Qaasid News

Download Our App

Category: 3. Business

  • Wetherspoon Jan Sale starts Friday January 2, 2026

    Wetherspoon Jan Sale starts Friday January 2, 2026

    Wetherspoon is holding a January sale, including a pint of Worthington’s beer at 99p in more than 600 of the pubs.

    The sale will run from Friday January 2 until Thursday January 15, inclusive (from Saturday 3 January, in Scottish pubs).

    Other drinks featured in the sale are Coldwater Creek wine (Chardonnay, pinot grigio, rosé and merlot, 250ml glass for £2.99), Johnnie Walker Black Label and Tanqueray gin (25ml, mixer included) for £1.99, plus a full range of low-alcohol and alcohol-free drinks at £1.69 each: Guinness 0.0, Corona Cero, BrewDog Punk AF, Stella Artois Alcohol Free, Erdinger Isotonic, Thatchers Zero, Kopparberg Alcohol Free, Gordon’s 0.0 pink gin. There’s also Beck’s Blue and Sanpellegrino Aranciata Rossa for 99p each.

    Customers can also enjoy savings on food, with an 11″ Margherita pizza and a crunchy chicken burger served with chips or side salad each costing £4.99 (with soft drink) and £6.52 (with alcoholic drink).

    In addition, a choice of six jacket potatoes, plus three new gourmet jackets, will be available in the sale.

    A jacket potato with one filling (choose from tuna mayo, coleslaw, chilli bean non-carne, cheese, baked beans and roasted vegetables) will cost £4.99 (with soft drink) and £6.52 (with alcoholic drink).

    Customers can add an extra filling or a side salad for 99p.

    The gourmet jacket potatoes are NEW to the menu and will cost £6.49 (with soft drink) and £8.02 (with alcoholic drink).

    The loaded spud is topped with cheese, maple-cured bacon, garlic butter and sour cream.

    The Mexican spud, a vegetarian option, is loaded with chilli bean non-carne, cheese, guacamole, crushed tortilla chips, sliced chilli and coriander.

    The smoky spud is loaded with pulled BBQ beef brisket, cheese, smoky chipotle mayo and sliced chilli.

    Wetherspoon’s founder and chairman, Tim Martin, said: “Department stores and shops hold their sales in January, so it is the perfect time to also have a sale in the pubs.

    “The range of food and drinks on sale in the pub is aimed at suiting a wide variety of tastes.

    “We have included a large selection of low-alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks.

    “I believe that the January sale will prove popular with customers.

    “As always, staff at the pub will serve customers responsibly.”

    Prices at 200 other Wetherspoon pubs may vary.

    Continue Reading

  • 2 Overlooked AI Stocks to Buy Before They Soar Up to 100% in 2026, According to Wall Street Analysts

    2 Overlooked AI Stocks to Buy Before They Soar Up to 100% in 2026, According to Wall Street Analysts

    • Shares of Upstart and Atlassian have dramatically underperformed the S&P 500 this year, but Wall Street analysts generally view the stocks as undervalued.

    • Upstart hopes to disrupt the lending industry with artificial intelligence, and new products (auto, home, and small-dollar loans) are gaining traction.

    • Atlassian is a leader in work management software for technical and non-technical teams, and more customers are adopting its artificial intelligence tools.

    • 10 stocks we like better than Upstart ›

    The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) has added 18% year to date amid excitement about the artificial intelligence boom. But not every AI stock has done well. Upstart Holdings (NASDAQ: UPST) and Atlassian (NASDAQ: TEAM) have declined 22% and 34%, respectively. But certain Wall Street analysts expect the stocks to rebound in a big way next year:

    • Peter Christiansen at Citigroup has set Upstart with a target price of $80 per share. That implies 70% upside from its current share price of $47.

    • Keith Weiss at Morgan Stanley has set Atlassian with a target price of $320 per share. That implies 100% upside from its current share price of $160.

