Global Economy · Sunday, November 1, 2026 · 11 sources

OpenAI cuts fundraising target to €17.4 billion as AI investors sour on AI trade

OpenAI is now seeking up to €17.4 billion ($20 billion) in its latest funding round, down from €26.1 billion ($30 billion), according to CNBC and the Financial Times. The Wall Street Journal reported that OpenAI has secured about €9.6 billion ($11 billion) so far and that some large investors responded tepidly; the round remains open. The reports link the smaller target to investor unease over AI spending and a recent sell-off in technology stocks.

Bottom line — OpenAI has about €9.6 billion ($11 billion) secured against its €17.4 billion ($20 billion) target, and the round has not closed.

Go deeper 5

The Financial Times reported that the round implies a post-money valuation of €1.09 trillion ($1.25 trillion), below the earlier €1.22 trillion ($1.4 trillion) figure.
CNBC reported that investors from the United Arab Emirates are leading the round alongside Coatue.
The Financial Times reported that some investors reduced their allocations before a Friday commitment deadline, with the first close expected to fall short of the target.
TechCrunch linked the fundraising slowdown partly to Wall Street’s growing caution about heavy AI infrastructure spending.
Fortune reported that rival Anthropic’s planned IPO is adding competition for investors’ attention.

Read the reporting 11

DEV Community dev.to OpenAI cuts its funding target to $20 billion, FT reports TechCrunch techcrunch.com OpenAI reportedly lowers funding target for new round | TechCrunch CNBC cnbc.com OpenAI pares fundraising goal, now seeking up to $20 billion in latest round Investor's Business Daily investors.com OpenAI Cuts Funding Target As Investors Lose AI Appetite Fortune fortune.com AI boom hits a wall on Wall Street as OpenAI cuts fundraising target while Meta gets a credit warning over its cash flow, spending and monetization | Fortune TNW | Openai thenextweb.com OpenAI funding round raises $11bn, target cut to $20bn mint livemint.com OpenAI's $30 billion funding ambition shrinks to $20 billion: What's worrying investors? | Mint COMPUTE FORECAST computeforecast.com OpenAI Cerebras $20 Billion Chip Deal Doubles Earlier Commitment Crypto Briefing cryptobriefing.com OpenAI valued at $1.25 trillion as funding round falls short of its target Techbuzz techbuzz.ai OpenAI hits $20B ARR, commits $1.4T for AI infrastructure AIbase aibase.com OpenAI Increases Infrastructure Budget to $750 Billion, First $20 Billion Invested in Georgia Data Center

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Cyber Security · Sun, Nov 1

Alpine Linux rebuilds GitLab after eight crashes in attempted RCE attack

Alpine Linux rebuilt its GitLab server and reset passwords after an attacker targeted CVE-2026-97229, a critical flaw in Ruby’s regular-expression engine, on 20 and 21 October. Alpine found no evidence of successful code execution or tampering with packages and releases, but missing logs meant it could not rule out a compromise.

Bottom line — Alpine verified packages built from 20–24 October and says signing keys were not stored on the affected server.

Sources BleepingComputer www.alpinelinux.org thehackernews.com +6 more

Cyber Security · Sun, Nov 1

Android’s ‘SMS of Death’ can crash phones with no user interaction

Security researcher Mark Blaszczyk found that a malformed text message can crash Android’s cellular process, disrupting service and disconnecting calls, including emergency calls. BleepingComputer says Google patched the flaw in October 2026 updates for Android 14 through 17, but Android 12 and 13 remain vulnerable; the researcher has published a working proof of concept.

Bottom line — About 20 malicious messages were enough to put tested phones into reboot loops.

Sources Digital Trends BleepingComputer Android Open Source …

Europe · Sun, Nov 1

Germany enters winter with gas storage at 62%, missing its 80% target

Germany’s gas stores are about 62% full, short of the statutory 80% target before the heating season, the Financial Times reports. The country’s continued spot-market purchases could push up prices elsewhere in the EU, while Germany’s economy ministry says new LNG terminals and an interconnected European system give it more supply options than in 2022.

