Real-time News

On August 28th, sources revealed that Anthropic had discussed acquiring AI chip startup MatX for approximately $7 billion, aiming to accelerate the development of custom hardware for its rapidly growing AI business. One source indicated that the merger negotiations later evolved into discussions about a partnership. Previously, one source revealed that MatX was currently seeking a new round of funding, valued at approximately $4 billion. Discussions with MatX also suggest that Anthropic may be interested in developing chips for model training, while other chip startups and competitor OpenAI are developing processors better suited for generating chatbot responses—a process known as "inference." However, sources indicated that Anthropic might also choose to develop inference chips.

On August 28th, according to the Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with the matter, Nvidia (NVDA.O) has suspended part of an agreement to provide credit support to AI cloud service providers in exchange for revenue sharing, less than two months after the plan was announced in July. Some Nvidia employees are concerned that the plan could trigger antitrust scrutiny, particularly regarding the extent to which the company can determine how its clients conduct business. The plan, called the "AI Computing Partner Program," promised that if cloud service providers couldn't find other customers, Nvidia would lease its GPU computing power, thus providing them with guaranteed revenue and helping them secure financing. Nvidia disclosed this week that such agreements, typically six years long, involve $36 billion in commitments. Under the proposed agreement, once a cloud service provider's revenue exceeds a basic threshold covering costs such as chip depreciation, data center expenses, and personnel, Nvidia would receive 50% of the excess. Nvidia may adjust the plan or merge it into other projects in the future.

Sources say the U.S. government is close to reaching an agreement to secure long-term access to Venezuela’s oil reserves.

On August 28, local time, US President Trump announced via social media that Ben Moss will assume the position of Assistant to the President and White House Staff Secretary, effective September 2, succeeding Will Schaaf, who has become White House Counsel. Trump stated that Moss previously served as Deputy White House Staff Secretary and, more recently, as Vice Presidential Policy Director.

On August 28th, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf posted a sarcastic remark on social media, criticizing US Treasury Secretary John Bessenter and citing a New York Times report that Iran's creditworthiness in the bond market is under pressure. The post stemmed from Bessenter's previous criticism of the Iranian government on social media. He stated that while Iranians struggle to afford even basic necessities, the "corrupt Iranian regime is squandering huge sums of money overseas," and that it should spend those billions on its own people instead of channeling them to so-called "terrorist proxies." Ghalibaf responded with almost identical statements: instead of investing heavily in Israel, a "terrorist proxy," and the approximately 750 US military bases worldwide, this "declining empire" could certainly use its money on its own people. "But wait, that might be too reasonable for this regime," he added. He then directly addressed Bessenter: "Scott, man, your credibility is in jeopardy. Do something worthwhile." The post also included a link to the New York Times report. According to the report, Bessenter attempted to lower yields through measures such as expanding long-term US Treasury bond repurchase agreements, but the market response was lukewarm. With US debt already reaching $40 trillion and the situation in Iran exacerbating inflationary pressures, its ability to "tame" the bond market and its personal credit are facing increasing challenges.

US President Trump: Starting September 2, Ben Moss will serve as Assistant to the President and White House Chief of Staff.

On August 28th, top Canadian economists told the country's finance minister that the damage from the escalating trade war with the United States should be manageable, potentially bolstering Prime Minister Carney's confidence in withdrawing from negotiations. The finance minister reportedly convened a closed-door meeting in Toronto with chief economists, including those representing several of Canada's largest banks, to discuss the economic outlook following the breakdown of trade talks with the US. While some economists lowered their economic growth forecasts and warned that new US tariffs on hundreds of Canadian goods could hit small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) hardest, some attendees revealed that discussions about the risk of recession were minimal. Instead, participants generally agreed that the Canadian economy was strong enough to withstand the series of tariffs imposed by Trump. Some economists stated that tariffs would indeed cause damage, but the impact would likely be concentrated primarily in the sectors affected by the tariffs.

U.S. Treasury officials say bond yields will fall as inflation gradually cools; the Trump administration is committed to lowering long-term bond yields.

On August 28, Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, stated that Iran has prepared a list of conditions to present to the United States. While temporary passage through a specific channel in the middle of the Strait of Hormuz has been permitted, future passage through the strait will be subject to a memorandum of understanding signed with the United States.

Sources say Anthropic had considered acquiring chip startup Matx for $7 billion but ultimately abandoned the plan. Anthropic is now considering a partnership with Matx to accelerate its AI chip design process.

The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre reports a 6.2-magnitude earthquake in the Gulf of Aden at a depth of 10.0 kilometers.

According to the Syrian state news agency, Mazloum Abdi, the former commander of the now-disbanded Syrian Democratic Forces, has been appointed as an advisor to the president.

A senior U.S. Treasury official said the G20 finance ministers’ meeting will focus on stronger economic growth and reducing global imbalances.

On August 28th, Nvidia (NVDA.O) saw its market capitalization increase by $442 billion, marking the second-largest single-day gain in history for a single stock. By the close of trading on Thursday, Nvidia's stock price had surged 8.7%, its largest gain since April 2025. This market capitalization increase is second only to Microsoft's $450 billion single-day increase less than a month ago. Thursday's surge stemmed from Nvidia's strong earnings guidance, which alleviated investor concerns about a potential slowdown in AI-related growth momentum, indicating that AI growth remains robust. Analysts noted that Nvidia's "astounding" guidance "means there is still over $100 billion of potential upside potential in current market expectations." JPMorgan Chase stated that while Nvidia's outlook far exceeded expectations, the guidance may still be conservative because the company "clearly stated that the current outlook is constrained by supply, and in the absence of supply constraints, demand growth would be significantly higher."

Sources say Israel launched an attack on the outskirts of Damascus, the Syrian capital.

According to Tasnim News Agency: Multiple explosions have occurred in the Syrian capital.

Canadian Ambassador to Washington, Wiesman, stated that Canada's removal of tariffs on U.S. seafood was more of a technical matter than a signal of a swift resumption of negotiations.

Canadian Ambassador to Washington, Wiesman: Canada cannot accept a trade agreement with the United States unless it can ensure the survival of Canada's auto assembly and parts industry.

On August 28th, in response to US President Trump's executive order signed on the afternoon of August 27th, renaming Lake Ontario on the US-Canada border as "Lake of the United States," Canadian Prime Minister Carney posted on social media, stating, "The name Lake Ontario has been around for over 400 years, predating the formation of the Canadian Confederation and the publication of the US Declaration of Independence. We know that the United States is changing. Their trade relations, foreign policy, national monuments, and even the names of their various bodies of water (hydrological names). And Canadians know, respecting reality, that its name is Lake Ontario—it was, it is, and it always will be."