AFP
19848 articles published since 08 Mar 2022
19848 articles published since 08 Mar 2022
Hong Kong's securities regulator on Monday granted conditional approval to start the city's first spot-bitcoin and ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs), firms involved said, positioning it as a leader in Asia for the use of cryptocurrencies as investment tools. The company is "actively deploying resources in the development of spot Bitcoin ETF and spot Ethereum ETF", it said.
Retail sales in the United States grew more than anticipated last month, government data showed on Monday, defying predictions of weaker consumer demand. While resilience in consumer spending has helped US economic growth in the last year, analysts expect demand to cool this year amid cost fatigue and high interest rates.
The United States on Monday announced grants of up to $6.4 billion to South Korean semiconductor giant Samsung to produce cutting-edge chips in Texas. Under the latest agreement, Samsung will not only build a new facility to produce advanced chips, but also expand its existing facility in Texas, according to the Department of Commerce.
ChatGPT creator OpenAI opened a new office in Tokyo on Monday, the first Asian outpost for the groundbreaking tech company as it aims to ramp up its global expansion. "We chose Tokyo as our first Asian office for its global leadership in technology, culture of service, and a community that embraces innovation," the company added.
China's economy is expected to have slowed in the first three months of the year as it continues to be buffeted by a debilitating property sector crisis and flagging consumer activity. And analysts say state pledges of support for the property sector are yet to sway the market or consumers.
Equities tumbled Monday in Asia after Iran ramped up Middle East tensions by launching a barrage of rockets at Israel over the weekend, fuelling fears of a wider conflict in the volatile region. Still, Saxo's Redmond Wong said: "All eyes remain on whether there will be any response from Israel and markets will likely be volatile in the day ahead to any geopolitical headlines."
The spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are due to open Tuesday, with two clear objectives: help countries combat climate change, and assist the most indebted nations.
As Google races with Microsoft and OpenAI to create world-changing generative artificial intelligence, some critics see Amazon as lagging behind. Microsoft and Google compete with their in-house, AI-infused digital assistants to help with creating content -- emails, presentations, ads -- and applications (especially chatbots).
After more than a decade of leaving Big Tech largely to itself, US antitrust enforcers have cranked up the heat, with several high-profile cases underway that could radically change the way the industry's giants do business.
AFP
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