China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) — the country’s powerful central economic planner — summoned executives from Maersk and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) last month and delivered an unambiguous message: cease operating the Balboa and Cristóbal ports on the Panama Canal immediately. The Financial Times confirmed the directive on April 15, citing two people familiar with the talks. Neither shipping group, nor Beijing’s foreign ministry, had responded publicly by the time of publication.

Gather AI has closed a $40 million Series B round that feels less like a routine growth raise and more like a marker that Physical AI is graduating into a core layer of industrial infrastructure. The round is led by Smith Point Capital Management, with participation from Bain Capital Ventures, Tribeca Venture Partners, Bling Capital, Dundee Venture Capital, XRC Ventures, and new investor The Hillman Company. With this round, total funding reaches $74 million, a figure that neatly tracks the company’s shift from promising pilot deployments into something that looks a lot like an emerging system of record for warehouses.

The Houthi movement, formally known as Ansar Allah, has significantly escalated its threat to maritime trade, particularly around the Bab al Mandeb Strait, a crucial maritime choke point. This strategic location is vital for global shipping routes, and disruptions here can have far-reaching economic impacts. Since October 2023, following the Hamas attacks and Israel’s military response in Gaza, the Houthis have intensified their operations, targeting Israeli territory as well as commercial and naval vessels in the Red Sea.