Pauses

• DeepSeek has suspended its second funding round following the viral leak of comments made by founder Liang Wenfeng. • The leaked discussions centered on the company's heavy reliance on Nvidia chips and the existing gap in AI capabilities between China and the West. • The pause comes as DeepSeek, owned by Zhejiang High-Flyer Asset Management, prioritizes open-source development and aggressive pricing over immediate revenue.

Top military officials say campaign has reached its limit of effectiveness and warn of dwindling stocks of munitionsThe US has paused strikes on Iran for a second night as top military officials advised Donald Trump to halt his bombing campaign, and diplomatic negotiations have continued to avoid a return to all-out war.Trump is said to be weighing up diplomatic and military options in the nearly five-month-old conflict, with Benjamin Netanyahu expected to visit the White House on Tuesday. The Israeli prime minister is a vocal critic of Washington’s negotiations with Iranian leaders and has pressed for the US to continue its strikes against Iran. Continue reading...

• Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has paused its second fundraising round shortly after securing a record $7 billion in previous funding. • The decision follows the viral spread of comments attributed to founder Liang Wenfeng regarding China's AI industry and its competition with the United States. • This pause highlights the volatility of the AI investment landscape and the potential impact of public statements on corporate financing.

• DeepSeek has paused its second round of financing, which was targeted at raising $1.5 billion. • This delay follows a record-breaking first round of $7 billion led by Tencent, CATL, and a state-backed AI investment fund. • The pause comes amid viral posts by founder Liang Wenfeng, highlighting the volatility surrounding the company's rapid growth.

• DeepSeek, a leading Chinese AI firm, has suspended its second fundraising round and delayed the signing of investment agreements. • The pause follows the viral spread of comments attributed to founder Liang Wenfeng concerning the ongoing AI competition between the U.S. and China. • This move highlights the volatility of AI investment in China, where geopolitical tensions and public statements can abruptly impact financial stability.

The deaths of Joan Sebastian Guerrero and Lorenzo Salgado Araujo have prompted calls for independent investigationsFederal immigration officials have been instructed to stop pulling over vehicles until further notice, according to a homeland security source, following two recent deadly shootings in Texas and Maine during which officials shot and killed immigrants in vehicles.Other news outlets, including Fox News and CNN, confirmed that officials nationwide received the instructions, with the former reporting some vehicle stops would be allowed to target “the most egregious criminal aliens”. Continue reading...

• A UN agency has paused its initiative to evacuate ships from the Strait of Hormuz following a recent attack on a vessel in the region. • Tensions remain high as the U.S. and Iran issue conflicting statements while negotiators continue to push for a final, comprehensive peace deal. • A senior Lebanese military official disputed claims of an Israeli pullback, stating that Israeli forces continue to strictly enforce a buffer zone.