LinkedIn.com redesign since the company's inception." It takes a lot of the look and feel of the LinkedIn apps for iPhone and Android and brings it back to the website.

Here's your first look at the new LinkedIn website — and a bit about why the company thinks it'll get you to be more "confident" when you go out looking for jobs and new networking opportunities. 

(And if you don't have it right away, don't worry, LinkedIn says the new look is going out in waves, with most people getting it on Thursday morning.)

SEE ALSO: The rise of Larry Ellison, the jet-setting billionaire founder of Oracle

Before we dive in, take one last look at the old LinkedIn homepage. LinkedIn Senior Director of User Experience Design Amy Parnell says her team kept getting one piece of feedback: Users were overwhelmed by the interface. "They weren't sure what to do."

People would create a profile (like this old-style profile page here), fill it up ... and then never use it again, because it wasn't clear what LinkedIn was "for."

Enter the new LinkedIn homepage. It's designed to be simple and clean, so you can get to the most common things you might be trying to do, quickly. The bar across the top that shows you actions you can take is more prominent than in the old design.

Over the past decade, New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport has made a concerted effort to improve customer experience and integrate a higher level of luxury amenities. One of the most recent and impressive additions is the Etihad Airways Premium Lounge located inside JFK's Terminal 4.

"Everything we do at Etihad is about providing unparalleled luxury," Etihad senior vice president for the Americas, Martin Drew, told Business Insider during a tour of the facility. "We don't necessarily benchmark ourselves just against other airlines, but more so against some of the finest hotels and restaurants in the world."

Opened at the end of 2015, the lounge extends the Etihad's premium service beyond the aircraft — putting the airline in a prime position to attract highly lucrative business and high-class leisure travelers. In addition to the lounge, the Abu Dhabi-based airline is ramping up its New York operation with the adoption of the Airbus A380 superjumbo on its JFK-bound flights. 

Here's a closer look at the JFK Terminal 4's Etihad Lounge. 

SEE ALSO: These are the 20 safest airlines in the world

As the frosted glass doors slide open, we were immediately greeted by an Etihad Airways employee.

Once inside, the lounge features a fully stocked bar,...

... An assortment of fine dining options, as well as plenty of places to ...

2017 has the possibility of being a huge year at the box office.

With over 20 big movie sequels and a ton of remakes, I think we'll see a rise in the box office hitting more billion-dollar movies than ever before.  

In 2016, there were three movies that hit $1 billion worldwide. "Rogue One," released near the end of December, may wind up being the fourth. It's currently reached over $980 million at the box office. 

In history, there have been 27 movies that have crossed the historic number. But with so many sequels to movies that have previously hit $1 billion on the horizon, combined with a number of anticipated sequels and superhero movies, I think we're going to see that number cross well over 30.

Keep reading to see all of the movies we think will hit $1 billion in 2017.

1. "Beauty and the Beast"

Release Date: March 17, 2017

Why it could hit $1 billion: Disney's tale as old as time is the first movie of the year that has a good chance of hitting the billion-dollar mark. 

Disney has been on a roll with its live action adaptations in theaters. Last year's "The Jungle Book" was so close to hitting the mark with $966 million worldwide and "Beauty and the Beast" is one of the studio's most beloved animated movies. The original 1991 film became the first animated picture to win the best Golden Globe for best motion picture musical or comedy.

The first clip for the movie was viewed more times than any trailer online in 24 hours— even "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," which went on to make over $2 billion worldwide. 

We wouldn't be surprised if this one broke some March records. Currently, "Batman v Superman" has the largest opening weekend in March with $166 million. Disney's "Zootopia" is the highest-grossing movie in March with over $1 billion at theaters worldwide. 

2. "The Fate of the Furious"

Release Date: April 14, 2017

Why it should hit $1 billion: The seventh film in the franchise skyrocketed to over $1.5 billion worldwide after the death of the film's star Paul Walker in 2013.

While fans wanted to see how the last film would honor Walker, people return to the "Fast" franchise to see Vin Diesel, fast cars, racing, and ridiculous stunts. It never matters how silly or over-the-top the films are — that's part of what draws people into the "Fast" family. The bigger and more entertaining the films can be, the better.

Now that Walker's character was retired in the last film, fans will want to see how his character is treated, if at all, in the sequel, too.

The series has always focused on the message of family. Now that the film is flipping that idea on its head with Diesel as the supposed villain, fans will want to see what made his character Dom turn his back on his crew.

