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Factbox - Why a Broad US TikTok Ban Is Unlikely to Take Effect Soon

A recent ban of TikTok use on U.S. government-owned devices, coupled with new legislation in Congress seeking to block the app, have fueled expectations the popular Chinese-owned platform could soon be barred nationwide. Adding to the perception, last week the company said the Biden administration had demanded TikTok’s owners divest their stakes in the popular […]

EU Leaders Back Steps to Compete with US, China

European Union leaders agreed on Thursday to back a revamp of the single market, simplified regulations and other steps to ensure the bloc can compete with the United States and China as an industrial leader in green and digital technologies. High energy prices and U.S. President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, which offers $369 billion […]

France Looks to AI-Powered Surveillance to Secure Olympics

France’s National Assembly on Thursday approved the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) video surveillance during the 2024 Paris Olympics, overlooking warnings from civil rights groups that the technology posed a threat to civil liberties. The government says algorithmic video surveillance can detect “pre-determined events”, abnormal behaviour and crowd surges, helping ensure the safety of millions […]

Renault in Talks with Nissan on EV Charging in Europe - Renault Executive

French car maker Renault is in talks with Nissan about synergies in electric vehicle charging in 11 European countries, Renault’s charging unit CEO told Reuters on Thursday. Talks have already moved forward in France on charging boxes that customers can have installed at home for their Nissan EV, which will be supplied by the Mobilize […]

FTX to Sell Stake in Web3-Focused Mysten Labs in Push to Shore Up Funds

Bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX said on Thursday it would sell its stake in Web3-focused startup Mysten Labs for $95 million, as it strives to pay back its customers. The exchange had paid nearly $101 million last year for preferred shares of Mysten and led a funding round that valued the platform which provides infrastructure for […]

Network Fee Not the Fix for European Telecoms Financial Problems, Meta Says

Meta Platforms on Thursday voiced its strongest criticism to date of a push by EU telecoms operators to get Big Tech to foot additional network costs, saying this would not solve their financial problems and also ignores tech companies’ hefty investments. Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefonica, Telecom Italia and other operators have lobbied for two decades […]

Chinese Lithium Price Dives in Heated Auto Price War

China’s lithium prices are plunging faster than expected this year, down 34% in the last four weeks alone, hit by a slump in demand for electric vehicles in the world’s biggest market that has left stocks of the metal piling up. Spot lithium carbonate prices assessed by Fastmarkets fell to 260,000 yuan ($38,079.06) per tonne […]

US Trade Chief Tai Says Open to Discussions with China

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said on Thursday that she is open to trade conversations with Chinese officials, but the Biden administration would defend U.S. interests and was focused on investments to compete more effectively with China. In prepared testimony before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, Tai said that U.S. legislation to enable investments in […]