Ant Group\'s Quarterly Profit Plummets 91% as AI and Healthcare Investments Weigh on Earnings

ge 91% year-over-year. The sharp decline was driven by the Chinese digital payments giant’s heavy investments in artificial intelligence (AI) and healthcare, coupled with a drop in the fair value of certain investments. According to Alibaba’s financial re

Saudi Arabia Bypasses Strait of Hormuz, Restores Over Half of Crude Exports as Tankers Crowd Yanbu Port

success for its contingency plan to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. By rerouting shipments through the East-West Pipeline to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, the kingdom is setting a new record for exports from the terminal, with a growing fleet of tankers gather

Global AI Infrastructure Cost Surge Hits China as Alibaba Cloud and Baidu Smart Cloud Raise Prices

art Cloud both announced on Wednesday (March 18) increases in pricing for AI computing and storage products, with some services seeing hikes of up to 34%. The new rates will take effect on April 18, 2026. Markets responded positively: Alibaba (9988.HK) cl

Japan’s February Exports Rise 4.2%, Beating Expectations, but Shipments to China and U.S. Decline as Hong Kong Shines

a 1.6% increase, though the pace slowed sharply from January’s 16.8% surge. The country recorded a trade surplus of ¥57.3 billion (approximately $361 million), a stark contrast to the expected deficit of ¥483.2 billion. By destination, exports to China—Ja

NVIDIA Secures Major Breakthrough in H200 Sales to China, Jensen Huang Announces Resumption of Mass Production

approval to sell its H200 AI accelerators to “many large Chinese customers” and is “resuming mass production.” This marks a significant breakthrough for the chipmaker’s return to the Chinese market, a stark contrast to just weeks ago when it had only sec

Allies Refuse to Escort Ships Through Strait of Hormuz as Oil Prices Surge Past $120, Pressuring European Stocks

’s call to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz off southern Iran. The rejection triggered another sharp spike in global oil prices, with Brent crude breaching the $120-per-barrel mark, intensifying market fears of resurgent inflation and a potential shift in

China Ranks Third Globally in Art Sales with HK$66.3 Billion in 2024, Hong Kong Maintains Hub Status in Asia

total sales rising 4% year-over-year to USD 59.6 billion. The United States, the United Kingdom, and China continue to dominate, collectively accounting for 76% of global sales. China ranked third with USD 8.5 billion (approximately HK$66.3 billion) in sa

OpenClaw Rollercoaster: A Financial Autopsy of an AI Bubble

colloquially dubbed Lobster—not only ignited a software frenzy but also unexpectedly fueled speculative trading in hardware markets. The Apple Mac mini M4 emerged as the biggest beneficiary. Sales surged by 300%, with secondhand prices jumping from RMB 2

IEA Announces Largest-Ever Oil Reserve Release, Coordinating 400 Million Barrel Drawdown

rom emergency reserves. This marks the largest coordinated drawdown in the agency’s history since its founding in 1974 and represents only the fifth such collective action ever undertaken, aimed at addressing a global energy supply crisis triggered by esc

IEA Plans Largest-Ever Oil Reserve Release to Counter Middle East Crisis, Brent Crude Retreats

riggered by escalating conflict in the Middle East, according to The Wall Street Journal. The announcement sent international oil prices lower, with Brent crude futures reversing an earlier 3.7% gain and falling more than 1%. Citing officials familiar wit

Iran Conflict Shows Signs of Turning Point; Wall Street Waits as Oil Prices Rebound After Sharp Drop

y rallied after President Trump suggested the conflict with Iran could end swiftly, but sentiment quickly soured following a White House clarification that the U.S. was not escorting oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. Adding to uncertainty, Israeli

Apple Accelerates "China+1" Strategy as India\'s iPhone Output Surges 53% to Capture a Quarter of Global Production

oomberg, citing sources familiar with the matter, the company assembled approximately 55 million iPhones in India in 2025—up 53% from 36 million units the previous year—accounting for roughly one-quarter of its estimated global production of 220–230 milli

Japan’s Pandemic Relief Scheme Exploited in $45 Million Fraud Scandal

ize businesses and protect jobs. But what was intended as a lifeline has now been exposed as a lucrative loophole—recently exploited in a massive fraud case involving 6.5 billion yen (approximately $45 million or RMB 300 million). According to Japanese me

Economic Uncertainty Dampens Consumer Confidence as Tariff Pressures Feed Through to Prices

The U.S. Federal Reserve warned in its latest Beige Book that heightened economic uncertainty is significantly eroding consumer confidence. Although overall consumer spending continues to show modest growth, multiple Federal Reserve districts reported tha

Hun Manet Gives Rare Interview to Foreign Media, Refutes Claim That “GDP Relies on Scams”: Online Fraud Cut by Half

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet recently gave a rare interview to international media in Brussels, the Belgian capital, strongly rejecting allegations that his country’s economy depends on scam industries and revealing the results of the government’s h