News 23 January 2026

Coles at one-year high ahead of ACCC review, low volume keeps bid hidden
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Coles at one-year high ahead of ACCC review, low volume keeps bid hidden

Coles shares closed at A$24.41 Friday, a 52-week high, up 1.5% on light volume of 2.10 million, below the 3.08 million average. The ACCC will begin monitoring supermarket prices at Coles and Woolworths from July 1 under new excessive-pricing rules. Coles’ price-earnings ratio stands at 32.28, with a 2.99% dividend yield. The company’s FY26 investor day is set for August 25.
June 27, 2026
Lenovo wants more AI model partners than Apple as it rolls out Qira, CFO says
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Lenovo wants more AI model partners than Apple as it rolls out Qira, CFO says

Lenovo CFO Winston Cheng said at Davos the company is seeking partnerships with multiple large language model providers to power its devices and will pass higher memory chip costs to customers. Lenovo’s January deal with Nvidia targets faster rollout of liquid-cooled AI data center systems. Cheng named potential AI partners in Saudi Arabia, Europe, and China. He warned of an AI bubble in market valuations.
January 23, 2026
Ofcom probes Meta over WhatsApp Business data — why the UK is digging in now
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Ofcom probes Meta over WhatsApp Business data — why the UK is digging in now

Britain’s Ofcom has opened an investigation into Meta over possibly incomplete or inaccurate data provided about WhatsApp Business in response to statutory information requests. The regulator said the requests, issued in 2024 and 2025, are critical for its review of the business messaging market. Meta said it will cooperate fully. Ofcom has not specified what information may be missing or when the probe will conclude.
January 23, 2026
Trump administration pushes out Liz Cannon, Commerce official behind Chinese car curb, sources say
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Trump administration pushes out Liz Cannon, Commerce official behind Chinese car curb, sources say

Elizabeth “Liz” Cannon, head of the Commerce Department’s ICTS unit, will leave her post on Feb. 20 after being ousted by the Trump administration, according to sources. Cannon’s team helped finalize rules barring nearly all Chinese passenger cars from the U.S. Her departure follows Commerce’s decision to drop plans restricting Chinese-made drones. The administration plans to replace her with a political appointee.
January 23, 2026
Malaysia lifts Grok ban after X adds safety fixes for Musk’s AI chatbot
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Malaysia lifts Grok ban after X adds safety fixes for Musk’s AI chatbot

Malaysia lifted its ban on xAI’s Grok chatbot after X added new safety and security measures, the communications regulator said Friday. The move follows reports Grok generated about 3 million sexualised images in 11 days, including images likely depicting children, after an image-editing feature launched. Authorities said they will keep monitoring compliance and may review licensing thresholds for online platforms.
January 23, 2026
UK’s £1bn AI data centre thrown into doubt after ministers concede ‘serious error’
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UK’s £1bn AI data centre thrown into doubt after ministers concede ‘serious error’

The UK High Court has allowed a legal challenge to proceed against government approval of a £1 billion, 90-megawatt data centre in Buckinghamshire. Officials admitted the project’s climate safeguards were not secured, agreeing the planning consent should be quashed. The case will move to a full hearing later this year. Developer Greystoke Land maintains the approval was valid.
January 23, 2026
Sberbank jumps into Russia’s chip race with Element stake — and Rostec won’t sell
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Sberbank jumps into Russia’s chip race with Element stake — and Rostec won’t sell

Sberbank bought a 41.9% stake in microelectronics maker Element for 27 billion roubles ($355.7 million), surpassing Rostec’s 41.6% holding. The deal sets up a control struggle between the state-owned bank and the defense conglomerate. Sberbank acquired the shares from Sistema and other minority holders and plans a buyout offer. All three firms face Western sanctions over the Ukraine war.
January 23, 2026
Intel stock sinks on weak Q1 forecast as AI server chip supply crunch bites
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Intel stock sinks on weak Q1 forecast as AI server chip supply crunch bites

Intel forecast first-quarter revenue of $11.7 billion to $12.7 billion, missing Wall Street estimates and citing supply constraints for server CPUs amid surging AI data center demand. Shares dropped sharply in after-hours trading. Executives said factory capacity could not quickly shift to meet data center needs. Intel’s adjusted earnings per share are projected to be near break-even.
January 23, 2026
Amazon braces for another round of layoffs as thousands more corporate jobs face cuts next week
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Amazon braces for another round of layoffs as thousands more corporate jobs face cuts next week

Amazon plans to cut about 30,000 corporate jobs, with layoffs expected to begin Tuesday, Jan. 27, sources say. The cuts will likely affect AWS, retail, Prime Video, and HR. A previous round in October eliminated 14,000 roles; the 90-day paid window for those workers ends Jan. 26. Amazon has not confirmed the plan and details could change.
January 23, 2026
Heathrow finally scraps the 100ml liquid rule as £1bn scanners let laptops stay in bags
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Heathrow finally scraps the 100ml liquid rule as £1bn scanners let laptops stay in bags

