Category: Business

BEIJING — China is preparing to significantly reduce subscription and sales-related fees across its $4.9 trillion mutual fund industry, in a move aimed at lowering investor costs and promoting long-term capital allocation. The initiative, led by financial regulators, reflects growing concern over short-term trading behavior and aims to reshape retail investment culture. By slashing front-end […]

ROME — The Italian government is actively pursuing supply and employment guarantees as part of a potential acquisition of Italiana Petroli (IP) by Azerbaijan’s state oil company, SOCAR. The deal, estimated at €2.5 billion ($2.93 billion), would mark a significant shift in Italy’s energy landscape. IP, owned by the Brachetti Peretti family, operates over 4,500 […]

📍 New York, 5 September 2025 — BlackRock and Apollo Global Management have completed a series of strategic mergers and acquisitions, absorbing a combined $57 billion in assets under management. The transactions mark a significant consolidation in the global investment landscape, reinforcing both firms’ positions in private markets and alternative asset strategies. BlackRock’s latest moves […]

If you live in Mississippi, you may have noticed that you are no longer able to log into your Bluesky or Dreamwidth accounts from within the state. That’s because, in a chilling early warning sign for the U.S., both social platforms decided to block all users in Mississippi from their services rather than risk hefty […]

In 1992 EFF presented our very first awards recognizing key leaders and organizations advancing innovation and championing civil liberties and human rights online. Now in 2025 we’re continuing to celebrate the accomplishments of people working toward a better future for everyone with the EFF Awards! All are invited to attend the EFF Awards on Wednesday, September 10 at […]

📍 Washington, D.C., 5 September 2025 — The United States officially revoked its long-standing de minimis import exemption on August 29, following an executive order from President Donald Trump. The policy change eliminates duty-free treatment for goods valued under $800, significantly altering the cost structure for cross-border e-commerce. Previously, the exemption allowed companies to ship […]

In 1992 EFF presented our very first awards recognizing key leaders and organizations advancing innovation and championing civil liberties and human rights online. Now in 2025 we’re continuing to celebrate the accomplishments of people working toward a better future for everyone with the EFF Awards! All are invited to attend the EFF Awards on Wednesday, September 10 at […]

EFF urges California state lawmakers to pass S.B. 524, authored by Sen. Jesse Arreguín. This bill is an important first step in regaining control over police using generative AI to write their narrative police reports.  This bill does several important things: It mandates that police reports written by AI include disclaimers on every page or […]

📍 Mumbai, India — Amazon announced on Thursday that it has completed the acquisition of Bengaluru-based non-banking financial company Axio, marking a significant expansion of its fintech footprint in India. The deal, approved by the Reserve Bank of India in June, was finalized for an undisclosed amount. Axio, formerly known as Capital Float, specializes in […]

In the past few years, governments across the world have rolled out different digital identification options, and now there are efforts encouraging online companies to implement identity and age verification requirements with digital ID in mind. This blog is the second in a short series that explains digital ID and the pending use case of age […]