Diesel himself is one of the most followed people on Facebook. In July 2016, the actor became the first actor to get 100 million followers. He's constantly sharing behind-the-scenes messages, photos, and videos for fans for all of his movies including "Fast 8."

Plus, it helps when the movie can bring back one of Hollywood's biggest A-listers right now, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. It's even better when you can show the two going up against one another, which is what the eighth film is doing. 

3. "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2"

Release date: May 5, 2017

Why it will hit $1 billion: Two words: Baby Groot. 

But in all seriousness, has there been a more-hyped Marvel movie since the first film's release? 

Marvel was able to take one of the most obscure comic-book groups and turn them into a phenomenon. The first movie grossed over $773 million worldwide. Not only was the movie a hit, but the movie's soundtrack, Awesome Mix Vol. 1, has been certified platinum, selling over a million copies. 

If you're not following director James Gunn on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Periscope, Snapchat, and more), you're missing out. The director shares updates and behind-the-scenes drawings and photos from his movies with fans and also takes fan questions in impromptu Facebook live sessions.

If 2017 is your year to get active, a change of scenery could help you hit that goal. 

When it comes to cities that promote active lifestyles, not all are created equal across the US.

WalletHub pulled together a report on the worst and best cities for an active lifestyle. 

To measure which cities were active, the personal finance website looked at everything from monthly membership fees to how many facilities a city had, how many residents were inactive, and how many people played in team sports. 

Here's what they found, assigning each of the 100 cities with scores up to 100. 

SEE ALSO: Nutrition experts got together and ranked the best diets of 2017 — here are the top 12

DON'T MISS: The definitive, scientific answers to 20 health questions everyone has

But first, those that scored the worst.

Among the worst places for an active lifestyle were Memphis, Tennessee; Laredo, Texas; North Las Vegas, Nevada; Dallas, Texas; and New York.

New York in particular ranked the lowest when it came to how much things cost, as well as how tricky it might be to participate in group activities. Laredo, on the other hand, had the lowest access to facilities or outdoor areas for recreation.

10. Sacramento, California

Sacramento ranked highly in its amount of sports facilities and outdoor activities, placing it in the top ten of the best cities to have active lifestyles. 

Active Lifestyle Score: 52.13

9. Irvine, California

Down in southern California, Irvine had the best score of the 100 cities when it came to how much things cost and how many opportunities there were to participate in activities.  

Active Lifestyle Score: 52.28

Netflix surprised Wall Street on Wednesday when it reported fourth-quarter earnings and subscriber growth.

In the US, net additions totaled 1.93 million, much better than the consensus forecast among analysts of 1.38 million and Netflix's own prior estimates. Earnings per share were $0.15, two cents above the median forecast.

Netflix's performance drove its stock higher in after-hours trading. On Thursday, it hit an all-time high of $143.45, up by 6%, in the first few minutes of trading.

The streaming service is making a major push outside the US and investing heavily in original content that works for audiences everywhere.

"We are in no rush to push margins up too quickly, as we want to ensure we are investing aggressively enough to continue to lead internet TV around the world," the company said in its earnings letter.

Below are some analysts' reactions to the earnings results and their ratings of the stock.

Jefferies: BEARISH

Rating: Underperform

Price target: $95 (from $80)

Comment: "While the international subscriber growth will drive the stock higher, we note cash burn remains above expectations, with fixed cost leverage elusive," said John Janedis.

Credit Suisse: NEUTRAL

Rating: Neutral

Price target: $143

Comment: "For the longer term, Netflix will be looking to show a greater balance between growth and profitability — which to us validates the long-term investment thesis for its international and newer cohorts to follow along the margin expansion trajectory of the US," said Stephen Ju and Christopher Ford.

Macquarie: NEUTRAL

Rating: Neutral

Price target: $130

Comment: "We remain cautious on some items we have discussed at length in previous notes, namely rising content and other costs, and concurrent FCF [free cash flow] burn in the face of rising competition, but subs are what drives this stock and for now the sub additions are covering these," said Tim Nollen. "As such, we are upgrading the stock from underperform to neutral."

This post includes minor spoilers for 'A Series of Unfortunate Events.'

Like all screen adaptations, Netflix's "A Series of Unfortunate Events" takes some liberties with the book series.

Fortunately, though, each of the first season's eight episodes were written by Daniel Handler, the author of the books, himself. So they're all at least a part of the original author's vision.

