(Bloomberg) — Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook commended Chinese developers and the company’s partners in the country, days after the ruling party’s flagship newspaper criticized the iPhone maker for monopolistic policies. Cook, speaking at the China Development Forum in Beijing on Sunday, praised the innovations of Chinese developers and the automation at the country’s manufacturing fa...
(Bloomberg) — Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook commended Chinese developers and the company’s partners in the country, days after the ruling party’s flagship newspaper criticized the iPhone maker for monopolistic policies. Cook, speaking at the China Development Forum in Beijing on Sunday, praised the innovations of Chinese developers and the automation at the country’s manufacturing facilities. He said Apple and China share common goals, including in green development and carbon neutrality. Most Read from Bloomberg Apple lowered the fees it collects from app developers in the country earlier this month, a major concession in a hugely lucrative market where the company faced the risk of antitrust intervention by local regulators. Yet after the announcement, the Communist Party’s People’s Daily newspaper called for a further easing of App Store restrictions and urged the firm to fix “monopolistic” practices — highlighting how Apple may continue to face pressure from Beijing. “Innovation, green development and education are not separate properties — they are deeply connected,” Cook said. “They represent the vision of progress that we at Apple share, and we are committed to collaborating with our partners across China and with all of you to make that vision a reality.” An “excellently talented developer community” helps to increase prosperity and opportunity across China, and innovation is transforming its manufacturing sector, Cook said. While the US tech giant builds most of its devices in China, it has diversified its assembly to regions such as Vietnam and India. “There is a Chinese proverb I love - ‘a single tree does not make a forest,’” Cook said. “Together, I believe we can plant that forest.” Apple has seen its sales growth in China rebound in recent months, helped by demand for the latest iPhone edition and consumers switching from rival devices. Revenue from the country jumped 38% to $25.5 billion in the holiday quarter that ended in December. Spe...
Hong Kong will step up efforts to bolster its global standing and strengthen links between mainland China and the West, enabling the city to better serve as a ‘superconnector’ and ‘super value adder’ for the nation amid growing geopolitical complexities, the financial chief has said. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po wrote in his weekly blog on Sunday that the international community was seeking...
Hong Kong will step up efforts to bolster its global standing and strengthen links between mainland China and the West, enabling the city to better serve as a ‘superconnector’ and ‘super value adder’ for the nation amid growing geopolitical complexities, the financial chief has said. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po wrote in his weekly blog on Sunday that the international community was seeking to foster bilateral and regional cooperation to ensure flexibility in trade and resilience in production and supply chains, given the gloomy global economic outlook marked by intensified geopolitical conflicts and high energy prices. He underlined Hong Kong’s role in a complicated geopolitical environment as the mainland continued to pursue high-quality development, opening-up policies and cooperation. Advertisement “As the two-way gateway between China and the world, Hong Kong’s roles as a ‘superconnector’ and ‘super value-adder’ will become increasingly vital amid today’s complex and shifting global landscape,” he wrote. “How to further consolidate and enhance Hong Kong’s unique roles and functions of internationalisation and global connectivity, and strengthen its connection and collaboration with the mainland, is a task we must continue to strengthen in the future.” Advertisement Chan, who is attending the two-day China Development Forum in Beijing, said he would take part in a symposium to discuss Hong Kong’s contribution to the global transition towards a green economy. He noted that the city had ample room for growth, given its strengths in green finance and technology, particularly as energy resilience had become a pressing global concern. The US-Israel strikes on Iran on February 28 have since fuelled an oil crisis.
This week, a topic that has been boomeranging around Silicon Valley bounced into the spotlight: AI tokens as compensation. The idea is straightforward enough — rather than giving engineers only salary, equity, and bonuses, companies would also hand them a budget of AI tokens, the computational units that power tools like Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini. Spend them to run agents, automate tasks, crank ...
