Sunday, November 30, 2025





India's Adani seeks up to $5 billion investment in Google data center to join AI boom



The logo of the Adani Group is seen on the facade of its Corporate House on the outskirts of Ahmedabad · Reuters

Reuters
Fri, November 28, 2025 


How much will Adani Group invest in the Google project?

What is the scale of Google's AI data centre investment in India?

Why is there such high demand for AI data centres?

What does this mean for India's AI infrastructure development?

(Reuters) -India's Adani Group plans to invest up to $5 billion in Alphabet-owned ​Google's India AI data centre project, an executive ‌said on Friday, as it seeks to cash in on booming demand ‌for data capacity in the world's most populous nation.

In October, Google said it would invest $15 billion over five years to set up an artificial intelligence data centre in the southern state ⁠of Andhra Pradesh, its ‌biggest investment in India.

AI requires enormous computing power, pushing demand for specialised data centres that enable ‍thousands of chips to be linked in clusters.

Adani Group CFO Jugeshinder Singh said the Google project could mean an investment of up to $5 billion ​for Adani Connex - a joint venture between Adani ‌Enterprises and private data centre operator EdgeConneX.

"It's not just Google, there are a lot of parties that would like to work with us, especially when the data centre capacity goes to gigawatt and higher," Singh told reporters on ⁠Friday.

Google has committed to spending about $85 ​billion this year to expand data ​centre capacity as tech companies invest heavily in infrastructure to meet the booming demand for AI services.

Indian billionaires ‍Gautam Adani and ⁠Mukesh Ambani have also unveiled investments in building data centre capacity.

The data centre campus in the port city of Visakhapatnam ⁠will have an initial power capacity of 1 gigawatt.

($1 = 89.3660 ‌Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Harshita Meenaktshi and Dhwani ‌Pandya; Editing by Kevin Liffey)


Reliance Industries, JV partners to invest $11 billion in India AI data capacity

A guard walks past the Reliance Industries logo near the entrance of Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City in Navi Mumbai · Reuters

Reuters
Wed, November 26, 2025 

(Reuters) -A Reliance Industries joint venture will invest $11 billion over five years to ​develop 1 gigawatt of AI data capacity in the ‌southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, the companies and the state's ‌government said on Wednesday.

Canadian multinational company Brookfield Corporation and U.S.-based real estate investment trust Digital Realty are the other partners involved in the joint venture, called Digital Connexion. ⁠ ‌


The project aims to establish an AI-native data centre campus across 400 acres of ‍land in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam city.

In October, Google disclosed it will build AI data centre capacity in Visakhapatnam over five years, ​set to be the tech major's largest-ever ‌AI hub outside of the U.S.

The recent boom in AI, which requires vast amounts of computing data, has fuelled a corporate rush to pour money into the technology globally and has led to an unprecedented growth in data centres ⁠across the world.

India's data centre ​capacity is expected to more than triple ​to 4.5 gigawatt by 2030 from current levels, according to real estate consultant Colliers.

Last week,‍ Indian IT ⁠firm TCS also unveiled a partnership with private equity firm TPG to invest $2 billion in equity to form ⁠a joint venture aimed at developing AI data centres.

(Reporting by Abhirami ‌G and Hritam Mukherjee in Bengaluru; Editing by ‌Mrigank Dhaniwala and Janane Venkatraman)



Reliance plans $11bn AI data centre in Visakhapatnam, India

Reliance Industries · Verdict

RanjithKumar Dharma
Fri, November 28, 2025 


Reliance Industries, in partnership with Brookfield Asset Management and Digital Realty Trust, has announced plans to invest $11bn by 2030 to develop an AI-focused data centre campus in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Digital Connexion, the JV formed by the three companies, confirmed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board for this project, reported Bloomberg.


The campus will cover 400 acres (1.6187km²) and is expected to have a capacity of one gigawatt (1GW).

Other technology companies have recently announced similar investments in India.

In October 2025, Google stated its intention to spend approximately $15bn over five years on an AI infrastructure hub, also in Visakhapatnam.

Meanwhile, Amazon has outlined plans to invest $12.7bn towards cloud infrastructure in India by the end of this decade, while OpenAI is exploring the development of a 1GW data centre in the South Asian country.

Also in October 2025, Reliance Industries, through Reliance Intelligence, and Google have announced a strategic partnership to promote the adoption of AI across India.

The collaboration will combine Reliance Industries’ scale and ecosystem with Google’s AI technology to increase AI accessibility and support the development of India’s digital infrastructure.

Reliance Industries is partnering with Google Cloud to provide broader access to the latter’s AI hardware accelerators, including Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), as part of its plan to develop large-scale, clean energy-powered computing infrastructure.

The collaboration also designates Reliance Intelligence as a strategic partner to support the adoption of Gemini Enterprise by Indian organisations.

In a separate announcement, Tata Consultancy Services reported it will work with private equity firm TPG to establish a JV named HyperVault AI Data Centre, with a combined equity investment of Rs180bn ($2.03bn).

The capital will be committed in stages over several years, and the companies are seeking to raise an additional $4.5bn to $5bn through debt financing.


TCS did not provide further information regarding the number or locations of the new data centres.

"Reliance plans $11bn AI data centre in Visakhapatnam, India" was originally created and published by Verdict, a GlobalData owned brand.

The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.


Reliance to set up 1 gigawatt AI data centre in India's Andhra Pradesh

Illustration shows Reliance logo · Reuters
Reuters
November 14, 2025 

BENGALURU (Reuters) -Reliance Industries plans to set up a 1-gigawatt AI data center in ​India's Andhra Pradesh, the state's chief minister ‌said on Friday, adding to infrastructure capacity in India where the likes ‌of Google and Microsoft have made huge AI investments.

Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu did not disclose financial details of the investment. Reliance did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Globally, companies are ⁠investing heavily to build ‌new infrastructure to meet booming demand for AI services.

India is a critical growth market where nearly ‍a billion users access the internet. Google last month committed to a $15 billion investment over five years to create an AI data center ​in Andhra Pradesh, its biggest ever investment in India. ‌Microsoft and Amazon have also poured billions into building data centers in India.

Reliance's planned data center will operate as a twin to its gigawatt-scale AI data center in Jamnagar city in Gujarat state, "together forming one of Asia's strongest ⁠AI infrastructure networks," Naidu ​said.

AI requires enormous computing power, pushing ​demand for specialised data centers that enable tech companies to link thousands of chips together in clusters.

The Reliance ‍group, led ⁠by Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani, includes Jio, India's leading telecoms carrier, Reliance Retail Ltd, Network18 Media ⁠& Investments Ltd and Jamnagar, India's largest oil complex.

‌(Reporting by Munsif Vengattil in Bengaluru; Editing ‌by Joe Bavier and Susan Fenton)



Google's $15 Billion Bet Sparks India's New Tech Gold Rush

Khac Phu Nguyen
November 17, 2025 
This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

For investors who remember the first wave of India's tech rise, N. Chandrababu Naidu's latest pitch may feel like deja vu with a sharper edge. Three decades after he fought off skepticism to lure Bill Gates (TradesPortfolio) and later host the first visit by a sitting US president to southern India, Naidu is back selling a new story: a rebuilt Andhra Pradesh, aiming to grow faster than the rest of the country even as the state absorbs the loss of Hyderabad and President Donald Trump's 50% tariffs. He described the US-India tension as a temporary setback and suggested a deal between Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi could emerge very soon. The spark that has investors paying attention again is Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) decision to commit $15 billion to data centers over the next five years an amount Naidu noted already exceeds the state's total investment inflows from the past five years.

Naidu is now telling investors that Andhra Pradesh could double India's broader growth pace, targeting a 15% expansion rate and eyeing $1 trillion in investments over the next decade. That ambition sits at the center of a larger redevelopment push: remaking Amaravati as a capital, rebuilding industrial momentum, and widening the state's footprint beyond agriculture. He pointed to Dubai's reinvention and Singapore's ascent as proof that policy, labor reform, and tax clarity could reshape a region's trajectory. His pitch spans data centers, green energy, quantum computing, drones, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and even commercial space launches tied to Sriharikota's long-standing role. When asked whether he wants Elon Musk through Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) or Chinese automaker BYD (BYDDF) to invest, Naidu said he would welcome them as long as national security rules are followed.

