Match Group, Bumble, and Grindr are investing tens of millions into AI matchmaking to reverse a user decline costing billions. Tinder is piloting an AI feature called Chemistry that promises fewer swipes and better matches by analyzing photos and prompts. This isn’t mere algorithm tweaking—it’s a foundational

War zones average high casualty rates in frontline infantry roles. Ukraine just replaced frontline soldiers with an armed ground robot for 45 consecutive days, without casualties. Ukraine's deployment of the Droid TW 12.7 ground drone shows how remote, automated systems reshape battlefield leverage. Using machines to hold

Geopolitical tensions drive a costly chip gap: importing advanced AI chips outside China often triggers delays and tariffs. Nvidia aims to ship between 40,000 and 80,000 of its H200 AI chips to China by mid-February, just before the Lunar New Year holiday. But this isn’t just about

Injectable weight-loss drugs like Wegovy cost around $1,350 monthly, putting them out of reach for many US patients. Novo Nordisk just won FDA approval for a pill version of Wegovy that sells for $149 per month, starting January 2026. This price drop isn’t just about affordability—it exposes

American whiskey sales surged 132% between 2003 and 2023, but Jim Beam is now pausing production at its flagship Clermont, Kentucky distillery for a full year. Suntory Global Spirits, Jim Beam’s parent, made the decision amid steep export declines to key markets like Canada and the EU, alongside falling

China's crackdown on shadow banking accelerates as authorities detain Yu Faxiang, chairman of Hong Kong-listed Haichang Ocean Park. This follows defaults on multibillion-yuan wealth products issued by a firm under Yu’s control in Zhejiang province. The move highlights more than just regulatory enforcement—it exposes the fragile

Indonesia aims for an ambitious 8% annual growth rate by 2028, outpacing many ASEAN peers. UOB Indonesia is channeling foreign direct investment since 2013 to back projects transforming the country’s production and logistics sectors. But this is not just about pouring capital—it’s about activating deep systemic leverage

Three in four multinational corporations operating in mainland China have maintained or increased their investments in 2025 despite US efforts to decouple. A KPMG survey polling 137 senior executives between June and September found only 1% preparing to exit the market. This surge in M&A deals is concentrated

President Donald Trump has announced a plan to co-lead the design of a new class of massive warships with the U.S. Navy, promising a fleet “100 times more powerful” than any battleship ever built. This new ship aims to outsize and outgun World War II-era Iowa-class battleships, integrating futuristic

Hong Kong’s banking sector is under pressure to innovate as digital asset trading surges. Shanghai Commercial Bank, a 75-year-old institution, is partnering with HashKey Exchange to launch a Visa credit card targeting digital asset investors by mid-2026. This move isn’t just a product launch—it repositions the bank

Hong Kong’s ultra-luxury real estate market just recorded a staggering HK$2.2 billion (US$283 million) transaction. Swire Properties sold two three-storey homes at 6 Deep Water Bay Road with combined areas of 14,900 sq ft, both acquired by the same buyer. The deal, closing in early

Modern naval fleets cost billions to develop and operate, with traditional battleships phased out decades ago. President Donald Trump recently announced two new "Trump-class" ships for the US Navy’s so-called "Golden Fleet", describing them as AI-controlled battleships equipped with lasers and designed under Navy leadership

OpenAI just joined the year-end recap club alongside Spotify, LinkedIn, and Uber, rolling out "Your Year with ChatGPT" in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The feature breaks down users’ chat habits down to details like their most active day and even the number of em-dashes

Media companies spend millions maintaining reputations of editorial independence. CBS News abruptly pulled a 60 Minutes story on the Trump administration days before airing in December 2025. Bari Weiss, CBS News head since October, cited editorial gaps. Critics see political interference tied to owner David Ellison’s close ties to

AI investment has shifted from fringe to foundational in the US economy, raising growth forecasts from 2% to 2.4% for 2026, according to Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan. Bank of America itself has expanded its AI-driven agent bot Erica from answering 200 to 700 client questions, signaling internal

Paying $1 million for a fast-tracked US residency contrasts sharply with the rising $100,000 fees and restrictions on H-1B visas. The Trump administration officially launched the Gold Card visa program in December 2025, raising over $1.3 billion in weeks. But this isn't just a premium visa

Being authorized to launch the US military’s most sensitive satellites is a $billions-a-year credential few firms earn. United Launch Alliance (ULA), the joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin, has held this privileged role for over a decade under CEO Tory Bruno. His resignation after nearly 12 years is

Only 0.1% of global shipbuilding happens in the United States, compared to 53% by China. The US Navy just announced plans to build a new class of warship, the FF(X), aiming for the first vessel by 2028. But this move is less about raw production and more about

Russia invests hundreds of millions in fighter jets like the Su-30, yet Ukraine continuously destroys them with precision sabotage. This week, Ukraine's military intelligence (GUR) claimed it sneaked into a Russian airbase near Lipetsk and destroyed two Su-30 fighter jets worth up to $100 million combined. But this

Families stretch grocery budgets daily, yet Instacart quietly experimented by showing different prices for the same items to shoppers in the US. On December 22, 2025, Instacart announced it is ending this controversial price-testing program that offered multiple prices for identical grocery products purchased simultaneously. This isn’t just about

AI-powered creativity is reshaping industries, yet concerns about job security and authenticity spike among creatives worldwide. Mark Cuban, billionaire entrepreneur and Shark Tank star, recently claimed AI makes creators “exponentially more creative” by slashing iteration times from days to minutes. But his business-minded perspective clashes with creatives fearing AI’s

AI adoption in human resources is no longer a fringe experiment. By 2025, more than 31% of organizations, including giants like Amazon and Siemens, are using AI for résumé analysis and job recommendations. Yet, this shift is not just about automation but about creating new specialized roles that embed AI

China dominates the global drone market, making supply chains reliant on its components both cheap and widespread. Taiwan is racing to break this dependency by building a domestic drone industry targeting nearly 200,000 units annually by 2030. But this isn't just about producing drones—it’s about

China’s ByteDance just surged to a US$500 billion valuation on private markets, up from US$400 billion earlier this year, as it finalizes a survival strategy in the US. TikTok's CEO Chew Shou Zi announced a binding agreement to spin off the US entity into a