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Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Friday that India and the EU will aim to finalize a "mutually beneficial" free trade agreement by the end of the year. The announcement came after a meeting with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in New Delhi, where both leaders tasked their teams with achieving the deadline.

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South Korea's Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) has suspended new downloads of DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence application, citing the company's failure to comply with national data protection regulations. The suspension, which took effect on February 15, 2025, marks another setback for the AI startup in its global expansion efforts.

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In a bid to raise its profile in the global artificial intelligence (AI) community, Alibaba today announced the open-source release of its state-of-the-art AI video generation model, Wan 2.1. The action aims to drive innovation and cooperation in the AI ecosystem by providing free access to sophisticated tools capable of generating high-quality videos and images from image and text prompts.

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On Friday, Alibaba's stock experienced a significant surge, climbing over six percent, fueled by speculation that President Xi Jinping was planning a meeting with Jack Ma, the company's co-founder. This positive news compounded Alibaba's already impressive performance in 2025, with the stock already up over 40 percent. The rally was further bolstered on Thursday when Alibaba's chairman announced the company's intention to provide AI technology for Apple's iPhones in China, adding another 6.3 percent to its share price.

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The Cook Islands' emerging partnership with China has ignited a diplomatic powder keg, challenging long-standing regional dynamics and exposing the delicate balance of power in the Pacific. Prime Minister Mark Brown's upcoming state visit to Beijing represents more than a routine diplomatic engagement—it signals a potential realignment with global geopolitical implications.

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President Xi Jinping met with prominent private business leaders, including Alibaba's Jack Ma, on Monday, according to state media. The meeting comes after Xi Jinping has emphasized the importance of state-owned enterprises and cautioned against the "disorderly" expansion of the private sector during his time in office.

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