Still, the state's hurdles could be material for investors. Andhra Pradesh is carrying one of India's highest fiscal deficits, grappling with uneven infrastructure, and navigating years of political uncertainty including legal cases against Naidu that he described as political. Yet his strengthened alliance with Modi, reinforced by a recent ruling-bloc win in Bihar, could possibly bring a steadier policy runway through 2029. Naidu said the central government is doing their best, but he emphasized that the state must generate its own revenues and job opportunities as youth unemployment and AI-related anxiety climb. With US-trained talent returning and his Stanford-educated son Nara Lokesh now serving as technology minister, Naidu insisted the fundamentals land, water, people, coastline are already in place. As he put it, he must perform, or otherwise I will perish.


Google plans $40 billion Texas data center investment amid AI boom

The Google logo is seen outside the company's office in London · Reuters

Reuters
November 14, 2025 2 min read

(Reuters) -Alphabet's Google said on Friday it would invest $40 billion in three new data centers in Texas, as part of ​its push to expand capacity for artificial intelligence initiatives.

The investment, which will be ‌made through 2027, underscores the intensifying competition among AI and cloud service providers to build infrastructure capable of supporting ‌advanced AI models.

OpenAI, Microsoft, Meta Platforms and Amazon are among companies spending billions in new AI-focused data centers.

Google said one of the new data centers will be in Armstrong County, in the Texas Panhandle, and the other two in Haskell County, a stretch ⁠of West Texas near Abilene.

"‌This investment will create thousands of jobs, provide skills training to college students and electrical apprentices, and accelerate energy affordability initiatives throughout Texas,‍" Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said in a statement.

The company will also invest in its existing Midlothian campus and Dallas cloud region, part of its global network of 42 cloud regions.

"Google's $40 ​billion investment makes Texas Google's largest investment in any state in the country and ‌supports energy efficiency and workforce development in our state," Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in the same statement.

Tech companies have announced massive spending plans this year, with many focusing on expanding their U.S. footprint, as President Donald Trump pushes for investments to maintain the country's edge in the AI sector.

Earlier this week, Anthropic said it would ⁠invest $50 billion in data centers across the U.​S., including New York and Texas.

Google on ​Tuesday announced it would invest 5.5 billion euros ($6.41 billion) in Germany in the coming years in a push to expand its ‍infrastructure and data center ⁠capacity in Europe's largest economy.

The latest AI investment surge echoes past tech bubbles, with valuations and spending outpacing near-term returns, some analysts and investors have ⁠warned. They say demand projections may prove overly optimistic if AI adoption does not grow at a similar pace ‌as capital expenditure.

($1 = 0.8575 euros)

(Reporting by Juby Babu ‌in Mexico City; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)


Japan’s Ruling Party Eyes $6.5 Billion a Year for Chips, AI

Yoshiaki Nohara
November 25, 2025 
BLOOMBERG



Yoshihiro Seki

(Bloomberg) -- Japan’s ruling party aims to secure roughly ¥1 trillion ($6.5 billion) per year to keep supporting the nation’s semiconductor and artificial intelligence sectors, according to a lawmaker who leads such efforts.

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Most of the funding will be secured in a regular budget for the year starting in April rather than in an extra budget for the current fiscal year, according to Yoshihiro Seki, secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party’s group of lawmakers that supports chip making in Japan.

That will be a change in funding method from the past few years, when the government relied on supplementary budgets to fund its chip revival strategy. The shift is expected to make it easier for the government to secure funding in a stable manner, according to Seki, who spoke to reporters on Thursday after the LDP group met.

Japan has set aside roughly ¥5.7 trillion to support Japan’s semiconductor and AI sectors since 2021, when it created a new strategy to revive domestic chip making, according to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Most of the funding has come from extra budgets rather than from regular ones.


“Since we were uncertain whether this approach would succeed, we had been moving ahead only with extra budgets,” Seki said. “But from now on, METI’s share in the regular budget will really jump up. So the idea is that allocations from supplementary budgets will fall, leading to more stable operations.”

In last year’s supplementary budget, about ¥1.5 trillion was earmarked for the efforts, as the first round of funding for former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s pledge to provide more than ¥10 trillion of fresh public support for the sectors. The ¥1 trillion that the LDP aims to secure will be part of the ¥10 trillion pledge, too, according to Seki.

Of the total funding earmarked, roughly ¥1.7 trillion has been allocated to Rapidus Corp., which aims to mass produce cutting-edge chips by 2027. Micron Technology Inc.’s Hiroshima factory has been awarded ¥774.5 billion.

The overwhelming majority of the world’s advanced artificial intelligence chips are manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., sparking fears about reliance on an island that China claims as its own.

(Updates with comments from Seki, more details.)


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Micron to invest $9.6 billion in Japan to build AI memory chip plant, Nikkei reports


Reuters
Sat, November 29, 2025 

What strategic benefits does Hiroshima location provide Micron?

What drives the surging demand for HBM chips?

Why are HBM chips in high demand?

How does this investment fit Japan's semiconductor strategy?



Nov 29 (Reuters) - Micron Technology will invest 1.5 trillion yen (​$9.6 billion) to build a new ‌plant in Hiroshima in western Japan to produce advanced high-bandwidth memory ‌(HBM) chips, the Nikkei reported on Saturday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The U.S. chipmaker aims to start construction at an existing site ⁠in May next year ‌and begin shipments around 2028, with Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and ‍Industry providing up to 500 billion yen for the project, the Nikkei said.

Reuters could not immediately verify the report.

To revive ​its aging semiconductor industry, Japan's government is ‌offering generous subsidies to lure investment from foreign chip makers such as Micron and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC). It is also funding the construction of a plant that will mass produce advanced logic chips ⁠using IBM technology.

Demand for HBM ​chips is being driven by the ​growth of artificial intelligence and data centre investment.

The expansion of its plant in Hiroshima will ‍help Micron diversify ⁠production away from Taiwan and compete with market leader SK Hynix, the Nikkei said.

($1 ⁠= 156.1500 yen)

(Reporting by Rajveer Singh Pardesi in Bengaluru ‌and Tim Kelly in Tokyo; Editing by ‌William 


Mizuho Sees Micron (MU) Benefiting From AI Storage Needs and Persistent HDD Shortages

Sheryar Siddiq
November 13, 2025


Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:MU) ranks among the best long-term stocks to buy according to D. E. Shaw. Following virtual investor meetings with company executives, including CFO Mark Murphy, Mizuho analyst Vijay Rakesh maintained an Outperform rating and a $265 price target for Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:MU) shares on November 10. The analyst noted many significant trends from the conversations, including the fact that demand for high bandwidth memory (HBM) is expected to remain strong through 2026-2027.

According to the analyst, memory prices could be supported over the coming years by China’s restricted capacity. Chipmaking regulations are delaying between 30% and 35% of Samsung and Hynix’s memory production, which could keep supply tight and enable Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:MU) to profit from higher prices into 2027 and 2028.

Additionally, he pointed out that Micron’s upcoming U.S. plants in Idaho and New York, which are expected to begin production between 2027 and 2029, may increase its U.S. DRAM share over the next ten years from mid-single digits to about 20%.

Rakesh noted that while AI server demand for QLC enterprise solid-state drives (eSSDs) is rising, capital investment in the NAND flash memory segment continues to be regulated, while hard disk drives (HDDs) remain in short supply.

Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:MU) designs, develops, manufactures, and sells memory and storage products across the world.

While we acknowledge the potential of MU as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.

Why Micron and SK Hynix Could Quietly Become the Real AI Winners

Manali Pradhan, CFA, The Motley Fool
Mon, November 24, 2025 


Key Points

Memory is becoming a major bottleneck in the AI infrastructure buildout.