    The target prices above are the highest on Wall Street. But most analysts view the stocks as undervalued. Upstart’s median target price of $56 per share implies 17% upside from its current price. And Atlassian’s median target price of $230 per share implies 44% upside from its current price.

    Here’s what investors should know.

    Images source: Getty Images.

    Upstart is an artificial intelligence (AI) lending platform that helps banks and credit unions better assess credit risk. Most lenders currently use simple rules-based systems centered around FICO Scores that cover a limited number of variables, but Upstart analyzes more than 2,500 variables, and its machine learning models improve each time a borrower makes or misses a payment.

    Upstart’s AI lending platform incorporates models that support customer acquisition, fraud detection, and default forecasting, and it automates the underwriting process in most cases. In turn, lending partners profit from approving more borrowers at lower interest rates. The company says loans originated on its platform since Q3 2023 are on pace to outpace the yield on two-year Treasury bonds by 7.4 percentage points.

    Upstart reported solid third-quarter financial results. Total revenue increased 71% to $277 million, and non-GAAP net income was $0.52 per diluted share, up from a loss of $0.06 per diluted share last year. Newer lending products (auto, home, and small-dollar loans) accounted for nearly 12% of originations, up from roughly 10% last quarter.

    Continue Reading

  • Holiday spending expected to be up despite low consumer confidence – KOSU

    1. Holiday spending expected to be up despite low consumer confidence  KOSU
    2. Holiday shopping up despite economic concerns: Multiple reports  NewsNation
    3. Mastercard’s Holiday Pulse: Resilient 2025 Spending Masks a Fragile Consumer ‘K-Shaped’ Reality  FinancialContent
    4. US holiday retail spending up 4.2% YoY across payment types: Visa  Fibre2Fashion
    5. Holiday spending is up this year, according to Visa and Mastercard  marketplace.org

    Continue Reading

  • Clean energy is surging despite political attacks. But a slowdown may be looming – WUNC

    1. Clean energy is surging despite political attacks. But a slowdown may be looming  WUNC
    2. How Trump’s First Year Reshaped U.S. Energy and Climate Policy  The New York Times
    3. Trump Administration Accelerates Environmental Rollbacks In 2025  Evrim Ağacı
    4. ‘Turbulence and legislative hurdles’ cloud the picture for US solar: SolarEdge on policy challenges in 2025  PV Tech
    5. 2025 brought big changes for public lands and environmental regulations. Could 2026 bring more?  Aspen Public Radio

    Continue Reading

  • Adaptive rateless coded blockchain for dynamic IoV scenarios

  • Yang, C., Ashikhmin, A., Wang, X., & Zheng, Z. Rateless coded blockchain for dynamic IoT networks. arXiv:2305.03895 (2023).

  • Wu, H. et al. Distributed error correction coding scheme for low storage blockchain systems. IEEE Internet Things J. 7, 7054–7071. https://doi.org/10.1109/JIOT.2020.2982067 (2020).

    Google Scholar 

  • Dai, M., Zhang, S., Wang, H. & Jin, S. A low storage room requirement framework for distributed ledger in blockchain. IEEE Access 6, 22970–22975. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2018.2829373 (2018).

    Google Scholar 

  • Perard, D., Lacan, J., Bachy, Y., & Detchart, J. Erasure code-based low storage blockchain node. In Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. on Internet of Things (iThings). pp. 1622–1627. https://doi.org/10.1109/Cybermatics_2018.2018.00273 (2018).

  • Li, S., Yu, M., Yang, C.S., Avestimehr, A.S., Kannan, S., & Viswanath, P. PolyShard: Coded sharding achieves linearly scaling efficiency and security simultaneously. IEEE Trans. on information forensics and security 16, 249–261.https://doi.org/10.1109/TIFS.2020.3009610 (2020).

  • Kadhe, S., Chung, J., & Ramchandran, K. SeF: A secure fountain architecture for slashing storage costs in blockchains. . arXiv:1906.12140 (2019).

