The hype around artificial intelligence software OpenClaw has heightened the interest in Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. earnings and how the agent might drive growth and innovation across multiple technology industry sectors. Both companies have rolled out easy on-ramp services for the software, which can handle complex tasks that previously only a human could do, including p...
The hype around artificial intelligence software OpenClaw has heightened the interest in Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. earnings and how the agent might drive growth and innovation across multiple technology industry sectors. Both companies have rolled out easy on-ramp services for the software, which can handle complex tasks that previously only a human could do, including prioritizing emails and making travel bookings — setting it apart from traditional chatbots like DeepSeek or OpenAI LLC’s ChatGPT. While rising regulator scrutiny is a hurdle, this is unlikely to stall wider adoption in China, Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Robert Lea said. Chinese authorities restricted the app among state-owned enterprises and in the government sector, according to people familiar with the matter. Meanwhile, Chinese automakers Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd. and Xpeng Inc stand to benefit from China’s expanded funding for vehicle trade-in programs. The war in the Middle East could cause near-term cost and supply disruptions, UOB Kay Hian said. Elsewhere in the region, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. will disclose complete earnings after full-year sales reached a record, CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd. will face questions after two of its operated ports were occupied by Panama, while Cosco Shipping Holdings Co. will show how container-liners are navigating the fallout from the Iran war. Highlights to look out for: Monday: Hon Hai Precision’s ( 2317 TT ) fourth-quarter sales beat expectations, which Citi attributed to buoyant performance in the cloud & networking segment, along with stronger-than-expected iPhone 17 sell-through. Gross margin might be diluted by high-cost AI server models making up a larger share of revenue, BI said . Tuesday: No notable earnings. Wednesday: Tencent’s ( 700 HK ) fourth-quarter revenue probably rose 13%. Earnings growth this year may decelerate amid higher geopolitical and economic headwinds, although it remains better positioned tha...
Iran's Hormuz Naval Mines: A Powerful Asymmetric Weapon Paralyzing Tanker Traffic Iran's asymmetric warfare in the Strait of Hormuz has shifted from kamikaze drone strikes on tankers, bulk carriers, and container ships to littering the world's most important maritime chokepoint with naval mines. Even though much of Iran's conventional naval capability has been severely degraded in the 12 or so day...
Iran's Hormuz Naval Mines: A Powerful Asymmetric Weapon Paralyzing Tanker Traffic Iran's asymmetric warfare in the Strait of Hormuz has shifted from kamikaze drone strikes on tankers, bulk carriers, and container ships to littering the world's most important maritime chokepoint with naval mines. Even though much of Iran's conventional naval capability has been severely degraded in the 12 or so days of the Operation Epic Fury campaign, IRGC forces retain asymmetric leverage in Hormuz and the Gulf region through sea mines, drones, small vessels, and missile threats. " It's a good tool of asymmetric warfare ," Jahangir E. Arasli, a senior research fellow at Baku-based Institute for Development and Diplomacy who specializes in maritime threats, told the Wall Street Journal . " The conventional capability is wiped out, but they have this asymmetrical capability ," Arasli said, noting that he was speaking in a personal capacity. BREAKING: Iran is planting mines in the Strait of Hormuz, turning the vital waterway into a battlefield with daily clashes. The U.S. Navy is rejecting requests from oil and shipping companies for escorts through the Strait of Hormuz due to the high risk of Iranian attacks,… pic.twitter.com/XPN6zhQk6B — Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) March 11, 2026 The U.S. military said earlier this week that it had severely degraded IRGC naval forces, prompting Iran to shift away from sea denial operations in the maritime chokepoint and toward creating havoc in the waterway by laying naval mines. Congressional Research Service, a nonpartisan public policy research arm of the U.S. Congress, released a 2020 report titled "Iran's Foreign and Defense Policies" that assessed Iran has roughly 3,000 to 6,000 naval mines, with some more recent estimates putting the stockpile toward the upper end of that range. On Thursday, President Trump told reporters that U.S. forces have struck 28 Iranian mine-laying vessels. This move to disrupt naval mine operations comes as such activi...
Rush-hour was a notch louder at Beijing Station on Thursday, as passengers scurried to board the first K27 train service in six years. Destination: Pyongyang, capital of reclusive North Korea. Scores of security guards swarmed the platform, as train spotters photographed two carriages destined for North Korea , distinguished by their blue and white exterior. Aboard for the ride, which totals 24 ho...
Rush-hour was a notch louder at Beijing Station on Thursday, as passengers scurried to board the first K27 train service in six years. Destination: Pyongyang, capital of reclusive North Korea. Scores of security guards swarmed the platform, as train spotters photographed two carriages destined for North Korea , distinguished by their blue and white exterior. Aboard for the ride, which totals 24 hours for those going the whole way, was a mix of government officials, journalists and Chinese rail enthusiasts. The restoration of passenger rail services between China and North Korea signals stronger diplomatic and economic ties, after pandemic disruption decimated the flow of goods and people. It builds on the momentum of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s attendance at a military parade last year in Beijing, alongside President Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin . There’s just one problem. Despite tickets being reportedly sold out, no one boarding in Beijing appeared to be headed to North Korea. “This is the first time since the pandemic the train service between China and North Korea has resumed,” said a 17-year-old college student known by his internet moniker Wu Jiang, who traveled some 700 kilometers (435 miles) from his hometown in Henan province to witness the train depart. “It’s significant and will help strengthen the connections.” Wu, however, only bought a ticket to the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin, hoping to take photos on the platform and experience the train for roughly one hour. While he may eventually want to travel to North Korea, Wu said visa and tour-group requirements remained a barrier — a sentiment reflected across the station, leaving Pyongyang carriages departing on their maiden trip eerily empty. Back on Track With two of China’s major partners — Russia and Iran — now engulfed in war, and the Trump administration picking off Beijing’s other close friends such as Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro , Xi is reverting to the “pre-Covid status quo...
格隆汇3月13日｜咨询公司Benchmark Mineral Intelligence(BMI)公布的数据显示，2月全球纯电和插电式混动汽车的注册量连续第二个月下降，同比下降11%至略高于100万辆，为2024年同期以来的最低水平。其中，中国2月电动汽车注册量同比下降32%，至不足50万辆；北美市场销量下降35%，至不足9万辆，连续第五个月下滑；欧洲保持增长势头，销量增长21%。
格隆汇3月13日｜咨询公司Benchmark Mineral Intelligence(BMI)公布的数据显示，2月全球纯电和插电式混动汽车的注册量连续第二个月下降，同比下降11%至略高于100万辆，为2024年同期以来的最低水平。其中，中国2月电动汽车注册量同比下降32%，至不足50万辆；北美市场销量下降35%，至不足9万辆，连续第五个月下滑；欧洲保持增长势头，销量增长21%。