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• The European Union is introducing a "tech sovereignty" package designed to prioritize European firms in the AI and cloud computing sectors. • This initiative is part of a broader set of EU rules aimed at increasing domestic manufacturing to better compete with dominant tech companies from the U.S. and China. • The move matters as it signals a strategic shift toward reducing reliance on foreign technology and strengthening the bloc's internal digital infrastructure.

Republican states rebrand June as ‘nuclear family month’ or ‘fidelity month’ in latest attack on LGBTQ+ communitiesJune is widely marked as gay Pride month – when LGBTQ+ communities march to protest discrimination and celebrate their identities in the month that the modern US gay liberation movement was born out of the 1969 uprising at New York’s Stonewall Inn – although not so much in certain Republican-led states this year.Some Republican governors have suddenly come up with alternative labels for the month, which both supporters and opponents view as counterprogramming. Continue reading...

• The European Parliament announced on Wednesday that it will replace Google with the French search engine Qwant. • This transition is part of a broader strategic effort to enhance "tech sovereignty" by reducing the European Union's reliance on U.S.-based technology. • The move highlights a growing trend of favoring local alternatives to mitigate the dominance of American tech giants in the region.

Consumer advocates decry Democrat Jared Polis for ‘choosing to side with dominant corporations’ over workersColorado’s governor vetoed a bill on Tuesday that would have banned companies from using surveillance pricing to set workers’ wages and prices for consumer goods.The measure would have been the strongest in the nation against algorithmic pricing. While Maryland became the first state to approve a law banning surveillance pricing in grocery stores in April, Colorado’s proposed measure was more expansive. Continue reading...

• The European Union has launched a major tech initiative to reduce dependence on the US and China. • The focus is on cloud computing and chip production to re-enter the global tech race. • Success is uncertain, with questions remaining about the reaction of the US and China to the EU's move.

Johnson tells BBC documentary he played tennis in early 2016 with then prime minister to discuss EU referendumUK politics live – latest updatesDavid Cameron offered Boris Johnson a senior Cabinet position in return for campaigning for the UK to remain in the EU during the 2016 referendum, it has been revealedIn the event, and with four months to go before the vote, Johnson transformed the terms of the debate by announcing in February 2016 that “after a huge amount of heartache” he was throwing his weight behind the campaign to take Britain out of the EU. Continue reading...

• The European Central Bank (ECB) reports that the euro's international usage has reached 20%, reflecting a steady increase in its global footprint. • Despite this growth, the U.S. dollar remains the dominant global currency, with dollar-denominated assets still accounting for 42% of global reserves. • This trend highlights the ECB's ongoing ambitions to elevate the euro's status as a primary global reserve currency to reduce reliance on the dollar.