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[ad_1] Google expanded its return-to-office mandate and offered voluntary buyouts for some US-based employees on Tuesday, according to an internal memo viewed by Business Insider.Employees on Google’s Core, Marketing, Research, Knowledge & Information (K&I), and Communications teams all received the buyout offers. K&I includes teams working on Search, ads and commerce.The return-to-office requirement expands the company’s 2022 RTO mandate, which asked some US-based teams to come into the office 3 days a week, while still offering “work from anywhere” weeks.The company will now require all remote employees on affected teams who live within 50 miles of an office to return…

[ad_1] Hong Kong CNN  —  The United States and China have agreed on a framework to implement their trade truce, officials on both sides said Wednesday, after concluding two days of talks in London to defuse tensions and ease export restrictions that threaten to disrupt global manufacturing. American and Chinese negotiators agreed “in principle” to a framework on how to implement the consensus reached by the previous round of talks in Geneva last month and a phone call between the two countries’ leaders last week, China’s trade negotiator Li Chenggang told reporters in London, according to Chinese state broadcaster CGTN.…

[ad_1] Stay informed with free updatesSimply sign up to the US financial regulation myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox.The US and Switzerland have ended a years-long stalemate over sharing information about client investments, a step that will allow Washington greater visibility into assets held in the European banking hub. The agreement comes amid regulatory examinations of at least eight Swiss companies that do business through a US-regulated entity, said three people with knowledge of the matter. The US Securities and Exchange Commission’s examinations, which included smaller managers as well as larger investment group Vontobel, involved some on-site inspections…

[ad_1] It looks like Tesla robotaxi season is upon us.Elon Musk has responded to a widely shared video of a Tesla driving around emblazoned with “Robotaxi” in a font style similar to the Cybertruck’s branding.”Beautifully simple design,” the Tesla CEO said when re-sharing the video, which shows a refreshed Model Y — seemingly with no one in the driver’s seat — making a left-hand turn.”These are unmodified Tesla cars coming straight from the factory, meaning that every Tesla coming out of our factories is capable of unsupervised self-driving,” Musk said in another response.Tesla’s VP of Autopilot and AI, Ashok Elluswamy,…

[ad_1] Vast Data, which offers an AI-friendly data storage platform, is in the market to raise a new round at a giant leap in valuation. Earlier this year, the 9-year-old company was seeking a valuation of around $25 billion, according to a person familiar with the deal. Should it achieve that, it would be a massive jump from its $9 billion Series E valuation secured in December 2023. The deal was not finalized, and terms — including its valuation — could change, this person said, adding that the requested valuation was high at the time, despite impressive growth. Many VCs…

[ad_1] If you’ve upgraded to a newer iPhone model recently, you’ve probably noticed that Apple Intelligence is showing up in some of your most-used apps, like Messages, Mail, and Notes. Apple Intelligence (yes, also abbreviated to AI) showed up in Apple’s ecosystem in October 2024, and it’s here to stay as Apple competes with Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, and others to build the best AI tools. What is Apple Intelligence? Image Credits:Apple Cupertino marketing executives have branded Apple Intelligence: “AI for the rest of us.” The platform is designed to leverage the things that generative AI already does well, like text…

[ad_1] Reuters  —  Australia’s Qantas QAN.AX said on Wednesday it will close Jetstar Asia, the group’s Singapore-based budget airline, as it reels with rising supplier costs, higher airport fees and intensifying competition among low-cost carriers. The move will free A$500 million ($326.40 million) in capital for the flag carrier to invest in its fleet renewal plans. Qantas said that 13 Jetstar Asia Airbus A320 aircraft will be progressively redirected to Australia and New Zealand. Jetstar Asia continues to be negatively affected by rising supplier costs, high fees at airports and rising competition in the region, fundamentally challenging its ability to…

[ad_1] CNN  —  President Donald Trump’s heftiest tariffs cleared a court hurdle for now, after a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that they could take effect while legal challenges play out. But the appeals court put the tariff cases on a fast track for a resolution this summer. The decision came after the Trump administration appealed the Court of International Trade’s ruling finding the president exceeded his authority to impose country-wide tariffs claiming a national emergency. “Both sides have made substantial arguments on the merits. Having considered the traditional stay factors… the court concludes a stay is warranted under the…

[ad_1] Hulk Hogan’s beer brand is making a bigger bid to save Hooters of America and get the chain growing again.Real American Beer is spearheading a bid for the entire Hooters of America business, including the chain’s restaurants, Business Insider has learned. The chain filed for bankruptcy in March.The beer brand, founded in 2024 by wrestling legend Hulk Hogan, expressed interest last month in Hooters’ brand name, BI reported.Since then, Real American has assembled a team with broader experience, including running restaurant chains, CEO Terri Francis told BI.”Hulk Hogan and Real American Beer are fully committed to protecting and revitalizing…

[ad_1] Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for freeYour guide to what Trump’s second term means for Washington, business and the worldUS oil production will fall next year for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a government forecast that will cast new doubt on Donald Trump’s “energy dominance” agenda.The Energy Information Administration, a division of the energy department, on Tuesday said US oil production would drop from a record high of 13.5mn barrels a day now to about 13.3mn barrels by the end of next year, as slumping oil prices rattle the sector.“With fewer active drilling rigs,…