This week, a topic that has been boomeranging around Silicon Valley bounced into the spotlight: AI tokens as compensation. The idea is straightforward enough — rather than giving engineers only salary, equity, and bonuses, companies would also hand them a budget of AI tokens, the computational units that power tools like Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini. Spend them to run agents, automate tasks, crank through code. The pitch is that access to more compute makes engineers more productive, and that more productive engineers are worth more. It’s an investment in the person holding them, is the idea. Jensen Huang, the leather-jacket-wearing CEO of Nvidia, seemed to capture everyone’s imagination when he floated the notion at the company’s annual GTC event earlier this week that engineers should receive roughly half their base salary again — in tokens. His top people, by his math, might burn through $250,000 a year in AI compute. He called it a recruiting tool and predicted it would become standard across Silicon Valley. It isn’t entirely clear where the idea was first, well, ideated. Tomasz Tunguz, a renowned VC in the Bay Area who runs Theory Ventures and focuses on AI, data, and SaaS startups — and whose writing on all things data has garnered a loyal following over the years — was talking about this in mid-February, writing that tech startups were already adding inference costs as a “fourth component to engineering compensation.” Using data from the compensation tracking site Levels.fyi, he put a top-quartile software engineer salary at $375,000. Add $100,000 in tokens and you’re at $475,000 fully loaded — meaning roughly one dollar in five is now compute. That’s no coincidence. Agentic AI has been taking off, and the release of OpenClaw in late January accelerated the conversation considerably. OpenClaw is an open-source AI assistant designed to run continuously — churning through tasks, spawning sub-agents, and working through a to-do list while its user sleeps. It’s pa...
Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority has launched an investigation into the controversy over a social media image posted by a doctor showing him performing a resuscitation procedure inside a public hospital, sparking outcry over patient privacy and professional ethics. Jensen So, a doctor from the Kowloon West cluster and a former contestant on ViuTV’s popular reality talent show King Maker III, posted ...
Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority has launched an investigation into the controversy over a social media image posted by a doctor showing him performing a resuscitation procedure inside a public hospital, sparking outcry over patient privacy and professional ethics. Jensen So, a doctor from the Kowloon West cluster and a former contestant on ViuTV’s popular reality talent show King Maker III, posted the image on his Instagram account last Thursday. It has since been widely circulated on another social media platform, Threads. The photograph showed what appeared to be a public hospital room, in which several healthcare workers in white coats and blue scrubs were gathered around a patient, while So was holding equipment to perform resuscitation. An accompanying caption read: “A rarely seen cardioversion – everyone has come to watch me deliver the electric shock.” Advertisement The Hospital Authority said on Sunday the Kowloon West cluster placed utmost importance on protecting patient privacy and would review the incident. “All staff members must strictly adhere to relevant regulations to ensure patient privacy is not violated. [The authority] emphasises that any form of disclosure of patient privacy by employees will not be tolerated,” a spokesman said without naming the doctor under scrutiny. Advertisement “The cluster will review the incident. Should any staff be found in breach of these regulations, the case will be handled according to established human resources procedures and referred to relevant regulatory bodies for follow-up if necessary.”
TSMC announces breakthroughs in 1.6nm process technology, enhancing AI and high-performance computing capabilities amid rising demand from DACH tech firms and investors. TSMC has unveiled significant progress in its 1.6nm semiconductor process technology, marking a pivotal advancement in chip manufacturing efficiency and performance. This development directly addresses the surging global demand fo...
