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AI News

UK and Canada expand cooperation on digital trade and AI

UK and Canada expand cooperation on digital trade and AI

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Canada and the United Kingdom have created a new partnership to strengthen the economic bond between the two countries by establishing a joint trade working group on the eve of the G7 summit in Alberta. 

The announcement came in a joint statement on Sunday as the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, paid his first official visit as head of government to Canada.

Starmer held talks with Canadian counterpart Mark Carney as part of a series of bilateral discussions to deepen existing partnerships and forge new economic cooperation. The statement said the working group will recommend its suggestions to both PMs within six months.

“We will establish a new structured UK-Canada Economic and Trade Working Group to deepen our existing trading relationship further,” the joint statement by the two prime ministers said.

The move represents a fresh promise by the two countries to recast their trading relationship during changing global economic patterns and supply line disruptions.

UK and Canada expand cooperation on digital trade and AI

The new working group will tackle market access barriers and deepen cooperation in up-and-coming areas. It has identified as priorities digital trade, the building of artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, and strategic alliances in critical minerals.

Canada and the UK consider these sectors central to their future economic resilience. By coordinating efforts, they want to ensure their economies become even more competitive, inclusive, and innovative in a fast-paced world market.

The move also addresses concerns inside Canada about too much reliance on US markets as Canadian industries — including steel, aluminum, and car manufacturing — continue to face tariffs and trade barriers to the US market.

The Conference Board of Canada reports that the UK accounted for just 3.6% of Canada’s exports and 1.2% of its imports in 2024, making it a relatively minor trading partner. However, both governments are keen to explore untapped opportunities beyond the usual commodities trade. While Canada’s exports to the UK are largely dominated by gold and energy, the new plan seeks to broaden and diversify trade between the two nations.

Leaders advance trade pacts and strengthen military cooperation

Canada pledged to introduce legislation later in 2025 to ratify the United Kingdom’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and establish the new trade working group. The CPTPP is a broad trade agreement among 11 nations, including Japan, Australia, Mexico, and Singapore.

The UK became a member of the trade bloc last year on a provisional basis, with benefits granted to it from nine Indo-Pacific markets. However, Canada and Mexico need final ratification to benefit fully from membership.

The move reiterates Canada’s determination to multilateralism and its Indo-Pacific strategy and provides a stronger presence for the UK in the region following Brexit.

In addition to their economic ties, the joint statement highlighted an expansion of defense cooperation between the two countries. Canada and the UK also reinforced the pledge to stand by Ukraine as part of wider G7 cooperation on global security.

As geopolitical tensions mount and global supply chains are strained, governments seem to be coming together on common values and strategic objectives.

The news comes as G7 leaders meet in Alberta this weekend for a three-day summit into global economic resilience, technological innovation, and international security. For Carney, the conference is an opportunity to promote Canada’s role in global trade and the green economy. It is Starmer’s first outing on the world stage since becoming leader, and he is focusing on wanting to reconnect internationally.

This reinvigorated UK-Canada partnership is a timely testament that you can never have enough tried and trusted friends in today’s unsteady global economy.

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Amazon powers AI growth with major clean energy push in Australia

Amazon powers AI growth with major clean energy push in Australia

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Amazon.com Inc. will invest A$20 billion ($13 billion) in Australia between 2025 and 2029 to expand its data center infrastructure, which Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the largest-ever tech investment in the country by a global firm.

The prime Minister welcomed Amazon Web Services’ investment to expand data center infrastructure in Sydney and Melbourne, calling it the largest-ever tech investment in the country by a global provider. He emphasized the project’s role in strengthening Australia’s AI capabilities, creating skilled jobs, and supporting high-performance computing infrastructure.

The funds will boost cloud computing capacity and support Australia’s growing demand for artificial intelligence, Amazon said in a statement. The investment will center around its existing Sydney and Melbourne data centers.

Albanese met with Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garman on Saturday in Seattle ahead of the G-7 summit in Canada, where the deal was highlighted as a milestone in digital cooperation.

Garman highlighted the company’s commitment to helping Australian organizations leverage generative AI. He said the investment will strengthen data infrastructure, increase renewable energy use, and support Australia’s ambition to become a global AI leader.

Industry and Innovation Minister Tim Ayres welcomed the investment in an interview with Sky News Australia, calling it a “very significant” step for the nation’s digital infrastructure.