Bottom line — European gas prices topped €100 per megawatt-hour on Wednesday, their highest level since December 2022.

Sources Financial Times News

Space · Sun, Nov 1

NASA’s Swift telescope is expected to re-enter after a failed rescue

The US Space Force predicts NASA’s Swift Observatory will re-enter Earth’s atmosphere on or around Friday, after a rescue attempt failed to stop its descent. Most of the 1.5-tonne telescope is expected to burn up, though NASA mission chief Brad Cenko said some tungsten components and mirror parts could survive; most debris is expected to fall into the ocean.

Bottom line — Swift recorded more than 2,000 gamma-ray bursts and 1,400 exploding stars during 22 years in orbit.

Sources Newsday Los Angeles Times The Pioneer +7 more

Apple · Sun, Nov 1

Apple’s entry-level iPad is expected to gain Apple Intelligence in 2027

Apple is expected to launch a new entry-level iPad in the first half of 2027, alongside refreshed iPad Air and iPad Pro models, according to Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, as reported by MacRumors. Macworld says the base iPad may get an A18 or A19 chip, enabling Apple Intelligence support, but reports differ on which processor Apple will use.

Bottom line — The current entry-level iPad’s A16 chip does not support Apple Intelligence; the next model may add that capability.

Sources MacRumors Macworld

World · Sun, Nov 1

Sudan drone strike on Nyala market leaves casualty toll disputed

Emergency Lawyers says a Sudanese military drone strike on a market in Nyala killed more than 100 people and wounded 113, with women and children among the victims. Witnesses told the Associated Press that civilian vendors selling food to RSF fighters were killed; Sudan Doctors Network reported a lower preliminary toll of 21 dead and more than 40 wounded, while MSF said its hospital received 36 bodies.

Bottom line — The toll remains unverified: Emergency Lawyers reports more than 100 dead, while Sudan Doctors Network reports 21.

Sources AP News US News & World Repo… Al Jazeera +3 more

Science · Sun, Nov 1

NYU Abu Dhabi finds coral bacteria make hormones that help cells survive heat

A NYU Abu Dhabi study in Nature Microbiology found that Endozoicomonas bacteria associated with Arabian Gulf corals produce steroid hormones, including testosterone and progesterone, as temperatures rise. The researchers say these hormones can compensate when heat impairs the coral’s own production and strengthen its immune response, helping coral cells survive.

Bottom line — The NYU Abu Dhabi findings point to beneficial microbes as a possible complement to coral nurseries and assisted evolution.

Sources Eurasia Review BBC

Global Economy · Sun, Nov 1

China’s manufacturing PMI falls to 49.3 as factory demand weakens

China’s official manufacturing PMI fell to 49.3 in October from 50.1 in September, returning to contraction for the third time in four months, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Reuters reports that weaker domestic demand and cooler export orders weighed on activity; the services and construction measure also fell, to 49.7 from 50.2.

Bottom line — China’s 4.5–5.0% growth target remains in view, but analysts say weaker external demand in 2027 could require more support for domestic demand.

Sources english.aawsat.com International Busine… The Jakarta Post +3 more

Global Economy · Sun, Nov 1

OpenAI cuts fundraising target to €17.4 billion as AI investors sour on AI trade

Bottom line — OpenAI has about €9.6 billion ($11 billion) secured against its €17.4 billion ($20 billion) target, and the round has not closed.

Sources DEV Community TechCrunch CNBC +8 more

Technology · Sun, Nov 1

Xiaomi lists nine TV A Pro e models, with 120Hz gaming on five

Xiaomi has added nine TV A Pro e televisions, from 32 to 85 inches, to its global website; prices and release dates have not been announced. Gizmochina reports that six models are 4K, and five of those support 120Hz Game Boost over HDMI at 1080p. All nine run Google TV, according to Xiaomi’s product listings.

Bottom line — Five models offer 120Hz Game Boost, but Xiaomi has yet to disclose prices or availability.

