Giant Steps

SpaceX has launched its Starship into orbit for the first time, a milestone in the development of the giant rocket designed for deep space missions. The flight was cut short before completion, but the company and observers are treating the launch itself as a major step forward in getting the vehicle off the ground and into space.

SpaceX launched its Starship spacecraft aboard the giant Super Heavy rocket on the vehicle's first attempt to reach orbit. The flight, watched live by audiences worldwide, marks the maiden orbital test of the most powerful rocket ever built, a key step in SpaceX's plans for deep space missions.

SpaceX's Starship has splashed back down to Earth after its latest test flight, according to NBC News. The splashdown marks another step in the company's efforts to develop the giant reusable rocket for future missions. Reactions focus on how the vehicle performed during its return, with observers weighing the result against the goals SpaceX set for the flight.

SpaceX launched its Starship rocket on a flight taking the vehicle further than any previous test. The launch was broadcast live, with viewers watching as the giant spacecraft attempted new milestones in its development program. Commentators highlighted the flight as a significant step in SpaceX's efforts to advance reusable spaceflight technology and future missions to the Moon and Mars.

SpaceX is preparing its Starship spacecraft for a first attempt at reaching orbit, a milestone the vehicle has never achieved before. The test would mark a major step in the rocket's development, with space enthusiasts and observers following whether the giant vehicle can complete the journey.

The Kremlin has moved to take control of the Russian operations of German retail giant Metro, which owns a chain of stores across the country. The transfer marks a new step in Russia's widening seizure of foreign corporate assets since the invasion of Ukraine, raising fresh concerns among Western companies still operating in or exposed to the Russian market.

SpaceX carried out the fourteenth test flight of its Starship rocket, and the mission also deployed Starlink satellites. The launch marks another step in the company's effort to prove the giant vehicle's capabilities for heavy payloads and future missions to the Moon and Mars. Attention is on how the vehicle performed during flight and on the growing role Starship is expected to play in expanding the Starlink satellite constellation.

SpaceX has completed the launch rehearsal for Starship Flight 14, the next test flight of its giant rocket system. The wet dress rehearsal puts the full launch sequence through its paces ahead of liftoff from Starbase, Texas. It is another step in SpaceX's rapid testing campaign for the Starship program, which is central to NASA's lunar landing plans and the company's deep-space ambitions.

China is considering granting approval for ByteDance and Alibaba to purchase Nvidia's new RTX Pro 5500 chips, according to a report by The News International. The move would mark a notable step amid ongoing US-China tensions over advanced semiconductors, as Chinese tech giants seek access to Nvidia hardware for AI and computing work.

Sberbank, Russia's largest bank with over 100 million clients, has announced it will launch Bitcoin trading for all of its customers. Crypto commentators describe the move as Russia going 'all in' on Bitcoin, marking a major step for cryptocurrency adoption through a state-linked banking giant despite years of regulatory caution in the country.

Google has signed a 20-year agreement with Constellation, the largest nuclear power operator in the US, to update six nuclear plant sites across the country. The deal is aimed at securing more electricity to power Google's rapidly growing data centers, which are consuming increasing amounts of energy due to demand from artificial intelligence and cloud services. It marks a major step by a tech company toward nuclear energy as a long-term power source.

Austrian ski racer Marco Schwarz is stepping away from slalom, saying he wants out of the dense field of course gates that has defined the discipline. The announcement comes as the Alpine skiing season draws attention in Germany and Austria, where Schwarz has been a regular World Cup competitor. Reaction so far has focused on what the move means for his focus on giant slalom and other events going forward.

Bell Canada and the Saskatchewan government have confirmed that the initial 300 megawatts for a major power project will come from Crown utility SaskPower. Bell Canada will then be responsible for delivering the remaining 900 megawatts by constructing its own gas-powered generation system, a significant step for the telecom company into energy infrastructure.

SpaceX has brought its recovered Starship back to a Texas port after the vehicle splashed down during its 13th test flight. The recovery and return of the booster mark a notable step in the company's effort to make its giant rocket rapidly reusable. Observers are watching closely as the company refits the hardware for future launches from Starbase.

Ripple, the payments company best known for its XRP-linked cross-border settlement network, is reported by the Wall Street Journal to be making a push into Wall Street. The story signals the firm's effort to move beyond crypto payments and win traction with traditional financial institutions, a notable step for a company long viewed as an outsider to mainstream finance.

The US Federal Trade Commission has opened an investigation into leading artificial intelligence companies, including Anthropic and OpenAI. The probe targets the AI giants' practices as regulators step up scrutiny of the fast-growing sector. Details of the FTC's specific concerns and potential outcomes have not yet been made clear.

Bitcoin tested the $86,500 level in a volatile week for crypto markets. The exchange Bitget reopened services to users, and payments giant Swift moved to add Chainlink to its infrastructure, a step widely read as advancing institutional blockchain integration. The week's developments point to renewed momentum across both trading and traditional finance adoption.

Kroger has taken what Grocery Dive describes as a key step forward in connecting retail media creative to digital sales outcomes. The move would let the grocery giant's advertisers measure how ad creative drives online purchases, tightening the loop between media spend and sales results in Kroger's fast-growing retail media business.

Zara has revealed the first collection from its collaboration with designer John Galliano, according to FashionNetwork Japan. The Spanish fast-fashion giant, flagship brand of Inditex, has been accelerating a shift toward luxury in recent seasons and is now presenting a more prominent presence in the high-end segment. The partnership marks a notable step in that strategy.

Real Madrid have stepped up their interest in Jarell Quansah, the Liverpool centre-back. The Spanish giants are monitoring the young English defender as they look to strengthen their back line, though no bid or transfer details have been confirmed yet.

Tereina, a payments firm backed by German software giant SAP, has launched a payment service that operates directly inside SAP's business software. The move lets corporate customers handle transactions without leaving their SAP environment. It marks a step in SAP's push into embedded financial services for enterprise clients, and industry observers are watching how it will compete with established payment providers.

Large retailers are stepping up warehouse automation, with robotics increasingly taking over palletizing work traditionally done by hand. Industry coverage focuses on how this shift is changing pallet handling, supply chain labor needs and logistics efficiency, as companies race to cut costs and speed up fulfillment amid growing e-commerce demand.

TikTok has introduced an AI-powered shopping assistant alongside a one-click checkout feature, deepening its push into social commerce. The assistant is designed to help users find products and complete purchases without leaving the app. The move puts TikTok in more direct competition with e-commerce giants and other platforms racing to embed AI into shopping.

Australian biotech CSL has signed a drug development agreement with a Swiss biotech company to develop a treatment for a rare disease. The deal pairs CSL's global plasma and therapeutics scale with the Swiss firm's early-stage pipeline, and marks another step in CSL's push to expand beyond its core blood products business into rare and serious conditions.