NewzBits — AI News Aggregator | Summarized & Cited

• Global deal-making has surged to $3.2 trillion in the first six months of the year, marking the highest spending period in a decade. • The boom is primarily driven by the AI economy, with 44 massive deals exceeding $10 billion, including both corporate takeovers and private market fund-raising. • This trend highlights a significant concentration of wealth and power among large companies capable of financing high-cost AI infrastructure and acquisitions.

• Microsoft has started deploying its own in-house MAI models to reduce reliance on expensive third-party AI services from providers like OpenAI and Anthropic. • This strategic shift comes as the tech industry faces a general spending pullback due to the escalating costs of maintaining high-performance AI infrastructure. • The move highlights a broader trend where companies are seeking cheaper alternatives, with some even risking security concerns by utilizing lower-cost Chinese models for agentic tasks.

• Global cyberattacks increased by 17% in June 2026, according to new threat intelligence released by Check Point Software Technologies. • The surge was driven by a sharp rise in attack volumes, specifically targeting organizations through ransomware incidents and AI-driven security risks. • This trend highlights the growing danger of artificial intelligence being weaponized to enhance the scale and sophistication of cyber threats.

• The European Commission has launched a new AI cybersecurity action plan aimed at enhancing digital resilience and securing the deployment of advanced AI models across Europe. • The initiative focuses on improving rigorous testing protocols and establishing frameworks to mitigate the security risks associated with the rapid integration of AI. • This plan is critical as the proliferation of AI increases the potential for sophisticated cyberattacks and systemic vulnerabilities within European infrastructure.

• EY India launched Cyber Performance Management (CPM) on July 9, marking a strategic shift from traditional advisory services toward proprietary technology platforms. • The new platform integrates cyber intelligence, risk quantification, and business decision-making to help organizations combat threats amplified by Artificial Intelligence. • This move is driven by the fact that AI is lowering the barriers for cyberattacks, necessitating more automated and data-driven defense mechanisms.

• Europe-based startups raised $24 billion in Q2, marking the region's strongest venture funding quarter in four years. • This represents a one-third increase quarter-over-quarter and a significant rise from the $14.4 billion raised in Q2 2023. • Growth was driven by large Series C and D rounds for high-tech firms, including Neura Robotics, Nearfield Instruments, Oxford Quantum Circuits, and Isar Aerospace.

• Trump’s Board of Peace is planning a pilot humanitarian zone for Gazans to revitalize a stalled peace plan. • A board official stated the zone will be established regardless of whether a deal is reached with Hamas regarding the plan's second phase. • This move represents a strategic shift to provide immediate relief and create momentum for a broader diplomatic resolution in the region.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized that global conflicts, specifically the current military escalation in West Asia, can only be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue. • During discussions with Australian leadership, both nations called for restraint, the adherence to international law, and the maintenance of uninterrupted energy supplies. • The meeting highlighted the India-Australia partnership as a critical stabilizing force in an increasingly uncertain and volatile global geopolitical landscape.

• The U.S. has conducted a second day of bombing in Iran following the assassination of Supreme Leader Khamenei, who is set to be buried after a multiday funeral. • President Trump has renewed threats regarding the use of extreme military force and suggested that Ukraine should manufacture its own Patriot missiles. • Israeli military strikes in Lebanon and Gaza have resulted in multiple civilian casualties, including a school principal and a driver delivering food for a U.S. charity.

• The U.S. military and Iran engaged in a series of reciprocal strikes for a second consecutive day, escalating regional tensions. • U.S. forces targeted Iranian assets overnight, while Iran retaliated by striking U.S. military bases located in Bahrain and Kuwait. • This exchange marks a significant escalation in direct hostilities between the two nations, threatening stability in the Middle East.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian PM Anthony Albanese concluded their 3rd Annual Summit in Melbourne, signing key declarations focused on trade, defence, and maritime security. • PM Modi utilized a cricket analogy, describing the bilateral ties as being "focused like a one-day match" to emphasize the intensity and goal-oriented nature of the partnership. • The alliance is strengthening in response to China's assertive regional behavior and instability in West Asia, which has disrupted maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz for over four months.

• Major stock indexes advanced on Thursday, driven primarily by gains in chip stocks. • The market rise occurred as investors monitored ongoing military tensions and attacks between the U.S. and Iran. • Oil prices pulled back during the session as traders downplayed the immediate impact of the geopolitical fighting.

• Stock futures rose and oil prices declined as global markets largely ignored the latest round of airstrikes in the Middle East. • Investors appear to have accepted the current geopolitical instability as a "new status quo," treating the ongoing conflict as an uneasy equilibrium. • The trend suggests that market participants are now factoring regional volatility into their asset allocations rather than reacting with panic.

• European shares rebounded on Thursday, ending a three-day losing streak driven by a recovery in technology stocks. • The market recovery follows a period of volatility where the STOXX 600 hit a record high on Monday before declining due to geopolitical tensions and strikes between the U.S. and Iran. • Despite the slump in business and consumer surveys, Capital Economics chief Europe economist Andrew Kenningham noted that overall economic activity has remained resilient.

• Several key U.S. economic indicators and central bank communications are scheduled for today, including Initial Jobless Claims at 8:30 a.m. ET and Existing Home Sales at 10:00 a.m. ET. • Federal Reserve officials John Williams and Lorie Logan are also slated to speak at 9:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. ET, respectively. • These events are critical as diverging monetary policy expectations continue to drive global currency flows and international portfolio allocation decisions.

• US stock markets experienced a decline, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 1.09% (approximately 500 points), while the S&P 500 saw small losses and the Nasdaq rose slightly. • The market volatility is driven by geopolitical tensions following strikes by Iran and uncertainty regarding future monetary policy. • Federal Reserve minutes reveal a divide among officials: some suggest maintaining or lowering the current 3.5% to 3.75% target range if inflation drops, while others argue for rate hikes before year-end.

• The Federal Reserve's June 16-17, 2026, FOMC minutes highlight how ongoing conflict in the Middle East is negatively impacting global economic activity. • Key pressures include rising energy costs and declining consumer and business confidence, specifically affecting Europe and lower-income Asian economies. • Foreign headline inflation has surged due to sharp increases in retail energy and producer prices across these regions.