A new wave of peptides, often banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, is easily available online, raising concerns about potential Olympic doping scandals.

Stocks climbed again on hopes for a coming cut to interest rates.

Wall Street retreated from its record after a sharp slide for Walmart weighed on U.S. stock indexes.

China’s e-commerce firms reported an increase in the number of shoppers and a growth in sales for this year’s Singles’ Day shopping festival, although final figures were not publicly revealed.

The Singles’ Day shopping festival looks less attractive this year amid a sluggish economy, forcing e-commerce firms to look abroad for growth.

Japanese technology giant SoftBank Group has reported a smaller loss for the April-June quarter compared to a year earlier.

Shares are mixed in Asia, where Chinese markets advanced after a government investment fund said it would step up stock purchases.

Asian stocks are mostly lower after Wall Street drifted to a mixed finish as momentum slowed following a strong rally in the first half of November.

Wall Street edged higher in quiet trading, closing out a third straight winning week and keeping November on track to be its best month in a year.

Shoppers in China have been tightening their purse strings, raising questions over how faltering consumer confidence may affect the annual Singles’ Day online retail extravaganza.

Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba says it will spin off its logistics arm, Cainiao Smart Logistics Network, in an initial public offering in Hong Kong.

Chinese consumers have been snapping up billions worth of items in China’s first major online shopping festival after emerging from the pandemic as merchants slash prices, but analysts say that consumer confidence still remains weak as China re-emerges from the pandemic.

Alibaba founder Jack Ma has resurfaced in China after months of overseas travel, visiting a school in the eastern city of Hangzhou where he discussed various topics including artificial intelligence.

A grinding crackdown that wiped billions of dollars of value off Chinese technology companies is easing, but the once-freewheeling industry is bracing for much slower growth ahead.

Leading Chinese financial technology provider Ant Group has announced that its founder, e-commerce billionaire Jack Ma, will give up control of the company.

Chinese regulators have said e-commerce giant Alibaba’s finance affiliate Ant Group can raise $1.5 billion for its consumer finance unit in an important step forward after the government called off a planned IPO two years ago and ordered the firm to restructure.

Japanese technology investor SoftBank Group has reported a 3 trillion yen, or $21 billion, profit for the July-September quarter, a sharp reversal from its loss a year ago.

Alibaba, China’s biggest e-commerce company, plans to apply for a primary listing in Hong Kong.

Asian stock markets are higher as investors brace for another sharp interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve to cool inflation.

Shares of Chinese technology firms Alibaba and Tencent have tumbled after Chinese regulators fined their subsidiaries for failing to disclose transactions and not complying with anti-monopoly rules.

Alibaba this week revealed an ambitious vision to quintuple its Southeast Asian e-commerce business to $100 billion in transacted sales, as well as a pledge to reach carbon neutrality in its operations by 2030.

Shares are mixed in Asia after troubled Chinese property developer Evergrande warned late Friday it may run out of money.

Chinese shoppers spent $139.1 billion during this year’s annual Singles’ Day shopping extravaganza, breaking last year’s record even though consumer spending slowed amid economic uncertainty during the coronavirus pandemic.

China’s biggest online shopping day, known as “Singles’ Day” on Nov_ 11, is taking on a muted tone this year as regulators crack down on the technology industry and President Xi Jinping pushes for “common prosperity.”.

China's internet regulator plans to require companies to obtain government approval to transfer data deemed important abroad.

China is tightening control over data gathered by companies about the public under a law approved by its ceremonial legislature.

China’s internet watchdog says it has fined technology platforms operated by e-commerce company Alibaba and gaming firm Tencent for spreading sexually suggestive content involving children, as regulators seek to clean up content harmful to minors.

China’s internet watchdog said Friday that it has launched an investigation into ride-hailing company Didi Global Inc. to protect national security and public interest, days after the company went public in New York.

Shares in Meituan, China's largest food delivery platform, have tumbled after its CEO posted _and then deleted _ an ancient poem in a move widely seen as criticism of the Chinese government.

China’s market regulator says it has launched a probe into suspected monopolistic behavior by food delivery firm Meituan.

Asian shares are mostly higher with hopes growing for a global economic rebound even as coronavirus cases surge in many places.

