Elon Musk’s $33 billion acquisition of X (formerly Twitter) via his artificial intelligence venture xAI has attracted renewed attention from European Union regulators. The European Commission, under the Digital Services Act (DSA), is examining whether the restructuring of X’s ownership raises compliance concerns, particularly around content governance, platform accountability, and transparency obligations.
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. $9988.HK has unveiled a new family of artificial intelligence (AI) models — Qwen3 — built to operate natively on Apple Inc.’s $AAPL MLX architecture, significantly expanding the Chinese tech giant’s international AI footprint. According to a corporate statement published on Monday, the Qwen3 models are now optimized for execution across Apple devices, including iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, and Macs, making this move one of Alibaba's most direct engagements with Western hardware ecosystems to date.
In a notable development that signals a shift in AI infrastructure dynamics, OpenAI, one of the world’s leading artificial intelligence developers, has agreed to integrate Google Cloud—a product of Alphabet Inc. $GOOGL —into its ecosystem. This move comes despite Alphabet's status as a direct competitor through its AI unit, Google DeepMind.
Apple Inc. $AAPL has officially revealed its next-generation software design paradigm, introducing a material it calls Liquid Glass. This new design system will debut across iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, watchOS 26, and tvOS 261, creating a harmonized but distinctive user experience across its ecosystem.
The pan-European consumer advocacy organization BEUC has lodged a formal complaint with the European Commission against Shein, the fast-fashion online retailer. The complaint centers on Shein’s alleged use of “dark patterns” — manipulative design techniques aimed at increasing consumer purchases via its website and mobile application. This development highlights growing regulatory scrutiny over aggressive commercial practices in digital retail across the EU.
Paramount Global $PARA has announced the nomination of three new board members, a move that reflects its intent to strengthen corporate governance amid a pending $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media. This strategic realignment comes as regulatory agencies continue to assess the proposed transaction. If approved, the merger would reshape the landscape of global entertainment media by combining Paramount’s legacy content portfolio with Skydance’s tech-driven production capabilities.
Four months into President Donald Trump’s second term, financial markets are once again adjusting to a policy environment characterized by populist slogans, unpredictable policy shifts, and renewed geopolitical tension. Traders, drawing inspiration from Trump’s affinity for branded acronyms like MAGA (“Make America Great Again”), DOGE (which he once referenced during crypto surges), and the newly coined MAHA (“Make America Harsh Again”), have adopted a series of market acronyms reflecting the risks and strategies in the current climate.
The Bank of Japan (BoJ) is confronting rising inflationary pressures as food prices continue to climb, potentially pushing core inflation above the central bank’s longstanding 2% target. In a recent speech at a BoJ-hosted conference, Governor Kazuo Ueda warned that persistent increases in food costs may elevate the core consumer price index (CPI), a key measure used to guide monetary policy.
In response to intensified U.S. export restrictions and growing Chinese demand for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, Nvidia Corporation $NVDA is preparing to launch a new line of AI chips tailored specifically for the Chinese market. These chips will be significantly cheaper than the recently curtailed H20 models and mark a strategic pivot for the GPU giant as it seeks to maintain relevance in one of the world’s largest technology markets.
RevenueCat, a leading subscription management platform, secured $50 million in Series C funding on Thursday. The financing round was spearheaded by Bain Capital Ventures with participation from notable investors including Index Ventures, Y Combinator, and Volo Ventures. The growing complexity of app monetization and pricing strategies amid the surge of software development tools has amplified the need for platforms like RevenueCat that simplify subscription management for developers and businesses.
Airwallex, a cross-border payments fintech, announced on Wednesday that it has raised $300 million USD in its latest funding round, boosting its valuation to $6.2 billion. This reflects an 11% increase from its 2022 valuation, a notable achievement considering the capital drought impacting the broader fintech and venture capital ecosystem.
The leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized democracies convene this week in Canada aiming to reinforce unity on key economic issues beyond tariffs. However, the summit faces hurdles in bridging differences with the Trump administration, which continues to push for policies that prioritize American interests. The gathering underscores growing tensions within the Western political alliance as members seek consensus on climate change, global tax cooperation, and the situation in Ukraine.
