SoftBank Group Corp. raised about US$ 1.86 billion via dollar and euro bond sales in one of the biggest foreign-currency deals by a Japanese company this year, as the tech firm moves to expand investment in artificial intelligence.

Thanks to robust Chromebook demand from North America’s education procurement sector, the global top-5 notebook brands, not including Apple, saw combined notebook shipments rise over 20% on month in May.

As semiconductor technology advances towards 1-2 nanometer (nm) processes, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment is undergoing generational changes. The next-generation Hyper-NA EUV, expected to debut in 2030, is set to become a significant factor in the strategic planning of TSMC, Samsung Electronics, and Intel.

The global automotive market is expected to become cautiously optimistic in the third quarter of 2024 as uncertainties like the European Union’s election and the bloc’s provisional tariffs on Chinese EVs diminish. The coming quarter offers the best opportunity for governments to boost the economy.