Sources www.newsminimalist.c… www.gizmochina.com giznewsdaily.com +4 more

Gaming Hardware · Sun, Nov 1

Microsoft adds reusable geometry tools to DirectX ray tracing, cutting sample memory by 90%

Microsoft has previewed Clustered Geometry and Partitioned TLAS, two additions to DirectX Raytracing that let games reuse geometry data and update only changed parts of a scene. In Microsoft’s Radeon RX 9070 sample, acceleration-structure memory fell from about 7.5GB to 774MB, while ray-tracing time per frame dropped from 72.6ms to 9.27ms; Microsoft cautions that games should not expect gains of that scale. The features remain in preview and require developer adoption before they reach games through DirectX.

Bottom line — DirectX’s preview offers developers a shared route to techniques Nvidia already uses, but game-level gains remain unproven.

Sources HotHardware TechSpot GH

Space · Sun, Nov 1

Ceres may hold 30–50% more surface salt than Dawn detected

A Caltech study using data from NASA’s Dawn spacecraft and computer models suggests Ceres’ surface salt deposits may be 30–50% more abundant than earlier estimates. The researchers argue that water ice mixed with salt sublimates, leaving salt concentrated at the surface, while landslides expose fresh ice and restart the process.

Bottom line — The Caltech model suggests Ceres’ bright salt deposits build up as ice disappears.

Sources Universe Today United States KhanList +5 more

World · Sun, Nov 1

Türkiye urges Russia and Ukraine to reach a peace deal, warning of wider economic damage

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan urged Russia and Ukraine to agree a peace deal, saying their nearly five-year war is no longer sustainable and could spread further. Speaking at the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Atlanta, he said the conflict’s costs are especially difficult for European countries and argued that a lasting settlement would also require a renewed relationship between Russia and Europe, according to Anadolu.

Bottom line — Fidan says a Russia-Ukraine deal would have consequences for Europe as well as the two countries at war.

Sources Anadolu www.turkiyetoday.com breakingthenews.net +6 more

Football · Sun, Nov 1

Manchester United extend winless run to nine as Chelsea beat Carrick’s side 2-0

Chelsea beat Manchester United 2-0 at Stamford Bridge, with second-half goals from Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer. Lisandro Martínez was sent off after conceding the penalty Palmer scored; United have now gone nine games without a win, their longest such run since 1988. The Athletic reports that United’s hierarchy plan to keep Michael Carrick in charge for at least the next two matches, against Roma and Aston Villa.

Bottom line — Carrick’s next matches are against Roma and Aston Villa before the November international break.

Sources Daily Mirror CBS Sports the Guardian +4 more

Health · Sun, Nov 1

Three-gene blood test predicts prostate cancer resistance within a year

A prospective, single-centre study published in Frontiers in Oncology found that a blood mRNA model using SLC25A39, SLC6A8 and YBX3 predicted progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer in patients with newly diagnosed metastatic hormone-sensitive disease. The model’s area under the curve was 0.89 in development and 0.83 in a small internal validation group; its authors say it needs multicentre testing before it can guide treatment.

Bottom line — The 147 patients who completed follow-up are not enough to establish the model for routine clinical use.

Sources onclive catalystalert.io PubMed +4 more

Global Economy · Sun, Nov 1

France’s borrowing costs reach 5% as debt squeeze sharpens

France’s 10-year borrowing costs are around 5%, their highest since 2002, and above Italy’s and Greece’s, according to Al Jazeera. NPR reports that France’s debt is adding to pressure on a government struggling to fund services amid protests over schools, teacher shortages and living costs.

Bottom line — Al Jazeera says France’s borrowing costs are around 5%, against 3.41% for Germany.

Sources NPR www.vpm.org audioscrape +8 more

Europe · Sun, Nov 1

EU backs Sejm’s right to appoint eight judges amid Poland tribunal crisis

The European Commission said appointing eight Constitutional Tribunal members falls within the Sejm’s constitutional powers, while urging Polish authorities to ensure the court follows the constitution and EU case law. The statement came after tribunal judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska took temporary charge following the announced suspension of its president and vice-president, prompting protests and a confrontation involving President Karol Nawrocki. The dispute over the court’s leadership and the legality of the measures remains contested.

Bottom line — The Commission cited a May 2026 European Court of Human Rights measure protecting judges appointed by the Sejm from being blocked from their duties.

Sources Yahoo News The Kyiv Independent www.trtworld.com +7 more

Space · Sun, Nov 1

China plans a three-person crew for its first Moon landing before 2030

China aims to land astronauts on the Moon before 2030, with a three-person crew and two astronauts descending to the surface, deputy chief designer Wang Xiang said at a Beijing symposium. The mission would launch the Lanyue lander and Mengzhou crewed spacecraft separately, with the vehicles docking in lunar orbit before the landing and again for the return journey, according to Xinhua.

Bottom line — China’s target is before 2030; the uncrewed lander flight and a full rehearsal are planned ahead of any crewed attempt.

Sources www.bastillepost.com City News Service en.wikipedia.org +7 more

Health · Sun, Nov 1

Personalised skin cancer vaccine cuts risk of death or recurrence by 42% in trial

A global two-year clinical trial involving more than 1,000 patients whose tumours had been removed found that a personalised vaccine, given alongside an immunotherapy drug, reduced the risk of death or skin cancer returning by 42%. Around two-thirds of participants received the experimental vaccine, made using cells from their own tumours.

Bottom line — The trial tested the vaccine in patients after tumour removal, alongside an immunotherapy drug.

Sources BBC BBC

AI · Sun, Nov 1

DeepSeek opens a prototype coding agent designed to work without prompts

DeepSeek has released an open-source research prototype called Super-agent, designed to monitor developers’ group chats, identify coding problems and suggest solutions without being asked, according to the company’s Harness team. The project is aimed at competing with Anthropic’s Claude Code, but DeepSeek says the public version is not production-ready and differs from its internal system.

Bottom line — DeepSeek’s public Super-agent remains a prototype, with several features still under development.

Sources The Straits Times Investing.com Global Times 环球时报英文版 +3 more

World · Sun, Nov 1

Qatar condemns attack on LNG tanker Al Mayeda in Gulf

Qatar condemned an attack on the LNG tanker Al Mayeda, calling it a threat to maritime navigation and global energy supplies, according to Middle East Monitor and Middle East Eye. Nakilat said the vessel was struck by “unidentified objects” on Friday; Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said investigations were under way to establish what happened and identify those responsible.

Bottom line — Qatar says it reserves the right to take measures under international law to protect its vessels and crews.

Sources www.middleeastmonito… Middle East Eye

Games · Sun, Nov 1

Ocarina of Time remake cartridge appears five days before launch

A buyer has reportedly obtained a physical copy of Nintendo’s Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, due on 5 November. Notebookcheck reports that images of the pre-order surfaced via the Nintendeal social media account; early footage or spoilers could follow if the cartridge runs without a launch-day update.

Bottom line — Nintendo’s 5 November launch date is approaching, but whether a mandatory update will block early copies remains unknown.

Sources www.notebookcheck.ne… mezha.net www.newsbreak.com +1 more

Football · Sun, Nov 1

Barcelona beat Alavés 6-1 to reclaim La Liga’s top spot

Barcelona responded to defeats by Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid with a 6-1 win over Alavés, returning to the top of La Liga on 30 points, two ahead of Atlético Madrid. Raphinha and Lamine Yamal scored twice each, while Fermín López added a goal and two assists; Anthony Gordon also scored, and Mariano Díaz netted Alavés’ late consolation, Reuters reports.

Bottom line — Barcelona lead Atlético by two points before their meeting in Madrid on 8 November.

Sources as France 24 Goal.com +6 more

Science · Sun, Nov 1

Antarctic sea-ice loss is making a key ocean layer saltier and deeper

A Nature study reports that Antarctic Intermediate Water is becoming saltier and denser, and its core is moving deeper as declining sea ice reduces the freshwater supply that helps keep it relatively fresh. Lead author Bishakhdatta Gayen told Gizmodo that a comparable transformation last occurred about 130,000 years ago, but unfolded over thousands of years rather than two decades.