  • Asheralieva, A. & Niyato, D. Throughput-efficient Lagrange coded private blockchain for secured IoT systems. IEEE Internet Things J. 8, 14874–14895. https://doi.org/10.1109/JIOT.2021.3071563 (2021).

    Google Scholar 

  • Taherpour, A., & Wang, X. A high-throughput and secure coded blockchain for IoT. . arXiv:2310.08822 (2023).

  • Pal, R. Fountain coding for bootstrapping of the blockchain. In Proceedings of the 12th international conference on communication systems and networks (COMSNETS). Bengaluru, India: IEEE pp. 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1109/COMSNETS48256.2020.9027476 (2020).

  • Chawla, N., Behrens, H.W., Tapp, D., Boscovic, D., & Candan, K.S. Velocity: Scalability improvements in block propagation through rateless erasure coding. In Proceedings of the IEEE international conference on blockchain and cryptocurrency (ICBC). Seoul, South Korea: IEEE pp. 447–454. https://doi.org/10.1109/BLOC.2019.8751419 (2019).

  • Al-Bassam, M., Sonnino, A., & Buterin, V. Fraud and data availability proofs: Maximising light client security and scaling blockchains with dishonest majorities. . arXiv:1809.09044 (2018).

  • Chai, H., Leng, S., He, J. & Zhang, K. Digital twin empowered lightweight and efficient blockchain for dynamic Internet of Vehicles. Digital Commun. Netw. 10, 1698–1707. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcan.2023.08.004 (2024).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, S.K., Ma, Z., Murali, S., Mason, J., Miller, A., & Bailey, M. Measuring ethereum network peers. In Proceedings of the 2018 internet measurement conference (IMC ’18). New York, NY, USA: Association for Computing Machinery pp. Article No. 14 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3278532.3278542 (2018).

  • Li, R., Zhu, L., Li, C., Wu, F. & Xu, D. Bns: A detection system to find nodes in the bitcoin network. Mathematics11, https://doi.org/10.3390/math11244885 (2023).

  • Shokrollahi, A. Raptor codes. IEEE Trans. Inf. Theory 52, 2551–2567. https://doi.org/10.1109/TIT.2006.874390 (2006).

    Google Scholar 

  • Lázaro, F., Liva, G., Bauch, G. & Paolini, E. Bounds on the error probability of raptor codes under maximum likelihood decoding. IEEE Trans. Inf. Theory 67, 1537–1558. https://doi.org/10.1109/TIT.2020.3049061 (2021).

    Google Scholar 

  • Nakamoto, S. Bitcoin: A peer-to-peer electronic cash system. https://bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf. (2008).

  • Sforzin, A., Maso, M., Soriente, C., & Karame, G. On the storage overhead of proof-of-work blockchains. arXiv preprint arXiv:2205.04108 (2022).

  • Li, M., Lin, Y., Wang, W., & Zhang, J. Sp-chain: Boosting intra-shard and cross-shard security and performance in blockchain sharding. IEEE Intern. Things J. https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.06953. Early Access (2025).

  • Wang, N., Zhou, Z., Liu, J., Deng, L. & Fu, J. Secure and distributed IoV data sharing scheme based on a hybrid pos blockchain protocol. IEEE Trans. Veh. Technol. 73, 11995–12010. https://doi.org/10.1109/TVT.2024.3378534 (2024).

    Google Scholar 

Continue Reading

  • High-power laser powder bed fusion of pure copper for simultaneous achievement of high density and electrical conductivity

  • Nordet, G. et al. Influence of laser wavelength on the powder bed fusion of pure copper. Prog. Addit. Manuf. 10, 1489–1509 (2025).

    Google Scholar 

  • Calignano, F., Bove, A. & Pavese, M. Processing of pure copper by powder bed fusion with infrared laser. Results Eng. 25, 104497 (2025).

