Overnight news developments spanned technology, trade, and diplomacy, as Tesla’s Elon Musk projected progress in China, Apple contended with a high-profile streaming disruption, and US President Donald Trump announced a wave of foreign investments.
The day also brought signs of a thaw in US-India relations, with Trump signalling willingness to visit New Delhi amid improving trade talks.
Musk says Tesla nearing full approval for self-driving in China
Tesla Inc. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said he expects Chinese regulators to grant full approval for the company’s advanced driver-assistance software — similar to its US “Full Self-Driving” system — by February or March.
“We have partial approval in China and, hopefully, we’ll have full approval in China around February or March or so,” Musk told shareholders at Tesla’s annual meeting, where his $1 trillion compensation package received unanimous approval.
“That’s what they’ve told us,” he added.
The electric-vehicle maker has been lobbying Beijing for permission to expand its advanced driver-assistance program.
The system, while branded as self-driving in the US, still requires human oversight and frequent intervention.
Tesla’s rollout of such features in China has been limited to small-scale trials under partial regulatory clearance.
Earlier this year, Tesla adjusted the branding of its driver-assistance suite in China, removing references to “Full Self-Driving” to comply with domestic regulations that require automakers to explicitly state feature limitations.
The company sees the approval as critical to reviving its slowing sales in China — the world’s largest EV market — where competition from local manufacturers such as BYD has intensified.
Apple faces temporary outage after Pluribus premiere
Apple Inc.’s streaming platform experienced a brief outage on Thursday night, disrupting users shortly after the premiere of Pluribus, the new drama from the creator of Breaking Bad.
Reports of service failures spiked around 10:30 pm Eastern Time across the US and Canada, with outage tracking site Downdetector registering nearly 13,000 complaints before Apple acknowledged the issue.
Within roughly 90 minutes, the company said all services — including Apple TV, Music, and Arcade — had been restored.
The timing proved inopportune for Apple, which had heavily promoted Pluribus as a key exclusive in its streaming lineup.
The Cupertino-based company logged $28.8 billion in service revenue in the September quarter, a record high, and views its subscription business — spanning entertainment, cloud, and gaming — as a key driver of future growth.
Apple TV+ continues to face fierce competition from rivals such as Netflix, Disney’s Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and other major streaming platforms.
Uzbekistan to invest $100 billion in US industries
US President Donald Trump announced that Uzbekistan plans to invest more than $100 billion in American industries over the next decade, marking what he described as a “major win” for US trade ties with Central Asia.
“Over the next three years, Uzbekistan will be purchasing and investing almost $35 billion, and, in the next 10 years, over $100 billion, in key American sectors,” Trump said in a social media post.
The investments will span industries including critical minerals, aviation, automotive parts, infrastructure, agriculture, energy, and information technology.
Trump made the announcement after hosting Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and other Central Asian leaders — from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan — at the White House.
Earlier this year, Uzbekistan Airways finalised a major purchase of Boeing 787 Dreamliner jets, an order valued at over $8 billion.
Trump highlighted that deal as a sign of strengthening US-Uzbek commercial relations.
Trump signals improvement in US-India trade talks
In remarks to reporters at the White House, Trump said that trade discussions with India were “going well” and hinted at a possible visit to the country in 2026, pending an invitation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He added that India “has largely stopped buying oil from Russia,” suggesting progress on one of Washington’s major geopolitical concerns.
The president also added that if he were invited, he would visit India, calling the Indian leader “a friend” and “a great man.”
The comments come after months of tension between the two countries, with trade frictions, high tariffs, and US visa fee increases straining ties.
Experts have also noted a lack of personal chemistry between the two leaders compared with previous years.
Currently, Indian exports face tariffs of about 50% — higher than the 47% levied on Chinese goods.
Trump’s remarks indicate a potential shift toward easing these trade pressures as both sides seek to stabilise relations ahead of a possible 2026 visit.
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