Heathrow has installed new CT scanners in all security lanes, letting passengers keep liquids and large electronics in their carry-on bags. The £1 billion upgrade removes the 100ml liquid limit for Heathrow departures, but UK guidance warns that rules still vary at other airports. Travelers may face different restrictions on return or connecting flights.
January 23, 2026
TikTok avoids U.S. ban with Oracle-led joint venture deal — here’s who owns what now
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TikTok avoids U.S. ban with Oracle-led joint venture deal — here’s who owns what now

ByteDance said Friday it will shift TikTok’s U.S. operations to a new joint venture, with Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX each taking 15% stakes and ByteDance retaining 19.9%. The venture will control U.S. user data on Oracle’s cloud and oversee TikTok’s algorithm security. Adam Presser was named CEO. Both U.S. and Chinese officials approved the deal.
January 23, 2026
Google Pixel “Take a Message” bug may leak your background audio — Google investigates
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Google Pixel “Take a Message” bug may leak your background audio — Google investigates

Google is investigating reports that its Pixel “Take a Message” feature may transmit users’ background audio to callers after missed calls. Some Reddit users say they heard room noise instead of a voicemail greeting on certain Pixel models. Google confirmed the feature is available on Pixel 4 and newer in the US, UK, Ireland, and Australia. The company says it is actively investigating the issue.
January 23, 2026
AI apps just beat mobile games on spending in 2025 — a first for the app economy
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AI apps just beat mobile games on spending in 2025 — a first for the app economy

Consumer spending on non-game mobile apps surpassed games for the first time in 2025, reaching $167 billion globally, Sensor Tower reported. Generative AI apps accounted for over $5 billion in in-app revenue, with downloads doubling to 3.8 billion. ChatGPT led AI app revenue at $3.4 billion. Total mobile app downloads neared 150 billion last year.
January 23, 2026
Apple shifts iPhone screen orders to Samsung as BOE production trouble drags on

Apple shifts iPhone screen orders to Samsung as BOE production trouble drags on

Apple shifted millions of iPhone OLED panel orders from BOE to Samsung Display after BOE faced production issues, South Korea’s The Elec reported Friday. BOE halted OLED panel production for select iPhone models in late 2025 due to defects, prompting Samsung to take over the volume. Apple is also reportedly raising display standards for the iPhone 18, which could further limit BOE’s role.
January 23, 2026
Apple’s AI pin: Report says AirTag-sized wearable could arrive in 2027 as Siri turns into a chatbot
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Apple’s AI pin: Report says AirTag-sized wearable could arrive in 2027 as Siri turns into a chatbot

Apple is developing an AI-powered wearable pin, similar in size to an AirTag, with a possible launch in 2027, The Information reported. The project remains in early stages and could be canceled. The report comes as Apple works on a major Siri upgrade using Google’s Gemini AI models. Apple has not commented on the device or the Siri update.
January 23, 2026
Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold hits U.S. Samsung stores for demos — but you still can’t buy it yet
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Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold hits U.S. Samsung stores for demos — but you still can’t buy it yet

Samsung began showcasing its Galaxy Z TriFold phone at seven U.S. stores on Jan. 23, ahead of a wider release set for Q1 2026. The tri-folding device opens to a 10-inch display and will launch in Korea at 3.59 million won ($2,440) on Dec. 12, 2025. U.S. pricing and sale date remain unannounced. The in-store demo is hands-on only, with no sales yet.
January 23, 2026
Google AI Mode in Search taps Gmail and Photos for answers — what users are opting into
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Google AI Mode in Search taps Gmail and Photos for answers — what users are opting into

Google has launched a “Personal Intelligence” feature in Search, letting AI Mode access Gmail and Google Photos for personalized results. The rollout is limited to U.S. Google AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers using Search Labs in English. Google says full inboxes and photo libraries aren’t used for AI training but warns of possible errors and higher data use. Workspace and education accounts are excluded.
January 23, 2026
MakeUseOf Shows How to Turn Your Phone Into a Universal TV Remote With Zero Extra Hardware
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MakeUseOf Shows How to Turn Your Phone Into a Universal TV Remote With Zero Extra Hardware

A MakeUseOf guide released Thursday details how smartphones can control TVs using Wi‑Fi or built-in infrared, without extra hardware. Apple, Roku, and Amazon offer official phone remote apps, but users report ongoing compatibility issues and frequent ads in third-party options. Universal TV Remote App‑IR requires an IR blaster for some functions. Verizon notes both devices must share a network for Wi‑Fi control.
January 23, 2026
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