    Google Scholar 

  • Jiang, Q. et al. A review on additive manufacturing of pure copper. Coatings 11, 740 (2021). https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings11060740 (2021).

    Google Scholar 

  • De Terris, T., Baffie, T. & Ribière, C. Additive manufacturing of pure copper: A review and comparison of physical, microstructural, and mechanical properties of samples manufactured with laser-powder bed fusion (L-PBF), electron beam melting (EBM) and metal fused deposition modelling (MFDM) technologies. Int. J. Mater. Form. 16, 32 (2023).

    Google Scholar 

  • Tiismus, H., Kallaste, A., Vaimann, T. & Rassõlkin, A. State of the art of additively manufactured electromagnetic materials for topology optimized electrical machines. Addit. Manuf. 55, 102778 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2022.102778 (2022).

    Google Scholar 

  • Nocheseda, C. J. C., Liza, F. P., Collera, A. K. M., Caldona, E. B. & Advincula, R. C. 3D printing of metals using biodegradable cellulose hydrogel inks. Addit. Manuf. 48, 102380 (2021).

    Google Scholar 

  • Miyanaji, H. et al. Binder jetting additive manufacturing of copper foam structures. Addit. Manuf. 32, 100960 (2020).

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh, G., Missiaen, J. M., Bouvard, D. & Chaix, J. M. Copper extrusion 3D printing using metal injection moulding feedstock: Analysis of process parameters for green density and surface roughness optimization. Addit. Manuf. 38, 101778 (2021).

    Google Scholar 

  • Miyanaji, H., Rahman, K. M., Da, M. & Williams, C. B. Effect of fine powder particles on quality of binder jetting parts. Addit. Manuf. 36, 101587 (2020).

    Google Scholar 

  • Jadhav, S. D., Goossens, L. R., Kinds, Y., Van Hooreweder, B. & Vanmeensel, K. Laser-based powder bed fusion additive manufacturing of pure copper. Addit. Manuf. 42, 101990 (2021).

    Google Scholar 

  • Hazeli, K., June, D., Anantwar, P. & Babamiri, B. B. Mechanical behavior of additively manufactured GRCop-84 copper alloy lattice structures. Addit. Manuf. 56, 102928 (2022).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kolli, S. et al. Process optimization and characterization of dense pure copper parts produced by paste-based 3D micro-extrusion. Addit. Manuf. 73, 103670 (2023).

    Google Scholar 

  • Speidel, A. et al. Chemical recovery of spent copper powder in laser powder bed fusion. Addit. Manuf. 52, 102711 (2022).

    Google Scholar 

  • Santo, L. et al. American Institute of Physics Inc. Local density measurement of additive manufactured copper parts by instrumented indentation. In AIP Conference Proceedings , vol. 1960 (2018).

  • Qu, S., Wang, L., Ding, J., Lu, Y. & Song, X. Influence of heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of pure copper components fabricated via Micro-Laser powder bed fusion. Materials 17, 6270 (2024).

    Google Scholar 

  • Wei, Y. et al. Microstructures and mechanical properties of pure copper manufactured by high-strength laser powder bed fusion. Opt. Laser Technol. 182, 112134 (2025).

    Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, J. et al. Electrical conductivity of additively manufactured copper and silver for electrical winding applications. Materials 15, 7563 (2022).

    Google Scholar 

  • Tertuliano, O. A. et al. Nanoparticle-enhanced absorptivity of copper during laser powder bed fusion. Addit. Manuf. 51, 102562 (2022).

    Google Scholar 

  • Qu, S., Ding, J., Fu, J., Fu, M. & Song, X. Anisotropic material properties of pure copper with fine-grained microstructure fabricated by laser powder bed fusion process. Addit. Manuf. 59, 103082 (2022).

    Google Scholar 

  • Jadhav, S. D. et al. Influence of selective laser melting process parameters on texture evolution in pure copper. J. Mater. Process. Technol. 270, 47–58 (2019).

