Microsoft faces wide-ranging US antitrust probe

Microsoft faces wide-ranging US antitrust probe

The US Federal Trade Commission has opened a broad antitrust investigation into Microsoft, including of its software licensing and cloud computing businesses, a source familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. The probe was approved by FTC Chair Lina Khan ahead of her likely departure in January. The election of Donald Trump as US president, … Read more

Mouthing Off | Why Hong Kong’s organic food labelling system has a big problem

Mouthing Off | Why Hong Kong’s organic food labelling system has a big problem

Can anyone really tell what is organic or not organic in Hong Kong? In the markets, I have seen veggies with a pen-written sign proclaiming their greens are “organic”. In the supermarket, there is fruit in cellophane wrap with generic “organic” stickers without any certification or proof. Can I truly trust the vendor? Is it … Read more

Chinese EV maker BYD’s quarterly sales overtook Tesla’s for the first time

Chinese EV maker BYD’s quarterly sales overtook Tesla’s for the first time

New cars, among them new China-built electric vehicles of the company BYD, are seen parked in the port of Zeebrugge, Belgium, October 24, 2024. Yves Herman | Reuters Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD reported third-quarter revenue that topped that of behemoth rival Tesla for the first time. On Wednesday, BYD reported revenue for the three … Read more

China eager to resolve EU’s ‘divide and conquer’ tactics during EV talks: analysts

China eager to resolve EU’s ‘divide and conquer’ tactics during EV talks: analysts

China is anxious to fend off the European Union’s “divide and conquer” tactics during their electric vehicle (EV) tariff negotiations to maintain a united front and steer future talks, analysts said. Chinese EV manufacturers should, they added, also not be influenced as the EU insists on the right to approach firms individually. China and the … Read more

US to ban outbound investments in China’s chips, AI over national security

US to ban outbound investments in China’s chips, AI over national security

The US will ban outbound investments in China’s semiconductors, quantum technologies and artificial intelligence from January 2 if they are deemed to threaten American national security, a key move in the Biden administration’s efforts to address concerns about the mainland’s progress in advanced technologies. The US Treasury released final rules on Monday to prohibit engagement … Read more

TikTok’s 2023 revenue rises 75% in Europe, UK and other markets outside the US, Asia

TikTok’s 2023 revenue rises 75% in Europe, UK and other markets outside the US, Asia

ByteDance-owned international short video-platform TikTok has reported total revenue of US$4.6 billion in 2023, an increase of nearly 75 per cent from a year earlier, in markets excluding the United States, Asia and Oceania. TikTok, which has more than 1 billion users worldwide, attributed that rise to “the continued growth of [its] user base”, “enhanced … Read more

Discount shopping giant Temu enters Vietnam and Brunei as app faces ban in Indonesia

Discount shopping giant Temu enters Vietnam and Brunei as app faces ban in Indonesia

Temu’s website in Vietnam, however, showed that the company’s foray into one of the fastest-growing economies in the region was apparently rushed. It currently supports only English as well as transactions made via credit card and Google Pay, while excluding leading Vietnamese mobile payment service Momo. In affluent Brunei, Temu is available in both English … Read more

Google wins EU ads abuse case, overruling €1.5 billion fine

Google wins EU ads abuse case, overruling €1.5 billion fine

Google won a court fight with the European Union over a €1.5 billion (US$1.7 billion) fine for thwarting competition for online ads, partly making up for last week’s crushing defeat in a separate judgment for abusing its monopoly powers. Judges at the EU’s General Court in Luxembourg backed the Alphabet unit’s challenge to a fine … Read more

Apple loses EU court battle over 13 billion euro tax bill in Ireland

Apple loses EU court battle over 13 billion euro tax bill in Ireland

Omar Marques | Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images Europe’s top court on Tuesday ruled against Apple in the tech giant’s 10-year court battle over its tax affairs in Ireland. The pronouncement from the European Court of Justice comes hours after Apple unveiled a swathe of new product offerings, looking to revitalize its iPhone, … Read more

What is ‘dynamic pricing,’ and why are Oasis fans furious about it?

What is ‘dynamic pricing,’ and why are Oasis fans furious about it?

Thousands of Oasis fans waited long hours in virtual queues this weekend to get their hands on tickets for the British band’s reunion shows next summer, only to find that prices had been hiked as part of a “dynamic pricing” scheme. Many fans who waited for more than three hours thinking they would pay the … Read more