Author: franperez66q@protonmail.com

China’s state planner on Monday called for Meta to unwind its $2 billion acquisition of Manus, a Singaporean AI startup with Chinese roots.The decision to prohibit foreign investment in Manus was made in accordance with laws and regulations, the National Development and Reform Commission said in a brief statement. It added that it has asked the parties involved to withdraw the acquisition transaction.CNBC has contacted Meta for comment. Shares were 0.2% lower in premarket trading.The deal had attracted scrutiny from both China and Washington, as lawmakers in the U.S. have prohibited American investors from backing Chinese AI companies directly. Meanwhile,…

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Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA) speaks during the House Committee on the Judiciary, at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC on Feb. 11, 2026. Nathan Posner | Anadolu | Getty ImagesA new artificial intelligence bill, reported first by CNBC, would crack down on deepfake and non-consensual images and make it easier for whistleblowers to report AI-related concerns.The bill is sponsored by Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., who lead a bipartisan House Task Force on AI with Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif. The bill builds off of recommendations in the task force’s report. Lieu called the bill “a step forward” in an…

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Israeli air defence systems are activated to intercept Iranian missiles over the Israeli city of Tel Aviv early on June 18, 2025. Menahem Kahana | AFP | Getty ImagesEurope ramped up military spending in 2025 — a longstanding demand of U.S. President Donald Trump — helping drive global defense outlays to a staggering $2.89 trillion, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.Major rearmament programs in Asia also pushed global defense spending higher for an 11th straight year in 2025, SIPRI said in a report published Monday.SIPRI said the increase was fueled by “another year of wars, uncertainty and geopolitical…

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Business leaders are confronting a new operating reality: one where war, inflation, AI and supply chain shocks are no longer exceptional events, but part of the baseline.CNBC spoke to more than 30 CEOs, business executives and industry leaders at the annual Converge Live event in Singapore last week.Across sectors — banking, energy, shipping, technology and manufacturing — a clear theme emerged: uncertainty is no longer episodic. It is structural.For DBS CEO Tan Su Shan, who runs Southeast Asia’s largest bank, the lesson is simple.”If you are a manager, manage for maximum flexibility. Because guess what, you don’t know what’s going…

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