Strategic Tailwinds Drive Surge in Global M&A Activity in First Half

Global mergers and acquisitions (M\&A) activity gathered remarkable momentum in the first half of the year, propelled by a confluence of market factors that encouraged dealmakers to pursue transactions of unprecedented scale. Total deal value reached approximately $2.14 trillion globally—up more than 25 percent year‑on‑year—despite a modest decline in overall transaction count. A wave of megadeals, resilient…

Strategic Missteps and Market Forces Position BP as a Takeover Prize

The once‑venerable British oil major BP has emerged as a leading takeover candidate amid a confluence of strategic reversals, leadership upheaval and investor impatience. After more than a century of navigating the shifting tides of global energy markets, the company now finds itself under intense scrutiny by rivals, sovereign investors and activist funds. BP’s recent…

U.S. TikTok Hangs in the Balance as Trump Lines Up Wealthy Buyers

Since President Donald Trump’s announcement that a cadre of “very wealthy people” stands ready to purchase TikTok’s U.S. operations, the app’s future in America has taken on fresh urgency and uncertainty. Facing a September divestiture deadline under the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA), ByteDance—the Beijing‑based parent company—must navigate complex regulatory reviews,…

China’s Manufacturing Squeeze Deepens as Deflation Bites

China’s factory sector recorded its third consecutive month of contraction in June, underscoring the mounting challenges posed by persistent deflation and sluggish domestic demand. The official Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) edged up to 49.7 from May’s 49.5 but remained below the 50‑point threshold that separates expansion from contraction. With producer prices plunging and consumer…

France Backs Eutelsat as Europe’s Strategic Rival to Starlink

France has doubled down on its commitment to transform Eutelsat into a homegrown alternative to Elon Musk’s Starlink, underlining Paris’s ambition to secure Europe’s digital sovereignty in space-based broadband. With a landmark €1.35 billion capital injection earlier this month, the French state has become Eutelsat’s largest shareholder, holding roughly 30 percent of the company. Officials in Paris…

Brazil Leverages Starlink Partnership to Disrupt Amazon Criminal Networks

Brazil’s government has struck a groundbreaking agreement with Elon Musk’s Starlink to stem the tide of illegal activity in the Amazon by harnessing the very connectivity that once empowered criminal networks. Under the two‑year deal, Starlink will require user registration with proof of identity and residence, share geolocation data of terminals operating in the rainforest,…

US Consumers Face Steady Price Hikes as Tariffs and Supply Pressures Bite

Across America, shoppers are noticing sticker prices creeping upward on an expanding array of everyday goods. From sneakers to sofas, apparel to automobiles, companies are recalibrating prices to offset rising input costs, leaner inventories and broader trade barriers. As the economy grapples with the legacy of pandemic disruptions, new tariff measures and shifting consumer demand,…

Trump’s Trade Posturing Drives Dollar Strength Amid Market Uncertainty

The U.S. dollar rebounded sharply on Friday after President Donald Trump announced the immediate suspension of trade negotiations with Canada and revived threats of military action against Iran. Financial markets, which had been buoyed by expectations of Federal Reserve rate cuts, suddenly shifted into risk‑off mode as investors sought the relative safety of the dollar.…

OpenAI Broadens Infrastructure Strategy with Google TPUs

OpenAI has expanded its hardware toolkit by renting Google’s tensor processing units (TPUs) to power ChatGPT and its suite of AI products. The move marks the first time the company has meaningfully deployed non‑Nvidia accelerators and signals a calculated shift driven by cost pressures, supply constraints and the quest for greater operational flexibility. By integrating…