The artificial intelligence boom in the United States is set to raise corporate valuations even higher as Anthropic prepares for a public listing, reinforcing the dominance of American companies among the world’s most valuable firms and widening the gap with Chinese firms. Anthropic, valued at US$965 billion in its most recent funding round, is targeting an IPO valuation of US$1.5 trillion to US$2 trillion. Achieving that target would easily secure it a spot among the world’s 20 largest publicly...

Chinese scientists are less satisfied with their jobs than researchers in any other major country, according to a survey that also found they are more optimistic about their careers than their counterparts in the United States and Britain. Only 51 per cent of the 157 respondents from China said they were satisfied with their jobs, according to the survey published this month in the British scientific journal Nature, down 24 per cent from 2018. The survey drew 3,882 respondents from 133...

In September, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu unveiled the city’s first five-year plan along with his policy address, highlighting Hong Kong’s strategic role in promoting the greater use of the yuan outside mainland China as a key priority. In the last of a four-part series on the internationalisation of the yuan, Lam Ka-sing examines Hong Kong’s push to make the currency part of everyday life – from vending machines and retail payments to government spending and cross-border trade. At Hong...

In 2014, Chris Green spent two days dressed as Hulk Hogan in Hong Kong Stadium’s riotous South Stand cheering for friend Cameron Clark during the rugby sevens. The “awesome” experience gave Green a “very specific taste” of a city he has grown to “really love.” This year he is back to lead his country in the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes, a year after being in the side that reached the semi-finals. A modern-day gun for hire, the 33-year-old has played in virtually every franchise tournament going; from...

Stevie Wonder is taking legal action against a reported ex-fiancée, filing a lawsuit last week to evict her after she has allegedly been living rent-free at his Los Angeles property in Studio City for nearly four decades. The prolific musician, whose legal name is Stevland Morris, has filed a legal complaint in Los Angeles County Superior Court against Carmen Efferson, whom he says has been living at the home on Oak Glen Drive since July 1988, according to the complaint obtained by the Los...

In a viral wave of mockery, Brazilian pop star Anitta declared herself free of cellulite, one influencer declared himself the “true president” of Twitter, and another social media user proclaimed himself the winner of the next lottery. The target of the taunts was Flavio Bolsonaro, who – after fleeing to the US following his election defeat – proclaimed himself the leader of Brazil on Wednesday in a confusing series of revised statements. The moves by the 45-year-old senator have been met in...

As middle powers, Australia, Britain and Canada can do more than most other nations to influence global peace in the face of a new great power rivalry between China and the United States. These three nations owe their citizens, and perhaps the wider world, an earnest effort to rise to the challenge of being peacemakers. They have three attributes in common that give them unique potential to be a pivotal force. First is their own shared histories as members of the Anglosphere and therefore close...

Two years ago, Mike Rogers stood before the Republican National Convention and warned that it was “impossible to build an EV without getting into bed with the Communist Party of China”. The former US House Intelligence Committee chairman made opposition to Chinese investment a prominent theme of his 2024 Senate bid in Michigan, which he narrowly lost to Democrat Elissa Slotkin. Now, as Rogers runs again, US President Donald Trump’s softer approach towards Beijing has given candidates more room...

Patrick Stewart, who rose from poverty in England to become an accomplished Shakespearean stage actor and then achieved global stardom as the erudite Captain Jean-Luc Picard in ⁠television’s Star Trek: The Next Generation and the telepathic Professor Charles ⁠Xavier in the X-Men films, has died at the age of 86. Stewart, knighted in 2010 by ⁠Queen Elizabeth for his contributions to drama, died at his home in Los Angeles, according to a statement on his social media account. “We announce with...

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday the EU and Canada continue to explore Canada becoming the union’s first “associate member”, a term so divisive among member countries that it does not appear in a joint declaration. The European Union and Canada aim to deepen cooperation on AI, climate, energy and security, von der Leyen said in a speech at a Canada-EU summit in Montreal. The ‌associate member term, which Germany and several other EU countries oppose, has no...