    Google Scholar 

  • Fu, Z., Ye, J., Franke, M. & Körner, C. A novel approach for powder bed-based additive manufacturing of compositionally graded composites. Addit. Manuf. 56, 102916 (2022).

    Google Scholar 

  • Qu, S. et al. High-precision laser powder bed fusion processing of pure copper. Addit. Manuf. 48, 102417 (2021).

    Google Scholar 

  • Romano, T. et al. Pure copper membranes manufactured by green laser powder bed fusion with varying wall-thickness and building orientation: Microstructure, properties, and vacuum tightness performance. Vacuum 233, 113995 (2025).

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, D., Li, K., Yao, J., Du, B. & Xu, Y. Porosity, texture, and mechanical properties of pure copper fabricated by fine green laser powder bed fusion. Opt. Laser Technol. 181, 112009 (2025).

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, A. et al. Effect of the build orientation on mechanical and electrical properties of pure Cu fabricated by E-PBF. Addit. Manuf. 48, 102393 (2021).

    Google Scholar 

  • Jadhav, S. D., Vleugels, J., Kruth, J. P., Van Humbeeck, J. & Vanmeensel, K. Mechanical and electrical properties of selective laser-melted parts produced from surface-oxidized copper powder. Mater. Des. Process. Commun. 2, e94 (2020).

    Google Scholar 

  • Jadhav, S. D. et al. Influence of carbon nanoparticle addition (and impurities) on selective laser melting of pure copper. Materials 12, 2469 (2019).

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang, J. et al. Pure copper components fabricated by cold spray (CS) and selective laser melting (SLM) technology. Surf. Coat. Technol. 395, 125936 (2020).

    Google Scholar 

  • Yan, X. et al. Microstructure and mechanical properties of pure copper manufactured by selective laser melting. Mater. Sci. Eng. A. 789, 139615 (2020).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ikeshoji, T. T., Nakamura, K., Yonehara, M., Imai, K. & Kyogoku, H. Selective laser melting of pure copper. JOM 70, 396–400 (2018).

    Google Scholar 

  • Colopi, M., Caprio, L., Demir, A. G. & Previtali, B. Selective laser melting of pure Cu with a 1 kW single mode fiber laser. Procedia CIRP. 74, 59–63 (2018).

    Google Scholar 

  • Colopi, M., Demir, A. G., Caprio, L. & Previtali, B. Limits and solutions in processing pure Cu via selective laser melting using a high-power single-mode fiber laser. Int. J. Adv. Manuf. Technol. 104, 2473–2486 (2019).

    Google Scholar 

  • Hu, R. et al. Process of pure copper fabricated by selective laser melting (SLM) technology under moderate laser power with re-melting strategy. Materials 16, 2642 (2023).

    Google Scholar 

  • Aghayar, Y. et al. Laser powder bed fusion of pure copper electrodes. Mater. Des. 239, 112742 (2024).

    Google Scholar 

  • Nagy, P. B. Surface roughness influence on eddy current electrical conductivity measurements (2003). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279890948.

  • Corona, D., Giannini, O., Guarino, S., Ponticelli, G. S. & Zarcone, M. Experimental investigation on the electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties of laser powder bed fused copper alloys. J. Manuf. Process. 76, 320–334 (2022).

    Google Scholar 

  • Gargalis, L. et al. Determining processing behaviour of pure Cu in laser powder bed fusion using direct micro-calorimetry. J Mater. Process. Technol. 294, 117130 (2021).

    Google Scholar 

  • Gao, S. et al. High-strength and high-conductivity pure copper by powder bed fusion with a medium-power infrared laser. Mater. Des. 258, 114551 (2025).

    Google Scholar 

  • Megahed, S. et al. Manufacturing of pure copper with electron beam melting and the effect of thermal and abrasive post-processing on microstructure and electric conductivity. Materials 16, 73 (2023).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ortmann, R. et al. Powder bed fusion of pure copper using an electron beam: A comparative study on the material properties obtained using vector- and spot-based exposure. Prog. Addit. Manuf. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40964-025-01344-6 (2025).

