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The US dollar index retreated on Friday, trading near its lowest level in five weeks ahead of a delayed US inflation reading that is not expected to alter market expectations for a Federal Reserve rate cut next week.   The dollar weakened notably against the Japanese yen, which drew support from expectations that the Bank of Japan will raise interest rates this month, pushing the yen to its strongest level in nearly three weeks.   The dollar index, which measures the currency against six major peers, slipped 0.1% to 98.981, moving toward Thursday’s low of 98.765.   The Personal Consumption…

BYD, China’s electric vehicle (EV) king, is pinning its hopes on next-generation technology to engineer a turnaround in sales amid fierce competition in the world’s largest automotive market, according to its founder and chairman Wang Chuanfu.Speaking at a shareholders’ meeting in Shenzhen on Friday, the billionaire said the company’s 12,000 engineers – the backbone of the carmaker – would help it regain a technological edge over rivals.“We have heavyweight new technology in the pipeline,” he was quoted as saying by the official China Securities Journal. “These will be announced later, as it is not convenient for me to disclose more…

Artificial intelligence has rapidly emerged as one of the defining global forces of our era. As a core driver of the fourth industrial revolution, it is increasingly viewed as a strategic tool to tackle major challenges such as climate change and pollution. Energy companies are deploying AI to digitize records, analyze massive geological datasets, and identify early-warning signs of operational issues — from equipment overuse to pipeline corrosion.   AI now plays a central role in seismic data analysis, well-path optimization, and advanced reservoir management, enabling higher recovery rates with lower environmental impact and fewer human errors. Companies such as…

There are some days when stay-at-home mother of three Lynn Lee finds her 15-year-old daughter watching drama programmes or playing games on her phone for hours on end, unaware of how much time has passed.The 49-year-old, whose children are aged between 10 and 15, calls it an addiction and says her teenager’s screen time can be between eight and 10 hours a day despite parental controls that shut off her internet at 10.30pm.According to Lee, the addiction has caused her daughter’s temperament to go haywire and affected her eyesight.“It’s not because they’re not guai [well-behaved] but it’s really addictive and…

Jigang Group spent decades forging the metal for China’s infrastructure boom. Now, the former industrial titan is building hardware for the final frontier.The state-owned company, once one of the nation’s top steel producers, has secured orders for its first two satellites – an all-important step in its years-long transformation to capture demand in the country’s burgeoning commercial space industry.Reporting this week on the purchase, the Economic Observer said production was expected to begin this month at the company’s new satellite-assembly base in Jinan, the provincial capital of Shandong. No buyer names were given, and it was unclear if multiple buyers…

Artificial intelligence has rapidly emerged as one of the defining global forces of our era. As a core driver of the fourth industrial revolution, it is increasingly viewed as a strategic tool to tackle major challenges such as climate change and pollution. Energy companies are deploying AI to digitize records, analyze massive geological datasets, and identify early-warning signs of operational issues — from equipment overuse to pipeline corrosion.   AI now plays a central role in seismic data analysis, well-path optimization, and advanced reservoir management, enabling higher recovery rates with lower environmental impact and fewer human errors. Companies such as…

The last time Sugeng Widodo spoke to his wife, Indonesian domestic worker Sri Wahyuni, something did not feel right for him.It was around 1pm Hong Kong time on November 26, just a few hours before a devastating fire would rip through Wang Fuk Court in the city’s Tai Po district, killing at least 159 people.Wahyuni, 42, would be among the dead – her body found in a room on a fourth-floor flat at the estate, hugging her employer, a 93-year-old woman, according to Widodo, citing information provided to him by Hong Kong’s police.“Usually, we would speak for around 30 minutes…

Sun Hung Kai Properties’ (SHKP) luxury residential projects in North Point and Mid-Levels have attracted well-heeled buyers, including a granddaughter of Hang Seng Bank’s co-founder, who snapped up a flat for HK$72 million (US$9.3 million), according to official records.Magdalene Ho Mai-ting bought the flat in Dynasty Court in Mid-Levels, one of Hong Kong’s upmarket neighbourhoods, according to Land Registry records, which showed the deal was registered on Wednesday.Ho is the granddaughter of entrepreneur and philanthropist Ho Sin-hang, one of the founders of Hang Seng Bank, one of Hong Kong’s largest banks, according to local media.The 1,806 sq ft, three-bedroom flat…

Deterrence to prevent war in the Indo-Pacific is important to the “America first” strategy and rebalancing economic relations with China, the US said in a national security document released on Friday.The White House said in the latest National Security Strategy (NSS) report that the US would prioritise reciprocity and fairness to restore American economic independence.Such a policy must be “accompanied by a robust and ongoing focus on deterrence to prevent war in the Indo-Pacific”, the report said.“A favourable conventional military balance remains an essential component of strategic competition,” it said.“There is, rightly, much focus on Taiwan, partly because Taiwan provides…

Country Garden Holdings has cleared a major hurdle this week after securing approval for both its onshore and offshore restructuring plans, offering the embattled developer a lifeline amid mainland China’s property downturn.Sources said the Hong Kong High Court on Thursday endorsed a proposal allowing the indebted developer, once the country’s largest homebuilder by sales, to extend repayment of US$17.7 billion in offshore debt. The creditors now have the option to swap their debt for shares, receive convertible bonds or accept new notes.The company also disclosed that onshore bondholders had agreed to extend nine bonds worth 13.8 billion yuan (US$1.95 billion)…