Both Micron and SK Hynix enjoy pricing power and multiyear revenue visibility for their HBM and advanced DRAM offerings.

SK Hynix is already the leader in the HBM market, while Micron is focused on expanding its market share.


Investors who are looking for high-potential artificial intelligence (AI) stocks often pick well-known semiconductor players such as Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices, hyperscalers such as Amazon and Microsoft, or software players like Palantir and SoundHound AI.

But many investors are missing one real AI opportunity that's staring us in the face.

Image source: Getty Images.

AI models continue to get larger and more complex. Additionally, as the systems mature, hyperscalers and enterprises are transitioning from infrequent AI training workloads to more frequent AI inferencing workloads. And now, memory bandwidth and capacity are proving to be bigger bottlenecks than AI computing capacity in large AI clusters.


Within that dynamic, leading memory players such as Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU) and SK Hynix (OTC: HXSCL) -- already crucial players in the global buildout of AI infrastructure -- are well-positioned to prosper.
Favorable memory market trends

The server clusters built around cutting-edge AI processing chips increasingly require higher-performance, energy-efficient, high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and advanced DRAM in order to operate efficiently. In fact, every new generation of AI GPUs uses increasingly more HBM and advanced DRAM.

So naturally, data center companies are increasing their spending on memory as part of their ongoing AI infrastructure buildouts. The global HBM market is forecast to grow from $17 billion in 2024 to $98 billion in 2030, while HBM's revenue share in the DRAM market is estimated to grow from 18% to 50% in that same time frame. This trend favors Micron and SK Hynix, which stand to benefit from the higher memory content of systems designed to handle large, scalable AI workloads.


Micron and South Korea-based SK Hynix can expect to enjoy solid pricing power and higher margins, as there is currently a chronic shortage of advanced DRAM. According to DigiTimes, many major hyperscalers are securing only 70% of their server DRAM orders, despite accepting 50% price hikes in the fourth quarter.
Micron is capitalizing on this opportunity

U.S.-based Micron has gradually transformed itself from a cyclical DRAM and NAND producer into a full-stack, AI-optimized memory and storage player. The company's performance in its fiscal 2025 (which ended Aug. 28) was impressive, with revenues soaring 49% to $37.4 billion, and non-GAAP diluted earnings per share surging nearly 538% to $8.29. Increasing memory demand from data center operators has been the key growth catalyst. In fiscal 2025, its data center business accounted for 56% of Micron's total revenues.


Micron's DRAM market share was close to 22.5% in September. Management also forecast that its HBM market share would be similar to its DRAM share in the third quarter of calendar 2025, as it ramps its third-generation extended (HBM3E) and fourth-generation (HBM4) HBM products. That was an achievable goal, considering that Micron was already the second-largest player in the HBM market in the second quarter of calendar 2025, with a 21% share, according to market research firm Counterpoint Research.


Micron's HBM strategy seems to have been quite successful, as its HBM revenues reached nearly $2 billion in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, which translates to an annual run rate of close to $8 billion. The company has already entered into pricing agreements for a significant chunk of its HBM3E supply in 2026, and expects to sell out its entire 2026 supply in the next few months.

The company is also advancing its technology leadership and has ramped up production of its 1-gamma DRAM node to achieve mature yields 50% faster than the previous-generation process node. The company was the first to ship a 1-gamma DRAM chip and plans to leverage its superior process technology across its entire DRAM portfolio.
SK Hynix remains the leader

While Micron is slowly expanding its market share, SK Hynix is already the leader in the HBM market, with a 62% share as of the second quarter of 2025. SK Hynix has also completed development of its next-generation HBM4 and plans to begin shipping that product in the fourth quarter, followed by a rapid scale-up of production in 2026.


SK Hynix has also finalized its 2026 HBM supply plan for major clients, and management expects HBM supply to remain tight even in 2027. As memory companies increasingly allocate production capacity to HBM, the marketplace is now experiencing shortages of some traditional memory products, too. SK Hynix is also a leader in the DRAM market, with a 35% share in the third quarter. Hence, some of its customers have started issuing pre-purchase orders for DRAM and NAND products for 2026.

The company also delivered exceptional performance in the third quarter, as revenues soared 39% year over year to 24.4 trillion Korean won (about $16.6 billion). Operating profit also rose 62% to an all-time high of 11.4 trillion Korean won (about $7.7 billion).
AI winners

SK Hynix expects the AI memory market to grow by almost 30% annually through 2030. The company is also a key HBM supplier to Nvidia; Micron supplies the GPU leader with smaller HBM volumes.

With a favorable demand environment for their offerings and strong technological advantages, both Micron and SK Hynix are well positioned to keep capturing a significant share of this growing and profitable market.

Manali Pradhan, CFA has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Amazon, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Palantir Technologies. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


Why Micron and SK Hynix Could Quietly Become the Real AI Winners was originally published by The Motley Fool


Is This the Most Underrated AI Infrastructure Play of the Decade?

Rick Orford, 
The Motley Fool
November 23, 2025


Key Points

Micron Technology is pivotal in AI with its HBM and Nvidia's validation tools.

Supply constraints and HBM shortages give Micron pricing power and margin potential.

Analysts rate MU a strong buy as HBM4 and SOCAMM2 drive the company's growth forward.

Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU) isn't getting a lot of attention right now despite being one of the world's three dominant memory chip manufacturers. It produces the memory and storage components inside nearly every computing device we use: DRAM and NAND Flash memory.

Moreover, while almost every company in this space is South Korean, which includes Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, Micron is the only U.S.-based memory chip manufacturer, which could give it a boost in the current geo-political environment.

Let's see why investors would do well to take a closer look at this stock now.

Image source: Getty Images.

In AI, what's driving Micron's momentum is HBM, or high bandwidth memory. This is a relatively new technology that stacks multiple memory chips vertically, rather than spreading them out flat. And, to Micron's credit, this technology has become essential in the AI infrastructure buildout, especially for Nvidia.

Micron's partnership with Nvidia

Micron confirmed that HBM3E chips will power Nvidia's latest Blackwell architecture. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang specifically mentioned that it's using Micron's G7 memory, which delivers 1.8 terabytes per second. At the same event, Nvidia introduced its GeForce RTX 50 series GPUs and a desktop-sized AI supercomputer called Project DIGITS, which utilizes Micron's DDR5X memory with 128GB capacity. Huang is arguably the most influential figure in the AI space right now, so this is a huge validation for Micron.


Moreover, Micron began sending samples of its 192GB SOCAMM2 memory modules to customers back in October. These memory chips are designed specifically for AI data centers and were developed through a five-year partnership with Nvidia. Reportedly, these modules use one-third the power of standard memory while delivering 2.5 times higher bandwidth, which makes them a must-have for AI infrastructure.
How has Micron stock performed?

Micron stock currently trades at about $225 per share. Over the past year, it has gained over 130%, and over five years, it's up nearly 270%. Those returns have significantly outpaced the broader market, which also reflects investor enthusiasm for Micron's position in high-growth markets amid demand for AI-optimized memory.

HBM market share expansion in a supply-constrained market

According to reports, Micron held less than 10% of the global HBM market back in 2022. Today, the company aims to grow its share to somewhere between 20% and 25% through 2026. This is entirely possible as the global HBM market itself is expected to grow 26% to $9.2 billion in 2026, and more than double by 2028. Micron could capture a significant portion of that growth, given its position in the AI infrastructure buildout.


Moreover, there are industrywide shortages of HBMs. SK Hynix's and Micron's 2025 output is already largely sold out, and management expects these tight supply conditions to continue through 2025 and into 2026, supporting healthy profit margins. Micron also plans to start shipping HBM4 in 2026, its next-generation HBM.

The company is in a supply-constrained environment in which demand exceeds supply, so Micron inevitably gets pricing power. It can charge more since customers need the product and alternatives are limited, and that pricing power directly helps profitability.
Verdict

Is Micron Technology a buy at these levels? Consider that a consensus among 37 Wall Street analysts rates Micron stock a "strong buy," and that rating has been gradually improving over the last three months. In light of Micron's role in the AI ecosystem and its overall financial performance, I would agree.