    Google Scholar 

  • Mao, Q., Zhang, Y., Guo, Y. & Zhao, Y. Enhanced electrical conductivity and mechanical properties in thermally stable fine-grained copper wire. Commun. Mater. 2, 46 (2021).

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, X. et al. Texture evolution and its influence mechanism on properties of single crystal copper and polycrystalline copper during cumulative deformation. J. Mater. Res. Technol. 24, 6808–6819 (2023).

    Google Scholar 

    • Continue Reading

  • Is China allowing the RMB to rise?

    Is China allowing the RMB to rise?

    Generally speaking, tracking China’s exchange rate is about as exciting as watching paint dry because nothing ever happens. The RMB has been materially undervalued for many years now. The resulting trade surplus, which is growing ever bigger, means China is having to intervene massively in foreign exchange markets to stop the RMB from rising against the Dollar. It’s impossible to see that intervention because China stopped using its central bank to do this intervention, most likely shifting it to state banks where it’s difficult to monitor. The end-result is that the RMB remains heavily manipulated and not much ever happens.

    But every once in a while, markets get excited because they think something big is happening. That’s the case now. The chart above shows the bilateral RMB exchange rate versus the Dollar. The official anchor for this exchange rate is the “fix,” which is the black line. The fix gets announced every morning in Beijing and the actual $/CNY exchange rate (blue line) then fluctuates within a two percent band around the fix (gray shaded area). For a long time after the pandemic, $/CNY was plastered against the upper end of the band, the “weak” end of the band. This is typically taken to mean there’s depreciation pressure on the RMB (I think that’s nonsense given how much hidden intervention is happening, but let’s not get into that here). But recently, the $/CNY has fallen below the fix and is approaching the lower end of the band, which has people buzzing Beijing could be shifting its stance on the RMB and might – finally – allow appreciation to reduce chronic undervaluation.

    That isn’t what’s happening. As the chart above shows, the Dollar has been falling against the rest of the G10 recently (black line). The drop in $/CNY is just offsetting that Dollar weakness, so that the trade-weighted RMB stays more or less stable (blue line). So the recent appreciation of the RMB against the Dollar doesn’t signal a change of heart in Beijing. There is no “true” appreciation going on.

    Underlying all this is the question whether China can ever be expected to abandon its mercantilist growth model. I have a short- and a medium-term answer to this. In the short term, it’s fair to say that China emerged victorious from the rare earths stand-off a few months ago. That shouldn’t have been allowed to happen in my opinion, but the US played its hand very poorly in those negotiations. In the medium term, China is gunning to be the world’s leading exporter of all things electrification. There’s just no sign it’s abandoning its mercantilist ways.

    Continue Reading

  • China unveils national venture capital guidance fund to boost innovation

    BEIJING, Dec. 26 — China on Friday launched the national venture capital guidance fund, as part of efforts to mobilize more patient capital for innovative and future industries.

    The fund was jointly initiated by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of Finance (MOF), with three regional funds set up in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta region and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

    The fund is designed to leverage central government capital to attract broad participation from local governments, central state-owned enterprises, financial institutions and private investors, increase support for strategic emerging and future industries, and accelerate the cultivation of new quality productive forces, Bai Jingyu, an NDRC official, told a press conference on Friday.

    Analysts see the move as a targeted policy tool to align financial capital with China’s long-term development strategy. According to recommendations for formulating China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) for national economic and social development, the country aims to develop venture capital investment and establish mechanisms to increase funding and share risks in future industries.

    “The growth of innovation-driven enterprises is a long-distance marathon that requires patient capital,” Bai said. To this end, the guidance fund has a 20-year lifespan, with extended investment and exit periods designed to provide long-term funding support and greater development space for innovative firms.