Many of the changes make sense to keep the plot moving, or to make the show easier to understand. And in many cases, they're a great opportunity to revisit what was so special about the books in the first place.

Here are six major changes between the books and Netflix version of "A Series of Unfortunate Events."

Lemony Snicket's character is way more involved.

Lemony Snicket is the series's narrator and pen name for Daniel Handler. He's also a minor character in the books and a member of V.F.D.

And while he's a prominent authorial voice in the books, his character is way more prominent in the Netflix series. He steps in onscreen every few scenes to explain to the audience what's happening, and to fill in more details and context the Baudelaires might not yet know.

His prominence onscreen raises questions that were largely unaddressed in Handler's books. What, exactly, is his involvement with the Baudelaires? Where is he, and when is he speaking from? Will we see him interact with anyone later in the series, or will he remain as just a narrator?

You won't read about the spyglass in the books.

The weird metal V.F.D.-monogrammed spyglass Klaus picks up is a totally new invention in the television show. It helps decode messages written in Sebald Code, a secret code developed by V.F.D. members to communicate with each other. But in the books, the characters just decode messages manually.

The inventor of Sebald Code, Gustav Sebald, is mentioned only in passing in the novels.

In the show, though, he's a fully-fledged character.

Gustav is mentioned as Montgomery Montgomery's herpetological assistant in "The Reptile Room," who Count Olaf drowned in The Swarthy Swamp so he could be replaced by Olaf himself, under the guise of "Stephano" (in the show, Gustav drowns in a "reflecting pond.")

He is also a filmmaker, directing "Zombies in the Snow," which the children, Uncle Monty, and Count Olaf watch in "The Reptile Room." In addition, he invented Sebald Code.

In the TV show, he and Jacqueline, another character who isn't in the books, are both V.F.D. members who try to help out the Baudelaire orphans without bringing attention to themselves. 

In November, Tesla announced it was powering nearly the entire island of Ta’u in American Samoa using solar power and packs of its massive commercial battery, the Powerpack 2.

The announcement, made just a few days after Tesla acquired SolarCity, showed a bigger push by the automaker to grow its energy business.

Although Tesla has yet to get its solar roof product on the market, Tesla's battery division has been growing. To date, 300 megawatt-hours worth of Tesla batteries have been deployed in 18 countries.

We rounded up all of infrastructures — from resorts to entire islands — using the Powerpack 2 to help keep the lights on:

SEE ALSO: Tesla is rolling out its new Autopilot system this week — here's everything you need to know

Tesla is helping power a luxury lodge located sitting on the outskirts of Kruger National Park in South Africa.

The luxury resort, Singita Lodge, privately owns 33,000 acres of land in Kurger National Park, which is home to buffalo, leaopards, cheetahs, elephants, and more. The resort itself has on-site solar panels running on Tesla's 3,150 kilowatt-hour Powerpack system.

Singita Lodge practices ecotorousim, though certainly a pricier form. According to Travel + Leisure, the resort has 15 loft suites, spa, fitness center, smoothie and espressor bar, and gym. A villa costs 17,9025 rand ($13,285) a night. 

The resort says team members lead conservation efforts like the rehabilitation and maintenance of land, wildlife monitoring, and fencing security to initiate anti-poaching methods.

Tesla is also powering another luxury resort on Malolo Island, a volcanic island in Fiji.

Called Vunabaka, the resort sells properties priced as high as $2.5 million. A 2014 New Zealand Herald article said the properties were sold largely "through word of mouth" to people from New Zealand, Australia, and the United States.

The resort generates electricity via a 1-megawatt solar array powered by 20 Tesla Powerpacks.

Tesla was selected by energy company Southern California Edison to build a 20 megawatt battery system that can power 2,500 households a day.

The battery project was built at Southern California Edison's Mira Loma substation and is the largest lithium ion battery storage project in the world. The system doesn't run on solar power, but is meant to offset the energy grid by taking charge during off-peak hours, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Tesla was chosen to build the substation after the Aliso Canyon natural gas reservoir suffered a massive rupture in 2015 that displaced more than 8,000 California residents. Los Angeles wanted an electric energy solution that could be more reliable during peak times.

Much like fights over territory itself, the concept of territory has disputed roots. It is not uncommon to associate ‘territory’ with ‘terra’ as in terra firma (or terroir to wine connoisseurs).

However, some scholars suggests an alternative root – ‘terror’. Here, territory belongs to those who are able to instill fear such that those living within its boundaries are obliged to respect the laws and norms of their respective rulers.

