China Nearing Completion Of New South China Sea Complex

China is building a new base on a remote atoll, including a full-scale runway, that could extend Beijing’s military reach in the South China Sea.

China is rapidly building a runway on Antelope Reef (part of the Paracel Islands) in the disputed South China Sea, with analysts estimating it could be completed by mid-2027.

Satellite images reviewed by Reuters show grading, gravel, concrete and heavy machinery being used to construct a full-length runway.

Military analysts say the project could become one of China’s most important offshore military facilities, extending the reach of its naval and air forces in the increasingly militarized region.

Anthropic Targets Mega $100bn IPO

AI developer Anthropic is seeking a valuation of about $2 trillion in its planned IPO, but its prospectus reveals heavy dependence on Big Tech partners for investment, computing power and distribution.

Anthropic is targeting a valuation of about $2 trillion in a planned IPO, potentially placing the five-year-old AI start-up among the world’s most valuable technology companies. Revenue surged 12-fold to $4.6 billion in 2025, but operating losses more than doubled to $8.06 billion, while long-term computing commitments topped $417 billion.

The Claude developer is increasingly dependent on Big Tech partners for investment, computing power and distribution. Amazon and Alphabet routed 47% of Anthropic’s sales through their cloud platforms in 2025, up from 11% in 2023, with Anthropic paying about $351 million in distribution fees.

Swiss Glaciers Suffer “Disastrous” Year Of Ice Loss

Swiss glaciers have endured a near-record loss of ice in 2026 following a summer of intense heatwaves, raising concerns about future water supplies for agriculture, hydropower and transport.

Switzerland's glaciers lost more than 5% of their total ice volume in 2026, falling just short of the record loss set in 2022, according to a new report from the Swiss Glacier Monitoring Network (GLAMOS) and the Swiss Commission for Cryosphere Observation of the Swiss Academy of Sciences.

The losses followed a summer of intense heatwaves that accelerated melting across the Alps. Since 2021, Swiss glaciers have shed a combined 19.4% of their ice.

Several individual glaciers fared even worse than the national average. The Rhône Glacier, among others, recorded its greatest melt on record this year.

Scientists estimate that Swiss glaciers released 2.2 trillion liters of meltwater between July and September alone. That is more than four times the amount of drinking water used annually by all Swiss households combined.