Bottom line — The study found Antarctic Intermediate Water’s core salinity is rising by 0.005 grams per kilogram each decade.

Sources The Cool Down Yahoo News

TV/Movies · Sun, Nov 1

Dutton Ranch season two starts production early next year as season one gets a disc release

Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone spin-off Dutton Ranch will begin production on its second season early next year, Kelly Reilly said at Paramount U.K.’s Upfronts, according to The Independent. The first season arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on 17 November, according to HD Report and AceShowbiz.

Bottom line — Season two is planned, while Dutton Ranch’s first season moves from Paramount+ to Blu-ray and DVD on 17 November.

Sources The Independent The News-Herald HD Report +1 more

Games · Sun, Nov 1

Square Enix delays Final Fantasy XIV: Evercold to 23 February 2027

Square Enix has moved Final Fantasy XIV’s sixth expansion, Evercold, from its January 2027 window to 23 February, with early access beginning on 19 February. The dates were announced at the game’s Fan Festival in Japan; pre-orders open on 4 November 2026.

Bottom line — Evercold’s launch is now fixed for 23 February 2027, four days after early access begins.

Sources IGN FINAL FANTASY XIV, T… The Escapist +4 more

World · Sun, Nov 1

Pentagon urges Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to temper public warnings about Russia

Pentagon officials have asked several NATO countries, including Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, to tone down public statements about the Russian threat, four people familiar with the discussions told Reuters. Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon’s policy chief, was among those delivering the message; the requests come as Washington renews efforts to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine.

Bottom line — The private appeals expose a NATO dispute over how to warn the public as Washington pursues talks with Moscow.

Sources Yahoo News US News & World Repo… The Irish Times +5 more

AI · Sun, Nov 1

Apple brings Alibaba’s Qwen-powered Intelligence to Chinese iPhones in December

Apple says Apple Intelligence will reach iPhones in mainland China with iOS 27.3 in December, after developers begin testing it on November 4. Alibaba’s Qwen will power selected features in Siri, Writing Tools and Visual Intelligence; Apple says users can choose whether to enable Qwen and what information to share. The initial release excludes the newest Siri AI capabilities.

Bottom line — The December release brings Apple Intelligence to China, but its newest Siri AI features remain out of reach.

Sources DEV Community Fello AI ChinaDailyApp +4 more

TV/Movies · Sun, Nov 1

HBO Max drops surprise 30-minute Welcome to Derry prequel for Halloween

HBO Max released “A Story of Derry”, a surprise special set hundreds of years before Pennywise’s arrival. Its official synopsis follows three youngsters into the Western Wood, where they encounter an ancient spirit; the episode also features the first on-screen appearance of Maturin, the cosmic turtle, according to Slashfilm.

Bottom line — A second season is confirmed, with the Bradley Gang massacre in 1935 at its centre.

Sources Comic Book Movie Yahoo News The Telegraph +7 more

Global Economy · Sun, Nov 1

Fed and ECB hold rates as energy inflation keeps December hikes in play

The Federal Reserve, European Central Bank and Bank of Japan kept rates unchanged this week as they weighed persistent inflation risks linked to high energy prices, Bloomberg and Morningstar report. Both the Fed and ECB left the door open to a December hike; Bloomberg says US price growth accelerated at the end of the third quarter, while Morningstar reports that the Bank of Canada raised rates for the first time since July 2023.

Bottom line — The Fed and ECB’s December decisions remain open, while the Bank of Canada has already resumed tightening.

Sources www.bloomberg.com The Economic Times www.cfr.org +5 more

World · Sun, Nov 1

Khamenei orders Iran to answer any renewed attack without geographical limits

Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei told military commanders that any threat should draw an immediate response without geographical limits, and ordered them to update the target list to include US and Israeli assets, according to statements carried by Iranian media. His warning comes as Washington and Israel have threatened fresh strikes, while Qatari mediators seek to avert renewed fighting.

Bottom line — Khamenei says Iran’s armed forces and people would decide when and how a conflict ends if attacks resume.

