Pentagon wants to add Alibaba Baidu and BYD to military support blacklist says Bloomberg

The Pentagon has recommended adding major Chinese tech companies Alibaba, Baidu, and BYD to its list of firms linked to China's military. While not imposing immediate legal restrictions, inclusion damages company reputations and warns U.S. entities about business risks. The recommendation came shortly before a U.S.-China trade truce. Several other Chinese firms were also identified for possible listing. Market reaction included drops in Alibaba and Baidu shares.

Aroundtown, a major European real estate company, announced plans to launch its first German data centre within three years, marking a strategic pivot from traditional property management. The company will convert underutilized office spaces, starting with a 20MW facility in Frankfurt at a former IBM building. About 100 properties are being evaluated for similar conversions. Challenges include obtaining regulatory approvals and securing adequate power supply. Aroundtown is seeking partnerships with specialist data centre operators to develop necessary expertise. This expansion aligns with growing demand for digital infrastructure across Europe, particularly for cloud computing and AI applications. The company may either sell converted properties or operate the facilities directly for long-term returns.

Allianz plans to cut 1,500-1,800 jobs in its travel insurance division over the next 12-18 months, primarily affecting call center positions as AI replaces manual processes. This represents a significant portion of Allianz Partners' 22,600 employees, with about 14,000 currently handling customer inquiries by phone. The move aligns with industry trends as insurers and major tech companies increasingly implement AI to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

AI is transforming how US retailers compete online during the holiday shopping season. Major companies are adapting by creating specialized content for AI systems like ChatGPT and Gemini, including "invisible" web pages designed for AI scrapers. Though AI-directed traffic is currently small (under 1% of major retailer visits), these shoppers show higher purchase intent, making AI visibility increasingly important for retailers' digital strategies.