TSMC announces breakthroughs in 1.6nm process technology, enhancing AI and high-performance computing capabilities amid rising demand from DACH tech firms and investors. TSMC has unveiled significant progress in its 1.6nm semiconductor process technology, marking a pivotal advancement in chip manufacturing efficiency and performance. This development directly addresses the surging global demand for advanced chips in AI, automotive, and mobile applications, making it highly relevant for DACH investors tracking semiconductor supply chains. Updated: 22.03.2026 Dr. Elena Voss, Senior Tech Editor for Semiconductor Markets: TSMC's 1.6nm push underscores the critical role of advanced nodes in powering Europe's AI ambitions. Official source The company page provides official statements that are especially relevant for understanding the current context around TSMC's 1.6nm Chip Technology. Open company statement TSMC's 1.6nm Technology Breakthrough TSMC's 1.6nm process represents the next frontier in semiconductor scaling. The technology incorporates advanced nanosheet transistors, delivering up to 15% speed gains or 30% power reductions compared to the prior 2nm node. This node builds on TSMC's A16 platform, integrating super-power rail and backside power delivery for superior voltage handling. Production trials are slated for late 2026, with volume ramp-up in 2027. The announcement came during TSMC's Technology Symposium, where executives detailed how 1.6nm addresses thermal density challenges in AI accelerators and high-performance computing chips. For DACH-based firms like Infineon and ASML, this means more reliable access to cutting-edge nodes essential for automotive semiconductors and lithography equipment. Engineers at TSMC overcame key hurdles in EUV patterning and high-k metal gate integration, achieving yield rates competitive with mature nodes. This progress solidifies TSMC's leadership, holding over 60% market share in advanced logic processes below 7nm. Commerci...
Key Points CEO James Mahan III sold 20,000 indirect shares of voting common stock for a total of ~$653,000 at a weighted average price of around $32.67 per share on March 11 and March 12, 2026. LOB shares have continued to fall throughout 2026. 10 stocks we like better than Live Oak Bancshares › James S. Mahan III, Chief Executive Officer of Live Oak Bancshares (NYSE:LOB), reported the indirect sa...
Key Points CEO James Mahan III sold 20,000 indirect shares of voting common stock for a total of ~$653,000 at a weighted average price of around $32.67 per share on March 11 and March 12, 2026. LOB shares have continued to fall throughout 2026. 10 stocks we like better than Live Oak Bancshares › James S. Mahan III, Chief Executive Officer of Live Oak Bancshares (NYSE:LOB), reported the indirect sale of 20,000 shares of Common Stock for a transaction value of approximately $653,000 across multiple transactions on March 11 and March 12, 2026, according to a SEC Form 4 filing. Transaction summary Metric Value Shares sold (indirect) 20,000 Transaction value $653,321 Transaction value based on SEC Form 4 weighted average purchase price ($32.67). Key questions How does the size of this transaction compare to Mahan’s historical trading activity? This sale matched the recent median trade size of 20,000 shares for Mahan’s sell transactions since December of last year. This sale matched the recent median trade size of 20,000 shares for Mahan’s sell transactions since December of last year. What portion of Mahan’s ownership base was affected? The transaction amounted to 0.31% of his indirect Common Stock holdings, leaving 6,374,875 shares held through indirect vehicles. Company overview Metric Value Price (as of 3/21/26) $31.85 Market capitalization $1.47 billion Revenue (TTM) $480.78 million Net income (TTM) $102.82 million Company snapshot Live Oak Bancshares is a Wilmington, North Carolina-based regional bank holding company that offers commercial banking products and services, including deposit accounts, commercial and industrial loans, construction and real estate loans, and government-guaranteed loan services. It generates revenue primarily from interest income on loans and deposits, as well as fees from wealth management and investment advisory accounts. What this transaction means for investors Although Live Oak Banking Company, the bank that Live Oak Bancshares owns, ...
The Hunt: Prey vs Predator 9pm, Channel 4 An outdoorsy version of The Traitors? Or simply a massive game of tag with some arguing thrown in? Stripped across the week, this competition sees 10 strangers let loose in a forest and set various challenges. The catch? They begin each day designated as either prey or predator so a freeform game of hide and seek also ensues as the prey try to evade captur...
