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• The UK government has announced a new £1.1 billion "AI Hardware Plan" designed to support British companies developing semiconductors and AI chips. • To implement this strategy, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is launching a new fund led by Silicon Valley investors Playground Global. • The initiative aims to strengthen the UK's domestic AI infrastructure and is backed by high-profile partners, including former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger.

• Chinese investors are increasingly using digital assets and synthetic instruments to gain exposure to high-profile U.S. tech IPOs. • These maneuvers allow traders to bypass traditional regulatory hurdles and capital controls to invest in lucrative Western technology markets. • The trend underscores the high demand for U.S. growth assets among Chinese traders, despite the significant financial and legal risks involved.

‘Gender norms explain some of it, but not all of it’ says Tiya Banerjee, an economist at the e61 InstituteGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIn about a week’s time, the Socceroos will step up against Turkey, their first opponents in this year’s World Cup.Winning their first match will be a big ask; progressing beyond the first round will be a bigger one. Continue reading...

• President Donald Trump has rejected claims that his administration's actions toward Iran betrayed his campaign promise of "no new wars." • The statement comes as tensions escalate, occurring just hours before Israel and Iran engaged in a series of retaliatory strikes. • This development is significant as it highlights the contradiction between Trump's non-interventionist rhetoric and the volatile military reality in the Middle East.

• The Pharmaceutical Journal has released a detailed analysis of the new community pharmacy contract. • The report examines whether the new framework will stabilize medicines funding and evaluates its promises regarding long-term systemic reform. • A key focus is placed on how new national prescribing services will integrate with existing local commissioning structures.

Recent exchange of missiles between Iran and Israel highlights diverging views between US president and Israeli PM The latest eruption of hostilities between Iran and Israel appears to have been contained for now after Donald Trump insisted he called “all the shots” in the Middle East, but in a dangerously fragile region Benjamin Netanyahu has again shown he is ready to take shots of his own.The exchange of missiles on Sunday and Monday was ample demonstration of the inherent instability of the current limbo between war and peace, but it also shone a bright light on the complex and conflicted relationship between the US president and the Israeli prime minister, frenemies who could determine the fate of the current ceasefire. Continue reading...

• Applications are now open for the European Award 2026, a funding initiative designed to support non-profit cultural organizations across Europe. • The award targets innovative audience-engagement projects that aim to strengthen the connections between arts, culture, and local communities. • Eligible applicants include organizations based in EU Member States, as well as Great Britain, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland.