AFP

AFP

Microsoft strikes deal for Mistral's AI computing power

AFP|Published

Mistral's own AI models will also be offered directly to Microsoft clients through its tools including AI assistant Copilot.

Data centre component maker Zhongji InnoLight seeks $7bn in Hong Kong listing

AFP|Published

The listing, expected to take place on July 30, is the latest in a recent run of blockbuster debuts from Chinese AI-related companies in Hong Kong, indicating optimism ...

JPMorgan Chase profits jump on strong investment bank results

AFP|Published

Results were especially buoyant in JPMorgan's markets division during a heady period for the US stock market.

Goldman Sachs profits surge on trading, deal advising strength

AFP|Published

Profits for the New York investment bank in the second quarter were $6.4 billion, up 84 percent from the year-ago level, while revenues jumped 39 percent to $20.3 ...

Apple sues OpenAI for stealing trade secrets

AFP|Published

The lawsuit marks a dramatic escalation in tensions between two companies that partnered in 2024 to integrate ChatGPT into Apple's products.

Union warns of 'conflict' as Volkswagen eyes mass job cuts

AFP|Published

Europe's largest carmaker has come under intense pressure from US tariffs, slimmer profit margins from electric cars and above all intense competition in China, ...

German software giant SAP avoids EU fine

AFP|Published

The European Commission opened an antitrust investigation into SAP -- which offers both traditional software and cloud-based computing services -- in September over ...

Samsung expects 1,800 percent operating profit leap on AI boom

AFP|Published

The world's largest memory chipmaker estimated April-June operating profit at 89.4 trillion won ($58.4 billion) -- up 1,810 percent on-year, a company statement ...

SpaceX IPO set for liftoff in record market debut

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Co-founded by Musk in 2002, the rocket startup has since expanded into a major satellite operator and has also folded in Musk's AI company -- xAI -- which includes ...

Tim Cook's time as Apple chief marked by profit absent awe

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Cook built up Apple's lucrative business selling digital content and services to lovers of its devices, and his legacy is marked by the success of Apple Watch and ...

Life with AI causing human brain 'fry'

AFP|Published

Too many lines of code to analyze, armies of AI assistants to wrangle, and lengthy prompts to draft are among the laments by hard-core AI adopters.

Air China resumes flights to North Korea after 6-year pause

AFP|Published

China has acted as a lifeline for North Korea's moribund economy as its largest trading partner as well as an important source of diplomatic and political support. ...

Tech-equipped Indigenous firefighters protect Thai forests

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Satellite imagery from the peak of the 2020 crisis showed northern Thailand blanketed by dense clusters of fire hotspots, with nearly 400 recorded in Chiang Mai ...

EU to fine e-commerce platforms importing harmful items

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The EU says an estimated 5.9 billion low-value retail packages entered the EU in 2025, more than 90 percent originating from China. Some 4.6 billion cheap parcels ...

Exotic pet trade thrives in China despite welfare concerns

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Throngs of people from across China packed into the cavernous exhibition halls for the annual pet fair, where exotic animals are a more common sight than cats or ...

Trump bars firms with pro-diversity policies from govt contracts

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Companies now hoping for government contracts will have to include on their contracts a seven-paragraph clause pledging that " The contractor will not engage in ...

Iran war speeds tie-up between tech start-ups and US military

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The ongoing Mideast war has catalysed a transformative alliance between the tech sector and the US military, marking a significant shift in defence strategies that ...

US jury finds Meta, YouTube liable in social media addiction trial

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The jury answered yes to all seven questions on verdict forms for both companies, finding that Meta and YouTube were negligent in the design and operation of their ...

Musk's SpaceX looking to raise $75 bn in June IPO: report

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SpaceX, which is also developing a spacecraft for reaching Mars, was valued at $1.25 trillion in early February, when it merged with Musk's artificial intelligence ...

War-linked power crunch pushes Sri Lanka to four-day week

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Banks operated on shorter hours, while many private firms introduced work-from-home arrangements, industry bodies said, urging members to help curb energy use.

New Mexico jury finds Meta liable for endangering children

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The verdict came after roughly a day of deliberations following a six-week trial in which the state accused Facebook and Instagram's parent company of failing to ...

With Middle East in flames, Texan bunker maker sees business boom

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Foreign and US clients are rushing to buy his bunkers, seeking refuge in case of air raids, nuclear fallout or apocalypse.

Oil holds above $100, stocks fall as Khamenei targets Hormuz

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Tehran has targeted energy facilities this week across the Gulf, with ships hit near Iraq, fuel tanks attacked in Bahrain and drones fired at oil fields in Saudi ...

Nigeria's 'Mothers of Chibok' go from farm to factory

AFP|Published

Beaming with pride and dressed in colourful traditional gowns, they donned hairnets before entering the production area, where peanuts they cultivate at home are ...

Highway anti-crime wall divides South Africa's tourist hub

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The nearly nine-kilometre (six-mile) wall will separate part of the road that leads in from the international airport from the packed, impoverished settlements that ...