The Hunt: Prey vs Predator 9pm, Channel 4 An outdoorsy version of The Traitors? Or simply a massive game of tag with some arguing thrown in? Stripped across the week, this competition sees 10 strangers let loose in a forest and set various challenges. The catch? They begin each day designated as either prey or predator so a freeform game of hide and seek also ensues as the prey try to evade capture. But if you’re still a predator at the end of the day’s running around, you face The Cull! There are trace elements of many previous shows in this daft mixture of strategy, physical prowess and avarice (£100k awaits the winner) but soon tensions are running high enough to provide mindless, guilty pleasure. Phil Harrison The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer 7.40pm, Channel 4 Another batch of celebs enter the tent for charity. And alongside Paul Hollywood, they find themselves facing a new judge: Cherish Finden from the professional version of the show will be joining the panel. The bakers include Joe Wilkinson, Roisin Conaty, Rose Matafeo and Judi Love and, as ever, it’s good, unapologetically formulaic fun. PH The Capture 9pm, BBC One View image in fullscreen High-stakes … The Capture on BBC One. Photograph: BBC/Universal International Studios/Laurence Cendrowicz Season three of the paranoid techno-thriller continues. Holliday Grainger’s stressed SO15 chief is so convinced that her new boss, Pierson, is a killer she has sneakily delivered him to CIA bruiser Frank for a grilling. The result is a high-stakes face-off between Killian Scott and Ron Perlman to see who can sound the most gravelly. Graeme Virtue Forensics: The Real CSI 9pm, BBC Two After a flurry of ATM robberies using the sort of hydraulic rescue tools that free trapped victims from car wrecks, police in Cumbria and the West Midlands join forces to try to stop the perps making any more unauthorised withdrawals. Will forensic analysis help them collar the so-called Jaws-of-Life Gang? GV The Pictur...
The S&P 500 soared over the past three years -- but since the start of this year, the benchmark has lost some of the positive momentum. This is for a variety of reasons. The possibility that the long-term revenue opportunity in the artificial intelligence (AI) market could disappoint has weighed on investors' minds. Uncertainty about the state of the economy and the pace of interest rate cuts also...
The S&P 500 soared over the past three years -- but since the start of this year, the benchmark has lost some of the positive momentum. This is for a variety of reasons. The possibility that the long-term revenue opportunity in the artificial intelligence (AI) market could disappoint has weighed on investors' minds. Uncertainty about the state of the economy and the pace of interest rate cuts also has prompted concern -- and the war in Iran added to this difficult picture. With this in mind, now is a fantastic time to add a couple of defensive stocks to your portfolio -- these are companies that tend to deliver solid earnings performance even through difficult environments. Here are two such healthcare players to buy now and hold onto for the long term. 1. Abbott Laboratories I like Abbott Laboratories (ABT 1.21%) for two key reasons. First, it's a well-diversified healthcare business, meaning that if one part faces headwinds, other areas may compensate. The company has four units: medical devices, diagnostics, nutrition, and established pharmaceuticals. During the early days of the pandemic, diagnostics revenue soared, and now that this is no longer the case, the medical device business is driving growth. And since Abbott's products are essentials, economic shifts aren't likely to affect the company's revenue much. Expand NYSE : ABT Abbott Laboratories Today's Change ( -1.21 %) $ -1.30 Current Price $ 105.89 Key Data Points Market Cap $183B Day's Range $ 105.41 - $ 107.74 52wk Range $ 105.27 - $ 139.06 Volume 523K Avg Vol 11M Gross Margin 52.72 % Dividend Yield 2.28 % Abbott also makes a top buy because it's a Dividend King, meaning it's increased its dividend payments for more than 50 consecutive years. This commitment to dividend growth suggests you can count on the company to continue along this path. This passive income should limit the impact of tough market times on your portfolio. 2. Intuitive Surgical Intuitive Surgical (ISRG 0.41%) is the global leader in ...
Arteta's Arsenal will be desperate to shed their tag as the side that has come up short in recent years. The Gunners and their manager are seeking a first piece of silverware since they beat Chelsea in the 2020 FA Cup final, only nine months after he left Guardiola's side as his assistant at City to take over at Emirates Stadium. In that same period, Arteta's managerial mentor Guardiola has a trop...
