Slow Uptake of Alexa+ AI Traced to Technical Hurdles, Marketing Gaps and User Skepticism

More than six weeks after Amazon unveiled its next‑generation Alexa+ voice assistant, the company is grappling with an unexpected challenge: very few customers seem to be actively using the new AI‑powered features. Despite inviting hundreds of thousands of early adopters to test Alexa+ in late March, public demonstrations remain scarce and user feedback is largely…

Strategic Focus on High‑End Jewelry and Digital Push Drive Richemont’s Surprise Upswing

Richemont, the luxury conglomerate best known as the owner of Cartier, delivered a striking beat on market expectations in its fiscal fourth quarter, powered by a combination of robust high‑jewelry demand, calibrated pricing strategy and accelerated digital investment. The Swiss group reported a 7 percent year‑on‑year rise in sales to €5.17 billion for the three months ending…

Retailers Demand EU Crack Down on Visa, Mastercard Over Soaring Card Fees

Europe’s leading bricks-and-mortar and online retailers have launched a concerted push for the European Commission to intervene against what they describe as “excessive and opaque” fees levied by the dominant card networks Visa and Mastercard. In a joint letter to senior EU officials, major retail lobbies—including the likes of Amazon, Carrefour, Ikea and Marks &…

Trump Criticizes Apple’s India Shift, Citing Jobs, Investments and Trade Priorities

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday took aim at Apple’s expansion of manufacturing in India, emphatically telling CEO Tim Cook that he did not want the tech giant to build its products outside the United States. Speaking to a gathering of business executives in Doha, Qatar, Trump framed his objection as a matter of fairness…

Foxconn’s $433M Chip Plant in India Marks First Step in Apple’s Post-China Manufacturing Pivot

Apple’s strategy to reduce its reliance on Chinese assembly lines officially kicked off this week as Foxconn secured Indian government approval for a 37.06 billion-rupee (\$433 million) joint venture with local technology firm HCL Group to build a semiconductor fabrication plant. The facility—slated to begin production by 2027 in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida industrial corridor—will manufacture…

Wealthy Families Face Advisor Shortage as Competition for Trusted Talent Intensifies

Ultra-high-net-worth families around the globe are finding it increasingly difficult to secure skilled professionals capable of managing their complex financial affairs. As the number of family offices—private wealth-management firms dedicated to a single affluent household—continues its rapid ascent, a critical talent gap has emerged. Despite soaring demand for bespoke investment advice, succession planning and risk…

U.S. and China Call 90-Day Timeout, Yet Core Trade Battles Remain Unresolved

After months of escalating tariffs, heated rhetoric and threats of mutual economic damage, negotiators from Washington and Beijing emerged from two days of talks in Geneva this week with a shared announcement: a 90-day pause in most U.S. and Chinese duties. At first glance, the agreement represents a remarkable thaw in what had become a…

KindlyMD Shares Surge Over 600% on Crypto Merger Buzz

KindlyMD Inc. saw its stock price surge an astonishing 600 percent on Monday after the addiction-treatment provider announced a transformational merger with Nakamoto Holdings, a new bitcoin investment vehicle led by David Bailey, an influential cryptocurrency advisor to former President Donald Trump. The dramatic rally underscores investor enthusiasm for companies tapping into the red-hot digital…

Trump Hails “Total Reset” in US–China Trade Talks, Hints at Tariff Rollback

President Donald Trump on Saturday evening lauded the initial round of U.S.–China trade negotiations in Geneva as a “total reset,” signaling a potential pullback of the punishing tariffs that have throttled commerce between the world’s two largest economies. Speaking on his Truth Social platform, Trump described the meeting between U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, U.S.…

Trump’s Crypto Agenda Stumbles as His Personal Profit Pursuits Trigger Legislative Backlash

President Donald Trump’s aspirations to reshape America’s cryptocurrency landscape are now imperiled by allegations that he is leveraging his office to enrich himself through personal crypto ventures. What had once appeared to be a rare area of bipartisan cooperation—crafting federal rules for digital assets—has unraveled amid ethics concerns and political maneuvering, as key lawmakers cite…