Google said its internal AI tools helped identify and fix more security vulnerabilities in the last two Chrome releases than the company patched across the previous two years combined.

In a post published Thursday on its security blog, Google said it fixed 1,072 security bugs in Chrome versions 149 and 150, both released in June. That compares with 1,036 vulnerabilities fixed across the previous 23 Chrome releases.

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Google Expands AI Use In Security

Google outlined its approach in a white paper describing how it uses AI models to identify vulnerabilities and accelerate remediation. The report includes a chart showing a sharp increase in the number of bugs fixed in recent Chrome releases.

The company refers to each Chrome release as a “milestone.” Chrome version 126 was released in June 2024, while versions 149 and 150 shipped last month.

Company Says AI Speeds Vulnerability Detection

Doug Turner, Chrome’s director of engineering, said large language models have “fundamentally shifted the economics of cybersecurity” by automating vulnerability discovery.

“By applying models like Gemini, we are preemptively fixing vulnerabilities, outpacing our adversaries and making Chrome safer with every update,” Turner said.

Microsoft Also Reports More Security Fixes

Google is not the only technology company reporting higher numbers of security patches alongside broader AI adoption. Earlier this month, Microsoft said it fixed a record 570 vulnerabilities during its monthly Patch Tuesday release and cited its use of AI as one factor behind the increase.

Apple has not reported a comparable increase. According to an independent vulnerability tracker, the company has fixed 482 security flaws in 2026 so far, a total broadly in line with previous years.

Apple’s services business surpassed 1.5 billion paid subscriptions during the June quarter, up from 1 billion in January 2025, as the company continued to expand its ecosystem despite revenue coming in below Wall Street expectations.

Services revenue reached $30.74 billion, missing analysts’ estimate of $31.22 billion. The shortfall, together with weaker-than-expected performance in China, sent Apple shares down more than 4% in after-hours trading.

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App Store Growth Slows

Chief Financial Officer Kevan Parekh said several factors weighed on services revenue, including slower mobile gaming activity and changes to the App Store business model in some markets.

In the United States, court-ordered changes now allow developers to process payments outside the App Store, reducing Apple’s ability to collect commissions on some transactions. The legal dispute remains ongoing and is expected to reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

Parekh did not quantify the financial impact of those changes.

Foreign Exchange Also Weighed On Results

According to Apple, foreign exchange was the largest factor behind the services revenue miss. Results were also affected by a difficult comparison with the prior year, when the theatrical release of F1 boosted performance.

Despite the weaker-than-expected revenue, the App Store recorded a June quarter revenue record. That figure includes Apple Ads, which recently expanded to Apple Maps.

Paid Subscriptions Continue To Grow

Apple said services revenue reached an all-time high across developed markets and a June quarter record in emerging markets. Double-digit growth was recorded in the vast majority of markets where the company operates.

“Our services continue to attract more customers, and we have now surpassed one and a half billion in paid subscriptions,” Parekh said. “Both transacting and paid accounts reached new all-time highs in the quarter, with double-digit growth for both in emerging markets.”

Multiple Services Posted Record Results

Apple said Apple Ads, the App Store, AppleCare, Apple Music and Apple TV each recorded June quarter revenue records. Cloud services and payment services reached all-time highs, while Apple TV reported record viewership during the quarter.

Apple Expands Services Offering

The company also highlighted newer products, including Creator Studio subscriptions and planned bill-splitting features for Apple Cash, as part of its expanding services portfolio.

Apple’s Upgrade program, launched with Klarna, is designed to simplify device purchases and could encourage more customers to adopt Apple products and services.

Reddit Chief Executive Steve Huffman said Google’s AI Overviews are making search traffic less predictable, highlighting growing uncertainty over a channel that has long been one of the platform’s main sources of new users.

Speaking after Reddit reported second-quarter results that topped expectations, Huffman said changes to Google’s search experience continue to affect referral traffic. The company also issued a stronger-than-expected outlook, although shares fell 11% in extended trading.

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AI Search Changes Referral Traffic

For years, Reddit relied on Google Search to direct users to discussions and recommendations across the platform. As Google expands AI-generated summaries in search results, fewer users may need to click through to external websites.

“Search is volatile, and we see those changes, we’ve been through those many times,”

Huffman said.

Huffman said Google’s traditional search model created significant value for publishers and online platforms, while AI Overviews have yet to deliver similar benefits.