“It’s in Australia’s interests to lean into the opportunity,” Ayres said. “We must be makers of the technology as well as takers.”

Amazon powers AI growth with major clean energy push in Australia

As part of the expansion, Amazon will also build three new solar farms in Victoria and Queensland to power the growing infrastructure and support its clean energy goals. Amazon will commit to buying a combined capacity of more than 170 megawatts across these farms.

Amazon operates eight solar and wind energy projects across New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria, which help power its Australian data centers and fulfillment facilities. Once all 11 of its planned renewable energy projects are online, they are expected to produce over 1.4 million megawatt-hours of clean energy annually—enough to power approximately 290,000 Australian homes each year.

Between 2020 and 2022, Amazon invested an estimated A$467 million in renewable energy projects in Australia. In 2024, Amazon was Australia’s third-largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy and remains the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy globally. 

As per a study by Accenture, Australian organizations migrating compute-heavy AI workloads to AWS can reduce carbon emissions by up to 94% compared with on-premises data centers. This is because of AWS’s infrastructure hardware, power, cooling, and carbon-free energy procurement efficiencies.

AWS powers Australia’s AI ambitions with expanding cloud footprint

The investment aligns with the Australian government’s goal to boost productivity and economic growth through AI-driven innovation. 

It will equip hundreds of thousands of Amazon Web Services (AWS) customers and partners with advanced cloud and AI tools, enabling large-scale innovation while ensuring compliance with local data residency and regulatory standards. The Department of Industry, Science and Resources estimates that AI and automation could add up to A$600 billion to Australia’s GDP annually by 2030.

AWS’s presence in Australia began in 2012 with the opening of the AWS Asia Pacific (Sydney) Region. This was followed by the opening of the AWS Asia Pacific in 2023, including the country’s first AWS Local Zones in Perth. 

In April 2024, AWS established Amazon Bedrock, AWS’s fully managed generative AI service, in the AWS Asia Pacific (Sydney) Region. Moreover, in July 2024, the Australian Government linked with AWS to provide a “Top Secret” AWS Cloud to deliver cloud innovation in national security and defense and enhance the nation’s defense and intelligence capabilities.

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Google’s Wiz acquisition draws antitrust interest from Justice Department

Google’s Wiz acquisition draws antitrust interest from Justice Department

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Google is planning to acquire cybersecurity company Wiz Inc. for billions of dollars, and according to sources familiar with the matter, Justice Department antitrust enforcers are trying to determine whether the planned acquisition would illegally limit competition in the marketplace. 

Officials in the department’s antitrust division, who are probing the deal, have reportedly been examining the details of the Alphabet Inc. unit’s plan following its announcement in March, said the sources, who asked to be kept anonymous.

Such inquiries include discussions with the merging companies as well as competitors and customers. The review, which is still in its early stages, is expected to last some months and will ultimately determine whether US officials let the deal proceed.

The review is in its early stages and could take months

Full-scale antitrust merger reviews are relatively rare compared to the number of deals announced each year, so the firms have been preparing for scrutiny.

Google has agreed to pay Wiz a breakup fee of about $3.2 billion, or about 10% of the deal value, if it doesn’t close, which is a risk as the iconic company has been facing intense antitrust scrutiny from Washington.

In the past year, federal judges found that it has illegal monopolies in online search and some advertising technology markets.

As such, it is facing a potential breakup of large parts of its business, including its Chrome web browser and some advertising tools used to place display ads around the web.

Google’s planned acquisition of Wiz is one of its largest purchases

Wiz is not Google’s first large cybersecurity purchase. In 2022, it acquired Mandiant for $5.4 billion in an effort to bulk up its cloud computing business, which has historically lagged behind its peers.

Google’s Wiz acquisition draws antitrust interest from Justice Department
Google’s largest acquisitions by dollar value. Source: App Economy Insights

If the deal goes through, it will have set a record as one of the company’s largest purchases, beating its Motorola purchase of $12.5 billion and the Mandiant acquisition of $5.4 billion.

Mandiant and Wiz provide complementary services. However, while Mandiant specializes in threat intelligence and cyber breaches, Wiz’s tools do that and work to identify and block threats across organizations’ often-complex cloud environments.

Wiz is also integrated with competing services from Amazon.com Inc., Oracle Corp. and Microsoft.

