World News

Glacial lake burst triggers flash flood in Bhutan, no injuries reported

A flood caused by the Shintaphu glacial lake bursting its banks damaged infrastructure at the Gasa Tshachu hot springs, a major tourist attraction

Big tech's $750 billion AI bet faces strain with slowing core growth

The earnings reports and the ensuing stock selloffs expose the tensions escalating over big tech's transition to new AI-powered products, and the spending required to get there

Putin warns Europe against Baltic Sea curbs, flags Hormuz-like disruption

Putin noted that Russia opposed curbs on navigation in the Baltic Sea, warning that interference with maritime transit could lead to a situation comparable to the disruption witnessed around Hormuz

Amazon burns cash, Intel flags weak PC demand as AI boom strains markets

Surging data-center spending, as highlighted in Amazon's massive cash burn, has turned once debt-light tech giants into major borrowers, while price hikes are squeezing global demand for devices

Netanyahu's bloc wins 53 seats in Israel polls but falls short of majority

Results released early Friday showed the pro-Netanyahu bloc winning 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, and 48 seats for rival Eisenkot's bloc

Binance's possible hack triggers $3 billion freeze in crypto assets

The market impact of the possible hacking, which could be the largest-ever crypto heist according to analytics firm Chainalysis, was felt immediately in early Asian trading on Friday

Microsoft's cloud growth, cash flow offer respite from AI spending fears

Microsoft's Azure cloud business grew 48% in the September quarter, while free cash flow reached $18.6 billion, easing investor concerns over mounting AI infrastructure spending.

Israel seeks election probe after Netanyahu alleges Arab vote rigging

Israel's election watchdog has sought a probe into alleged foreign interference after Netanyahu questioned high Arab voter turnout, as his bloc fell short of a parliamentary majority.

Microsoft eyes to raise at least $25 billion in first US bond since 2017

Microsoft is seeking to raise at least $25 billion through its first US bond sale since 2017, testing investor appetite for AI-linked debt amid rising borrowing costs and spending concerns.

Datanomics: Will US replace Singapore as India's top FDI destination?

Indian investment commitments of over $330 billion in the US could boost outward FDI flows, potentially challenging Singapore's position as the top destination for Indian investments.

US economy expands 3.4% in Q3 as consumer spending, AI investment rise

The US economy grew at an annualised rate of 3.4% in Q3, beating forecasts of 3.2%, as resilient consumer spending and AI-driven investment offset the impact of higher oil prices.

Christine Lagarde to step down as European Central Bank chief in Feb 2027

Christine Lagarde, who took charge of the ECB in 2019, steered the eurozone through the Covid pandemic, the Ukraine war, an energy crisis and inflation pressures linked to the US-Iran war

Nvidia chief Jensen Huang reportedly targeted in Chinese spy plot

US intelligence agencies reportedly identified a Megaspeed executive with ties to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang as a Chinese intelligence asset, raising concerns over AI chip exports.

Netanyahu alleges election fraud, rules out cooperation with Arab parties

The Israeli prime minister accused foreign entities of funding and influencing Arab-led parties after the election produced no clear majority in the 120-member Knesset

How Trump's immigration crackdown could backfire in the midterms

Biden's immigration policies remain a regular target for Republicans this year. Trump said at a recent Florida rally that Democrats let migrants pour across our borders from all over the world

Shell beats expectations with $10.8 billion profit, hikes buybacks

Shell beat analyst estimates and increased share buybacks as stronger refining margins and higher LNG prices lifted quarterly net profit from $5.43 billion a year earlier

North Korea fires 10 ballistic missiles towards sea amid border tensions

South Korea said it detected about 10 short-range missiles launched from Wonsan, days after Pyongyang threatened to resume propaganda broadcasts and deploy new weapons along the border

Trump and Obama trade barbs in closing week of US midterm election

Trump has stepped up rallies amid Republican concerns over losing Congress, while Obama has criticised the president and campaigned for Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff ahead of Tuesday's vote

Chinese AI model completes complex cyberattacks in tests, raises concerns

Z.AI's GLM-5.3 completed three of 13 multi-stage cyberattack scenarios in controlled simulations, according to Irregular, though it trailed leading US models in separate tests

Putin seeks new tax revenue to fund Russia's war as budget deficit swells

The deficit hit 5.8 trillion rubles ($72 billion) through August, almost 50 per cent higher than last year's figure and above the already revised target of 4.8 trillion rubles