“If we look at the Google ecosystem, the 10 blue links have driven a tremendous amount of value for the whole ecosystem. AI Overviews has yet to make a similar level of positive impact, and that seems consistent across the broader landscape,”

he said.

Reddit Focuses On Direct User Growth

Huffman said Reddit is investing in product improvements, international expansion and user retention as it seeks to reduce its dependence on search referrals.

“We’re thinking about all of our options. Our goal is to maximize the long-term value for Reddit,”

he said.

He also said users visit Reddit for perspectives and discussions that AI-generated summaries cannot fully replicate.

“Some of the tension is that people want Reddit, they don’t necessarily want a summary of Reddit. They want the human perspective, the multiple perspectives, the lived experience that we provide,”

Huffman said.

Company Keeps AI Spending Low

Unlike larger technology companies investing billions of dollars in AI infrastructure, Reddit continues to operate with relatively low capital spending.

“We’re a low-spend company,” Huffman said, adding that capital expenditures totalled about $1.1 million during the quarter. “We’re trying to deliver the AI returns without the AI cost.”

Data Licensing Continues To Grow

Reddit continues to generate revenue from licensing its data to AI companies, including OpenAI and Google. Revenue from its “other” category, which includes licensing agreements, rose 24% year over year to $43 million.

Earlier this month, The Wall Street Journal reported that Reddit was considering limiting Google’s access to its data as publishers raised concerns over declining referral traffic. Huffman said the company’s position had not changed.

Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said the company sees “enormous opportunities” in artificial intelligence despite spending less on infrastructure than some of its largest technology rivals.

Speaking after Apple’s quarterly earnings, Cook said the company’s AI strategy relies on a hybrid model that processes some requests directly on iPhones and Macs rather than entirely through cloud infrastructure. Shares came under pressure following the results amid concerns over supply constraints and the company’s outlook.

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Device-Based AI Differentiates Strategy

Cook said Apple’s ability to process certain AI requests on-device provides a competitive advantage.

“The ability to run some percentage of requests on device is also very strategic and sort of a competitive weapon,”

he said.

The approach differs from that of Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon and Meta, which have committed billions of dollars to expanding AI infrastructure and data centres. Apple reported capital expenditure of $2.46 billion in the June quarter, below the StreetAccount estimate of $3.44 billion. Cook said operating expenses are increasing and the company continues to invest in AI.

Focus On Privacy And Efficiency

Apple said many Apple Intelligence features are designed to run on users’ devices rather than remote servers. Cook cited Disney as an example of a company using Macs for on-device AI workflows, saying the approach helps reduce cloud token costs while protecting intellectual property.

Siri Rollout Will Test Hybrid Model

Apple plans to introduce an upgraded Siri this fall using the iPhone’s processor to interpret requests and determine which on-device model should handle them.

The company said more complex requests, including some image-generation tasks, will continue to rely on cloud infrastructure. Apple has previously said those workloads use Google Cloud infrastructure powered by Nvidia graphics processors and Intel central processors.

Apple Eyes AI Revenue Through Services

Cook said Apple has not yet finalised plans to charge customers directly for AI features but sees opportunities to expand iCloud+ subscriptions.

“We do believe there will be people that want to use it a lot, and so we will have some kind of upgrade possibilities on iCloud+,”

he said.

Cyprus’ new-build residential market recorded 3,594 apartment and house sales worth €1.149 billion in the first half of 2026, according to Landbank Analytics. Limassol generated the highest transaction value, Nicosia recorded the largest number of sales, while Paphos remained the leading district for high-value houses. Together, the figures highlight distinct trends across Cyprus rather than a uniform national market.

Mid-Market Homes Continue To Dominate

Between January 1 and June 30, new-build apartment and house sales recorded an average transaction value of €319,618, while the median price stood at €232,500. Apartments accounted for 2,977 transactions, or 82.8% of total sales, generating €810.6 million in value. Their average selling price reached €272,274, while the median stood at €215,000.

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House sales totalled 617 transactions worth €338.1 million. Although they represented just 17.2% of overall sales, houses generated 29.4% of the market’s total value, reflecting their higher price point. Average and median prices reached €548,049 and €365,000, respectively.

