Atera

The UAE's president held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to the Emirates' state news agency, discussing bilateral relations between the two countries. Details of the conversation were not immediately released. The contacts come as the Abraham Accords partners navigate regional tensions, and observers are watching closely for signs of how the Gulf state's relationship with Israel will develop.

The United States and China have agreed to establish bilateral trade and investment councils in place of one-off summits, according to reports circulating widely on prediction and news platforms. The shift suggests both countries want a standing mechanism to manage trade disputes and economic cooperation rather than relying on irregular high-level meetings. Details on membership and timetable have not yet been announced.

At the 2026 United Nations General Assembly, the European Union is presenting a platform centred on strengthening multilateralism, upholding international law, and reforming the UN. The bloc is positioning itself as a defender of the rules-based international order, with EU diplomatic messaging at the assembly emphasising institutional renewal at the world body.

International IDEA, the Stockholm-based intergovernmental institute supporting democracy worldwide, says it will work to put democracy on the agenda of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. The organisation announced its planned participation and priorities for UNGA81, framing democratic resilience as a matter for multilateral cooperation at a time of global democratic backsliding.

The Senate has sent a college sports bill to the House of Representatives, using a procedural move compared to a lateral in football. While the legislation has cleared one chamber, its prospects in the House remain uncertain, leaving the future of the proposed college sports reforms in doubt as lawmakers weigh next steps.

Congresswoman Jill Tokuda has called on President Donald Trump to safeguard America's artificial intelligence advantage as the United States prepares for bilateral talks with China. She is pressing the administration to treat AI leadership as a national security priority, arguing the technology must not be ceded to strategic rivals during negotiations.

Michael Saylor, executive chairman of Strategy and one of bitcoin's most prominent corporate advocates, is pushing for banks to treat bitcoin as routine collateral for lending. The proposal would let borrowers use their bitcoin holdings to secure everyday credit, integrating the asset into mainstream banking rather than leaving it as a speculative holding. Crypto commentators see it as another step toward bitcoin's financial normalization; traditional banking observers remain cautious about volatility and regulatory hurdles.

10x Genomics has started shipping its Atera spatial biology platform to customers. The system is designed to map gene activity within intact tissue, a growing area of interest for drug discovery and disease research. The company positions Atera as a step toward making whole-tissue, single-cell analysis more accessible to laboratories. Response from the research community has not yet been detailed.

BTSE Bhutan has received a licence from the Financial Services Authority (FSL) allowing it to operate a multilateral trading venue and provide institutional custody of virtual assets. The exchange says the next step is launching BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT trading and a global retail platform, strengthening Bhutan's growing role in the regulated crypto industry.