While announcing the deal, Google touted the acquisition as a way to beef up its cloud security offerings and provide customers with new ways to keep their systems secure in a new era of AI.

Both companies have said Wiz’s products will continue to work on major cloud platforms, including competing services.

Google’s attempt to acquire Wiz is happening at a time when the cloud security market is booming. The market is already worth over $30 billion today, and that value is expected to triple by 2034.

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Remixpoint remixes management — New 'web 3' focus

Remixpoint remixes management — New ‘web 3’ focus

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Japan’s publicly listed energy solutions firm Remixpoint has announced a crypto pivot for the company, after scooping up roughly 55.6 BTC on June 11. The group follows in the footsteps of Tokyo-based giant Metaplanet, aiming to hold over 1,000 coins as it pivots management structure to focus on “web 3.0.”

Currently Japan’s third-largest publicly held bitcoin treasury, Remixpoint’s stash jumped up a notch Wednesday with an ¥887.3 million (~$6.2 million at current exchange rates) purchase, bringing the firm’s holdings to roughly 981 BTC.

Remixpoint remixes management — New ‘web 3’ focus

The energy and automotive solutions firm officially announced a pivot in management structure with the Bitcoin buy, shuffling executives and bringing in help from fellow Japanese mega-corporation SBI. Remixpoint will now be focusing more strongly on cryptocurrency and “web 3.0” development.

Further, in an official announcement prior to the latest BTC acquisition, the company stated it aims to hold 1,000 Bitcoins in the future, similar to leading Japanese BTC-stacker Metaplanet, whose goal is to hold 210,000 BTC by 2027.

Remixpoint recently announced it aims to hold over 1,000 BTC. Source: Remixpoint.

Bitcoin treasuries catching on

Just below Remixpoint on the publicly held Japanese BTC treasures is fashion retailer ANAP, which also just purchased more BTC on June 12, bringing the firm’s holdings to roughly 153 BTC.

With the popularity of Metaplanet, and “bitcoin” now fully a recognizable word for even the most mainstream members of Japanese society, the archipelago is seeing investors look to stocks associated with BTC as a way to get a leg up, and hedge for the future. As Cryptopolitan has recently reported, Japan is facing economic woes in the form of rapid inflation, rice shortages, insufficient pensions, and overtourism.

Other Japan-listed firms holding bitcoin include SBC Medical Group, Value Creation, AI Fusion Capital Group, and Nexon, which sits just below Metaplanet with a current public stack of 1,717 BTC. Remixpoint began purchasing BTC and digital assets in September 2024. As of June 26, 2025, Representative Director and President of SBI Crypto Asset Holdings Taku Tashiro will become Representative Director and CEO at Remixpoint. As per Remixpoint’s news page and Coinpost, Yoshihiko Takahashi, current CEO and Representative Director, will move to Representative Director and CFO.

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Tech firms opt for Geothermal energy to power their data centers amid rising demand for AI

Tech firms opt for Geothermal energy to power their data centers amid rising demand for AI

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Meta announced that it had signed a deal with XGS Energy for 150 megawatts of advanced geothermal electricity in New Mexico.

The reason behind this is to help fuel Facebook’s parent company’s efforts to expand its artificial intelligence, the company said on Thursday, June 12.

Giant tech companies like Meta are making unprecedented power deals to lock in sizable amounts of electricity for data centers required to build AI, a leading driver of record US power consumption forecast in 2025 and 2026.

Tech firms opt for Geothermal energy to power their data centers amid rising demand for AI 

Geothermal energy, which does not create climate-warming carbon emissions, has become an electricity source among major tech companies. These tech firms have goals aimed at reducing emissions. Unlike traditional geothermal power generation, advanced geothermal power generation is not dependent on natural water sources.

Technology companies with AI and data centers use geothermal energy more frequently because it offers a steady, dependable, low-carbon power source. This is important since data centers that support AI require a lot of electricity.

The project between XGS and Meta will be rolled out in phases and is expected to be up and running by the decade’s end. The geothermal electricity generated will go into the electric grid and help power Meta’s operations in New Mexico. 

In a statement, Urvi Parekh, Global Head of Energy at Meta, highlighted that next-generation geothermal technologies like XGS are ready to expand. According to Parekh, this is essential as it would make geothermal energy an important resource for supporting advancements in AI technology and building data centers at home.

