ASX set to edge up, Wall Street steady; Meta rises after unveiling AI model

Tech trillionaire Elon Musk gave $276 million to several Republican super PACs and organizations over the past three months, as the GOP faces headwinds ahead of the midterm elections. This brings the Tesla and SpaceX CEO’s total contributions so far to $366 million. A spokesperson for Musk’s America PAC confirmed the numbers to The Hill,...

The journey of one banana from farm to store shows how the war’s economic effects have cascaded into some surprising industries.

Hong Kong’s institutional advantages and close ties with mainland China and the wider world can contribute to the Asia-Pacific region’s prosperity, a key adviser to the city’s leader has told a conference. Stephen Wong Yuen-shan, head of the Chief Executive’s Policy Unit, said on Monday that Hong Kong was transforming itself into the region’s institutional “harbour” – where trade from regional markets could converge and take advantage of the city’s “soft connectivity” advantages. He said such...

Frank Bisignano, the commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA), said Monday the program will last another 90 years. “This is a long journey. It’s 90 years old. It’ll be around for another 90 years,” Bisignano said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” The SSA will release its annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) on Wednesday, after the Bureau...

The war on terror taught the U.S. to fight individual terrorists, which left the military behind rival nations on the tech front, experts say.

Microsoft President Brad Smith says AI has fewer safety requirements than milk and washing machines, arguing in a BBC interview released Sunday that self-regulation is not "sufficient any longer." Smith acknowledged that the idea of government evaluators signing off on a product before its release "makes people nervous," particularly in the U.S. "But just remember,...

Former Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday criticized President Trump’s diesel deal with Russia, saying it “reeks of weakness.” “Donald Trump and his war in Iran are to blame for our nation's sky-high diesel and gas prices. His latest ploy—buying fuel from his friend Vladimir Putin—reeks of weakness and will help pay for Russia’s war...

One of Hong Kong’s oldest makers of bread and biscuits, the Garden Company, has apologised and pledged to review its crowd-management procedures after a world-record attempt involving more than 700 students making sandwiches descended into chaos. The incident occurred on Sunday at SKH Tang Shiu Kin Secondary School in Wan Chai, when the company tried to set a record for the “largest sandwich-making lesson” to mark its coming 100th anniversary. More than 700 primary school pupils were involved...

A Hong Kong court has awarded more than HK$89,000 (US$11,340) to a worker at a dog shelter who was seriously injured in a canine attack, rejecting her employer’s argument that she was a volunteer. District Judge Harold Leong Kwok-on said on Monday that the employment relationship between Kelly Animals Shelter in Lau Fau Shan and the victim had been established despite no contract being signed, noting she was paid, allocated work by staff and did not manage the business or shoulder profits or...

Oil analyst Patrick De Haan said Monday that President Trump’s deal with Russia to supply the U.S. and global markets with diesel fuel may not lower fuel prices. “On the policy front, the Trump administration’s proposed diesel deal raises more questions than it answers, and I remain skeptical that it will deliver significant relief to...

Most Americans regardless of party oppose betting on election results through prediction markets such as Kalshi or Polymarket, according to a new survey. A Reuters/Ipsos poll, released Monday, found that 60 percent of respondents did not support betting on election results, as the midterm elections near. Another 13 percent said they support betting, while 24...

Most Americans regardless of party oppose betting on election results through prediction markets such as Kalshi or Polymarket, according to a new survey. A Reuters/Ipsos poll, released Monday, found that 60 percent of respondents did not support betting on election results, as the midterm elections near. Another 13 percent said they support betting, while 24...