    Investment decisions will follow the principle of “investing early, investing small, investing long-term and investing in hard technology,” the NDRC official explained, adding that at least 70 percent of the fund’s capital will be directed to seed-stage and early-stage enterprises.

    At the launch ceremony, the three regional funds have already reached preliminary investment agreements covering integrated circuits, quantum technology, biomedicine, brain-computer interfaces, aerospace, artificial intelligence, future energy and other strategic sectors.

    Guo Fangming, an MOF official, said the fund will act as a risk-sharing mechanism, effectively serving as an “angel investor” by absorbing early-stage risks and encouraging broader social participation in innovation financing.

    While guided by policy objectives, the fund will operate on market principles, with the government setting policy direction and professional institutions managing fundraising, investment and exits through competitive selection, without mandatory geographic reinvestment requirements, Bai noted.

    Structurally, the guidance fund adopts a three-tier framework comprising a fund company, regional funds and sub-funds, a design intended to amplify the leveraging effect of central government capital, Bai noted.

    Beyond capital injection, the fund seeks to strengthen the venture capital ecosystem by anchoring long-term social capital in technology innovation and coordinating with other government guidance funds to support high-level technological self-reliance and new quality productive forces, Guo said.

    To address the higher risks associated with early-stage projects, the fund will adopt a management approach combining online monitoring with on-the-ground oversight, enabling integrated and transparent compliance supervision and earlier identification, warning and mitigation of potential risks, Bai said.

    Looking ahead, the guidance fund is expected to facilitate the establishment of more than 600 sub-funds across the three regions, supporting the development of strategic emerging and future industries, officials added.

    Continue Reading

  • Turkey says Russia gave it $9 billion in new financing for nuclear plant

    ISTANBUL: Turkey’s energy minister said Russia had provided new financing worth $9 billion for the Akkuyu nuclear power plant being built by Moscow’s state nuclear energy company Rosatom, adding Ankara expected the power plant to be operational in 2026.

    Rosatom is building Turkey’s first nuclear power station at Akkuyu in the Mediterranean province of Mersin per a 2010 accord worth $20 billion. The plant was expected to be operational this year, but has been delayed.

    “This (financing) will most likely be used in 2026-2027. There will be at least $4-5 billion from there for 2026 in terms of foreign financing,” Bayraktar told some local reporters at a briefing in Istanbul, according to a readout from his ministry.

    He said Turkey was in talks with South Korea, China, Russia, and the United States on nuclear projects in the Sinop province and Thrace region, and added Ankara wanted to receive “the most competitive offer”.

    Bayraktar said Turkey wanted to generate nuclear power at home and aimed to provide clear figures on targets.

    He added that Turkey was in talks with Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power company on a 5,000-megawatt solar package.

    “We will have completed the agreement for this in the first quarter of 2026, for 2,000 megawatts in the first phase. We are talking about a 2,000-megawatt solar energy project; 1,000 megawatts in Sivas, a thousand in Taseli,” he said.

    “We are discussing a project on solar and storage with yet another firm from the Gulf again. The approximate investment cost of that is between $1.5-2 billion,” Bayraktar added, without giving details.


    Continue Reading

  • Chinese shares close higher Friday-Xinhua

    BEIJING, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) — Chinese stocks closed higher on Friday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up 0.1 percent to 3,963.68 points.

    The Shenzhen Component Index closed 0.54 percent higher at 13,603.89 points.

    The combined turnover of these two indices totaled 2.16 trillion yuan (about 307 billion U.S. dollars), up from 1.92 trillion yuan the previous trading day.

    Stocks related to commercial spaceflight, lithium battery and the Hainan Free Trade Port led the gains, while the papermaking and computing hardware sectors were among the major losers.

    The ChiNext Index, tracking China’s Nasdaq-style board of growth enterprises, gained 0.14 percent to close at 3,243.88 points. ■

    Continue Reading