Business & Technology
FAA awards $875M AI contract to tackle air traffic congestion
The FAA has awarded Boston-based Air Space Intelligence an $875 million, 12-year contract to build an AI system called SMART for managing air traffic flow. The system is designed as a predictive layer atop a new data backbone replacing aging infrastructure.
Ars Technica · 18 Sept, 22:45
Researchers Warn There's No Clear Way to Actually Slow Down AI
Despite growing political and public pressure to rein in artificial intelligence, experts say no reliable method for enforcing a slowdown yet exists. A new report calls for treating the issue as an unsolved research problem.
Wired · 18 Sept, 22:45
Saudi Aramco Tells European Buyers They Will Miss October Crude Deliveries After Drone Strike on Pipeline
Saudi Aramco has told European customers they will not receive October crude under long-term contracts after a drone attack forced a key pipeline to shut down. The disruption is expected to push European refiners to seek alternative oil supplies.
Meduza · 18 Sept, 21:46
Virginia Governor Restricts Data Center Growth, Launches AI Task Force
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger has signed an order limiting data center development and creating a new AI task force. The move adds Virginia to a growing list of US states acting on their own to regulate the booming data center and AI industry.
The Verge · 18 Sept, 21:44
Disney hires former Character.AI chief as its first CTO, months after threatening the company
Disney has appointed Karandeep Anand, the former CEO of Character.AI, as its first chief technology officer, despite having sent the AI company a cease-and-desist letter less than a year earlier.
Engadget · 18 Sept, 21:43
Vergecast digs into the iPhone 18 Pro's camera and the state of AI safety
The Verge's podcast Vergecast this week takes a deep dive into the iPhone 18 Pro's camera upgrades and the current state of the AI safety debate, plus a rundown of smaller tech news.
The Verge · 18 Sept, 20:49
Google reshapes AI agent CC into a household management tool
Google has repositioned its AI agent CC from a general productivity tool into an assistant that helps families coordinate schedules and manage kid-related tasks. The updated version is currently limited to a subset of U.S. users.
TechCrunch · 18 Sept, 20:44
Google reworks its CC AI agent into a household organizer for families
Google has relaunched its AI agent CC as a family-focused assistant that helps coordinate school paperwork, calendars and meal planning. The feature is currently limited to a subset of U.S. users.
TechCrunch AI · 18 Sept, 20:44
China's Manus AI seeks $4B valuation in new $500M funding round
Chinese AI startup Manus, having resumed independent operations after Beijing blocked its planned $2B merger with Meta, is now in talks to raise $500 million at a $4 billion valuation, the Wall Street Journal reported.
TechCrunch AI · 18 Sept, 19:44
Chinese AI startup Manus in talks for $500M raise at $4B valuation
Manus, the Chinese AI startup that had to abandon a merger with Meta earlier this year, is reportedly in talks to raise $500 million at a $4 billion valuation as it resumes independent operations.
TechCrunch · 18 Sept, 19:44
Bitcoin Rebounds After Volatile Week as Sources Disagree on $78,000 vs $80,000 Price
Bitcoin continued recovering on Friday after a week shaped by the Fed's rate decision and a failed Senate vote, though sources disagree — some cite a price around $78,000, while others report it surpassed $80,000.
4 avoti · 18 Sept, 18:57
easyJet cabin crew in Portugal to strike in October and December
Cabin crew at easyJet's Portuguese operations plan two strikes, in October and December, over pay and working conditions, with flights from Lisbon, Porto and Faro affected.
Euronews Business · 18 Sept, 18:52
EU-Startups releases weekly roundup of European startup funding rounds
News platform EU-Startups has published its regular weekly summary of European startup funding rounds tracked between September 14 and 18, though the full article is restricted to paying members.
EU-Startups · 18 Sept, 18:51
Plywood maker AmberBirch in Jēkabpils region doubles capacity, creates 40 new jobs
Woodworking company SIA AmberBirch in the Jēkabpils region has completed its most ambitious development project to date, investing around 51 million euros to double production capacity and create 40 new jobs.
LSM · 18 Sept, 18:47
London-based Penelope Health raises €87 million to tackle insurance complexity
London HealthTech startup Penelope Health has secured €87 million in funding to build a platform simplifying navigation of payer coverage rules, alongside a new partnership with infrastructure platform Thoreau.
EU-Startups · 18 Sept, 17:49
BrewDog creditors owed £190m will not be paid in full, administrators say
Administrators at AlixPartners have confirmed that creditors of collapsed brewer BrewDog, owed more than £190m, will not be repaid in full, with the UK government among those losing out.
The Guardian World · 18 Sept, 17:49
Macron gathers French party leaders as energy prices surge amid Iran, Ukraine wars
French President Emmanuel Macron held a rare Élysée Palace meeting with party leaders to address soaring energy prices, as the wars in Iran and Ukraine keep pressure on energy markets.
France 24 · 18 Sept, 17:48
Twilio Co-Founder Jeff Lawson Turns to Fusion Energy With New Venture
Former Twilio co-founder Jeff Lawson now leads fusion energy startup Inertia and will discuss his shift from software to deep tech at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco this October.
TechCrunch · 18 Sept, 17:45
AMC theaters roll out Guile hair-shaped popcorn bucket for new Street Fighter movie
Ahead of the new Street Fighter film's release, AMC theaters will offer a collectible popcorn bucket shaped like the character Guile's signature hairstyle. The movie opens in theaters on October 16.
