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GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany (AP) — Thieves stole tens of millions of euros worth of property from safety deposit boxes inside a German bank vault that they drilled into Monday during the holiday lull, police said.Some 2,700 bank customers were affected by the theft in Gelsenkirchen, police and the Sparkasse bank said.Thomas Nowaczyk, a police spokesperson, said investigators believe the theft was worth between 10 and 90 million euros ($11.7 to 105.7 million).German news agency dpa reported that the theft could be one of Germany’s largest heists.The bank remained closed Tuesday, when some 200 people showed up demanding to get inside, dpa…

As the Philippines counts down to the new year, authorities are bracing themselves for another familiar increase in injuries and deaths linked to fireworks, despite decades of regulation, annual warnings and stepped-up police raids.Health officials say dozens of people have already been hurt in the run-up to December 31, with more casualties expected as Filipinos usher in the new year with explosive celebrations that light up streets, backyards and skylines across the country.The Department of Health said as of Saturday, at least 57 people had been treated in government hospitals for firework-related injuries, including children who lost fingers when fireworks…

Hong Kong stocks traded in a narrow range on Tuesday, as the last full trading day of the year saw investors holding off bets while awaiting more clarity on policy signals in 2026.The Hang Seng Index rose 0.2 per cent to 25,731.05 as of 11.13am local time. The Hang Seng Tech Index gained 1.1 per cent. On the mainland, the CSI 300 Index and the Shanghai Composite Index both slipped 0.1 per cent.Search engine operator Baidu surged 7.2 per cent to HK$127.70, and chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp rallied 3.3 per cent to HK$71.85. Alibaba Group Holding gained 0.9 per…

Hong Kong stocks wavered on Tuesday, with the benchmark hovering near a two-week low as trading waned towards the end of year.The Hang Seng Index rose 0.2 per cent to 25,698.37 as of 10.10am local time. The Hang Seng Tech Index gained 1 per cent.On the mainland, the CSI 300 Index climbed 0.1 per cent and the Shanghai Composite Index added 0.1 per cent.Search engine operator Baidu surged 6 per cent to HK$126.30, and chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp rallied 2.4 per cent to HK$71.25. Alibaba Group Holding gained 0.7 per cent to HK$144.30. On the downside, Pop Mart International…

“Biotechnology is a high-risk field like a ‘molecular casino’,” said founder Alex Zhavoronkov. “Even with artificial intelligence, you can lose 90 per cent of the time.”The 11-year-old company was training and testing an AI-powered drug-discovery tool, Pharma.AI, to “enable faster, cheaper and more successful drug discovery with higher novelty and confidence”, he said. Zhavoronkov likened it to an “Einstein” capable of mastering fields from mathematics and physics to chemistry, biology and writing, pushing drug discovery to “new frontiers”.He expected Insilico to begin opening some of its AI capabilities within the next three to five years, allowing other AI or pharmaceutical…

“Biotechnology is a high-risk field like a ‘molecular casino’,” said founder Alex Zhavoronkov. “Even with artificial intelligence, you can lose 90 per cent of the time.”The 11-year-old company was training and testing an AI-powered drug-discovery tool, Pharma.AI, to “enable faster, cheaper and more successful drug discovery with higher novelty and confidence”, he said. Zhavoronkov likened it to an “Einstein” capable of mastering fields from mathematics and physics to chemistry, biology and writing, pushing drug discovery to “new frontiers”.He expected Insilico to begin opening some of its AI capabilities within the next three to five years, allowing other AI or pharmaceutical…

Six companies debuted on the Hong Kong stock exchange on Tuesday, capping a year that reaffirmed the city’s dominance as the world’s top initial public offering (IPO) market and one of the best-performing benchmarks.The six debutants raised a combined HK$6.99 billion (US$899 million), adding to several sizeable deals this year, with about eight IPOs raising at least HK$10 billion each.Shares of drug-discovery firm Insilico Medicine rose 45.5 per cent to HK$35 in their trading debut, from their offer price of HK$24.05. The US company, which focuses on using artificial intelligence to accelerate drug discovery, raised HK$2.28 billion in the biggest…

Six companies debuted on the Hong Kong stock exchange on Tuesday, capping a year that reaffirmed the city’s dominance as the world’s top initial public offering (IPO) market and one of the best-performing benchmarks.The six debutants raised a combined HK$6.99 billion (US$899 million), adding to several sizeable deals this year, with about eight IPOs raising at least HK$10 billion each.Shares of drug-discovery firm Insilico Medicine rose 45.5 per cent to HK$35 in their trading debut, from their offer price of HK$24.05. The US company, which focuses on using artificial intelligence to accelerate drug discovery, raised HK$2.28 billion in the biggest…

Santa runs on diesel. Every year, the global holiday economy relies on a short, intense surge in distillate fuel consumption to power trucks, ports, warehouses, cold-chain logistics, and backup generators — all operating under winter conditions. This holiday-driven commercial surge places heavy strain on logistics systems and exposes just how thin the safety margin has become in diesel markets that are already structurally tight, particularly in Europe.   After crude oil, diesel is the most economically important fuel in the global energy system — and Christmas reinforces that reality. In the United States, distillate demand typically rises as December begins,…

LAHORE: The Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) has launched a major enforcement operation against tax defaulters across Punjab, including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Taxila, and Bahawalpur. According to PRA officials, enforcement teams inspected 58 marquees and food outlets during the operation. As a result, records from 11 outlets, including a well-known fast-food chain, were impounded. Moreover, due to serious irregularities, records of four prominent hotels were taken into custody. In Lahore’s Johar Town area, enforcement teams detected manipulation and tampering of sales records at two branches of a fast food chain and a renowned restaurant. Further, notices were issued to 40 food…