Author: i2wtc

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella speaks during the Future Decoded Tech Summit in Bengaluru, India, on Feb. 25, 2020. Microsoft will open a new data-center region in Spain, expanding their strategic partnership with Telefonica SA, according the the statement by Telefonica.Samyukta Lakshmi | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesMicrosoft has identified itself as the mystery company behind a prospective data center in a part of Michigan where locals have objected to such a development. On Wednesday, Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure team was named in a letter, published by Lowell Charter Township, as the party eyeing a 237-acre lot beside Interstate 96. The township, with…

Headquarters of Samsung in Mountain View, California, on October 28, 2018. Smith Collection/gado | Archive Photos | Getty ImagesSouth Korea’s Samsung Electronics expects its profits to triple in the final three months of last year, reaching a record high, as memory prices surge amid booming demand tied to artificial intelligence. The world’s largest memory chipmaker estimated that operating profit reached 20 trillion won and consolidated sales of about 93 trillion won in the fourth quarter, according to an earnings guidance released Thursday. The profit projections mark a significant improvement from a year earlier and would surpass Samsung’s long-standing record of 17.6 trillion…

This photo taken on March 20, 2025 shows the scenery of Nuuk, Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)Ultimately, the Greenland episode may act as a litmus test that exposes the enduring divide between Europe’s autonomous ambitions and its fragmented realities.ROME, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) — A renewed push by U.S. President Donald Trump to acquire Greenland from Denmark has forced Europe to confront a stark question: when the territory of an EU member is threatened, can the bloc ensure its own security?This direct challenge to European sovereignty has once again catapulted Europe’s strategic autonomy back to the forefront in…

Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images There’s movement going on in the Magnificent Seven group of stocks. Shares of Alphabet, the parent of Google, rose 2.4% on Wednesday, to give the firm a market capitalization of $3.89 trillion. Meanwhile, Apple, the parent of the iPhone (so to speak), retreated 0.8%, and ended the day with a capitalization of $3.85 trillion. It’s the first time since 2019 that Alphabet has overtaken Apple in valuation, and another sign of how the Cupertino-based company is falling behind in the artificial intelligence race. Apple’s promised launch of a smarter Siri, its AI…

Tourists visit the Liziba sightseeing platform in Chongqing, southwest China, Jan. 7, 2026. Acting as a crucial ecological gateway for the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, Chongqing has intensified its environmental protection efforts in recent years.The city has effectively conserved areas along its riverbanks, enhancing their function as protective green corridors. Leveraging these environmental improvements, the city has developed new cultural tourism attractions and landmarks.This integration of ecological conservation and tourism development has promoted local tourism, contributing to improved resident wellbeing and quality of life. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 6, 2026 shows tourists taking cable…

District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka on Wednesday ruled that “the prosecution cannot be forced to produce any witness” while hearing lawyer Imaan Mazari’s application seeking to summon DG ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry as a witness in the controversial tweets case against her and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha. The court issued a notice to the prosecution regarding Mazari’s application in the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA’s) case against her and Chattha. The application alleges that remarks made by the military spokesperson during a press conference amounted to an attempt to influence judicial proceedings and prejudiced the ongoing…

After an all-time high and a big tumble for bitcoin last year, industry executives and investors told CNBC that the cryptocurrency could reach new heights in 2026 — but with the potential for huge volatility.In CNBC’s annual roundup of bitcoin predictions, several commentators forecast a wide range of prices for bitcoin in 2026, dropping as low as $75,000 and rising as high as $225,000.Last October, bitcoin hit a record high of over $126,000 before falling later in the year to lows of around $80,000, according to CoinMetrics. Bitcoin is sitting around 30% lower than its all-time high. Last year’s crypto…

U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) holds a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 5, 2026 in Washington, DC. Joe Raedle | Getty ImagesA Democrat-led push to extend recently expired Obamacare subsidies cleared a procedural hurdle in the House on Wednesday with support from nine Republicans, teeing up a final vote later this week.The House voted 221-205 in favor of a motion to discharge a bill that, if passed by the House and Senate, would extend enhanced tax credits for Affordable Care Act health insurance plan holders for three years. Those tax credits were first implemented in 2021…

Jim Farley, president and chief executive officer of Ford, speaks at the Ford Motor Co.’s Kentucky Truck Plant to launch the 2025 Ford Expedition, in Louisville, Kentucky, April 30, 2025.Carolyn Kaster | APFord Motor plans to introduce eyes-off driving technology on an upcoming $30,000 all-electric vehicle in 2028, the Detroit automaker announced Wednesday.The target brings Ford into a race against competitors such as Tesla, General Motors and Rivian Automotive to develop and broadly launch such systems, which Wall Street views as a potential growth market to fully autonomous vehicles. Ford’s plan is similar to those of other automakers, but the…

Representatives attend the main dialogue session of the “Global Mayors Dialogue in Harbin” in Harbin, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Tao)HARBIN, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) — As mayors from around the world jointly lit the torch marking the opening of a dialogue event in Harbin, capital of northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, they also ignited a shared vision for developing the ice and snow economy and advancing cooperation among global winter cities.The Global Mayors Dialogue, starting Tuesday, brought together mayors and representatives from nations including Canada, Finland, and the Republic of Korea (ROK) to Harbin, hailed as China’s “Ice…