California Democrats have passed a new sales tax on digital software downloads, set to take effect next year. Governor Gavin Newsom is expected to sign the measure, projected to generate $900 million annually. The tax aims for parity between physical and online software sales.
Jio Platforms, India's largest telecom operator, is exploring low-orbit satellite communications, aiming to connect India from the skies. The company plans to partner with global providers for a quick rollout while building its own long-term capabilities and ground infrastructure.
President Trump threatened to impose 100% tariffs on French wines and champagnes in response to France's 3% digital services tax on tech giants. He urged President Macron to abolish the tax to avoid the tariffs.
미국 대통령 트럼프가 프랑스의 디지털 서비스세(DST)에 대해 100% 관세 부과를 경고하며 G7 정상회의를 앞두고 프랑스와의 무역 갈등을 시사했다. DST는 프랑스가 아마존, 메타, 애플 등 빅테크 기업에 부과하는 세금으로, 트럼프는 이를 미국 기업에 대한 차별로 규정했다.
SBI customers should use digital services like ATMs and the Yono app due to a two-day strike by the All India State Bank of India Staff Federation on May 25-26, 2026. The strike addresses concerns over outsourcing, armed guard shortages, and National Pension System policies.
SBI urges its 52 crore customers to use ATMs, YONO, and UPI services due to a planned two-day staff strike starting May 25. The strike could impact operations for five days, with staff demanding recruitment and pension policy changes.
Saudi Arabia's SDAIA is boosting the Hajj season with advanced technology, supporting 75 sites in the holy places and 14 screening locations. The 'Makkah Route' initiative, in its 8th year, uses AI and data tech in 10 countries to streamline pilgrim procedures.
California Governor Gavin Newsom proposed expanding the state's sales tax to include digital prewritten software, aiming for parity with in-store purchases. The move could impact software and SaaS companies and mirrors digital services taxes seen in other countries.
Dubai has launched its first fully integrated smart bus station at Mall of the Emirates, enhancing commuter experience with AI and digital services. This futuristic hub connects directly to the Metro, serving 11 bus routes and improving connectivity across the emirate. The station signifies Dubai's commitment to modernizing public transport with smart infrastructure.
TikTok is investing US$25 billion in data infrastructure projects in Thailand, the company’s biggest investment announced to date in Southeast Asia, as China’s technology giants continue expanding their footprint in the region. The investment would be used to install additional servers and expand data storage and processing infrastructure across Bangkok, Samut Prakan and Chachoengsao provinces to support rising demand for digital services, according to an announcement by Thailand’s Board of...
India and Vietnam have agreed to elevate their relationship to an Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, setting an ambitious trade target of $25 billion by 2030. The pact includes expanded cooperation in defense, technology, and digital services, alongside efforts to boost agricultural trade and supply chain resilience.
The European Commission is close to fining Meta for alleged Digital Services Act violations, citing inadequate measures to prevent minors under 13 from using Instagram and Facebook. Meta disputes the findings.
The European Commission has concluded preliminary findings that Meta violated the EU's Digital Services Act by failing to prevent under-13s from accessing Instagram and Facebook. The Commission found that minors can input false birth dates during account creation with no verification controls, and that reporting tools for minors' accounts require up to seven clicks with inadequate follow-up. Meta disputes the findings. If confirmed, Meta faces a fine of up to 6% of its total worldwide annual turnover.
Die EU-Kommission wirft dem Meta-Konzern vor, Kinder nicht ausreichend von Instagram und Facebook fernzuhalten. Trotz eines Mindestalters von 13 Jahren nutzen laut Kommission zehn bis zwölf Prozent der Kinder unter 13 Jahren die Plattformen. Die Behörde sieht einen Verstoß gegen den Digital Services Act und droht mit Geldstrafen von bis zu sechs Prozent des weltweiten Jahresumsatzes.
Meta is breaching Europe's Digital Services Act (DSA) rules by failing to prevent children under 13 from using Facebook and Instagram, according to a preliminary decision issued by the European Commission. The Commission announced the ruling on Wednesday after an almost two-year investigation, saying that Meta doesn't have adequate measures in place to stop under-13s […]
China's daily token consumption has reached 140 trillion, up from 100 billion just two years ago, reflecting a striking scale of growth. Under the AI Plus framework, Beijing is embedding AI across industries while using tokens as a 'value anchor' and 'settlement unit' to upgrade western regions that have historically functioned as energy suppliers to the industrialized east.
