Asian share markets extended their bull run on Monday as the AI boom continued to drive demand, offsetting news of fresh attacks in the Gulf that challenged optimism about a re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz and lifted oil prices.
Taiwanese fans of K-pop boy band BTS are turning to Yue Lao, the Taoist god of love and marriage, in the hope that divine matchmaking will connect them with seats for their upcoming shows in the southern Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung.
China issued sweeping new rules on Monday tightening control of overseas deals that involve Chinese investors, technology, data and national security, a month after Beijing ordered Meta to unwind its acquisition of AI startup Manus.
China’s Coast Guard on Monday said it had conducted “law enforcement” patrols in waters east of Taiwan in response to Japan and the Philippines’ plans to launch maritime border delimitation talks, which overlap with areas claimed by China.
Air defences in Kuwait, where a major U.S. base is located, were intercepting missile and drone attacks as sirens sounded across the country.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with both Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the diplomatic negotiations between Israel and Lebanon and has proposed a plan to allow for “gradual de-escalation,” a U.S. official said on Sunday.
Investors are piling into South Korea and Taiwan for semiconductor stocks, but the AI boom isn’t just fattening profits at North Asia’s chip champions. It is powering a broader economic resurgence, driven by stronger household consumption, rising investment and widening tax coffers.
Dell on Sunday unveiled its most affordable laptop, XPS 13, as the PC maker aims to capture market share from Apple’s MacBook Neo by attracting students and young professionals.
Oil prices rose more than 2% in early trading on Monday after Israel ordered troops to move further into Lebanon in the battle with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group, despite a ceasefire announced more than six weeks ago.
Colombian right wing outsider Abelardo de la Espreilla is poised to compete in a runoff in the country’s presidential race against leftist senator Ivan Cepeda, data from the country’s national registry office showed on Sunday, after no candidate reached the more than 50% support needed to avoid a second round, with a majority of votes counted nationwide.