WORLD
Scarlett Johansson hired lawyers to push back on ‘Eerily Similar’ OpenAI voice
In a statement on Monday, the actress said she received an offer from OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman in September about voicing an audio feature for the company’s popular ChatGPT chatbot.
TECHNOLOGY
OpenAI pulls Scarlett Johansson soundalike voice from ChatGPT
The voices are also part of OpenAI’s updated GPT-4o, which debuted earlier this month and can reply to verbal questions from users with an audio response
COMPANIES-2
Chaos reigns inside Tesla as workers await next slew of job cuts
Elon Musk says Tesla still plans to grow the network, albeit at a slower pace. He rehired de Zegher, but hasn’t said how many others will be asked to return
INDIA
India shaping up as ‘big win’ for Australian trade, Don Farrell says
Canberra is currently negotiating a free trade agreement with India but the deal faces difficulties over agricultural products.
BUSINESS
India’s bond index entry not enough to lift rating, Moody’s says
Moody’s rates India at its lowest investment grade ‘Baa3’ with a stable outlook.
WORLD
China’s capital outflow surges to highest since 2016 in April
The collapse in China’s foreign direct investment inflows may be more a reflection of comparatively higher interest rates in the US than of foreign firms losing interest in China
BUSINESS
One of the last big bears on Wall Street turns bullish on US stocks
The Morgan Stanley strategist recommends a barbell approach of quality cyclicals stocks and quality growth and maintains a long exposure to certain defensive areas such as consumer staples and utilities
WORLD
Iran President Ebrahim Raisi dead in helicopter crash
Rescuers on Monday found the helicopter that had been carrying the president and other officials including Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, who also died, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported. It crashed on Sunday near Tavil village in northwest Iran.
WORLD
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman postpones Japan trip over king’s health
The trip set to start Monday was to have been the crown prince’s first visit to Japan since 2019. Hayashi said at a regular news briefing in Tokyo the two nations would reschedule the visit, without indicating when.
WORLD
Chinese banks keep lending rate unchanged after PBOC hold
The one-year loan prime rate was held at 3.45% on Monday as expected by economists surveyed by Bloomberg. The five-year rate, a reference for mortgages, was kept at 3.95%, according to the People’s Bank of China, in line with forecasts.
BUSINESS
Copper surges to record as investors bet on looming shortage
Copper futures on the London Metal Exchange jumped as much as 1.7% to $10,848 a ton, exceeding the previous record set in March 2022.
WORLD
Slowing inflation primes G-7 central banks for June
Days after US data revealed cooler-than-expected consumer-price growth, the UK, Canada and Japan will all publish numbers for April that are likely to go in the same direction. A euro-zone wage report, meanwhile, will also offer key evidence sought by policymakers.
TECHNOLOGY
Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel shifts focus to AI after reviving Ad business
“There was a recognition that we’d fallen behind the curve on the machine learning side, which, to some degree, was reflected in the business performance,” Spiegel said
BUSINESS
From Tokyo to New York, stock markets are on a record-hitting spree around the world
Looming interest rate cuts, healthy economies and corporate earnings are driving the activity.
BUSINESS
US firm becomes world's most valuable solar firm after Chinese rivals slip
First Solar Inc. becomes the world's most valuable solar manufacturer, surpassing Sungrow Power Supply Co. and ending China's dominance since 2018.
BUSINESS
A heavy monsoon season is great news for these Indian stocks
Motorcycle manufacturers, farm-equipment makers and producers of fast-moving consumer goods have rallied following forecasts of timely and above-normal monsoon rains in 2024
BUSINESS
China attempts to end property crisis with broad rescue package
The support package also includes lower down-payment requirements for homebuyers and 300 billion ($42 billion) of central bank funding to help government-backed firms buy excess inventory from developers
BUSINESS
India’s biggest junk bond faces creditor demands as delay sought
Some holders of the 143 billion rupee ($1.7 billion) note issued last year by Goswami Infratech Pvt are planning to ask the company for sweeteners in exchange for potentially accepting a company proposal to delay a payment, people familiar with the matter said.
WORLD
AI search startup adds veterans of Google, Bing as advisers
The new advisors will include former Uber Technologies Inc. executive Emil Michael, Android co-founder and Google advisor Rich Miner, and Mikhail Parakhin, the former head of Microsoft Corp.’s Bing Search, the company said.
WORLD
China unveils sweeping measures to rescue property market
The People’s Bank of China effectively scrapped the nationwide minimum mortgage interest rate, while cutting the minimum down-payment ratio for first time buyers to 15% and 25% for second homes, according to a statement on Friday. The previous ratios stood at 20% and 30% respectively.
BUSINESS
China cuts mortgage rates and down payments to bolster slumping property market
The People’s Bank of China lowered minimum down-payment ratio for first time buyers to 15% and cut it to 25% for second homes, according to a statement on Friday.
BUSINESS
GM, LG agree on $150 million relief fund for Chevy Bolt EV owners over faulty batteries
GM launched the Chevrolet Bolt EV in 2015, using batteries made by LG as part of a strategic partnership between the two companies.
BUSINESS
Top climate investor in India seeks to raise a $1 billion fund
“Water, food, agri-value chain and recycling will be the key themes the new fund will invest in,” Dhanpal Jhaveri, Eversource’s CEO said in an interview at his Mumbai office, without sharing a time line for the latest round of fund raising.
WORLD
Chinese EV giants hammered by Joe Biden tariff are welcome in Brazil
BYD Co. and Great Wall Motor Co. already dominate EV sales in the world’s sixth-largest auto market. Now the two Chinese giants are debuilding factories there too — which will help them sell cars free of tariffs across Latin America, just as President Joe Biden pledges 100% charges in the US.