Donald Trump believes King Charles III's upcoming US visit will mend frayed Washington-London ties, despite trade, security, and policy disagreements. He praised the King as a "fantastic man" and "brave." While the royal tour aims to strengthen historic bonds, underlying tensions persist over immigration, energy, and foreign policy, with the US also eyeing tariffs on digital services.
Reliance Industries' Q4 FY26 net profit declined 12.5% year-on-year to Rs 16,971 crore, impacted by the Middle East crisis affecting its oil and chemicals business. Despite this, revenue rose 13% to Rs 2.98 lakh crore, with strong contributions from digital services and retail. Jio Platforms reported a 13% profit increase to Rs 7,935 crore.
Login method for apps and websites stored on users’ devices provides stronger security and is resistant to phishing and breachesThe UK’s National Cyber Security Centre has called time on the password – from now on, you should use a passkey.The NCSC said this week it would no longer recommend using passwords where passkeys were available. They should be consumers’ first choice of login across all digital services because passwords were not secure enough to stand up to modern cyber threats. Continue reading...
President Donald Trump has threatened to impose significant tariffs on the UK if it does not repeal its 2% Digital Services Tax, which targets revenues of major US tech firms. Trump claims the tax unfairly exploits American companies.
Trump has threatened to impose steep tariffs on the U.K. unless it drops its 2% digital services tax on U.S. tech companies including Google, Meta and Apple. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said the U.K. 'better be careful' and should drop the tax. The tax, introduced in 2020, raised £800 million in 2024-2025. The threat comes ahead of King Charles III's four-day state visit to the U.S. starting Monday.
Brent crude hits highest level since the US and Iran first agreed a ceasefire in early AprilRetail sales rise in Britain after Iran war prompted ‘panic at the pumps’Trump says he will ‘probably put a big tariff on the UK’ if it doesn’t drop digital services taxSarah Breeden’s warning that share prices do not reflect the many risks facing the global economy may have pushed the market down this morning, suggests Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.He explains:The stock market reflects what investors think will happen in the future. While markets have been wobbly since the Middle East conflict unfolded, they didn’t pull back sharply in the early stages of the crisis, and more recently they’ve shown resilience. That suggests investors are confident the war will end quickly, and elevated oil and gas prices will retreat as supply is restored.Oil prices currently trade at $105 per barrel which is higher than the sub-$70 price seen at the start of 2026, but below the $120+ level when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. One could argue current oil prices are high enough to cause pain for businesses and consumers as everything becomes more expensive. There are already signs it is causing problems for companies as they report cautious outlook statements.Companies are considerably more pessimistic about the coming months.The German economy is being hit hard by the Iran crisis. Continue reading...
Bank of England deputy governor Sarah Breeden has warned that global stock markets are overvalued and vulnerable to a correction. Meanwhile, the ongoing Iran conflict continues to disrupt energy supplies, fueling inflation and dampening business confidence across Europe.
Sarah Breeden explains ‘I’m not saying it will happen today, tomorrow, in 12 months’ time’, but system needs to be resilientSarah Breeden’s warning that share prices do not reflect the many risks facing the global economy may have pushed the market down this morning, suggests Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.He explains:“The stock market reflects what investors think will happen in the future. While markets have been wobbly since the Middle East conflict unfolded, they didn’t pull back sharply in the early stages of the crisis, and more recently they’ve shown resilience. That suggests investors are confident the war will end quickly, and elevated oil and gas prices will retreat as supply is restored.“Oil prices currently trade at $105 per barrel which is higher than the sub-$70 price seen at the start of 2026, but below the $120+ level when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. One could argue current oil prices are high enough to cause pain for businesses and consumers as everything becomes more expensive. There are already signs it is causing problems for companies as they report cautious outlook statements.“Companies are considerably more pessimistic about the coming months“The German economy is being hit hard by the Iran crisis.” Continue reading...