She further stated that they were thrilled to work with XGS to create a new type of energy supply for their activities in New Mexico.

Interestingly, New Mexico, which has a stake in the largest shale oil basin in the world, holds 160,000 megawatts of unused geothermal energy potential. 

Although 150 megawatts is a small part of the many gigawatts that tech companies need for AI, it still accounts for about 4% of all geothermal energy produced in the US.

Google also announced last year that it planned to power its data centers with advanced geothermal energy created by Fervo Energy. 

Google opt for Geothermal energy, a step closer to its goal of running entirely on clean energy 

Like Meta, Google struck a deal with Berkshire Hathaway electric utility NV Energy to provide its Nevada data centers with cutting-edge geothermal energy. As a result, according to reliable sources, Fervo Energy teamed up with NV Energy to provide geothermal energy for Google’s data centers. 

The deal was first sent to state utility regulators for approval. According to a statement from Google, the deal would boost the total of carbon-free geothermal electricity sent into the local power grid for the company’s consumption to 115 megawatts from 3.5 megawatts within roughly six years,

The collaboration took Google closer to its goal of running entirely on clean energy by 2030. The company said it will invest at least $4 billion to construct or expand data centers in Indiana, Missouri, and Virginia.

According to the latest environmental report from Google, the company’s worldwide operations use 64% carbon-free energy from sources like wind and solar. 

Their partnership with NV Energy offered a fresh solution for companies with huge electricity needs and climate goals in regulated power markets. 

In these regulated markets, businesses must buy power from local utilities instead of directly from power producers. This can make it hard for companies that want to use only clean energy. 

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Paypal plans to introduce payment financing (PayFi) for small businesses

Paypal plans to introduce payment financing (PayFi) for small businesses

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Paypal CEO Alex Chriss announced today that PayPal plans to bring PYUSD, PayPal’s Stablecoin, into the Stellar network to provide fast and affordable cross-border payments and reach a large group of developers. According to the company press briefing, they are awaiting approval from the NYDFS.

Paypal plans to upgrade its Stablecoin for real-world payments, commerce, and micro-financing by leveraging the Stellar network speed, low transactional costs, and ease of integration. Stellar has been designed for speed, low-cost payments, and real-world utility. Chris believes the blockchain technology firm will unlock an additional option to the already existing expansion in Ethereum and Solana.

Paypal plans to introduce payment financing (PayFi) for small businesses

Paypal users will benefit from Stellar’s network infrastructure, which spans 170 countries and has multiple on and off ramps, digital wallets, and integration with local fiat currencies and banking systems. According to the company’s press release, this is ideal for PayPal’s goal of reaching a broader group of developers and opening more opportunities. The target audience is the emerging markets where traditional financial systems can be slow, expensive, or inaccessible. 

The partnership will also introduce the Payment Financing model (PayFi), enabling small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that face delayed receivables or prefunding requirements to access real-time working capital in loans directly in PYUSD to their Stellar wallets. Companies can use these funds to settle suppliers, manage inventory, and cover other expenses with the added advantage of instant settlement and transparency. Liquidity providers have been allowed to participate in the financing options and earn returns from real-world activities in addition to speculative trading. 

May Zabaneh, Vice President of PayPal’s Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, and Digital Currency Group, said stablecoins have long been viewed as crypto killer apps because they combine the power of blockchain with the stability of fiat currencies. He believes that working with Stellar will advance the use of this technology and provide benefits for all users in the key area of cross-border payments.

NYDFS delay risks giving PYUSD a bad head start

Danelle Dixon, CEO of Stellar Development Foundation, reiterated that Stellar is the network for fast, low-cost, and trusted global payments at scale. He added that bringing PYUSD to over 170 countries would transform stablecoins into practical financial tools that millions of everyday users and merchants can use. He affirmed that the partnership aims to bring stable digital currency to small businesses and individuals in emerging markets all over the globe. 

Paypal has recently partnered with Gebuana Lhuillier (Philippines) and Yellow Card (Africa) to bypass banking systems, which have access to  3,500 and 25,000 touchpoints, respectively. Analysts believe these partnerships could push PayPal into a remittance choice by cutting fees up to 80% compared to competitors like Western Union and MoneyGram. PYUSD, however, faces challenges such as a crypto reputation for Scams, hacks, and market crashes, which may deter investor confidence. 

