OpenAI's stunning $150 bln valuation hinges on upending corporate structure, sources say

OpenAI's new financing round is expected to come in the form of convertible notes, according to sources with direct knowledge of the matter, who said its $150 billion valuation will be contingent on whether the ChatGPT-maker can upend its corporate structure and remove a profit cap for investors. The details of the conditions of the $6.5 billion funding, which have not been previously reported, show how far OpenAI, the most valuable AI startup in the world, has come from a research-based no

Sept. 14, 2024

China retail sales, industrial production slow in August

BEIJING -- Chinese retail sales and industrial production growth slowed in August, official data showed Saturday, as leaders in Beijing seek paths to achieve growth targets despite consumers' reluctance to spend. More than a year and a half since abolishing strict Covid-19 measures that had dampened activity, the world's second-largest economy has yet to achieve a highly anticipated post-pandemic recovery. A prolonged debt crisis in China's vast property sector, continued deflatio

Sept. 14, 2024

China new home prices fall at fastest pace in over 9 years in August

BEIJING - China's new home prices fell at the fastest pace in more than nine years in August, official data showed on Saturday, as supportive measures failed to spur a meaningful recovery in the property sector. New home prices were down 5.3 percent from a year earlier, the fastest pace since May 2015, compared with a 4.9 percent slide in July, according to Reuters calculations based on National Bureau of Statistics data. In monthly terms, new home prices fell for the fourteenth straight mo

Sept. 14, 2024

Vietnam typhoon death toll rises to 233 as more bodies found in areas hit by landslides and floods

HANOI, Vietnam — The death toll in the aftermath of Typhoon Yagi in Vietnam climbed to 233 on Friday as rescue workers recovered more bodies from areas hit by landslides and flash floods, state media reported. Flood waters from the swollen Red River in the capital of Hanoi were beginning to recede, but many neighborhoods remained inundated and farther north, experts were predicting it could still be days before any relief is in sight. Typhoon Yagi made landfall Saturday, setting off heavy

Sept. 14, 2024

Key takeaways from a debate that featured tense clashes and closed with a Taylor Swift endorsement

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris faced each other on the debate stage for the first — and possibly the last — time. The Democratic vice president opened Tuesday night's faceoff with a power move, marching across the stage to Trump’s lectern to shake his hand. “Kamala Harris,” she said, introducing herself as the pair met for the first time ever. “Let’s have a good debate.” “Nice to see you. Have fun,” the former Republican president

Sept. 11, 2024

Blinken and Lammy arrive in Kyiv as Ukraine pushes for long-range strikes against Russia

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy arrived in Kyiv on a joint visit Wednesday, as Ukraine presses the West to allow it to use long-range missiles against Russia. The top diplomats reached the Ukrainian capital by train from Poland hours after the US presidential debate during which Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump sparred over the 2 1/2-year war in Ukraine. Blinken traveled from London, where he accused Iran of providing Russia w

Sept. 11, 2024

Harris rattles Trump in combative debate

PHILADELPHIA -- Democratic candidate Kamala Harris put her Republican rival Donald Trump on the defensive in a combative presidential debate on Tuesday with a stream of attacks on his fitness for office, his support of abortion restrictions and his myriad legal woes. A former prosecutor, Harris, 59, controlled the debate from the start, getting under her rival's skin repeatedly and prompting a visibly angry Trump, 78, to deliver a series of falsehood-filled retorts. At one point, she goaded

Sept. 11, 2024

[Graphic News] Singapore tops passport power rankings, Korea secures 3rd place

Singapore has once again claimed the title of the world's most powerful passport, according to the Henley Passport Index. Singaporean citizens can enjoy visa-free access to 195 countries, maintaining the city-state's top position from 2023. France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Spain share the second spot, offering visa-free access to 192 destinations out of 227. Meanwhile, an unprecedented seven-nation group holds the third position, with citizens from Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxemb

Aug. 26, 2024

[Graphic News] Mpox cases rise as WHO declares global health emergency

Over 18,700 suspected or confirmed cases of mpox have been reported across Africa as of Saturday, according to the African Union’s health agency. The cases span three strains of the virus, including the new and deadlier Clade 1b, which led the World Health Organization to declare an international health emergency. So far, more than 3,100 confirmed cases have been reported from 12 African Union member states, resulting in 541 deaths - a fatality rate of about 2.9 percent, the Africa Cente

Aug. 20, 2024

The Democratic National Convention is here. Here's how to watch it

The Democratic National Convention kicks off Monday, with delegates and officials descending on Chicago after a wild few weeks that saw the party switch out its nominee, upending what had already been an unprecedented campaign year. With the departure of President Joe Biden from the campaign, and Vice President Kamala Harris' swift ascension to the top of the ticket, Democrats have essentially rejiggered the general election fight against Republican nominee and former President Donald Tru