Most Homes Sold Below €400,000

Pricing data showed that 54.3% of all new-build homes sold for less than €250,000 during the first six months of the year. Including properties priced between €250,000 and €400,000, the share rose to 83% of total transactions. At the upper end of the market, only 103 homes, or 2.9% of all sales, changed hands for more than €1 million.

Nicosia Records Highest Sales Volume

Nicosia led Cyprus in transaction volume with 1,063 new-build residential sales worth €232.9 million. Average transaction value reached €219,108, while the median price stood at €185,000. Apartments accounted for 894 sales, compared with 169 houses.

Lakatamia recorded the highest level of activity with 200 transactions, followed by Strovolos (183), Latsia (132), Engomi (100) and Aglantzia (95). Activity in the capital remained concentrated in apartment developments targeting domestic buyers.

Limassol Leads In Market Value

Limassol generated €435 million from 1,050 new-build transactions, accounting for 37.9% of the market’s total value despite representing 29.2% of overall sales. Average transaction value reached €414,307, while the median price stood at €302,910. Apartment sales totalled 895, compared with 155 houses.

Within the district, Limassol municipality led with 384 transactions worth €136.1 million. Agios Athanasios followed with 148 sales, while Germasogeia recorded 132. Median transaction value in Germasogeia reached €472,500, placing it among Cyprus’ most expensive residential markets.

Rolls-Royce raised its full-year profit and cash flow guidance after reporting stronger-than-expected first-half results, supported by growth across its civil aerospace, defense and power systems businesses.

Underlying operating profit rose 46% year on year to £2.5 billion ($3.3 billion) in the first six months of 2026, while revenue increased more than 24% to £11.3 billion.

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The company now expects full-year underlying operating profit of £4.7 billion to £4.9 billion, up from previous guidance of £4 billion to £4.2 billion. It also raised its free cash flow forecast to £3.8 billion to £4 billion, compared with £3.6 billion to £3.8 billion previously.

Shares rose as much as 6% in early trading before paring gains to trade about 4% higher.

Data Center Demand Supports Power Systems

Chief Financial Officer Helen McCabe told CNBC that orders in Rolls-Royce’s data center power business increased by more than 50% in the first half as operators invested in backup and on-site power systems.

The company has benefited from growing demand for power infrastructure as data center operators expand capacity.

Defense Spending Provides Additional Support

McCabe also said Rolls-Royce expects to benefit from higher defense spending in the U.K. and across NATO countries. She cited the U.K.’s long-term defense investment plan, which provides funding visibility through 2030 and beyond.

“We’ve had very positive initial conversations with the new government,” McCabe said, adding that the company supports its focus on growth, defense and industrial manufacturing.

Turnaround Continues

Chief Executive Tufan Erginbilgic said the company’s transformation strategy continued to deliver results. “Our transformation continues to deliver,” he said in a statement. “We have unlocked new growth opportunities across the Group.”

Inflation risks are increasing as energy prices remain elevated, but there is no evidence to justify an immediate interest rate increase, Central Bank of Cyprus Governor Christodoulos Patsalides said.

Speaking to financial news service Econostream, Patsalides supported the European Central Bank’s decision to leave interest rates unchanged, saying inflation remains broadly in line with expectations and second-round effects have yet to emerge.

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Energy Prices Remain Main Inflation Risk

“There was no evidence that would have supported a rate hike,” Patsalides said. “Second-round effects are not evident, expectations are anchored, and inflation is more or less in line with its expected path.” He said prolonged high oil prices remain the main risk to the inflation outlook if geopolitical tensions persist.

“As more time passes without a resolution of the situation, and prices remain elevated, being pre-emptive gains in importance,” he said.

Patsalides said the ECB will continue monitoring whether higher energy costs feed through to production costs, consumer prices, inflation expectations and wages. So far, he said, there is no evidence that inflationary pressures have broadened beyond energy, while wage demands remain contained.

ECB To Remain Data-Dependent

Patsalides said monetary policy decisions should continue to be based on incoming economic data rather than individual indicators. “One has to look at the whole set of data before assessing and deciding,” he said.

He also warned that larger fiscal deficits and higher defence spending across Europe could create additional inflationary pressures over the medium term.

No Return To Forward Guidance

Patsalides defended the ECB’s decision not to provide forward guidance, saying uncertainty remains too high to signal future policy moves.

“Honesty, flexibility and credibility” would be undermined if the central bank resumed forward guidance, he said. “One should not guide anyone toward a place that may not materialise, given the elevated uncertainty.”