The NYDFS approval may delay the process, citing money laundering and consumer protection concerns. Stellar’s decentralized nature lacks the centralized control that banks and regulators prefer. Also, PYUSD holders on the exchange may face price volatility if redemption partners fail to buy back their tokens. 

PYUSD faces competition from Circle’s USDC, backed by Goldman Sachs, which already dominates stablecoin markets with $50 billion in circulation. Analysts say that with the pending approval from NYDFS, PYUSD may face a hard head start in competing with giants like USDC and USDT, which already have a competitive edge in the market. 

Jim Cramer, host of Mad Money on CNBC, said this is a high-risk, high-reward bet. If the NYFDS approves and SMEs flock to PayFi, PayPal stock could soar, but if it stumbles on regulation or adoption, it would render PYUSD a costly disaster.

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Tariff deadline nears as US weighs extensions

Tariff deadline nears as US weighs extensions

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President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he plans to send letters to major US trading partners in the coming weeks. He outlined unilateral tariff rates and offered what he described as a “take it or leave it” trade proposition.

“At a certain point, we’re just going to send letters out,” Trump told reporters at the Kennedy Center. “And I think you understand that, saying this is the deal, you can take it or leave it.”

Tariff deadline nears as US weighs extensions

Trump’s comments arrive just days before a July 9 deadline, when a temporary pause on the president’s steepest tariffs is set to expire. While the pause had initially provided markets with a measure of stability, Trump’s latest remarks injected fresh uncertainty into the outlook for global trade.

Earlier in the day, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told the House Ways and Means Committee that it is “highly likely” the administration will extend the tariff freeze for nations negotiating in “good faith.”

“There are 18 important trading partners — we are working toward deals on those,” Bessent said. “It is highly likely that those countries…will see the date rolled forward.”

In a significant development, the US and China reached a tentative framework for easing trade tensions, including an implementation plan. Trump called the deal “done,” pending formal approval by both him and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The agreement reportedly addresses long-standing concerns over China’s export controls on rare earth minerals and magnets, though sources later clarified China would only relax restrictions for six months.

In a notable concession, Trump also announced the US would continue allowing Chinese students to study at American universities — a contentious point in recent talks.

Tariff policy sparks legal battles

Trump said that the total tariffs on Chinese imports would reach 55%, a figure that reportedly includes existing tariffs rather than any new levies. According to Yahoo Finance’s Ben Werschkul, the number was derived by aggregating the full scope of current duties.

While Trump’s sweeping tariff agenda has faced legal challenges, the administration scored a legal win this week. A federal appeals court overturned a lower court’s ruling that had blocked the tariffs, allowing them to remain in place temporarily. The US Court of International Trade had earlier declared the methods used to enact the tariffs as “unlawful.”

As the July 9 deadline approaches, pressure is mounting on foreign governments and global markets to interpret Trump’s mixed signals. The threat of unilateral action and the uncertain fate of ongoing trade negotiations leaves little clarity on what US policy will look like in the coming weeks.

For now, all eyes are on Washington and the letters Trump has promised to send. Whether they open a new chapter in international trade relations or trigger a wider backlash remains to be seen.

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CFTC chair nominee says more funding needed for crypto oversight

CFTC chair nominee says more funding needed for crypto oversight

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During a Senate nomination hearing on Tuesday, Brian Quintenz, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), stated unequivocally that the agency would need more funding.

This would be necessary if Congress grants the CFTC expanded authority to regulate the cryptocurrency industry.

“It is precedental that new jurisdiction comes with new resources,” Quintenz said in response to multiple senators’ questions. “So to the extent that new authorities come to the agency… I would anticipate that new resources would likely be needed.”

Quintenz, currently head of global policy at Andreessen Horowitz’s crypto division (a16z crypto), previously served as a CFTC commissioner from 2017 to 2021. If confirmed by the Senate, he would return to the CFTC at a moment of heightened interest in digital asset regulation and amid significant personnel turnover at the agency.

Senate backs expanded resources for CFTC

Lawmakers from both parties generally agreed with Quintenz’s assessment. While a few expressed reservations about President Trump’s approach to regulatory agencies, there was broad consensus that the CFTC would require a larger budget and staff to oversee an expanded crypto mandate effectively.

