Corporate news, markets, and the economy
Intel has elected semiconductor engineer Craig Barratt as board chair, replacing finance veteran Frank Yeary. The move signals Intel's commitment to technical leadership as it battles foundry losses and manufacturing challenges.
Mitchell Tan 
A federal class action lawsuit filed in San Francisco accuses Meta of misleading consumers about Ray-Ban smart glasses privacy features, following reports that contractors overseas reviewed sensitive footage.
Tanya Birch 
X's new Exclusive Threads feature lets content creators lock the end of tweet threads for paid subscribers, tapping a psychology that rewards curiosity and commitment.
Andrew Marsh 
DiligenceSquared, a Y Combinator startup, uses AI voice agents to deliver merger due diligence at a fraction of traditional consulting costs. The model raises questions about efficiency gains, quality control, and the future of professional services.
Tom Whitfield 
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says AI agents are now 'users' of Microsoft 365 with their own identities. What he really means: the company has found a new revenue stream.
Sarah Cheng 
Oura has acquired Helsinki-based Doublepoint to add gesture recognition to its smart rings, signaling a shift from passive health monitoring to active AI interaction—and raising questions about whether the market is ready.
Mitchell Tan 
The Pokemon Company has issued a formal statement objecting to the White House's use of its intellectual property in a political meme. This marks the second dispute between the publisher and the Trump administration.
James Callahan 
Sony is abandoning plans to release major single-player games like Ghost of Yotei and Saros on PC, returning to a Nintendo-style exclusivity strategy in an apparent shift away from multi-platform expansion.
Tom Whitfield 
Okta reports strong earnings driven by AI agent security products while the broader SaaS sector faces investor doubt over AI disruption. The identity-management firm's strategy to secure non-human digital workers may answer a genuine market need.
Darren Ong 
Nvidia is pouring $4 billion into photonics suppliers while its CEO argues scarcity benefits the strongest players. The strategy reveals how the company plans to dominate AI infrastructure amid global supply constraints.
Tom Whitfield 
Google is slashing its Play Store commission from 30 per cent to 20 per cent and allowing alternative app stores on Android, settling a long-running antitrust battle with Epic Games.
Sophia Vargas 
The first decline in US datacentre construction since 2020 reveals a market fundamentally constrained by something no amount of investment can overcome: organised local resistance.
Aisha Khoury 
New RBA analysis shows that aggressive inflation-focused monetary policy would have pushed Australian unemployment to 5.3%, exposing the hidden costs of overseas approaches.
Darren Ong 
Capita has confirmed a £370m UK government outsourcing win already facing a court challenge from rival Sopra Steria over alleged procurement irregularities.
Rachel Thornbury 
Kalshi lets you wager on anything from football results to foreign invasions. Its CEO insists it's a financial exchange, not a bookmaker. The courts aren't so sure.
Andrew Marsh 
ARN Media shares rose 5.8% after Jackie O quit and Kyle Sandilands was suspended, exposing the financial strain of a $200m deal that was meant to transform Australian radio.
Fatima Al-Rashid 
A damaged rail bridge near Broken Hill has cut the Sydney-Perth freight corridor for up to a month, piling pressure on an already stretched transcontinental supply chain.
Bruce Mackinnon Rental vacancies stay near record lows across Australian capitals, while the RBA's caution after strong GDP growth leaves renters with few good options in 2026.
Aisha Khoury 
The RACQ has referred Brisbane fuel retailers to the ACCC after an out-of-cycle price spike pushed unleaded petrol to 219.9 cents per litre, drawing accusations of profiteering.
Priya Narayanan 
Half of Sydney and Melbourne petrol stations have already hiked prices by up to 10¢ a litre, even as economists confirm war-related cost increases are still days away.
Priya Narayanan