Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan make rare joint diplomatic visit to Tehran
Senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan held a historic joint visit to Tehran to meet with Iranian leaders, aiming to prevent renewed military escalation between Iran and the U.S./Israel amid regional tensions.
Federal Judge Blocks DOJ Effort to Segregate 20,000 California Mail Ballots
A federal judge rejected the Justice Department's request to halt processing of California mail ballots, ruling the move would disenfranchise eligible voters and overstep executive authority in state election matters. The DOJ had alleged roughly 20,000 registered voters were non-citizens, but the court found the list deeply flawed and warned intervening would 'wreak havoc' on an already underway election.
US economy accelerates to 3.4% growth in Q3 2026, beating forecasts
The US economy grew at a 3.4% annualized rate in the third quarter of 2026, exceeding economist forecasts of 3.1% and marking acceleration from Q2's 2.8% growth. Strong consumer spending and business investment, particularly in AI-related sectors, were the primary drivers of the expansion.
DoorDash to acquire Instacart in $17 billion cash-and-stock deal
DoorDash announced a definitive agreement to acquire Instacart in a $17 billion transaction, combining the two major on-demand delivery platforms. The merged entity will operate under the DoorDash brand, subject to regulatory approvals and shareholder votes with completion expected in 2026.
DeepSeek secures first external funding at $200B valuation with Tencent and Alibaba investment
Chinese AI startup DeepSeek is closing its first external funding round at a valuation above $20 billion, with Tencent and Alibaba leading investor interest. The round marks a milestone for China's AI sector after DeepSeek's valuation jumped from an initial $10 billion target due to strong market appetite for its open-source models.
Microsoft reduces full-year capex forecast to $170 billion due to GPU supply delays
Microsoft has lowered its full-year capital expenditure forecast to $170 billion from approximately $175 billion, citing GPU supply delays that are slowing AI capacity rollout. While the company expects spending to accelerate in the second half of its fiscal year as delayed capacity becomes available, analysts view the revision as a signal of near-term infrastructure bottlenecks rather than a long-term shift in AI spending intentions. Alphabet maintained its broader $195 billion to $205 billion spending range.
Alaska GOP governor launches criminal probe into Peltola campaign over spoiler candidate allegations
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy launched a criminal investigation into Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola's campaign, examining whether she violated state law by recruiting independent candidate Dan J. Sullivan to siphon votes from Republican Senator Dan Sullivan. The probe followed a report on the recruitment effort and President Donald Trump's call for Peltola's prosecution.
Atlanta Dream forces Game 7 in WNBA Finals with 80-69 victory over Golden State Valkyries
The Atlanta Dream defeated the Golden State Valkyries 80-69 on Thursday to force a decisive Game 7 in the WNBA Finals, marking the first Game 7 in league history. Atlanta built a commanding 20-4 first-quarter lead and never relinquished control, holding a 44-24 halftime advantage en route to advancing the series to San Francisco for Saturday's finale.