“It is also essential that the CFTC have the institutional capacity, both in staffing and resources, to fulfill its mandate in the face of these emerging challenges,” said Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) before asking for Quintenz’s take on resourcing.

Quintenz responded that undertaking much of that responsibility would be a challenge. He added that the precedent has been to provide new resources alongside new authorities.

The hearing took place as lawmakers continue to craft legislation that could hand the CFTC a central role in regulating crypto spot markets, currently in regulatory limbo between the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and other federal agencies.

Quintenz set to lead alone as CFTC faces leadership exodus

If confirmed, Quintenz may initially be the only commissioner at the CFTC. In recent weeks, all four remaining commissioners have either stepped down or announced their departures. 

Republican Commissioner Summer Mersinger resigned to become CEO of the Blockchain Association, while Acting Chair Caroline Pham has indicated she will exit once Quintenz is confirmed. Democrats Kristin Johnson and Christy Goldsmith Romero departed or scheduled their exits.

This leadership vacuum raises questions about the agency’s near-term capacity to function effectively, let alone take on new responsibilities in the fast-evolving crypto space.

Quintenz, known for his pro-innovation stance during his previous CFTC tenure, has been a vocal advocate for clear regulation in the digital asset space. He has called for clearly defining the responsibilities of federal agencies in the crypto space and offering clear guidance to industry participants.

His return to the CFTC, especially as the commission’s lone commissioner, could influence how the agency thinks about crypto rulemaking if Congress moves ahead with proposals to broaden the agency’s mandate.

Trump’s larger fiscal plan, which includes deep cuts to government spending and essentially an omnibus bill of infrastructure and defense spending, has only complicated negotiations around the budget. While it is unclear if the CFTC will secure the resources it requires, the agency is prepared to step in potentially transformative ways in crypto regulation.

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Switch 2 becomes Nintendo's best UK launch but trails Xbox Series X/S, PS5

Switch 2 becomes Nintendo’s best UK launch but trails Xbox Series X/S, PS5

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Switch 2 has reportedly been Nintendo’s biggest launch in the UK. The console has also outperformed the original Switch by over two to one after launch. Switch 2 has also allegedly outsold the Nintendo 3DS at launch, which was previously the firm’s biggest sale. 

According to data shown by the Game Business, Nintendo’s Switch 2 has reportedly been the firm’s biggest launch in the UK, although it sits behind Microsoft’s Xbox Series X/S and Sony’s PS5 launches. Switch has also outsold the original console at release by over two to one in the country. The console has also outperformed Nintendo 3DS, which previously held the title of Nintendo’s biggest launch. Regarding the UK’s top console launches of all time, Switch 2 remains the fourth-selling console in terms of units, just behind PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. In terms of revenue, the console has become the third best-selling in the UK, outperforming PS4, which retailed at a lower price. 

Nintendo says it will sell over 15 million Switch 2 units

Nintendo predicted 15 million sales for its Switch 2 in May, saying it would achieve this milestone before the end of this financial year. The firm also forecasted 45 million sales for its software. The original Switch console sold over 14.86 million units in the first year after launching, with the company saying the Switch 2 will sell quicker than the original console. 

The gaming company recently admitted that the demand for Switch 2 consoles exceeded expectations. Nintendo also warned of stock shortages ahead of its launch. The firm added that Trump’s tariffs might also impact sales, especially in the U.S. Nintendo revealed that hardware sales for the original Switch were down 31.2 percent year-on-year. The firm also said the sales for Switch hardware had plunged 22.2 percent year-on-year.

According to Nintendo, the lifetime sales for the original Switch were 152.12 million, just behind the Nintendo DS at 154.02 million units. The number of Switch users has also decreased from 129 million to about 128 million, which the firm confirmed was still high. 

The gaming firm revealed that Super Mario Party Jamboree has performed well, hitting 7.48 million units. The company said that Super Mario Party Jamboree was the fastest-selling title in the series on the original Switch console. Nintendo also said Super Mario Party lifetime sales reached 20.1 million units, revealing that the game will also be available on Switch 2.

The gaming firm said Mario Kart 8 Deluxe sold a further 6.2 million units in the last financial year. The company also revealed that the lifetime sales for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe were at 68.2 million units, with Mario Kart World launching on Switch 2. Nintendo stated that digital sales have increased by 3.3% year-on-year, and about 62.9% of software sales were digital in the last quarter. 