Sources Le Monde.fr AzerNews France 24 +7 more

Science · Sun, Nov 1

A heavy neutrino may explain how matter survived the Big Bang

Researchers from the University of Southampton and the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur propose that a hypothetical decoupled heavy neutrino briefly dominated the early universe’s energy density. Their calculations suggest it may have shifted when particles interacted with their antiparticles, helping produce the matter surplus; the theory remains unproven.

Bottom line — The researchers say primordial gravitational-wave signatures could offer a way to test the heavy-neutrino theory.

Sources ScienceDaily www.newsminimalist.c… Business Times India +2 more

Technology · Sun, Nov 1

Nothing rolls out Android 17 update to four Phone models

Nothing is rolling out Nothing OS 5.0, based on Android 17, to the Phone (3a), (3a) Pro, (4a) and (4a) Pro. The phased update adds interface changes, new widgets and camera features; Nothing says availability varies by region and carrier.

Bottom line — Nothing says the Phone (2a) and (2a) Plus are next, with their update planned for mid-November.

Sources GSMArena.com TechiBoy nothing.tech +1 more

Health · Sun, Nov 1

Northwestern study links cannabis use to more fragmented sleep

A Northwestern University study of 1,266 people, tracking them across more than three decades, found that cannabis users tended to have more disrupted sleep and spend longer awake during the night. The researchers also found that users were no more likely than non-users to report sleeping poorly, though the observational study cannot establish that cannabis caused the disturbances.

Bottom line — The study found more fragmented sleep among cannabis users, but cannot show cannabis caused it.

Sources The Detroit News The Nation Thailand Glasgow Times +7 more

Europe · Sun, Nov 1

France’s third protest weekend draws 320,000 as youth rallies spread across Europe

France’s government estimated that 320,000 people joined Saturday’s third consecutive weekend of protests over living costs and education; a youth union coalition put turnout at nearly 500,000. Youth-led demonstrations also took place in Germany and Portugal, while clashes in Paris followed a largely peaceful march and police deployed 70,000 officers and gendarmes nationwide, according to the Associated Press.

Bottom line — French student organisers say they will blockade schools and universities next week before a 5 November demonstration.

Sources 1News RFI apnews.com +8 more

Football · Sun, Nov 1

Lamine Yamal reaches 10 goals and 10 assists, matching a Messi milestone

Lamine Yamal scored twice and supplied an assist in Barcelona’s 6-1 win over Alavés, taking his tally to at least 10 goals and 10 assists in all competitions. Soccer Laduma and World Soccer Talk report that he is the first player in Spanish football to reach that mark entering November since Lionel Messi in 2011.

Bottom line — Yamal’s 20 goal contributions put him in territory reached faster only by Lionel Messi and Harry Kane, according to Transfermarkt.

Sources Soccer_Laduma TMde_news FCB +5 more

Cyber Security · Sun, Nov 1

Wiz links nine AI platform incidents to stolen credentials and model-key abuse

At least nine AI developer platforms disclosed security incidents in October, with public reports describing targeted searches for stored environment variables, especially those granting access to AI models. Wiz says it found two enterprise keys compromised through vendor breaches later used for roughly 800,000 and 1.7 million Bedrock calls; it estimates the usage in those cases alone could cost over €92,000 (over $100,000). The incidents remain under investigation, and Wiz says no single vulnerability or dependency links them.

Bottom line — Wiz’s two cases show stolen model keys can fuel millions of calls and more than €92,000 in estimated usage.

Sources wiz.io en.wikipedia.org AI +4 more

Football · Sun, Nov 1

La Liga referees will explain decisions on television after two matches each week

Under a new collective bargaining agreement, referees for two preselected La Liga matches each week will be interviewed on television after the final whistle. The interviews, shown by official broadcasters DAZN and Movistar, begin with Levante v Atlético Madrid and are intended to address controversial decisions and misinformation.

Bottom line — La Liga has created a €500,000 bonus pool for referees who take part in the interviews.

Sources Haberler.com