Arteta's Arsenal will be desperate to shed their tag as the side that has come up short in recent years. The Gunners and their manager are seeking a first piece of silverware since they beat Chelsea in the 2020 FA Cup final, only nine months after he left Guardiola's side as his assistant at City to take over at Emirates Stadium. In that same period, Arteta's managerial mentor Guardiola has a trophy haul of the Champions League, four Premier League titles, the FA Cup and the EFL Cup, as well as the Uefa Super Cup and Fifa Club World Cup. Arsenal, since Arteta last tasted success, have lost in the Europa League semi-final to Villarreal in 2021, EFL Cup semi-finals in 2022 and 2025 to Liverpool and Newcastle United respectively, as well as last season's Champions League semi-final against eventual winners Paris St-Germain. The Gunners have finally broken that pattern to reach a final, but Arteta must also release Guardiola's stranglehold, having only won four of their past 16 meetings against him - including the Community Shield in 2023 - while losing nine. This suggests it is Arteta who is in urgent need of breaking the cycle of finishing empty-handed. Former Arsenal and England defender Matt Upson told BBC Sport: "I think overall, Arteta needs it most because he has not won enough trophies in his time at Arsenal for how well they have done. "It has been a case of 'nearly but not quite' for Arteta after the seasons in which they have finished second in the Premier League. They have not quite got there, so this is a big one for Arteta. "I think Arteta and Guardiola need it for very different reasons, but I feel Arteta needs it more because he needs to put some silverware in the trophy cabinet. "The overall pressure is on Arteta, but it is also fair to say the short-term pressure is on Guardiola. It is very important City get that win to try and at least dent Arsenal's confidence. That would be really helpful for them in the last eight games of the season." Former Manc...
China’s drive to grow 90 per cent of its own grain by 2032 just gained a critical weapon: an unmanned ratoon rice farm that produces 50 per cent higher yields. By harnessing smart seedling care, sowing, growing and harvesting, a Chinese biotechnology company and scientists from several institutes have built the world’s first smart farm for regenerated rice. Located in the Datong Lake District in C...
China’s drive to grow 90 per cent of its own grain by 2032 just gained a critical weapon: an unmanned ratoon rice farm that produces 50 per cent higher yields. By harnessing smart seedling care, sowing, growing and harvesting, a Chinese biotechnology company and scientists from several institutes have built the world’s first smart farm for regenerated rice. Located in the Datong Lake District in China’s central Hunan province, the smart rice farm has enabled an ancient but technically challenging technique of harvesting the second rice crop grown from the stubble of the first harvest. Advertisement “The agricultural machinery goes to the fields, but I don’t go to the fields,” Xiong Jiaojun, the founder of Hunan Hongshuo Biotechnology Co, which is leading the project, told the China News Network on March 15. Built in 2023, the farm has nearly 33 hectares (82 acres) of experimental fields, with the entire intelligent, minimally staffed base covering 200 hectares. Advertisement This year, Xiong said they deployed 20 sets of unmanned machinery, which can cover 666 hectares of rice fields.
In the days after the US and Israel first bombed Iran, financial markets bet the economic fallout from Donald Trump’s “little excursion” in the Middle East would be short-lived. “There are risks from higher oil prices longer term. But this is a tail risk,” one US-based fund manger said after the airstrike killing Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “History has shown time and time again...
In the days after the US and Israel first bombed Iran, financial markets bet the economic fallout from Donald Trump’s “little excursion” in the Middle East would be short-lived. “There are risks from higher oil prices longer term. But this is a tail risk,” one US-based fund manger said after the airstrike killing Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “History has shown time and time again that geopolitical flare-ups like this tend to be short-lived. This one should prove to be no exception.’’ Goldman Sachs told clients it expected temporary disruption. “Oil prices to decline throughout the year. But risks are skewed to the upside,” its analysts wrote. UniCredit suggested crude would be capped at about $80 a barrel. “Given its struggle for survival, the Iranian regime has an incentive to keep its response measured”. Three weeks later, the prospect of a drawn-out war is causing mounting economic problems. Oil prices have soared above $100 a barrel, European gas prices have doubled, volatility stalks financial markets, and consumers worldwide are bracing for a surge in living costs. Central banks, including the US Federal Reserve, Bank of England and European Central Bank, warn the war could have a material impact on inflation and dent global growth. “Market wisdom still holds that the war will end quickly, with the strait of Hormuz soon to reopen,” said Albert Edwards, a senior analyst at Société Générale. “Maybe the market is right, but in my opinion the risks are asymmetric that stagflation bursts the complacency bubble.” With each day, more problems are emerging. From the soaring price of petrol and diesel for motorists, to cancelled flights and the worst travel disruption since the Covid pandemic. View image in fullscreen The cost of fertiliser is rising sharply, hurting farmers worldwide. Photograph: Aly Song/Reuters European heavy industry – still reeling from the 2022 energy price shock after the Russian invasion of Ukraine – are feeling the pinch in p...
