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• China’s Zhipu AI has released GLM-5.2, a cost-effective coding model designed to challenge global leaders in artificial intelligence. • The model marks a significant milestone as the first Chinese release to rank in the top three globally on a major industry benchmark. • This achievement is being described as a new "DeepSeek moment," signaling China's growing ability to produce high-performance models with lower computational costs.

• Europe currently faces a massive AI infrastructure deficit, hosting only 5% of global compute capacity compared to nearly 75% in the United States. • McKinsey projects that European data center demand will triple from 10 GW of IT load in 2024 to 35 GW by 2030, driven primarily by AI requirements. • This gap is exacerbated by the fact that building equivalent infrastructure in Europe is substantially more expensive than in the US.

• Asian tech stocks plummeted on Friday, led by a 12% drop in SoftBank, following reports that Apple and Microsoft are passing rising AI chip costs to consumers. • Major semiconductor players were hit hard, with South Korea's SK Hynix and Samsung both falling over 4%, while Japan's Advantest and Tokyo Electron dropped 6% and 2% respectively. • The market volatility stems from growing fears that the escalating cost of AI hardware is squeezing the profit margins of Big Tech companies.

Company says it cannot shield customers from memory and storage chip costs – and iPhone hikes could be nextApple raised iPad and MacBook prices on Thursday, saying it could no longer shield customers from soaring memory and storage chip costs driven by the AI industry’s datacenter buildout.The move does not affect Apple’s cash cow, the iPhone. But it would take starting price of the ⁠Neo, its lowest priced laptop, from $599 to $699 mere months after launch. Continue reading...

• The House of Representatives has given final approval to a landmark housing bill designed to increase the housing supply and lower costs. • The legislation provides funding to convert abandoned infrastructure into residential spaces and creates a framework for reforming outdated zoning regulations that currently limit large-scale developments. • Key provisions include raising financing limits for public housing renovations and codifying a recovery program to expedite funding for communities rebuilding after disasters.

Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is an anti-Islamic, far-right political activist well known in the UK and EuropeGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe man who calls himself Tommy Robinson has roared into prominence in Australia after the morning TV mainstay Karl Stefanovic posted an interview with Robinson for his podcast.The fallout was swift. Nine Entertainment, Australia’s largest locally owned media empire, is widely expected to sever ties with Stefanovic, and he will not appear on a radio show with Eddie McGuire on Friday. Continue reading...

• A new report by CRIF reveals that 76% of UK businesses now view cybersecurity as a top priority, the highest proportion in Europe. • This shift follows growing consumer anxiety, with 24% of UK consumers expressing concern over the risks posed by artificial intelligence. • The trend highlights an urgent need for financial services to evolve their defenses as fraudsters increasingly leverage AI to launch sophisticated attacks.