This is the very core of the Hobbesian concept of sovereignty and gets to the heart of territorial disputes. At the moment, fear may be the more useful concept when evaluating contested territories – fear present in governments, policy makers, and businesses.

More acutely, potentially significant shifts in policy from the incoming Trump administration have created significant ambiguity in the role the United States may play in these disputes. Other challenges have also served to fan the flames in several specific hot spots.

Any such shift, from recent elections or other sources, will likely have follow-on effects as states, NGOs, and other actors alter their own positions in response. Below are five territorial disputes that may be exacerbated over the next year.

SEE ALSO: How World War III could begin in Latvia

South China Sea

China claims large portions of the South China Sea. To bolster its position, the Chinese government has built artificial islands to turn a dispute about the ocean into one about land. This was investigated by an international tribunal in the Hague during the summer of 2016.

Since then, Washington has taken a relatively cautious approach. However, during a Senate hearing on January 12th, US Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson, made it clear that he believes the Chinese stance to be unacceptable.

“You’re going to have to send China a clear signal that, first, the island-building stops, and second, your access to those islands is also not going to be allowed,” he told senators.

Although the official Chinese response was to downplay the significance of this statement, its state run media interpreted Tillerson’s comments more aggressively.

An estimated $5 trillion in trade travels through the South China Sea, meaning even a slight disruption can have profound effects on economies and investors across the globe.

Israel and Palestine

The United States has long maintained that it acts as an honest broker in the Israeli – Palestinian conflict. While this was view has not always been shared by all parties, US policy has remained predictable and stable for nearly 30 years.

The incoming Trump administration appears to be signaling a clear and vocal shift.

Since the early 1990’s, the US has generally viewed Israeli settlements as a barrier to furthering the peace process. Furthermore, US policy on retaining its embassy in Tel Aviv, rather than Jerusalem is nearly as old as Israel itself.

This may change abruptly with the appointment of David Friedman as US ambassador to Israel. In the past he appears to have diverged from US policy on both issues. It is unclear if this signals a shift in actual policy or if there is simply a stronger voice in the incoming administration to do so.

Either way, it is likely to increase uncertainty for Israeli and Palestinian governments, NGOs, and investors approaching key questions in their respective portfolios.

Crimea

Since Russia’s 2014 intervention in Ukraine, global reaction has been near universal condemnation: the EU, US, and others began sanctions soon thereafter.

These may have contributed to both the decline in the value of the ruble and Russia’s poor financial performance over the last two years.

On January 15th, 2017 Donald Trump signaled a willingness to lift sanctions in exchange for a nuclear arms deal between the US and Russia. In recent years Russia has been among the three largest oil producing nations.

However, sanctions have made it difficult for Moscow to benefit from oil exports; lifting sanctions would likely reverse this. Perhaps more importantly is the exchange of sanctions for a nuclear arms deal, which would further entrench Russia’s territorial claims in Crimea.

A new home built on speculation in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles is asking an earth-shattering $250 million. According to its website, it's the most expensive home ever listed in the US.

And it's certainly like no other home on the market. The mansion is built in a contemporary style, with stark geometry and huge plate glass windows. 

The home also comes outfitted with furniture, but it's not your standard Restoration Hardware package. It seems it was built with a very specific person in mind: a person who likes decommissioned decorative helicopters, gigantic Leica camera sculptures, velvet-roped lounge areas, and plush decorations that were purchased from Hermés.

As for the living spaces, there are two master suites, 10 "oversized VIP" suites for guests, 21 bathrooms, three separate, fully equipped kitchens, and no fewer than five bars.

It was built by luxury developer Bruce Makowsky, whom the release refers to as the "spec king." He was also the mastermind behind the $70 million Beverly Hills house sold to Minecraft founder Markus "Notch" Persson in 2014.

"This home was curated for the ultimate billionaire who wants the best of everything that exists in life," Makowsky said in a release announcing the listing. "Until now, the ultra-luxury market was void of homes that even came close to matching the level of mega-yachts and private jets that billionaires spend millions of dollars on every year." 

SEE ALSO: See inside the $5.5 million Washington, DC, home where Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are reportedly moving

Spread across 38,000 square feet, the sheer footprint of the mansion is a sight to behold. The exterior decks alone are 17,000 square feet of space. Downstairs is a car park filled with over $30 million worth of collectible automobiles — all of which are included in the purchase.

Situated up on a hill, the 270˚ view overlooking the LA area is one of the house's defining features.