For those who are looking to invest in the AI space without paying a premium, Micron is a different name that doesn't dominate the headlines. Not only that, the market might not yet fully recognize Micron's critical role in the AI infrastructure stack. Sure, it probably won't capture the same margins as chip designers and manufacturers, but still, it's an indispensable supplier to the AI ecosystem, and investors typically pay a premium to get that exposure.

For these reasons, Micron presents a compelling investment opportunity for those seeking AI exposure and growth without paying a premium that's commanded by better-known names.

Rick Orford has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.



Why the Selloff in Micron Technology Stock Never Made Sense

Rich Duprey
Mon, November 24, 2025



Micron Technology Inc.

Quick Read

Micron Technology (MU) controls 23% of the global DRAM market and 12% of NAND flash.

UBS raised global HBM demand forecasts to 28 billion gigabits by 2026.

Micron trades at a forward P/E of 10 versus the semiconductor industry average of 25x.

Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) shares soared to an all-time high of $260 earlier this month, riding the wave of AI-driven optimism in the semiconductor sector. But like most chip and tech stocks, the memory chip maker has trended lower since, caught in broader market jitters over AI hype fears.

Last week, the selloff intensified, with Micron plunging 10% in a single session -- triggered partly by Nvidia's (NASDAQ:NVDA) earnings report, which, despite beating estimates, highlighted rising costs and slower data center growth. Investors panicked, dumping memory plays like Micron amid fears of overcapacity. Yet this drop never made sense. Here's why.
An Iron Grip on Memory Markets

Micron stands out thanks to its commanding position in DRAM and NAND flash memory. DRAM, essential for temporary data storage in servers, PCs, and smartphones, accounts for over half of Micron's revenue. The company controls about 23% of the global DRAM market, behind only Samsung and SK Hynix.

NAND flash, used for long-term storage in solid-state drives (SSDs) and mobile devices, adds another 40% to sales, with Micron holding a 12% share. These segments benefit from cyclical upturns, but AI is turning cycles into a structural boom.


What sets Micron apart is its pivot to high-bandwidth memory (HBM), the ultra-fast DRAM variant critical for AI accelerators. HBM enables the massive data throughput needed for training large language models.

Micron began shipping HBM3E samples in 2024 and is ramping production this year, positioning it as a key supplier alongside SK Hynix. In the AI era, where Nvidia's GPUs and Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) Instinct chips demand terabytes of high-speed memory per rack, Micron's HBM expertise locks in long-term growth.

Analysts project the HBM market exploding from $4 billion in 2023 to nearly $100 billion by 2030, with Micron capturing a growing slice through its advanced 1-gamma node tech, which boosts density and efficiency.

This dominance isn't just defensive -- it's a growth engine. Micron's fiscal fourth quarter results showed 46% year-over-year revenue growth to $11.3 billion, driven by AI server demand and strong data center sales, which now account for 56% of total revenue. Even as consumer markets like PCs and smartphones recover slowly, AI hyperscalers like Microsoft and Amazon are stockpiling Micron's memory for cloud infrastructure.


Supply constraints in advanced nodes, including limited HBM production capacity, shield margins from commoditization risks. Micron's capex investments -- $13.8 billion in fiscal 2025 -- target expanding HBM output to 20% of DRAM sales by 2026, ensuring it rides the AI wave without overextending.

Wall Street's HBM Boost

Adding fuel this morning, MU stock climbed nearly 6% on no company-specific news, but a fresh UBS report lit the spark. The investment firm upped its global HBM demand forecast, now expecting 17.3 billion gigabits of end-consumption this year (a 1% increase from prior estimates) and 28 billion gigabits in 2026 (up another 1.6%).

This revision stems from robust procurement by Nvidia and AMD, including higher unit forecasts for Nvidia's next-gen Rubin GPUs (3 million in 2026) and AMD's MI450 series, tied to deals like OpenAI's supercomputer builds. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing's capacity expansions and tight node utilization through late 2026 further tighten supply.

While UBS spotlighted SK Hynix and Samsung as direct buys -- citing SK Hynix's 70% share of Nvidia's HBM4 supply and 13% blended average selling price (ASP) growth -- the read-through for Micron is clear and positive.

As the third major HBM player, Micron benefits from the same demand surge, especially with its U.S.-based fabs qualifying for CHIPS Act subsidies. This could lift Micron's HBM annual revenue run rate of $8 billion far higher by 2027, according to consensus estimates, pushing overall earnings higher.

Gross margins were already at 45% in Q4, and stand to expand as HBM commands 5x to 10x premiums over standard DRAM. For MU going forward, this means accelerated free cash flow ($3.7 billion in 2025) funding dividends, buybacks, and more AI R&D. The selloff ignored these fundamentals, creating a disconnect from reality.
Key Takeaway

The recent plunge in Micron Technology stock was a textbook overreaction, handing savvy investors a rare discount on a proven AI winner. Even after today's 6% bounce, Micron remains a compelling buy.

Trading at a forward P/E of just 10 compared to the semiconductor industry's 25x makes Micron's dirt cheap for its prospects. Wall Street forecasts over 40% compound annual EPS growth through 2030, yielding a PEG ratio under 1, a hallmark of undervalued growth.

In a sector buzzing with pricier picks such as Nvidia or AMD, MU offers the best risk-reward for AI exposure.



Lebanese army boosts its presence along border with Israel, dismantling Hezbollah posts

BASSEM MROUE
Fri, November 28, 2025 
AP


A Lebanese army soldier stands at the entrance of a tunnel dug into a mountain that was used by Hezbollah militants as a clinic and storage facility near the Lebanese-Israeli border in the Zibqin Valley, southern Lebanon, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Boxes of canned food are scattered inside one of the rooms of the tunnel dug into a mountain that was used by Hezbollah militants as a clinic and storage facility, near the Lebanese-Israeli border in the Zibqin Valley, southern Lebanon, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Lebanese army soldiers look at the Israeli military post of Hanita, left, and the Labbouneh post, one of five hills occupied by Israeli forces since last year, right, from a Lebanese military position in the village of Alma al-Shaab in south Lebanon, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Lebanese army soldiers walk through a tunnel dug into a mountain that was used by Hezbollah militants as a clinic and storage facility, near the Lebanese-Israeli border in the Zibqin Valley, southern Lebanon, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

ZIBQIN VALLEY, Lebanon (AP) — The Lebanese army has intensified its efforts in areas along the border with Israel, in the volatile area that witnessed the 14-month war between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group.

Parts of the zone south of the Litani River and north of the border with Israel were formerly a Hezbollah stronghold, off limits to the Lebanese national army and U.N. peacekeepers deployed in the area.

But since a ceasefire ended the Israel-Hezbollah war a year ago, Lebanon's army has boosted its presence along the border to nearly 10,000 troops, closed 11 crossing points used for smuggling along the Litani River, and is dealing with huge amounts of unexploded ordnance, according to several senior army officers.

The army took dozens of journalists from local and and international media outlets Friday on a tour of the rugged area along the border. Its troops could be seen in places where Hezbollah once had a heavy military presence.

Israel has carried out almost daily airstrikes since the November 2024 ceasefire, mainly targeting Hezbollah members but 127 civilians have also been killed, according to the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Hezbollah has only claimed responsibility for an attack on an Israeli military post since last November. The group maintains it no longer has an armed presence south of the Litani River, close to the border.

Hezbollah rejected disarmament plan

Hezbollah refuses to discuss full disarmament across Lebanon until Israel stops its attacks and withdraws from five hilltop points that it captured during the war and still holds.

The latest Israel-Hezbollah war began Oct. 8, 2023, a day after Hamas attacked southern Israel, after Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel in solidarity with Hamas. Israel launched a widespread bombardment of Lebanon for two months last year that severely weakened Hezbollah, followed by a ground invasion.

In August, the Lebanese government voted in favor of a U.S.-backed plan to disarm Hezbollah. Hezbollah rejected the plan.