The cooking is precise, proud and purposeful Osteria Vibrato appeared last month on Greek Street, Soho, feeling to any passerby just like any other neutral-fronted Italian restaurant in this pasta-swamped part of the capital. Not much to see here. Pushing your face against the window wouldn’t achieve much, either, apart from an unsightly smear. Meanwhile, all the in-the-know people – that bunch of...
The cooking is precise, proud and purposeful Osteria Vibrato appeared last month on Greek Street, Soho, feeling to any passerby just like any other neutral-fronted Italian restaurant in this pasta-swamped part of the capital. Not much to see here. Pushing your face against the window wouldn’t achieve much, either, apart from an unsightly smear. Meanwhile, all the in-the-know people – that bunch of infuriating, generously paunched “foodies” who keep London restaurant gossip alive – understood that this particular osteria is the latest opening by Charlie Mellor, former proprietor of the Laughing Heart in Hackney, which opened in 2016 and very quickly became favoured by chefs and industry media types alike, because it took food very seriously, stayed open late and danced a dainty line between debauched and old-school cosseting. It sold pumpkin cappelletti with sage, and chicken liver paté with crisp chicken skin and jellied walnut liqueur. The room was furnished with quirky tables complete with cutlery drawers, and there seemed to be a never-ending party going on in the ground-floor bar. Mellor, the star of the show, led the charge: warm, serious yet with a great capacity for silliness, though weirdly omniscient as to who needed what and when. Continue reading...
Iran has radically overhauled its social media strategy in an all-out information war launched by the country’s Islamic rulers in response to US and Israeli military attacks. Cyber experts say Iranian foreign influence operations have gone into overdrive as part of an “asymmetric” campaign designed to complement its military retaliation and intensify moral pressure on the US and Israel into curtai...
Iran has radically overhauled its social media strategy in an all-out information war launched by the country’s Islamic rulers in response to US and Israeli military attacks. Cyber experts say Iranian foreign influence operations have gone into overdrive as part of an “asymmetric” campaign designed to complement its military retaliation and intensify moral pressure on the US and Israel into curtailing their war efforts. It has meant flooding platforms such as X, Instagram and Bluesky with targeted postings calculated to exploit the war’s unpopularity in the US, including among supporters of Donald Trump. Previous multi-pronged communications aimed at fomenting support for causes such as Scottish independence and Irish unification have been jettisoned in favour of a single-issue message that has included AI-generated videos and memes mocking Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister. Some AI generated footage has faked successful strikes on the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, bomb damage supposedly inflicted on buildings in Tel Aviv, and Israeli soldiers supposedly crying in fear over Iranian retaliation. The Iranian campaign has been sufficiently effective to draw complaints from Trump, who accused Iran of using AI as a “disinformation weapon”. The intensified onslaught has come as the regime imposed a near-total internet blackout in Iran while threatening punishments against anyone using satellite internet connections, such as Starlink. Government agents have also reportedly tried to intimidate Iranians living abroad against posting online messages against the regime or in favor the US-Israeli war effort. Expatriate Iranians report receiving phone calls or online warnings that their citizenship will be revoked or family members in Iran harmed unless they stop posting. Analysts believe the cyber effort has become a central component of the regime’s survival strategy, along with military retaliation against US and allied targets, and closure of the ...