Inside is where things get a little bit funky. The decor is not your typical boilerplate luxe style.

Whether you want to tone up, slim down, or give yourself a mood boost, you've likely taken a stab at tweaking your fitness routine.

Unfortunately, there's a lot of "fitness" advice out there that won't help you meet your goals and could actually be doing you more harm than good.

For example, which matters more for weight loss: exercise or diet?

Are marathons the best way to get fit?

The answers to these questions might surprise you.

UP NEXT: Here's the best time of day to work out to lose weight

RELATED: We talked to an exercise scientist about whether diet or exercise is more important for weight loss, and his answer surprised us

Exercise is all that matters when it comes to losing weight fast.

Wrong. 

In the short-term, the bulk of research shows us that diet is far more important than simply upping your workout regimen if you want to start shedding pounds.

"Studies tend to show that in terms of weight loss, diet plays a much bigger role than exercise," Philip Stanforth, an exercise scientist at the University of Texas and the executive director of the Fitness Institute of Texas, told us.

Over the long-term, though, research suggests that regular workouts do become more important for staying fit. "When you look at people who've lost weight and are also managing to keep it off, exercise is important," said Stanforth.

Weight training will turn fat into muscle.

Nope. Lifting weights won't magically make your flab lean. Unfortunately, body fat cannot become muscle. But weight training will help you build muscle tissue, which will thicken underneath any fat above it.

Early morning is the only time you should work out.

The afternoons or evenings are likely nearly as good for you as early-morning workouts, according to several studies.

But some research suggests that working out first thing each dayhelps speed weight loss and boost energy levels by priming the body for an all-day fat burn.

Plus, getting more daylight may play an important role in shedding pounds. By making sure we align our internal clocks, or circadian rhythms, with the natural world, we may help give our metabolisms a boost. One recent study showed that people who basked in bright sunlight within two hours after waking tended to be thinner and better able to manage their weight than people who didn't get any natural light, regardless of what they ate throughout the day.

A popular Chinese photo-editing app has burst into popularity in the West, covering social feeds in airbrushed photos with huge, sparkling eyes.

Although Meitu has been around since 2008, it has become an overnight success and was trending in Apple's App Store on Thursday.

Meitu is a lot like other photo-editing apps — it has Bitmoji-style stickers, Instagram-style filters, and Layout-style photo collages.

But the app really shines in its "hand-drawn" mode that is like a Snapchat filter on steroids. It slims jawlines, enlarges eyes, and adds a bit of sparkle to the whole package.

Basically, it makes you look like a cartoon — and these images are rapidly spreading on social media.

The company behind the app had its initial public offering in Hong Kong in December with a roughly $4.6 billion valuation, which may increase as investors learn that Western audiences like the app, too.

Here's what using the app is like:

SEE ALSO: Mark Zuckerberg is suing hundreds of Hawaiians to protect his 700-acre Kauai estate

This is what a fully doctored Meitu photo looks like. I added a "hand-drawn" filter, increased the blur, and added stickers.

Here's how to get there. First, boot up the app. First impression: Although this app is available in English, it's targeted toward Asian consumers — specifically, women. But all kinds of people can enjoy it.

After taking a photo with your front-facing camera, you can add Instagram-style filters. These won't transform your photo, but they'll change a few things. Here's the "youthful" filter.

January 19 is Barack Obama's last day in the White House. After the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, he and his family will be on their way to Palm Springs for vacation.

When they come back to DC, they will be settling into a home in the Kalorama section of DC, as Politico reported back in May.

It's not the White House, but it'll do.

Though smaller than the Obamas' former Pennsylvania Avenue address, the house is still a lavish residence in a desirable neighborhood. It was built in 1928, and it has 8,200 square feet and nine bedrooms. The move-in process has already begun.

Both Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and the family of Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner can be counted as the Obamas' new neighbors in Kalorama, as both have also recently purchased homes in the neighborhood.

The Obamas will lease the home from Joe Lockhart, who served as press secretary in President Bill Clinton's White House, until their younger daughter, Sasha, finishes high school. It was listed for sale at $5.3 million before going off the market in May.

SEE ALSO: This outrageous $250 million mansion in LA comes with a 4-lane bowling alley and an entire collection of cars

The Obamas are trading white for brick at their newly leased mansion in the Kalorama section of DC. More recent photographs show brick pillars have been constructed, flanking the path up to the front door.

It's gated and private, though it sits close to the road.

The gated driveway has plenty of space for Secret Service vehicles.