The Strategist

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Companies & CEOs

SpaceX attempts to acquire Cognition AI startup

SpaceX attempts to acquire Cognition AI startup
Elon Musk's SpaceX has approached artificial intelligence startup Cognition AI with a potential acquisition offer, sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. According to one source, Cognition was not considering an acquisition offer. The...

Monte Paschi CEO considers acquiring Banco BPM and Banca Generali

Monte Paschi CEO considers acquiring Banco BPM and Banca Generali
Luigi Lovaglio, CEO of Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA, is contemplating the acquisition of two smaller Italian banks, Banco BPM and Banca Generali, as reported by Il Sole 24 Ore, referencing sources. They anticipate that the agreements will be...

Shares of robot maker Unitree soar 460% in their debut trading in Shanghai

Shares of robot maker Unitree soar 460% in their debut trading in Shanghai
Unitree Robotics, a maker of humanoid robots, saw its shares soar 460% on their first day of trading on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, according to Bloomberg, referencing trading data. At their highest point, their worth rose by 629%. Unitree became...

Nokia plans to close almost all its factories in China by the end of the year

Nokia plans to close almost all its factories in China by the end of the year
Finnish telecom equipment manufacturer Nokia intends to shut down nearly all of its factories in mainland China by year’s end, as reported by the South China Morning Post (SCMP), citing sources. Reports indicate that the firm plans to terminate the...
Markets & Industries

IGC lowers 2026/27 global grain crop forecast due to heat waves in Europe

IGC lowers 2026/27 global grain crop forecast due to heat waves in Europe
Owing to prolonged high temperatures in Europe, the International Grains Council (IGC) has revised its estimate for the worldwide wheat yield in the 2026/27 crop year down by 4 million tonnes to 817 million tonnes. "The extended heat has worsened...

EU company bankruptcies grow by 5.7% in Q2

EU company bankruptcies grow by 5.7% in Q2
The EU Statistics Office reported that the number of bankrupt firms in the European Union rose by 5.7% in the second quarter of 2026 compared to the prior three months. The largest rise in the count of bankrupt firms happened in the education and...

IEA forecasts decline in global oil refining capacity by 2.5 million bpd in 2026

IEA forecasts decline in global oil refining capacity by 2.5 million bpd in 2026
The International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts a drop in global oil refining capacity of 2.5 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2026. By 2027, the agency anticipates a recovery of refining capacity by 3.5 million bpd. In July, worldwide refining...

Norway's sovereign wealth fund reports record profits and discloses stake in SpaceX

Norway's sovereign wealth fund reports record profits and discloses stake in SpaceX
Norway's Government Pension Fund, the biggest sovereign wealth fund globally with $2.3 trillion in assets, achieved record earnings in the first half of the year, according to CNBC, which references the fund's financial reports. During the period...
In-depth coverage

European Tech Sovereignty: Europe Enters the Era of Exascale with the Inauguration of the Jupiter Supercomputer

Europe has taken a giant leap in technological development and supercomputing sovereignty with the launch of its first exascale computer in Germany. JUPITER, built using American chips but set to develop further with the integration of European microprocessors in 2026, is capable of performing over one quintillion (10¹⁸) operations per second, immediately cementing its place as Europe’s mos...
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World & Politics

Asia reassesses its defense approaches following Trump's North Korea decisions

Asia reassesses its defense approaches following Trump's North Korea decisions
The strategy of the Donald Trump administration regarding South Korea has prompted the US's Asian partners to reconsider how much they depend on Washington for security, Politico states, referencing diplomatic sources in the area. This week, the US...

Greek bulk carrier attacked in the Black Sea

Greek bulk carrier attacked in the Black Sea
A Greek bulk carrier (a specialized ship designed for transporting bulk cargo like coal or grain) ignited in the Black Sea after being struck by a drone, sources affiliated with the vessel's owner informed Reuters. This marks the second occurrence...

US Navy intercepts 64 merchant vessels since Iran blockade resumes

US Navy intercepts 64 merchant vessels since Iran blockade resumes
Following the restart of the naval blockade against Iran, the US Navy has seized 64 merchant ships associated with Iran that were heading to or leaving an Iranian port, as reported by US Central Command in the Middle East (CENTCOM) on Monday. "As of...

European Commission sees no threat to EU electricity supply amid drought

European Commission sees no threat to EU electricity supply amid drought
The European Commission (EC) states that the electricity supply in EU nations is not an issue, even during record heat waves drying out rivers in Europe. "We are actively tracking the safety of electricity distribution throughout Europe. We are...
Management & Strategy

Ackman to donate 10 million Pershing Square shares to Brain Institute

Ackman to donate 10 million Pershing Square shares to Brain Institute
Billionaire Bill Ackman and his spouse, Neri Oxman, plan to give 10 million shares of the hedge fund Pershing Square to support the brain research center he established in New York, according to Bloomberg, referencing a social media update from...

The Porsche family demands swift restructuring of Volkswagen

The Porsche family demands swift restructuring of Volkswagen
Porsche Automobil Holding (Porsche SE), the holding company overseen by the Porsche family and owning 53% of the voting shares in the Volkswagen Group (VW), has insisted that the automaker implement a prompt restructuring. Porsche SE CEO Hans Dieter...

Intel plans job cuts in data center division

Intel plans job cuts in data center division
Intel Corp., a top manufacturer of computer components globally, is reportedly planning another wave of layoffs, according to CNBC, referencing a company representative. Intel has reduced around 5,000 jobs in the U.S., mainly in California and...

British authorities will oblige banks to train employees in AI

British authorities will oblige banks to train employees in AI
The UK Treasury is developing a "skills compact" that will mandate the top banks in the country to reskill their workforce to handle the "artificial intelligence revolution." The Guardian reports that new guidelines from the Treasury might be...