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Hong Kong’s first locally developed artificial intelligence chatbot, HKChat, has raised expectations that it could compete with more popular and established AI apps, as it racked up around 90,000 users in the city within a week of its low-key release.HKChat is focused on providing information on local services, including real-time bus arrivals, as well as the city’s weather, laws and regulations. It was the top-ranked free app on Apple’s Hong Kong App Store on Sunday, according to data from app analyst firm Sensor Tower.“Our goal is to provide Hong Kong residents with a good AI assistant,” said Guo, who serves…
The US dollar remained near a one-week low during Wednesday’s trading as markets awaited further economic data and continued to speculate about Federal Reserve policy. Growing expectations of an interest-rate cut by the Federal Reserve in December helped support global equities. The dollar index stayed close to its lowest level in a week, while China’s offshore yuan touched a 13-month high after the Chinese central bank guided the currency toward stronger levels alongside broad US-dollar weakness. With markets becoming more certain about a Fed rate cut next month, traders believe the path for long-term forward premiums will…
A bipartisan group of US lawmakers is urging Donald Trump’s administration to reject Myanmar’s “sham” elections next month, days after the administration cited the country’s electoral progress as grounds to remove legal protections for Myanmar nationals in the US.“Burma’s planned elections this December are proving to be a sham,” said Representatives Brian Mast and Gregory Meeks and Senators Jim Risch and Jeanne Shaheen on Wednesday, using the former name for the war-torn country.“Orchestrated by the military junta to deceive the international community, these elections are designed to manufacture legitimacy for the China-backed junta after its 2021 coup and ongoing campaign…
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves presented the government’s Autumn Budget to Parliament on Wednesday, announcing a series of measures aimed at raising revenue from workers, pension savers, and investors, in order to create fiscal space that allows her to meet the government’s borrowing targets. Her remarks followed the unexpected publication of the Office for Budget Responsibility’s economic forecasts on its website prior to the budget announcement, an incident the OBR later described as a “technical error.” The main measures announced by the Chancellor were as follows: Freezing income-tax thresholds The UK will freeze income-tax bands for an…
Shares of Apple and Broadcom on Wednesday both traded above their record-high closes. New research shows investors exactly why there should be more upside ahead for the two Club holdings. No. 1 smartphone: Apple stock rose Wednesday after Counterpoint Research said the company was on track to dethrone Samsung as the world’s top smartphone maker in 2025 — a feat not seen in more than a decade. The tech behemoth is expected to ship 243 million iPhone units in 2025 compared to Samsung’s 235 million. Counterpoint analysts credited the successful debut of Apple’s newest iPhone 17 series for the share…
The three-day visit is scheduled to begin on December 3, with two stops in Beijing and Chengdu, according to the statement.“On this occasion, major issues relating to the strategic partnership between France and China will be addressed, as well as several major international matters and areas of cooperation aimed at tackling the global challenges of our time,” the statement said.Beijing’s stance in the war has been causing unease in Paris as well as Brussels, both of which accuse China of supporting Russia’s war machine.France expressed its wish for China to persuade Russia to abide by UN principles as a permanent…
Shoppers are heading into this year’s holiday season with a greater sense of apprehension. Persistent unease about the economy, inflation, and tariffs has many Americans quietly recalculating — asking not just what gifts to buy but what they can truly afford. The latest consumer surveys and annual holiday forecasts mirrored this trepidation heading into Black Friday — the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season — and followed by Cyber Week. The Conference Board’s November confidence index slipped to its lowest reading since April. Similarly, the University of Michigan’s sentiment gauge dropped to near all-time low levels. According to the 2025…
Pakistan Customs foiled a major smuggling attempt worth approximately Rs157.7 million at the Sost Dry Port and Baggage Section in Gilgit-Baltistan, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) said on Wednesday. Acting on credible information, officials examined two consignments imported from China. During the inspection at the dry port, customs recovered 59,000 units of Nokia 105 mobile phones with batteries, 5,200 pieces of medicine weighing 318 kilograms, 3,000 Sildenafil Citrate tablets, and assorted weapon parts. Pakistan Customs seizes millions in smuggled silver In a separate operation at the baggage section, authorities intercepted 80 bottles (20 litres) of liquor and 40 kg…
Petroleum minister Ali Pervaiz Malik received “positive updates” on the financial close of the Reko Diq Copper and Gold Project on Wednesday, as he discussed wider investment opportunities in Pakistan’s mining and oil and gas sectors in meeting with officials of the Oil & Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) and international law firm Milbank. Reko Diq is a massive copper and gold deposit located in Balochistan, Pakistan, which is believed to be one of the world’s largest. The project is a joint venture between Barrick Gold and Pakistani stakeholders. The $7 billion project is expected to start production by the…
The US dollar remained near a one-week low during Wednesday’s trading as markets awaited further economic data and continued to speculate about Federal Reserve policy. Growing expectations of an interest-rate cut by the Federal Reserve in December helped support global equities. The dollar index stayed close to its lowest level in a week, while China’s offshore yuan touched a 13-month high after the Chinese central bank guided the currency toward stronger levels alongside broad US-dollar weakness. With markets becoming more certain about a Fed rate cut next month, traders believe the path for long-term forward premiums will…