Three people, including a foreign national, were killed on Thursday when a rock spire collapsed in Turkey’s Unesco-listed Cappadocia region after a landslide triggered by heavy rain, officials said. The region, a magnet for tourists from around the world, is home to cone-shaped rock formations known as “fairy chimneys”, created by ancient volcanic activity. “According to initial findings, two people were killed and five others injured in the incident,” Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said on social...

Hong Kong’s leader has apologised for last year’s deadly Tai Po fire, vowing extensive civil service and legislative reforms and an overhaul of government departments as his housing chief Winnie Ho Wing-yin resigned to offer political accountability. A grim-faced Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and seven other top officials bowed their heads in apology on Thursday at the start of a press briefing, the first time his administration had directly expressed regret since the blaze on November 26 at...

[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] The October 26 partnership with Merck is a prime example. The deal brings a Merck Hong Kong Centre directly into the Hong Kong Science Park, giving local startups immediate access to the global giant's scientific products, live demonstrations and expert consultation. The two sides will also co-organise technical training, clinical advisory sessions, and an annual Merck Innovation Day. Rogier Janssens, president of Merck...

[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] The first DBS Hong Kong Visa Infinite Priviledge Card has finally arrived. The “DBS Vantage Card" marks a new chapter in affluent banking as we see a stronger connection has been built through wealth, travel and lifestyle in the recent years. This card brings together premium payment privileges; cross-border convenience and curated lifestyle experiences in a single tap. According to Emily Ip, Head of Cards and Unsecured...

The United States on Thursday banned all Chinese laboratories from testing electronic devices destined for the US market, just weeks before US President Donald Trump is due to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to bar testing laboratories and certification bodies in China and other economies that lack a “mutual recognition agreement” or reciprocal trade agreement with the...

Thailand’s government said on Thursday it had revoked the citizenship of a prominent head rabbi who was a naturalised Thai, as the country tightens enforcement of its immigration laws. Rabbi Yosef Chaim Kantor’s Thai citizenship was stripped over his repeated use of his US passport after naturalisation in 2013, according to an interior ministry statement. The order was signed by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who is also interior minister. Thai law prohibits naturalised citizens from...

China has showcased artificial intelligence (AI) technology alongside 7,000-metre (23,000-feet) deep-sea trials of its upgraded Jiaolong submersible, highlighting the potential for similar systems to support decision-making and emergency responses aboard nuclear-powered submarines. The Chinese crewed submersible reached a maximum depth of 7,056.9 metres during three dives in the Philippine Basin in the western Pacific Ocean, according to state news agency Xinhua on October 27. The trials...

Singapore’s decision to send its top diplomat to Indonesia on a surprise visit, following days of terse exchanges over a regional haze, underscores a bid to defuse growing tensions and seek a direct channel to President Prabowo Subianto. Analysts say Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan’s trip reflected his country’s preference for measured diplomacy amid rising nationalistic rhetoric in Indonesia, with the city state also mindful of containing any “negative fallout” as Jakarta grapples with...

The US economy grew faster than expected in the third quarter as resilient consumer spending and AI-driven business investment more than offset the impact of higher oil prices stemming from the conflict in the Middle East. Gross domestic product increased at a ‌3.4 per cent annualised rate last quarter, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis said in its advance estimate of third-quarter GDP on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast GDP advancing at a 3.2 per cent...

Hong Kong’s leader has said the housing minister’s resignation was his “comprehensive political decision” in establishing accountability for the city’s deadliest fire in decades, with a three-member team to also investigate up to 50 civil servants. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also said on Thursday that he had decided to stay on to spearhead comprehensive reforms. Nearly a year after last November’s Tai Po inferno, which claimed 168 lives and displaced about 5,000 residents, Lee announced...