Shares were higher across Asia on Friday after a strong gains on Wall Street driven by hopes for a powerful recovery from the pandemic. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)BANGKOK – Shares were higher across Asia on Friday after a strong gains on Wall Street driven by hopes for a powerful recovery from the pandemic. Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul and Shanghai all gained and U.S. futures also were higher. Investors have been moving money away from expensive tech stocks as part of a broader shift to stocks tied more closely to economic growth. The Russell 2000 index of smaller stocks outdid the rest of the market, climbing 2.3% to 2,183.12.

Shares fell in Asia on Wednesday as investors weighed the possibility that inflation might prompt central banks to adjust their ultra-low interest rate policies. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)TOKYO – Shares fell Wednesday in Asia as investors weighed the possibility that inflation might prompt central banks to adjust their ultra-low interest rate policies. Investors remain increasingly focused on a big tick up in bond yields and how it affects stock valuations. However, “Despite reassuring comments on lower rates from the U.S. Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell, Asia markets continued to look to concerns with regards to the rising bond yields," Pan said. The bet mostly paid off, as big tech companies reported big profits last year.

FILE - In this Dec. 30, 2020, file photo, an employee tolls the closing bell during a ceremony of the last trading day at the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo. Major Asian bourses were closed for the New Year's holidays Thursday, Dec. 31, while the handful that remained open was mixed. (JPX via AP)Major Asian bourses were closed for the New Year's holidays Thursday while the handful that remained open was mixed. Trading was closed in Tokyo and South Korea. The Tokyo exchange marked the end of trading for the year Wednesday, with the Nikkei falling 0.5%, and trading will not reopen until Monday next week.

Stocks fell back across Asia on Thursday after gains for big technology shares pushed most Wall Street benchmarks higher. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index gained 0.4% to 25,459.13 despite a report that machinery orders fell in September, suggesting weakness in corporate investment. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index fell 0.1% to 26,206.78 and the Shanghai Composite index declined 0.3% to 3,332.24. Markets have been riding a wave of relief over hopes for a potential vaccine to beat back the pandemic. Strategists along Wall Street are raising their forecasts for stock prices on expectations that political control of Washington will remain split between the parties.

BEIJING – Shares were mostly higher Wednesday in Asia after a worldwide rally spurred by hopes that a COVID-19 vaccine will help the global economy return to normal. Japan's Nikkei 225 index gained 1.2% to 25,197.68 and the S&P/ASX 200 advanced 1.3% to 6,419.50. The S&P 500 dipped 0.1% to 3,545.53, after erasing most of an early loss. The Russell 2000 index of small-cap stocks gained 1.9% to 1,737.01, finally returning to where it was in January. Many risks remain, and the biggest may be whether investors have become too convinced about a potential COVID-19 vaccine.

To help merchants cope with the impact from the coronavirus, online platforms have extended the shopping festival period this year in hopes of boosting sales. Some brands and merchants that slashed their prices booked hundreds of millions of yuan (tens of millions of dollars) in sales just hours into the shopping festival. “Some of these products are really cheap during the Singles’ Day discounts.”Unlike Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the U.S., Singles’ Day in China is not just about deep bargains. Alibaba pioneered the concept of Singles’ Day and holds an annual gala on Nov. 11 with celebrity performances to entertain shoppers. Mini games within online shopping platforms entice shoppers with deeper discounts while encouraging them to spend more time within the app.

In this Friday, Oct. 23, 2020 photo, the figure of Ant Group's mascot is displayed at the Ant Group office in Hong Kong. Ma also founded Alibaba Group, the world's biggest e-commerce company by sales volume, which spun off its Alipay payments service to create the company that became Ant Group. “Views regarding the health and stability of the financial sector were exchanged,” Ant Group said in a prepared statement. In a joint statement, the Chinese central bank, securities regulator and other agencies said Monday they had “regulatory interviews” with Ma, Ant Group chairman Eric Jing and president Hu Xiaoming. It was renamed Ant Group ahead of its stock market debut.

HONG KONG – The world’s largest fintech company, China's Ant Group, will try to raise nearly $35 billion in a massive public offering of stock that would shatter records. Its Shanghai stock was priced at 68.8 yuan ($10.26) each, while its Hong Kong stock is priced at 80 Hong Kong dollars apiece ($10.32), according to filings on Monday. Ant Group will list on the Hong Kong stock exchange on Nov. 5, according to an exchange filing. It was later renamed Ant Financial, before its recent name change to Ant Group. Alibaba, which currently owns a third of Ant Group, will subscribe to 730 million shares and will hold a stake of about 32% after the IPO.