In recent weeks, Israel has said that Hezbollah is working on rebuilding its capabilities in south Lebanon.

“The Lebanese army is making tremendous efforts during this critical period in the history of the region,” said Brig. Gen. Nicolas Thabet, Lebanese army commander in the sector south of the Litani River.

The journalists were taken Friday to Zibqin Valley, where Hezbollah once had rocket launchers, tunnels and posts hidden in the bushy region. There was no presence of the militant group and its former posts were either struck or now controlled by Lebanese troops.

A nearly 100-meter (328 feet) tunnel inside a mountain, used by Hezbollah in the past, contained what appeared to be a small medical clinic, a ventilation system, power cables, water tankers and large amounts of canned food.

Zibqin Valley is where munitions in an arms depot exploded in August, killing six army experts who were dismantling them.

“We will not abandon our goals no matter what the difficulties are,” said Thabet, adding that “the army is making major sacrifices” in one of “the most dangerous parts of the Middle East.”

Weapons and tunnels discovered

Army officers told journalists that there have been 5,198 violations by Israel since the ceasefire, including 657 airstrikes. They added that 13,981 housing units were destroyed by the war, in addition to the damage done to infrastructure in border villages.

They said that some of the weapons and ordnance they found were dismantled or ,detonated while others have been put in storage. Weapons that can be used are taken by the army, they said.

The officers added that the army now has 200 posts south of Litani River, in addition to 29 fixed checkpoints, and it operates patrols around the clock.

On Sept. 5, the army strengthened its efforts in the region after the government's decision to disarm Hezbollah. Since then, troops have discovered 74 tunnels, 175 rocket launchers and 58 missiles.

Thabet said the army does not enter homes to search them without a judicial order and only do so if they witness illegal activities as they're taking place.
Prominent Tunisian activist arrested as hundreds protest clampdown on dissent

RFI
Sun, November 30, 2025 


Tunisian activist Chaima Issa outside a military court in Tunis on 3 October 2023. Sentenced to 20 years in prison on charges of "conspiracy against state security", Issa was arrested at a protest on 29 November 2025.

Issa is among some 40 people, mainly critics of President Kais Saied, who received lengthy prison terms on charges of plotting against the state at a mass appeal trial on Friday.

"We were marching in the protest when a group of plainclothes officers grabbed her and pushed her inside a vehicle," Issa's lawyer, Samir Dilou, told French news agency AFP.

"They could have arrested her the day of the verdict at her home," Dilou added. "She wasn't going anywhere. If she wanted to go on the run, why would she be demonstrating?"

Issa was on a list of people wanted by police after the appeal court confirmed the verdict against her, a source in the judiciary told Tunisian news agency TAP.

She will be taken to prison to serve her 20-year term, the source said.

'Suppression of freedoms'

The protest in the capital, called by Tunisia's leading women rights groups the Association of Democratic Women (ATFD) and Aswat Nissa, denounced what many see as a growing clampdown on dissent and rights defenders.

"This protest comes amid the authorities' systematic suppression of free speech and the free voices of activists, journalists and others," said Nadia Benhamed, a senior member of the ATFD.

"We reject the suppression of freedoms," she added. "Freedom of expression and thought is our right."


Tunisia emerged as the only democracy of the Arab Spring. But since Saied staged a power grab in 2021, suspending parliament and dismissing government ministers, rights groups have criticised a rollback on freedoms.

Dozens of the president's critics have been prosecuted or jailed, including on terrorism-related charges and under a law the president enacted in 2022 to prohibit "spreading false news".

"We won't give up on our gains and on our freedoms," said Manel Othmani, another protester and activist. "We can't surrender the freedom of speech we've gained since 2011."

Opposition on trial

Issa – a member of the National Salvation Front, a coalition of opposition groups that stand against Saied – was first arrested in February 2023.

She is one of around 40 high-profile defendants tried earlier this year for national security offences including "conspiracy against state security" and "belonging to a terrorist group". They were originally sentenced in April to terms ranging from 13 to 66 years in prison.

Their mass appeal this week succeeded only in reducing the maximum term to 45 years.


A European Parliament vote on Thursday called for the release of "all those detained for exercising their right to freedom of expression, including political prisoners and human rights defenders" in Tunisia.

Saied condemned the resolution as "blatant interference", saying the European Union could "learn lessons from us on rights and freedoms".

(with AFP)
USED TO BE $5

McDonald’s promoted its new $8 nugget combo meal, then got blasted online with complaints about affordability, quality and service

Nino Paoli
Sat, November 29, 2025 


McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski.

McDonald’s CEO said combo meals at one of the world’s largest fast food chains were too expensive earlier this year, teeing up a rollout of cheaper deals for cash-strapped customers. But online, consumers aren’t biting.

Earlier this month, McDonald’s promoted a limited-time $8 10-piece chicken McNugget value meal for November.

But under the company’s Nov. 14 X post marketing the deal, many promised not to eat at the chain due to reasons ranging from price inflation and perceived lower quality to long drive-through wait times.

“Since when is $8 a good price for 10 little nuggets, a hand full of fries and a drink?” one commenter said.

The company responded to a number of these complaints in the post’s thread, asking users to send their contact information in a direct message to sort out their complaints, but the post racked up hundreds of unhappy reviews.

McDonald’s was unable to provide an immediate response to Fortune’s request for comment due to the holiday weekend.

The backlash comes as the company tries to revive its image of affordability as price hikes have hit its menu.

Last year, the company was criticized for its price inflation since 2019, even drawing rebukes from House Republicans in an X post that claimed, under then-President Joe Biden, prices for medium fries surged 167.6% and 103.5% for a Big Mac meal.

McDonald’s refuted claims that its prices doubled, saying the average price of the company’s menu items increased about 40% in the time period, attributing most of it to “the increase of costs to run restaurants, which have gone up.” These costs include hiking restaurant worker salaries up to 40% and increased costs of food and paper, according to the company.

Over the past couple of years, McDonald’s has been criticized online by value-conscious customers for its prices. An X post displaying a $18 Big Mac combo meal went viral in 2023, spurring debate that the chain had become too expensive. This post also elicited a response from McDonald’s USA president, Joe Erlinger, who claimed the meal was an “exception” and that the chain’s prices have not outpaced inflation.

Even CEO Chris Kempczinski acknowledged combo meals priced over $10 were “negatively shaping value perceptions.”

During the company’s second-quarter earnings call, he told investors that the “single biggest driver” of what shapes a consumer’s overall perception of McDonald’s value is the menu board


“We’ve got to get that fixed,” he said.

In May, Kempczinski said the company’s U.S. first-quarter traffic this year from low-income consumers declined by “nearly double digits,” and middle-income consumer traffic fell by almost the same amount.

He said that these consumers “in particular, are being weighted down by the cumulative impact of inflation and heightened anxiety about the economic outlook.”

Despite the backlash, the company’s global comparable sales increased 3.6% in the third quarter—and its U.S. sales increased 2.4%.

“We’re fueling momentum by delivering everyday value and affordability, menu innovation, and compelling marketing that continue to bring customers through our doors,” Kempczinski said in McDonald’s third-quarter earnings release.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

CELEBRITY NEWSMAKERS

Australian prime minister Albanese becomes the first ever to marry in office

ROD McGUIRK
Sat, November 29, 2025 
AP


Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, left, and Jodie Haydon smile after getting married in Canberra, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025.(Mike Bowers/Pool Photo via AP)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, center left, and Jodie Haydon, center right, are showered with confetti after getting married in Canberra, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025.(Mike Bowers/Pool Photo via AP)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese married his partner Jodie Haydon in a secretive and intimate ceremony on Saturday at his official residence in the national capital, Canberra.

Albanese is the first prime minister to marry while in office in the 124-year history of the Australian federal government.

The couple were married by a civil celebrant before around 60 guests, including several cabinet ministers, in an afternoon ceremony on the grounds of The Lodge. There was no media reporting of the event until after it had occurred.

“We are absolutely delighted to share our love and commitment to spending our future lives together, in front of our family and closest friends,” the couple said in a statement.

