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The word 'tomba', Italian for tomb, is drawing a wave of searches in Italy, ranking first among trending terms in the country. One related item currently circulating concerns an Appia Day weekend in Rome, hosted by heritage group Italia Nostra, with a meeting on the future of the ancient Appian Way, an area dotted with historic tombs and monuments. No other details about a specific tomb or discovery have been reported.

The US Department of Transportation has finalized its rollback of Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for passenger cars and light trucks, easing fuel-efficiency requirements that automakers must meet. The move lowers mandatory mileage benchmarks, reversing stricter efficiency rules put in place under earlier policy. Observers expect debate over its effects on fuel costs, emissions and automaker strategy.

Donald Trump has described an energy deal with South Korea as tremendous, but Seoul has denied that any such agreement exists. The claim has drawn attention as observers try to connect it to wider US energy and Ukraine-related policy discussions, with questions over what, if anything, was actually agreed between the two governments.

Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general, has repeatedly won elections despite a political career dotted with scandals, including legal challenges and impeachment proceedings. A review of his timeline highlights how he has survived allegations that would typically end careers, maintaining strong support among Republican voters in Texas and remaining a significant figure in state and national conservative politics.

Yahoo Finance UK is out with guidance on protecting portfolios from a possible AI-driven stock market crash. It comes amid growing concern that valuations of companies tied to artificial intelligence have surged too far, too fast, echoing the dot-com bubble. The piece looks at diversification and defensive strategies investors can consider if AI enthusiasm turns into a sharp selloff.

OpenAI has introduced Dots, a set of AI agents designed to handle continuous, always-on tasks for users. The agents are positioned as a step toward more autonomous assistant software that can monitor and act on tasks in the background rather than responding only to single prompts. Early reactions online are focused on what this means for productivity tools and how reliably such agents perform over long periods.

New AI projects from Meta, known as Muse, and OpenAI, known as Dots, are increasing demand for semiconductors and supporting software, according to Barron's. The developments add to the pressure on chipmakers and software providers already racing to supply the computing power needed for large-scale AI systems, with investors watching how suppliers benefit from the build-out.

CNBC's Morning Squawk roundup leads with questions about an 'inside man' at the Federal Reserve, following controversy over political pressure on the central bank. It also covers OpenAI's debut of a product called Dots and notes an emerging trend of companies going public, suggesting renewed momentum in the IPO market.

Researchers report that combining carbon quantum dots with polyoxometalate photocatalysts significantly improves the efficiency of hydrogen evolution, a key process for producing clean hydrogen fuel using light. The hybrid material approach could make solar-driven hydrogen production more practical and cost-effective.

Researchers report progress in quantum computing using zinc oxide quantum dots, according to a science news release. The material is being explored as a building block for quantum technologies, though details of the team, institution and specific results remain limited to the headline. No wider reaction or independent coverage is yet available on the work.