Aug. 18, 2024

Ukraine says struck second key bridge in Russia's Kursk region

Ukraine said Sunday it had struck a second key bridge in the Kursk region, seeking to disrupt Moscow's supply routes as Kyiv's unprecedented incursion on Russian soil stretched through its second week. Russia meanwhile ramped up pressure in east Ukraine, claiming to capture another village just a few kilometers from the Ukrainian-held logistics hub of Pokrovsk. "Minus one more bridge," Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk said on Telegram, publishing an aerial video

Aug. 18, 2024

Visit by Vietnam's new leader to China reflects key relationship, even as it builds ties with US

Vietnam's new leader To Lam is making China the destination for his first overseas visit, signaling the continuing importance the Southeast Asian country places on its giant neighbor even as it strengthens ties with the United States and others. Lam stepped off a Vietnam Airlines plane on an overcast Sunday morning in Guangzhou, a major manufacturing and export hub near Hong Kong, China's state media reported. He will meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping on his three-day visit, which com

Aug. 18, 2024

[Graphic News] Jaipur’s Oberoi Rajvilas tops world’s best hotels; Lotte Signiel Seoul ranks 69th

The Oberoi Rajvilas in Jaipur, India, has been named the world’s best hotel in Travel + Leisure’s “World’s Best 100 Hotels” for 2024. Renowned for its luxurious accommodations, including private gardens and plunge pools, the hotel offers a serene environment where guests can enjoy morning yoga and a variety of spa services. Visitors have praised the property as a “truly magical place.” The rankings were based on a survey of 186,000 readers, who cast ov

Aug. 16, 2024

Ukraine claims more advances, prisoners taken as it presses an incursion into Russia

KYIV -- Ukrainian forces pushed on with their major cross-border incursion into Russia's Kursk region for a second week Wednesday, claiming to have taken more ground, captured more Russian prisoners and destroyed a jet bomber while launching what officials said was a massive attack on Russian military airfields. Since the start of the day, assault troops had advanced one to two kilometers in some parts of Kursk, the commander of the Ukrainian military, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said in a video pos

Aug. 14, 2024

Typhoon Ampil to hit Japan on Friday: forecasters

TOKYO -- Typhoon Ampil is expected to make landfall in Japan on Friday, the country's weather forecasters said Wednesday of what will be the second weather system to strike the archipelago in a week. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) forecasts that the slow-moving typhoon, currently south of Japan, will close in on the eastern or northern part of the country Friday through Saturday with a "strong force." In an advisory at 5:05 p.m., Typhoon Ampil was packing gusts of up to 162

Aug. 14, 2024

[Graphic News] Americans' views of having children

A growing number of Americans are choosing not unlikely to have children, according to recent research by the Pew Research Center. A 2023 survey of 1,916 adults ages 18 to 49 who do not have children It revealed that 47 percent have no plans to become parents, according to a survey that included 770 adults ages 18 to 49 who do not have children and say they are not too or not at all likely to have them. This figure represents a 10 percentage point increase since 2018 and a 3 point rise from

Aug. 12, 2024

Israel broadens its evacuation orders after deadly strike on Gaza school-turned-shelter

Gaza Strip (AP) -- The Israeli military ordered more evacuations in southern Gaza early Sunday after a deadly airstrike on a school-turned-shelter in the north killed at least 80 Palestinians, according to local health authorities. Israel said it targeted a militant command post, killing 19 fighters. Israel has repeatedly ordered mass evacuations as its troops have returned to heavily destroyed areas where they had previously battled Palestinian militants. The vast majority of Gaza's popula

Aug. 11, 2024

[Graphic News] Vietnam named most affordable country for foreign residents in 2024

Vietnam has been voted the most affordable country for expatriates, according to a survey by InterNations, as reported by CNBC. The annual research, which surveyed 12,000 expats across 174 territories, sought insights into the best places to live, quality of life, personal finance and working abroad. In the “personal finance” category, Vietnam ranked first out of 53 destinations, maintaining its top position from 2021, 2022 and 2023. The personal finance index measures respondents&

Aug. 9, 2024

Walz is VP America deserves, Harris says

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Kamala Harris introduced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to the nation at a raucous rally Tuesday in battleground Pennsylvania that was aimed at building momentum for the newly minted Democratic presidential ticket in the sprint toward Election Day. “He’s the kind of person who makes people feel like they belong and then inspires them to dream big. ... That’s the kind of vice president America deserves,” Harris said while standing with Walz in Philadelphia. T

Aug. 7, 2024

Flurry of diplomacy to ease Mideast tensions as Israel awaits Iran attack

Diplomatic pressure mounted Monday to avoid an escalation between Iran and Israel following high-profile killings that have sent regional tensions soaring, while numerous governments urged their citizens to leave Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late Sunday that his country was "determined to stand against" Iran and its allied armed groups "on all fronts." As its war against Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza nears its 11th month, Israel has been bracing for ret

Aug. 5, 2024