The pair wrote their own vows and their dog Toto was the ring bearer. Haydon’s 5-year-old niece Ella was the flower girl, the statement said.

Albanese, 62, who is divorced with an adult son, proposed to Haydon, 46, at The Lodge on Valentine’s Day last year. They initially planned a larger-scale wedding before the last election was scheduled to be held in May this year. Albanese had told a Sydney radio program he was considering inviting former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whom he considered a personal friend.

But the ruling center-left Labor Party strategists feared a lavish wedding during a cost of living crisis could hurt the government’s chances of being re-elected for a second three-year term.

A decision was made to delay the wedding until after the election. Albanese had said the wedding would take place in 2025, but did not reveal a date.

The wedding came two days after Parliament ended for the year on Thursday.

Haydon, who works in finance, met Albanese at a business dinner in Melbourne in 2020.

——

Cory Booker marries Alexis Lewis in private ceremonies in NJ, Washington

Deena Yellin, 
NorthJersey.com
Sun, November 30, 2025



Sen. Cory Booker is officially off the market.

The 56-year-old senior senator from New Jersey tied the knot last week with two private ceremonies.

Booker and Alexis Lewis married in a courthouse ceremony on Nov. 24 officiated by Judge Julien Xavier Neals of the United State District Court of the District of New Jersey. The couple served pastries from Calandra's Bakery, as well as a vegan chocolate chip cookie dough cake from Papa Ganache Project in Matawan, New Jersey, Booker's office confirmed.

On Saturday, the couple held a private interfaith wedding ceremony in Washington. The wedding, first reported by The New York Times, was attended by family only and officiated by Booker's pastor of 30 years, Rev. Dr. David Jefferson of Newark's Metropolitan Baptist Church, as well as his longtime friend, Rabbi Matthew Gewirtz of Temple B'nai Jeshurun in Short Hills.


Sen. Cory Booker and Alexis Lewis were married in two private ceremonies in late November 2025.

"We said 'I do' in two places that shaped us — Cory's beloved Newark and Alexis's hometown of Washington, D.C. — first at the courthouse, then with our families. Hearts full and so grateful," Booker posted to Facebook on Sunday, Nov. 30.

Lewis, 38, is Jewish, while Booker is Christian.

The couple were married under a chuppah, a Jewish wedding tradition, and beneath photos of the couple's grandparents and deceased ancestors. The band played Mariah Carey's "Emotions" as they broke the glass.

"Our wedding has mirrored our relationship — magical, meaningful, and strengthened by the extraordinary support of our friends and family," said Booker, who serves as chairman of the Senate Democratic Strategic Communications Committee. "Alexis and I feel truly blessed to begin this new chapter surrounded by so much love."
Lewis is a real estate investment professional

The pair were introduced by a mutual friend in May of 2024 known for his matchmaking prowess.

Lewis, a real estate investment professional and native of Washington, was then living in Los Angeles. During a visit to her family in Washington, the friend urged the pair to meet for a blind date.

Their meeting lasted over five hours. Booker asked her to see him again the next night but she turned him down — she had a work meeting in Newark and had to fly out the next day.

But the former Newark mayor, who is known for his impassioned speeches, convinced her to change her flight so that they could see each other again. "The second date was even more magical," the couple reported.

They enjoyed dinner at Mompou in Newark, saw the Broadway show "Suffs" in New York City and ended the night with a romantic stroll through Newark. During the walk, Booker shared the places that had shaped his life, and they had their first kiss outside the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark.

They moved in together in April and fostered a shepherd mix named Cooke. They hope to foster more dogs.

“Early in our relationship, I had a bittersweet moment of grief realizing my father wouldnever get to meet the woman I’m marrying," said Booker.

"But Alexis is exactly the kind of woman my dad would have wanted for me," he said. "I often joke with her that she and my father have so much in common and that he must be smiling — and laughing — in heaven."
Proposal on a Hawaii trip

During a trip to Hawaii on Aug. 24, Booker surprised Alexis by proposing. Although he had convinced her he wasn't going to propose because of work, he created an elaborate moment using Native Hawaiian musicians and a hula dancer.

They performed one of her longtime favorite songs — Mariah Carey's "Dreamlover." Booker got down on a knee and popped the question.

In a social media post after his engagement, Booker called Lewis "one of the greatest unearned blessings of my life," and said that she "has transformed me, helping me to ground and center my inner life."

Before meeting Lewis, Booker had been named one of the Top 40 Bachelors by Town & Country Magazine and had been in a high-profile relationship with actress Rosario Dawson that lasted two years and ended in 2022.

Booker, a Democrat, made history earlier in March with a marathon speech on the Senate floor in which he railed against the Trump administration for more than 25 hours. It was the longest recorded speech ever in the U.S. Senate.

Booker grew up in the leafy New Jersey suburb of Harrington Park and was a standout football player at Old Tappan High School. He won an athletic scholarship to Stanford University and then attended Oxford University in England on a Rhodes scholarship.

Afterward, he attended Yale Law School before moving to Newark. After serving as mayor, he was first elected to the Senate in 2013.

X and other social media on Sunday was filled with well-wishers, including Sen. Andy Kim, who tweeted, "So happy for Cory and Alexis! Whenever I see them together, their love fills the room with joy. Congratulations on the journey of a beautiful life together."

Lewis said her relationship with Booker developed "quickly, intentionally and somehow with ease."

"After so many years on my own, I'm not entirely sure I believed I would get married," she said. "But now, we've found each other at this stage of our lives, after epic personal journeys, and that deserves celebration.

"Joy shared is joy multiplied, and that's how our entire relationship has felt," she said.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ's Sen. Cory Booker marries Alexis Lewis in private ceremony


Calls for accountability over lethal Hong Kong fire silenced


By AFP
November 30, 2025


Student Miles Kwan urged Hong Kong commuters to demand accountability after a deadly fire killed 128 people this week - Copyright AFP Dale DE LA REY

Not long before he was reportedly detained, Miles Kwan approached commuters outside a Hong Kong train station, urging them to demand accountability for the deadly inferno that tore through nearby apartment blocks.

“We all feel unhappy that (Hong Kong) has come to this and we want things to improve,” the 24-year-old student told AFP on Friday, while handing out flyers that called for an independent probe into the blaze, which killed at least 128 people this week.

“We need to be frank about how today’s Hong Kong is riddled with holes, inside and out.”

Kwan and other organisers’ demands turned into an online petition that gained more than 10,000 signatures in less than a day.

But local media reported on Saturday night that Kwan was arrested on suspicion of sedition by national security police and the text of the online petition had been deleted, showing how under Beijing’s watchful eye, dissenting voices in Hong Kong can vanish as quickly as they appear.

Police declined to confirm the arrest, saying only that they “will take actions according to actual circumstances and in accordance with the law”.

AFP’s attempts to reach Kwan by phone on Sunday morning went unanswered.

Hong Kong was once home to spirited political activism, but that has faded since Beijing imposed a strict national security law in 2020 following huge pro-democracy protests in the Chinese finance hub.

Kwan was reportedly detained not long after Beijing’s national security arm in Hong Kong publicly condemned “anti-China forces” for exploiting the disaster and “inciting social division and stirring hatred against authorities.”

Asked on Friday if he feared being arrested, Kwan told AFP he was only “proposing very basic demands”.

“If these ideas are deemed seditious or ‘crossing the line’, then I feel I can’t predict the consequences of anything anymore, and I can only do what I truly believe.”




– Grenfell comparisons –

Kwan and a handful of activists gave out flyers at the train station near the charred residential estate on Friday, demanding government accountability, an independent probe into possible corruption, proper resettlement for residents and a review of construction oversight.

The demands reflected a belief that the fire was “not an accident” but a man-made disaster, he said.

Authorities have arrested 11 people in connection to the blaze that tore through the high-rise blocks of Wang Fuk Court, the world’s deadliest residential building fire since 1980.

Hong Kong has previously used judge-led commissions of inquiry (COI) to undertake complex fact-finding exercises in a public forum — a practice left over from British colonial rule.

