Month: February 2026
AI chatbot firms face stricter regulation in online safety laws protecting children in the UK
Preteen girl at desk solving homework with AI chatbot. Phynart Studio | E+ | Getty Images The UK government is closing a “loophole” in new online safety legislation that will make AI chatbots subject to its requirement to combat illegal material or face fines or even being blocked. After the country’s government staunchly criticized Elon […]
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French prosecutors are investigating companies like Nestle and Danone over contaminated baby formula. Here’s the latest
A crisis over contaminated baby formula has grown with product recall after recall in recent weeks. On Friday, Paris’ public prosecutor said it opened investigations into five companies that make the formula. Parents and investors are on edge. The investigation concerns possibly contaminated infant nutrition products distributed by three of the world’s largest dairy groups, […]
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Pentagon threatens to cut off Anthropic in AI safeguards dispute: Report
Dario Amodei, co-founder and chief executive officer of Anthropic, during a Bloomberg Television interview in San Francisco, California, US, on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images The Pentagon is considering ending its relationship with artificial intelligence company Anthropic over its insistence on keeping some restrictions on how the U.S. military uses […]
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S&P 500 finds itself once again unable to surmount the 7,000 threshold
Another week when “It could’ve been worse” passes for a declaration of victory on Wall Street, as traders navigate mini-crashes rolling through one sector after the next and investors try to draw nourishment from the relative outperformance of a majority of stocks. The S & P 500 was about flat last week and finished at […]
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The AI ‘scare trade’ is tearing through markets. Bernstein picked 8 stocks that can weather the storm
Bernstein has listed eight European “AI risk-proof” names it thinks are structurally resilient to the recent market volatility , and can outperform peers thanks to moats in their business models. The logistics, software, real estate and financials sectors in the U.S. have been hit in recent weeks by “the AI scare trade.” A key catalyst […]
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China’s tech shock threatens the U.S. AI monopoly and is ‘just getting started’
China is focusing on large language models in the artificial intelligence space. Blackdovfx | Istock | Getty Images China’s rapid advancement in AI is threatening to shake up U.S. dominance in the market, with one analyst warning of a tech shock that is just getting started. Rory Green, TS Lombard’s chief China economist and head […]
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European markets edge higher as investors assess Munich Security Conference
European markets opened higher on Monday, as investors digest the key points from this year’s Munich Security Conference. The pan-European Stoxx 600 was up 0.2% at 8:45 a.m. in London (3:45 a.m. ET), with major bourses and most sectors in the region in positive territory. Geopolitics and defense returned to the spotlight as investors focused […]
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Cuba suspends annual cigar festival as U.S. oil blockade deepens energy crisis
A female worker operates a machine during the rolling process at the mechanized cigar factory in Havana on May 8, 2025. Adalberto Roque | Afp | Getty Images An annual cigar festival in Cuba’s capital city of Havana, which had been due to take place over five days in late February, has been suspended until […]
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CNBC Daily Open: Rubio reassures Europe while U.S. CPI calms investors
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio gives a thumbs up as he departs Munich International Airport in Munich, southern Germany, on February 15, 2026, after attending the Munich Security Conference (MSC). Alex Brandon | Afp | Getty Images U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio provided comforting words for Europe on Saturday at the Munich Security […]
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ByteDance says it will add safeguards to Seedance 2.0 following Hollywood backlash
Signage at a ByteDance offices in Beijing, China, on June 30, 2023. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Chinese tech giant ByteDance has said it will strengthen safeguards on a new artificial intelligence video-making tool, following complaints of copyright theft from entertainment giants. The tool, Seedance 2.0, enables users to create realistic videos based on […]
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