Financial Times:
Mike Lynch experienced some of the most extreme career highs and lows of any British tech entrepreneur, selling Autonomy for $11B before a 12-year legal ordeal  —  The outsider entrepreneur was celebrating a courtroom victory when the yacht he was on sank  —  Mike Lynch, who has died …

Akash Sriram / Reuters:
The NHTSA closes a preliminary probe into Cruise’s hard-braking and immobilization issues in 1,194 autonomous ride-hailing vehicles, after Cruise made updates  —  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it was closing its preliminary investigation into the hard braking …

CNBC:
Chinese self-driving startup WeRide delays its planned IPO in the US, citing its need for more time to complete documents, after filing for an IPO in July 2024  —  Self-driving technology company WeRide delayed its plan for an initial public offering in the U.S., citing its need for more time to complete documents.

James Mayger / Bloomberg:
Chinese government data: Chinese companies imported $25.9B of chip machinery in January to July 2024, passing $23.8B in 2021, $21.6B in 2022, and $18B in 2023  —  – China has been stockpiling ASML systems and foreign machinery  — US and allies have been limiting China’s access to their tech

Bloomberg:
Walmart’s China business is booming, driven by its Sam’s Club memberships; Walmart says e-commerce orders delivered within one hour rose 28% to 59M last quarter  —  – Sam’s Club drives now-rare China growth for a foreign retailer  — US firm is less reliant on local partner’s infrastructure

Reuters:
Baidu reports Q2 revenue flat YoY to ~$4.67B, vs. ~$4.7B est., net income down 8% YoY to ~$1B, vs. ~$900M est., online marketing revenue down 2% YoY to ~$2.7B  —  Search engine giant Baidu (9888.HK), reported flat quarterly revenue on Thursday, as a sluggish economy weighed on advertiser spending.

Reuters:
Interviews with dozens of Byju’s staff and other sources show a growing sense of desperation, as its insolvency rumbles on; some staff weigh their legal options  —  The insolvency of Indian education technology company Byju’s threatens to be the biggest upset in a celebrated startup sector …

Camilla Hodgson / Financial Times:
Microsoft, Amazon, and others plan to use old power stations and industrial sites for data centers, as land and power in many markets are “heavily constrained”  —  Companies need vast tracts of land and resources that industrial sites can provide

Wall Street Journal:
Researchers: a network of 200+ Russia-linked X accounts shows how Russian trolls are trying to go viral, including low-quality, high-volume replies to Elon Musk  —  Kremlin-backed influence network has sought engagement with Elon Musk, Donald Trump Jr. and other influential accounts

David Shepardson / Reuters:
The FCC says Lingo Telecom agreed to pay a $1M fine after the agency said Lingo transmitted fake robocalls imitating President Joe Biden in New Hampshire  —  Lingo Telecom agreed to pay a $1 million fine after the agency said it transmitted fake robocalls imitating President Joe Biden seeking …