By contrast, city officials have so far announced only an inter-departmental task force to investigate the blaze.

When Britain was grappling with public fury over the devastating Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, which killed 72 people, the government announced a public inquiry.

Lawyer Imran Khan, who represented the bereaved and survivors in the inquiry, told AFP “the lessons from Grenfell apply around the world” as all governments need to ensure high-rise residential buildings are safe.

Khan said a public inquiry with court-like powers was a better option for the situation in Hong Kong because “an internal investigation will not get to the truth and there will be no faith in it by the bereaved, survivors and residents”.

Based on his experience with Grenfell residents, he said, “without justice they cannot grieve”.

At the Hong Kong station on Friday, many commuters took the flyers demanding action, though few stopped to chat with Kwan or his companions.

Near the site of the blaze a short walk away, a long queue snaked through a park as mourners brought flowers and handwritten notes of remembrance.

One unsigned note left on the ground read, “This is not just an accident, it is the evil fruit of an unjust system, which landed on you. It’s not right.”










Hong Kong mourns as rescuers comb ruined buildings for bodies following deadly blaze.

 Here’s what we know


Catherine Nicholls, Chris Lau, Jadyn Beverley Sham and Lex Harvey, 
CNN
Sun, November 30, 2025 



A huge fire burns through a high rise building in Hong Kong.- Clipped From Video

A deadly inferno tore through a massive housing complex in Hong Kong earlier this week, killing at least 146 people with many still missing, in the city’s worst disaster in decades.

About 40 people are still thought to be missing. Authorities previously put the missing toll at 150, but revised this number down after some of the missing were found among the dead and hospitalized.

Questions are swirling on how such a fire in a skyscraper-filled city with a usually strong public safety record and construction standards could become so deadly, leaping from building to building.

Many of the more than 4,000 people who lived in the public housing estate in the city’s Tai Po neighborhood were aged 65 and over.


The exact cause of the fire is not yet known, but a criminal investigation has been launched.

Thick smoke and flames rise as a major fire engulfs several apartment blocks at the Wang Fuk Court residential estate in Hong Kong's Tai Po district on November 26, 2025. - AFP/Getty Images

The complex was under renovation and encased in bamboo scaffolding and safety netting – a construction technique that’s ubiquitous in Hong Kong and parts of mainland China. Authorities are also investigating whether flammable material, including polystyrene boards blocking windows of multiple apartments, may have contributed to the inferno.

The tragedy has prompted a fresh warning from Beijing about dissent in Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous region of China, with city authorities urged to crack down on anyone trying to “stir chaos,” and officials referencing pro-democracy protests that broke out in 2019.



Here’s what we know:


How did the blaze start?


Firefighters first received a call about the fire shortly before 3 p.m. local time (2 a.m. ET) on Wednesday, according to the Hong Kong Fire Department.

The blaze started at Wang Cheong House, a 32-story residential building and one of eight tower blocks that make up the Wang Fuk Court complex, which was undergoing renovations, according to deputy director of the Hong Kong Fire Services Derek Armstrong Chan.

By the time fire crews were on the scene at the first building, the scaffolding and netting was on fire. Firefighters began tackling that blaze, but it quickly spread from building to building, turning a single tower block fire into multiple simultaneous multi-story infernos.

At least seven of the eight tower blocks within the complex were affected by the blaze, forcing those who were able to escape the flames into temporary accommodation.

But it quickly emerged many residents remained trapped inside their apartments, with firefighters unable to reach them amid searing temperatures inside the buildings as well as falling debris.

Firefighters knew where many people were trapped, Chan said, but the extreme heat prevented rescuers reaching them.

A man was rescued alive from the 16th story of one of the towers in the Wang Fuk Court complex on Thursday, public broadcaster RTHK reported, citing Hong Kong’s fire department.

Evacuations, polystyrene boards


A key question for authorities remains why the other tower blocks were not evacuated more quickly once the fire began to spread from the first building.


Early Thursday morning local time, a police spokesperson said Hong Kong Police arrested three men – two company directors and a consultant – accusing them of “gross negligence.” All three were granted bail on Friday, police said.

The city’s anti-corruption body made 11 arrests on Friday as part of ongoing investigations into possible corruption regarding the renovation of the apartment complex.


Fire at the Wong Fuk Court housing estate in Tai Po, Hong Kong, on November 27, 2025. - Bertha Wang/CNN

Police found the construction company name on inflammable polystyrene boards that firefighters found blocking some windows at the apartment complex. Officials added that they suspect other construction materials found at the apartments – including protective nets, canvas, and plastic covers – failed to meet safety standards.

“These polystyrene boards are extremely inflammable and the fire spread very rapidly,” Director of Fire Services Andy Yeung said.


“Their presence was unusual so we have referred the incident to the police for further enquiries.”

Hong Kong’s Secretary for Security Chris Tang said later the mesh nets did comply with safety standards.

What do we know about the victims?

At least 146 people have so far been confirmed dead, including a 37-year-old firefighter who sustained injuries while trying to tackle the flames, Hong Kong officials said, warning the toll could still rise.

At least seven Indonesians and one Philippine national were among those who died. Their consulates said all eight worked as foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong, which is home to 368,000 of these mostly women employees, contracted from low-income Asian countries.

Officials said the firefighter, who they identified as Ho Wai-ho, was rushed to hospital for treatment but succumbed to his injuries.


Rescue workers arrive on the scene during a fire at residential buildings in Wang Fuk Court, in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong, on November 26. - Bertha Wang/CNN

A shopping mall being used by residents of the Wang Fuk Court as a shelter following a destructive fire at the housing estate is Tai Po, Hong Kong, on November 27, 2025. - Bertha Wang/CNN

More than 100 people were injured in the blaze, including at least 11 firefighters, the city’s fire department said Thursday.

Authorities said on Saturday 150 people were thought to be missing, but head of Hong Kong police’s Casualty Enquiry Unit Tsang Shuk-yin at a press conference Sunday revised this figure down to around 40 after some of the missing were found among the dead or hospitalized. She also said some of the missing persons reports were invalid.

Authorities have completed searches at four of the seven apartment buildings which caught fire, head of Hong Kong police’s Disaster Victims Identification Unit Cheng Ka-chun said at Sunday’s news conference. “During the search, bodies were found in the building corridors, flats, staircases, and even on rooftops,” he said.

Speaking alongside Cheng and Tsang, the police’s New Territories North Regional Commander Lam Man-han said it could take between three to four weeks to complete rescue efforts.


Hong Kong Police release photos showing the inside of burnt out apartments in Wang Fuk Court complex on Sunday - Hong Kong Police

Teams search through charged remains of people's belongings inside one of the burnt out apartment buildings - Hong Kong Police

Hundreds of residents are now likely homeless in a city where there is already acute shortage of housing and public housing. Many displaced residents and survivors spent a third night in temporary shelters on Friday while those affected are being given emergency funds and other support.

A 65-year-old resident of the estate who gave his surname as Ho stood behind police tape on Thursday morning and watched the smoldering tower blocks as he contemplated his next steps.

A resident of Block 1, in the easternmost corner of the complex, Ho said he fled immediately when a fire alarm sounded and counted himself lucky for the relatively light damage his building faced.

“I don’t doubt many elderly, cats and dogs are still in there,” he told CNN.


Is this common in Hong Kong?

This is likely the deadliest fire in Hong Kong since World War II. Previously, the 1996 Garley building fire, which killed 41 people, was widely described as the worst peacetime fire in Hong Kong history.


Victims are evacuated from the scene of a devastating fire which broke out at a karaoke bar in Hong Kong in January 1997. - Apple Daily/AFP/Getty Images

Disasters like this are extremely rare in Hong Kong. One of the densest cities in the world, it has a strong track record when it comes to building safety, thanks to its high-quality construction and strict enforcement of building regulations.

Also, bamboo scaffolding is ubiquitous in the city, used not only in the construction of new buildings, but also in the renovation of thousands of historic tenements every year.

