NewzBits — AI News Aggregator | Summarized & Cited

• Perplexity released a cited AI search tool in September 2026 to help startup founders research and verify facts more efficiently. • The tool supports founders building companies in sectors including AI applications, digital health, climate solutions, and cybersecurity. • This technology allows entrepreneurs to make smarter business decisions by streamlining the process of gathering verified data.

• Blockchain funding in Southeast Asia rose 113% to $680 million in 2026, with Crypto.com leading the surge and Singapore serving as the primary investment hub. • Tracxn reported that tokenization platforms received $114 million in investments, while decentralized application development platforms secured $77 million. • Current funding levels remain well below the 2022 peak when regional start-ups raised $2.2 billion across 206 funding rounds.

• AI development is draining the global supply of memory chips, leading to price hikes for consumer electronics like phones, laptops, and gaming consoles. • Retailers are forecasting further price increases as the demand for high-capacity RAM for AI workloads outpaces production. • Consumers face higher costs for personal hardware as manufacturers prioritize the more lucrative AI chip market over standard consumer devices.

• U.S. employers added 162,000 nonfarm payrolls in August 2026, far exceeding the forecast of 53,000. • The AI-exposed information sector shed 23,000 jobs, which is nearly triple its average monthly loss over the past year. • This strong overall job growth increases the likelihood that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates during its September 15-16 meeting.

Report documents use of commercial licensing for free or donation-based exercise classes in parks and on beachesAt 6am on the beach at Westgate-on-Sea in Kent, Angela Brier-Stephenson used to meet a small group of about 10 people for yoga.The class lasted 45 minutes and participants paid what they could. Continue reading...

The Reform UK leader is under pressure after senior aides appeared to plot how to bypass electoral laws on foreign donationsGood morning and welcome to our live coverage of UK politics. The Reform UK party leader, Nigel Farage, is scheduled to appear on Laura Kuenssberg’s Sunday politics programme at 9am, where he will likely be asked more about an undercover investigation broadcast by Channel 4 News which showed two of his senior aides appearing to plot to get around electoral laws on foreign donations.Accepting donations from a foreign company, including donations in kind such as polling, could constitute a criminal offence and the party has been reported to the police. Continue reading...

Passenger recalls seeing cabin lights flicker and ‘a lot of screaming’ after suspected engine issueGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLiza-Jayne Loch was returning home from a business trip to New Zealand when her Qantas flight ran into trouble.The plane was climbing above the scenic South Island’s mountain ranges on Saturday afternoon, bound for Sydney, when a bang shook the cabin. Continue reading...

Country loses 200 tennis courts in three years, but they still outnumber padel facilities by a factor of 11 to oneEngland has lost almost 200 tennis courts in three years as padel facilities have grown nearly sixfold.Guardian analysis of Sport England data found that the country has lost 183 tennis courts since 2023 – the first such decline since at least 2000. The data includes local authority and community-owned courts, privately run health facilities, schools and sports clubs. Continue reading...

Most gambling websites nudge users towards accepting tracking data and harvest it before consent is given, study showsOnline bookmakers and casinos have been accused of widespread non-compliance of information privacy requirements, including “data surveillance” of customers, according to a study.Nearly nine out of 10 (86%) licensed British gambling websites appear to be flouting the general data protection regulation (GDPR), the strict rules governing how organisations can collect, store and process personal data, according to the research. Continue reading...

• Risk premiums reached multi-year lows on Friday despite a surge in global bond yields across the UK and Europe. • The VIX, a measure of market volatility, traded below 14 for the first time since December and ended the week near two-year lows. • JPMorgan credit default swaps, which act as insurance against a company defaulting on its debt, closed the week at a one-year low of 37.268.

• Global market traders are monitoring upcoming U.S. payrolls data to predict the Federal Reserve's next move on interest rates. • Market participants currently estimate a nearly 50-per-cent chance of a rate change following comments from Fed governor Christopher Waller. • These employment figures will directly influence borrowing costs and investment returns for Canadian investors.

• Asian currencies strengthened on Friday, led by a sharp rally in the Japanese yen as the U.S. dollar weakened. • The market shift followed dovish comments from Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller regarding the outlook for U.S. interest rates. • A weaker dollar typically lowers borrowing costs for emerging markets and increases the purchasing power of regional currencies.

• Federal Reserve officials Waller and Williams recently made dovish remarks that calmed U.S. Treasury yields. • Futures markets currently place the odds of a September interest rate hike and a hold at approximately 50-50. • The New York Fed president stated that large-scale technology investments in AI and data centers are keeping the U.S. economy strong.

• Treasury yields rose sharply this week following a hawkish speech by Chair Warsh at the Jackson Hole symposium. • The 10-year Treasury yield briefly reached 4.82%, marking its highest level since late 2023. • These fluctuations reflect market uncertainty over whether the Federal Reserve will implement a rate hike in September.