PE HUB First Read

AXA is buying XL Group for $15 billion in latest insurance mega deal.

Apple may be launching a cheaper MacBook Air this year.

Kobe Bryant wins an Oscar for “Dear Basketball.”

“The Shape of Water” wins best picture.

Study finds that 78 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds use Snapchat.

North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un is meeting with a high-ranking South Korean delegation in Pyongyang Monday.

Toyota announces new company devoted to self-driving cars.

UiPath is raising around $120 million at $1 billion + valuation for its “software robots” for internal business tasks.

Swiss investor Martin Ebner is in talks to buy Swiss-German United Grinding, as other bidders have dropped out of the race for the machine tool maker.

JCPenney cuts more jobs, capping off a gloomy week for retailers.

SEC subpoenas TechCrunch founder’s cryptofund amid broader investigation into digital coins.

Photo: Kobe Bryant with Best Animated Short Film Award for “Dear Basketball”. Courtesy of REUTERS/Mike Blake –