Microsoft boosts AI investment outlook
Microsoft has raised its AI infrastructure spending forecast, citing strong Azure growth and increased adoption of its AI products.
Tuesday, September 1, 2026
News in Brief
Short updates, all on one page — read straight down like a newspaper.
German automakers shift focus to AI in response to market challenges
Global automakers, including German giants Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz, are adjusting their strategies to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) as they face slower growth, increased competition from Chinese manufacturers, and ongoing investments in electric vehicles.
Sources
Qualcomm forecasts weaker earnings due to Apple decline
Chipmaker Qualcomm expects weaker fourth-quarter earnings and warns of faster-than-expected revenue drop from Apple products, but plans to focus on AI data center and automotive growth by 2027.
Sources
Meta forecasts increased AI spending despite strong revenue growth
Meta Platforms reported robust second-quarter revenue growth, but warned of higher costs associated with its artificial intelligence expansion.
Sources
Arm’s Data Center Chip Sales Boost First Quarter Results
Arm Holdings reported stronger-than-expected first-quarter results, with licensing and royalty revenue from AI and data center chips outperforming smartphone sales.
Sources
AMD’s Helios advances in AI infrastructure race
The competition between AMD and Nvidia for dominance in AI infrastructure is intensifying, with AMD focusing on software improvements to gain market share despite challenges related to stability and production timelines.
Sources
Chinese robot vacuum makers lead innovation race
Service robots, particularly vacuum cleaners, are entering a competitive phase as companies innovate faster than smartphone manufacturers.
Sources
Greatek expands AI-driven semiconductor supply
Greatek is planning to acquire a packaging plant in the Philippines, indicating sustained demand for AI-driven semiconductors and expanding its global supply chain.
Sources
MLCC prices to rise due to AI demand
Japan and South Korea's MLCC suppliers are increasing prices, indicating tighter supply conditions driven by artificial intelligence-related demand.
Sources
Taiwanese firm Ken Sean Industries aims to build non-China automotive supply chain
Taiwan's Ken Sean Industries is partnering with Taiwanese electronics companies and Japanese automakers to create a non-China automotive supply chain as the industry shifts towards smart-vehicle technologies.
Sources
Samsung forecasts 8% growth in Taiwan smartphone market despite component costs
Samsung Electronics Taiwan expects the overall market value of smartphones to grow by more than 8% in 2026, despite rising memory and other key components costs.
Sources
Punjab intensifies anti-dengue surveillance during monsoon
The district administration has stepped up anti-dengue surveillance efforts in response to the monsoon season, which is favorable for the disease's breeding.
Sources
Fleming expected to be England Test coach
Former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming is expected to be appointed as England Test coach following the sacking of Brendon McCullum.
it's all rumours
Manchester Super Giants coach
Sources
Taiwan accelerates winter energy planning amid Middle East conflict
Taiwan has accelerated its winter oil and gas planning after the Middle East conflict expanded into the Red Sea, with domestic supply remaining stable and consumer impact limited.
Sources
Tree planting campaign launched in Multan
A large-scale tree plantation campaign has been initiated in Multan to combat environmental pollution and reduce rising temperatures.
China mandates data centers to integrate renewable energy
China's National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration have included new data centers in their 15th Five-Year Plan for Renewable Energy, requiring them to be planned alongside renewable power projects by 2030.
Qualcomm expands Snapdragon partnership with Samsung
Qualcomm is expanding its Snapdragon platform across Samsung's Galaxy devices, including foldable smartphones, smartwatches and next-generation smart glasses.
Trumpf reports stabilizing sales, hinting at industrial demand recovery
German laser and smart manufacturing equipment maker Trumpf has reported preliminary fiscal 2025/26 results showing stabilization in its business after years of declining orders and revenue.
Korean Tech Giants Join Forces with NVIDIA at AI Summit
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and leading business figures from Samsung, SK, and Hyundai met with NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang in San Francisco this week to discuss global AI infrastructure development.
Paramount Agrees to Postpone Warner Bros. Merger
Paramount Skydance has agreed to postpone the Warner Bros. Discovery merger until after an antitrust trial, as per a joint stipulation filed in federal court on Friday.
Wildfire incidents up by 57% in Europe over four years
The World Health Organization has warned of a significant increase in wildfires across Europe, with incidents rising by 57% in just four years.
Prime Video to Premiere Docuseries on Spain’s World Cup Victory
Prime Video will exclusively premiere a new docuseries about the Spanish National Team's triumph at this year's FIFA World Cup, which saw them defeat Argentina in New Jersey.
Street vendor earns livelihood selling dolls
A street vendor is earning his livelihood by selling dolls on a roadside in the city, as captured in an Associated Press Of Pakistan photo.
PM Shehbaz inaugurates Pakistan’s largest data center
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated the Sky47 Karakoram-01 data centre in Islamabad, described as Pakistan’s biggest data centre.
Google raises capital expenditure forecast for AI infrastructure
Alphabet, Google's parent company, has increased its capital expenditure forecast to between US$195-205 billion, signaling continued strong demand for AI compute resources.
National inter-departmental netball championship starts August 1
The National Inter-Departmental Netball Championship, organized by the Pakistan Netball Federation, will commence on August 1 at PSB Coaching Centre.
Huawei backs tau Law for chip development
Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei has endorsed the company's τ (tau) Law as its sole path for advancing semiconductor development, highlighting six years of investment in this approach.
Ren said the initiative aims to establish a sustainable path for chip evolution amid restrictions on access to leading-edge manufacturing technologies.
Ren Zhengfei, Huawei founder
SK Hynix to Recruit US Engineers for 3D Stacked DRAM
SK Hynix is recruiting engineers in San Jose to co-design 3D stacked DRAM-on-logic with US customers, expanding its custom memory strategy into on-device AI applications.
Google fined EUR890M by EU over anti-competitive practices
Google has been fined EUR890 million under the EU's Digital Markets Act for anti-competitive practices in its Google Search tool.
Nvidia CEO opposes US ban on Chinese AI models
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has expressed strong opposition to potential sanctions that would restrict US companies from using Chinese open-source AI models.
US companies should remain free to use Chinese open-source AI models.
Jensen Huang, Nvidia CEO