He described the current level of interest rates as “neutral to restrictive” and said they remain “at the right level.”

Operational Framework Review

Asked about the ECB’s operational framework, Patsalides said discussions on minimum reserve requirements should form part of the broader review scheduled to begin in the autumn.

He added that this was not the right time to announce changes because heightened market volatility could create unnecessary confusion.

Bank of Cyprus has been named Cyprus’ Best Digital Bank at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2026, recognising the lender’s digital banking developments during the review period from January 1 to December 31, 2025.

Digital Banking Expansion

During the year, the bank integrated Fleksy, Cyprus’ first buy now, pay later service, into its digital banking platform. It also expanded Joey, its youth banking app, by adding savings and goal-setting features and enabling transfers between Joey accounts.

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Bank of Cyprus also extended QuickAccount to support sterling and US dollar accounts. In addition, it launched what it said was Cyprus’ first fully digital housing loan, expanding its digital offering beyond day-to-day banking services.

The bank said it now has more than 500,000 active digital users.

Focus On Customer Access

“Enabling our customers to access the financial products and services they need with ease at any time is at the core of our digital strategy,” Chief Digital Officer Demetris Nicolaou said. “It is an honour for the bank to be named the winner of Cyprus’ Best Digital Bank at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2026.”

The recognition follows the Euromoney Private Banking Awards 2026, where Bank of Cyprus retained its titles as Best Private Bank in Cyprus and Best for High-Net-Worth Individuals in Cyprus for a second consecutive year.

Wealth Management Growth

Euromoney also cited growth in advisory services, digital initiatives and a 36% increase in assets under management during the review period as factors supporting the bank’s private banking awards.

The 50 most expensive property transactions completed in Cyprus during the first half of 2026 reached a combined value of €286.4 million, according to data compiled by Ask Wire. The figures show that premium land and strategically located assets continued to attract the largest investments.

Limassol Dominates High-End Transactions

Six of the country’s ten largest property deals were completed in Limassol, with a combined value of €117.2 million. The biggest transaction involved the sale of fields with a building in Moni for €55 million.

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Paphos accounted for three of the top ten deals worth a combined €35.5 million, while Larnaca recorded one transaction valued at €9 million.

Land Leads Investment Activity

Limassol also ranked first among the 50 largest transactions overall, with its ten biggest deals totaling €148.2 million, or 51.7% of the combined value.

Paphos followed with €68.8 million, representing 24% of the total. Nicosia recorded €26.7 million, while the free area of Famagusta and Larnaca accounted for €21.4 million and €21.2 million, respectively.

Ask Wire Chief Executive Pavlos Loizou said seven of the ten largest transactions involved fields or development land. He said these were likely prime sites for residential or hotel projects and noted that demand for office space has also increased as more companies establish operations in Cyprus.

First Quarter Accounted For Most Major Deals

Loizou said eight of the ten largest transactions in the first half of the year were completed during the first quarter. He attributed the slower pace in the second quarter to uncertainty stemming from the conflict in the Middle East, which he said affected investment decisions.

Meta Platforms’ Reality Labs division reported an operating loss of $4.62 billion in the second quarter, highlighting the continued cost of the company’s investments in virtual and augmented reality technologies. The unit generated revenue of $431 million, up from $370 million a year earlier and above analysts’ expectations of $423.4 million, according to StreetAccount. Operating losses widened from $4.53 billion in the same quarter of 2025.

Revenue Grows As Losses Continue

Despite higher revenue, Reality Labs remains one of Meta’s biggest cost centres. Since late 2020, the division has accumulated more than $80 billion in operating losses as the company continues investing in hardware and software for its long-term computing strategy.

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Focus Shifts Toward AI Wearables

Reality Labs develops the Quest virtual reality headsets and Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses in partnership with EssilorLuxottica. While Meta originally positioned the division around its metaverse vision, the company has increasingly focused on AI-powered wearables as demand for virtual reality devices has grown more slowly than expected.

Long-Term Investment

Meta renamed Facebook to Meta in 2021 to reflect its strategy of expanding beyond social media through immersive technologies. Although Reality Labs continues to report multi-billion-dollar quarterly losses, Zuckerberg has maintained that investments in AI, wearable devices and next-generation computing platforms are central to the company’s long-term growth strategy.