Engadget · 18 Sept, 17:45
Tokyo trials mobile robotic rubbish bins at Shinjuku Station
East Japan Railway is testing three autonomous waste-collecting robots at Shinjuku Station, the world's busiest rail hub, in a trial running until 20 November.
Euronews · 18 Sept, 17:44
FunnyPlaying's FPGB Mini is a smaller, cheaper cartridge-playing Game Boy clone
Chinese company FunnyPlaying has released the FPGB Mini handheld, which plays original Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges and undercuts Analogue's Pocket on both size and price.
The Verge · 18 Sept, 17:43
French firm Cycloid to power European Commission's €180 million sovereign cloud framework
Cycloid, a French Internal Developer Portal company, will serve as the developer-facing portal for the European Commission's new sovereign cloud framework, giving up to 5,000 developers access to services from four European providers.
EU-Startups · 18 Sept, 16:47
New Plush Toy 'Bezzy' Screams Like a Real Data Center
Studio Basura and musician Alan Wilkis have released a satirical plush toy called Bezzy that emits the piercing hum of an actual US data center when squeezed. The project aims to highlight noise and energy complaints from communities living near data centers.
Wired · 18 Sept, 16:46
Anthropic sets up biology lab for hands-on research
Anthropic has opened a biology research lab in the San Francisco Bay Area to run physical experiments, though the company has not disclosed exactly what it is studying there.
Engadget · 18 Sept, 15:50
Sunly and Magnora Data Center to jointly develop up to 400 MW data center in Estonia
Estonian renewable energy company Sunly and Norway's Magnora Data Center will jointly develop the Risti data center project in western Estonia, with connection capacity potentially reaching 400 MW. The site will be linked to an adjacent renewable energy park.
Dienas Bizness · 18 Sept, 15:45
MAUCAM car podcast: the future of Chinese automakers and the world's top 10 manufacturers
In the latest episode of the MAUCAM car podcast, journalist Normunds Avotiņš joins the hosts to discuss scrutiny of Chinese carmakers, a Ford-Geely partnership, and the world's largest automakers.
iAuto.lv · 18 Sept, 14:49
Latvian Geologists Find Unexpected Glacier Structure in Greenland
University of Latvia scientists have returned from a month-long expedition to northern Greenland, discovering that the outlet glacier they studied consists of cold ice despite its considerable thickness. The finding challenges previous assumptions about glacier thermal structure.
LSM · 18 Sept, 14:43
German Companies Advance Investment Projects in Latvia Worth Over €600 Million
German companies are advancing investment projects in Latvia with a combined value exceeding €600 million, according to information linked to a recent business mission involving 54 Latvian companies and organizations.
Labs of Latvia · 18 Sept, 13:50
Revolut weighs dual listing in New York and London for its IPO
Revolut founder and CEO Nik Storonsky has confirmed the fintech is considering a dual listing on the London Stock Exchange and Nasdaq, while making clear the US remains his preferred venue. No IPO date has been set yet.
Euronews Business · 18 Sept, 13:49
Nobel Chemistry Laureate Now Uses AI to Design Molecules Nature Never Made
David Baker, who shared the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, leads the AI BioDesign project, which combines artificial intelligence and lab experiments to create biologically possible but never-before-seen proteins. The goal is new medicines, enzymes and technologies for future challenges.
Wired · 18 Sept, 13:47
Salesforce and Live Nation Expand AI Assistant Rollout Across US Concert Venues
Salesforce and Live Nation announced at Dreamforce that their AI "Venue Agent" is being rolled out across US concert venues, while investor attention also turned to both companies' stock performance, Live Nation's growing dominance of the French concert market, and its ongoing legal fight with US regulators.
5 avoti · 18 Sept, 11:55
WEF Expert: Europe's Best Move Is Strengthening Its Internal Market
A World Economic Forum expert says Europe's best strategy is to focus on developing its internal market rather than chasing self-sufficiency everywhere. He also points to a paradox — Europeans save more than Americans yet remain poorer.
Euronews Business · 18 Sept, 11:47
Luminor grants €1.5 million leasing financing to car dealer Mūsa Mežciems
Bank Luminor has provided €1.5 million in leasing financing to car dealer Mūsa Mežciems to expand its demo car fleet following the company's takeover of SIA Autobassadone's assets and staff. The funding will help ensure availability of new brands and strengthen competitiveness.
Dienas Bizness · 18 Sept, 11:46
Bank of Japan raises rates to highest level since 1995
Japan's central bank has lifted its key interest rate to 1.25%, a 31-year high, as it tries to contain inflation fuelled by the Middle East conflict. The move puts it in step with other major central banks tightening policy this month.
The Guardian World · 18 Sept, 10:50
Tartu ethics center: Estonia's AI Leap education program needs careful management of risks
A working group at the University of Tartu Centre for Ethics has published an analysis of risks tied to Estonia's AI Leap education program and its AI-based learning application. The report warns that the greatest dangers come not from the technology itself but from how it is used and the policy choices made around it.
ERR News · 18 Sept, 10:50
French PM pledges €54 billion in spending cuts to tackle deficit
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced plans to cut public spending by €54 billion in 2027 to reduce the budget deficit, insisting the measures do not amount to austerity. The move comes amid rising social tension over fuel prices and just months before the presidential election.
France 24 · 18 Sept, 10:47