Switch 2 sells faster than its predecessors

The Switch 2 console also reportedly sold over 200,000 units in France over the weekend, doubling PS5’s previous record of the fastest-selling console. Mario Kart World attach rate- the number of new console owners with the game- was allegedly over 95 percent after the launch of Switch 2. The console reportedly generated over $130 million in sales in just four days after launch. 

Nintendo reportedly shipped over 3 million units of the newly launched Switch 2 in 24 hours; no console has ever achieved this milestone in sales in 24 hours. According to the firm, PS4 held the previous record after selling over 1 million units worldwide in just 24 hours.  The news came following criticism that the console was selling at a high price, with its games and accessories bearing high price tags worldwide. According to Nintendo, Switch 1 sold over 80,000 units at launch, while Nintendo 3DS managed to sell over 113,000 units. 

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Apple redesigns the new iOS 26 with a Liquid Glass

Apple redesigns the new iOS 26 with a Liquid Glass

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Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) began with a keynote speech from CEO Tim Cook at 1 p.m. ET. Cook has unveiled several new features, including Apple Intelligence and a new Liquid Glass-centered unified design refresh of iOS 26. Apple Intelligence is the AI feature offered on the iPhone, iPad, and other devices.

The tech giant has unveiled iOS 26, which features liquid glass and see-through visuals of a glassy surface. The upcoming iPhone releases will expand the glass concept, with curved sides around the entire phone, even at the edges. Apple’s iOS updates will be numbered based on the year in the upcoming updates, just like car makers do with new car releases.

Apple redesigns the new iOS 26 with a Liquid Glass 

Multiple elements of iOS 26 have received updates from the previous iOS 18. The time on the user lock screen can stretch to fill more of the screen, and the camera app has a sleeker layout. Edge to edge and the tab bar floats over your content in the Safari webpages.

Apple’s intelligent AI features have received tools that improve writing, such as Genmoji for custom emoji and integration with ChatGPT. Significant updates on their Siri-like ability to take action based on what it could see on your phone have also been unveiled. Siri has been enhanced to understand your needs and preferences. Apple iOS 26 has been enhanced with a live translation mechanism powered by Apple intelligence to give users real-time translation in conversations.

The new design has improved the Phone app, including a screening feature that can answer calls on your behalf and handle calls when you are on hold. The Message app has received customized backgrounds; users can add their own images or photos generated by Image Playground.

Apple Music has received lyrics translation and pronunciation. AutoMix can transition songs from one to another like a DJ, and users can pin their favorite artists and playlists to the top of the app. The tech giant has also introduced a game-centered app where users can access the App Store games downloaded and played in the Apple Arcade.  

iOS 26 will use Visual Intelligence to learn about what’s on your phone screen. Users can take a screenshot of an event and add it to their calendar using Visual Intelligence. Apple Maps will learn and offer preferred routes if there are delays on that route. Apple Wallet will be able to create a digital ID for users, refresh boarding passes, and allow users to access indoor maps of the airport.

iOS 26 comes with improvements to tvOS 26, macOS 26, iPadOS 26, and WatchOS 26 

The tech giant unveiled watchOS 26 along with macOS 26, iPadOS 26, and TVOS 26 at WWDC 2025. Like iOS 26, watchOS 26 has been updated with Liquid Glass, Apple’s new transparent design language. It has been integrated with the AI-powered Workout Buddy feature, which gives users pep talks during exercises. The transparent aesthetic will apply to widgets, notifications, the Control Center, and in-app controls. 

WatchOS has been enhanced with a notification management system. A flick of the wrist dismisses notifications or incoming calls. The OS can track ambient noise and adjust the volume of notifications and incoming calls to match. The Workout Buddy feature uses fitness data to update users on personalized insights and advice.

The tvOS 26 features a Liquid Glass aesthetic and the ability for users to quickly enter their user profile. The tvOS will present a profile option each time it wakes from sleep, making it easy for users to resume watching their selected shows. The tvOS 26 has received a new API for developers that links app logins to an Apple Account, simplifying users’ sign-in process when setting up a new device.

Further releases have been made across iPadOS 26 and macOS 26, focusing on the Liquid Glass design for the rest of their updates. Tim Cook says this is their all-time major release since the previous iOS 18.

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