Apple has trained a large language model specifically for the China market with support from Alibaba Group, according to three people familiar with the matter who spoke with Reuters. The development marks a departure from the iPhone maker’s prior strategy of relying entirely on third-party models to power artificial intelligence features in the country, where … Read more
Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek formally released its official V4 Pro model to regain ground against fast-moving domestic rivals as it expands hiring, computing capacity, and fundraising efforts, according to Reuters and The Economic Times. The new software, designated V4-Pro-0813, greatly enhances agent capabilities and is available through API, app, and web channels, the companies … Read more
A vast oil spill from the leaking sanctioned tanker Caroline Bezengi has begun hitting Oman’s coastline near Ras Madraka and Masirah Island, threatening an environmental disaster comparable in potential scale to the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill. According to Oman’s environment agency and independent oil spill specialists reviewing satellite imagery, the slick now covers an area … Read more
Major bridal chains and designers are actively sketching Swift-inspired wedding gowns and monitoring upcoming dress reveals, anticipating a surge in market demand following the pop star’s high-profile celebration. According to Reuters, brands like David’s Bridal and Justin Alexander are preparing new collections despite strict secrecy surrounding the Christian Dior dress worn at Madison Square Garden … Read more
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz dropped to six vessels on August 11, falling significantly below the 10-day average of approximately 11 ships, according to Kpler data. Strait of Hormuz Traffic Trends The current volume of maritime traffic represents a sharp reduction from pre-war levels, when 130 to 140 ships typically transited the waterway … Read more
Typhoon Dolphin is tracking toward China’s eastern coast with sustained winds reaching 162 kilometers per hour (101 mph), prompting authorities to initiate emergency flood and landslide responses across Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, and Fujian provinces. According to China’s National Meteorological Centre, the storm is expected to make landfall between Sunday evening and Monday, bringing up to … Read more
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has plummeted to 33 vessels between Monday and Thursday, down from 50 in the previous week, according to Kpler data published by Reuters. Markets are closely monitoring ongoing talks between Iran and Oman to gauge any potential progress in reopening the critical global energy waterway following regional conflicts. … Read more
Chinese artificial intelligence laboratories are implementing commercial revenue-sharing models for open-source AI releases, led by Moonshot and Alibaba, as they push to capture market share from U.S. competitors like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Alphabet’s Google according to recent industry reports. Moonshot and Alibaba Push for Open-Source Revenue Sharing Chinese technology giant Alibaba plans to ask major … Read more
According to shipping data from Kpler, transit volumes at these critical maritime chokepoints fell significantly compared to the previous day, following reports of missile attacks on tankers in the region. Strait of Hormuz Traffic Nears Standstill Transit through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global energy supplies, slowed to just two vessels on … Read more
Chinese mainland tax authorities have started levying a 20% personal income tax on returns from offshore insurance policies, according to a report by Caixin citing tax lawyers and insurance insiders. The enforcement action triggered a steep sell-off in major insurers, with Prudential shares falling as much as 13% on Wednesday. Tax Crackdown Targets Offshore Insurance … Read more