But the technique has been facing mounting scrutiny for its safety and durability. While bamboo is celebrated for its flexibility, it is also combustible and prone to deterioration over time.

Hong Kong’s Development Bureau recently announced that 50% of new public building projects erected from March onwards would need to use metal scaffolding to “better protect workers” and align with modern construction standards in “advanced cities.”

That statement drew backlash from residents, many of whom noted that bamboo scaffolding is a cultural heritage that needs to be maintained.
Pressure on Chinese and Hong Kong officials

Such a deadly blaze is likely to pile pressure on both Hong Kong and Chinese officials.


Hong Kong is a semi-autonomous part of China and run by its own local government that answers to leaders in Beijing. But China has also ramped up control over the city in recent years, especially after huge and sometimes violent democracy protests swept the city in 2019. Dissent has been quashed and protests, once a daily feature of life in Hong Kong, have been snuffed out.

On Saturday, Beijing’s national security office in the city warned against a resurgence of dissent, calling for the city’s government to punish those wishing to use the fire as a pretext to “oppose China and stir chaos in Hong Kong.” A pro-Beijing newspaper reported that a high-ranking Hong Kong police superintendent in charge of national security also visited the site of the fire.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping expressed his condolences to the victims of the disaster, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Xi urged “all-out efforts” from representatives of China’s Central Committee and the Hong Kong Liaison Office to do “everything possible” to assist efforts in minimizing casualties and losses from the fire, according to CCTV.


This article has been updated with additional information.

CNN’s Chris Lau, Jadyn Beverley Sham and Lex Harvey reported from Hong Kong, Catherine Nicholls reported from London. CNN’s Jerome Taylor, Ivana Kottasová, Karina Tsui, Jessie Yeung, Eve Brennan, Billy Stockwell and Kevin Wang contributed to this reporting.
Thousands in Philippines protest corruption and demand return of stolen funds from flood projects

JIM GOMEZ
November 30, 2025 
AP


Protesters shout slogans during anti-corruption protest in Manila, Philippines on Sunday Nov. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Protesters take part in an anti-corruption protest in front of the effigies of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and Vice President Sara Duterte, in Manila, Philippines on Sunday Nov. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Protesters shout slogans during an anti-corruption protest in Manila, Philippines on Sunday Nov. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

A protester wearing a crocodile mask, takes part in an anti-corruption protest in Manila, Philippines on Sunday Nov. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)


Protesters sing the national anthem with the effigy of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., seen at rear, during anti-corruption protest in Manila, Philippines on Sunday Nov. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)


MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Thousands of demonstrators including from the Roman Catholic church clergy protested in the Philippines on Sunday, calling for the swift prosecution of top legislators and officials implicated in a corruption scandal that has buffeted the Asian democracy.

Left-wing groups led a separate protest in Manila’s main park with a blunt demand for all implicated government officials to immediately resign and face prosecution.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been scrambling to quell public outrage over the massive corruption blamed for substandard, defective or non-existent flood control projects across an archipelago long prone to deadly flooding and extreme weather in tropical Asia.

More than 17,000 police officers were deployed in metropolitan Manila to secure the separate protests. The Malacanang presidential palace complex in Manila was in a security lockdown with key access roads and bridges blocked by anti-riot police forces, trucks and barbed wire railings.


In a deeply divided democracy where two presidents have been separately overthrown in the last 39 years partly over allegations of plunder, there have been isolated calls for the military to withdraw support from the Marcos administration.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines has steadfastly rejected such calls and welcomed on Sunday a statement signed by at least 88 mostly retired generals, including three military chiefs of staff, who said they “strongly condemn and reject any call for the Armed Forces of the Philippines to engage in unconstitutional acts or military adventurism.”

“The unified voice of our retired and active leaders reaffirms that the Armed Forces of the Philippines remains a pillar of stability and a steadfast guardian of democracy,” the military said in a statement.

Roman Catholic churches across the country helped lead Sunday’s anti-corruption protests in their districts, with the main daylong rally being held at a pro-democracy “people power” monument along EDSA highway in the capital region. Police said about 5,000 demonstrators mostly wearing white joined before noon.

They demanded that members of Congress, officials and construction company owners behind thousands of anomalous flood control projects in recent years be imprisoned and ordered to return the government funds they stole. A protester wore a shirt with a blunt message: “No mercy for the greedy.”

“If money is stolen, that’s a crime, but if dignity and lives are taken away, these are sins against fellow human beings, against the country but, most importantly, against God,” said the Rev. Flavie Villanueva, a Catholic priest, who has helped many families of impoverished drug suspects killed under former President Rodrigo Duterte's crackdowns.

“Jail all the corrupt and jail all the killers," Villanueva told the crowd of protesters.

Since Marcos first raised alarm over the flood control anomalies in his state of the nation address before Congress in July, at least seven public works officers have been jailed for illegal use of public funds and other graft charges in one flood control project anomaly alone. Executives of Sunwest Corp., a construction firm involved in the project, were being sought.

On Friday, Henry Alcantara, a former government engineer who has acknowledged under oath in Senate inquiry hearings his involvement in the anomalies, returned 110 million pesos ($1.9 million) in kickbacks that justice officials said he stole and promised to return more in a few weeks.

About 12 billion pesos ($206 million) worth of assets of suspects in flood control anomalies have been frozen by authorities, Marcos said.

Marcos has pledged that many of at least 37 powerful senators, members of Congress and wealthy construction executives implicated in the corruption scandal would be in jail by Christmas.


Protesters in Sunday’s rallies said many more officials, including implicated senators and House of Representatives members, should be jailed sooner and ordered to return the funds they stole and used to finance fleets of private jets and luxury cars, mansions and extravagant lifestyles.

___

Joeal Calupitan and Aaron Favila contributed to this report.

New study reveals extent and nature of online sexual victimization of Canadian teens

CBC
Sat, November 29, 2025 


Monique St. Germain said predators often start a conversation on a public platform and then quickly move it to a private chat. (Photo illustration/CBC - image credit)

A new study from the Canadian Centre for Child Protection is providing insight into the online dangers that Canadian teenagers are facing.

Researchers surveyed 1,279 teens ages 13 to 17 who said they had experienced online sexual victimization.

"This is very important data for us to pay attention to because these are the kids who maybe have not come forward before and told anybody about what has happened to them," said Monique St. Germain, the general counsel for the centre.

Speaking to CBC Radio's Information Morning Nova Scotia, St. Germain said four out of five teens surveyed said they had experienced unwanted sexual talk online.

St. Germain said this is often a grooming tactic.

Monique St. Germain is with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection. (Canadian Centre for Child Protection)

She said predators will try to manipulate teens into sending images of themselves or put them in a position where they could be threatened.

The study also found that half of the teens surveyed had been sent unwanted nude photographs.

St. Germain said it was very common for these interactions to start on public social media apps and then move into private messaging, which makes it harder for the child to get help and for anyone to witness what is happening.

The most common platforms for this abuse are Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook, she said.

The research comes against the backdrop of a recent incident in Nova Scotia where a mother discovered her 14-year-old daughter had bypassed security on her school-issued Chromebook and been targeted by online predators.

The woman, whom CBC News is not naming to protect her daughter's identity, said her daughter was accessing inappropriate chats on Roblox and through her school email.

Speaking to CBC News, the province's education minister, Brendan Maguire, acknowledged that children are able to circumvent online safety measures.

“I know even my own boy last year was able to get around it to play video games within the classroom,” Maguire said.


Brendan Maguire, minister of education and early childhood development, taking questions from reporters following a cabinet meeting on Thursday. (Patrick Callaghan/CBC)

St. Germain noted that online groups like 764, whose members coerce children into harming themselves and others, including engaging in sexual activity on camera, are another serious threat.

She said the study's findings show that Canada needs to do more and that relying on criminal law after a child has been hurt is not enough.

She believes the government must create new laws to hold technology companies accountable for what's taking place on their platforms.

'We've got serious harm to children happening in multiple domains and we know this and the time for self-regulation is over."