US President Donald Trump described his recent phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping as "excellent," while also, Ukraine and Russia swapped 157 prisoners in the first exchange in five months, and Iranian and US officials met for indirect nuclear talks in Muscat, Oman, according to reports. The news comes as Amazon announced a significant increase in capital expenditures for 2026, and Republicans criticized Netflix during a Senate hearing.
Trump's call with Xi, which took place on Wednesday, focused on a range of issues, including trade. Trump expressed hope that China would increase its purchases of US soya beans, according to Al Jazeera. Meanwhile, in Abu Dhabi, Ukraine and Russia conducted a prisoner swap mediated by the United Arab Emirates, with each side exchanging 157 individuals. This marked the first such exchange in five months, with families welcoming loved ones home, as reported by Euronews. Among those released was a Crimean Tatar serviceman captured during the siege of Mariupol in 2022.
Simultaneously, Iranian and US officials engaged in indirect talks on Iran's nuclear program in Muscat, Oman, mediated by Oman's top diplomat. This meeting represented the first diplomatic encounter between the two nations since Washington joined Israel's conflict against the Islamic republic in June, according to Euronews. An Iranian convoy was seen departing from a palace in Muscat, with Iranian state media confirming a meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Omani counterpart.
In the tech sector, Amazon announced a projected $200 billion in capital expenditures for 2026, a significant increase from the $131.8 billion spent in 2025, as reported by TechCrunch. These investments will be allocated across AI, chips, robotics, and low earth orbit satellites.
Finally, a Senate hearing involving Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos turned into a Republican critique of the streaming service's "woke ideology," according to The Verge. The hearing, initially focused on antitrust issues related to the Warner Bros. merger, shifted to a discussion about the spread of "woke" content.
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