14 h. ago Before Maduro’s capture in Venezuela, US spoke with minister who is his loyal ally

Trump administration officials had been in discussions with Venezuela’s hardline Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello months before the US operation to seize the country’s leader, Nicolas Maduro, and have been in communication with him since then, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. The officials warned Cabello, 62, against using the security services or militant ruling-party supporters overseen by him to target the country’s opposition, four sources said. That security...

Politics

27 h. ago In Japan, fears of China’s antibiotics dominance spur calls for self

Medical professionals in Japan are concerned that China could dramatically ramp up trade pressure on Tokyo by adding antibiotics and ingredients for medicines to its list of exports subject to restrictions. Despite efforts over the last three years to increase domestic production of a range of commonly used medicines in Japan, the domestic medical sector still relies heavily on imports from China and restricting or halting imports would cause “huge trouble”, according to the experts. “Japan...

Politics

43 h. ago Malaysia’s Umno chief denies he ‘sidelined’ Najib to secure his own legal freedom

The president of Malaysia’s Umno has denied abandoning disgraced ex-prime minister Najib Razak to save himself, as fissures emerge in the former ruling party over the mixed legal fortunes of two of its top leaders. Umno grass-roots members have urged President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to quit Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government in protest after the High Court blocked Najib’s bid to serve the remainder of his jail term under house arrest last month. It also handed the one-time party figurehead a...

Politics

44 h. ago China dominates global humanoid robot market with over 80% of installations

China accounted for more than four out of five humanoid robot installations globally in 2025, driven by domestic start-ups AgiBot and Unitree Robotics, as mass production and commercialisation accelerated, according to a report by Counterpoint Research. A total of 16,000 humanoid robots were installed globally in 2025, mainly for data collection and research, as well as in the logistics, manufacturing, and automotive sectors, according to Counterpoint data released on Wednesday. The market was...

Politics

56 h. ago US lawmakers propose US$2.5 billion agency to boost production of rare earths

A bipartisan group of lawmakers has proposed creating a new agency with US$2.5 billion to spur production of rare earths and the other critical minerals, while the Trump administration has already taken aggressive actions to break China’s grip on the market for these materials that are crucial to hi-tech products, including mobile phones, electric vehicles, jet fighters and missiles. It is too early to tell how the bill, if passed, could align with the White House’s policy but whatever the...

Economics

65 h. ago China’s alchemy: how it transforms critical minerals into global power

China’s alchemy: how it transforms critical minerals into global power  CaixaBank Research

Politics

67 h. ago Hong Kong, Shenzhen push secure data corridor to unlock AI and fintech opportunities

Hong Kong and Shenzhen are establishing a white list for data transfers as part of an overarching effort to forge closer cross-border ties, which policymakers and business leaders see as essential to unlocking opportunities in artificial intelligence and fintech in the region. “If you have a white list to facilitate the movement of sensitive data, biological data and samples between Hong Kong and [mainland] China, it would ensure trust between [parties sending and receiving information] because...

Politics

3 d. ago OpenAI expects another ‘seismic shock’ from China amid speculation of new DeepSeek release

The race between the US and China to dominate the world’s artificial intelligence industry has become “complex and challenging to forecast”, according to ChatGPT creator OpenAI. In a blog post this week, published ahead of the first anniversary of DeepSeek’s release of breakthrough reasoning model R1 on January 20, OpenAI said another “seismic shock” from China could be on the cards, as anticipation heightened about a potential new major release from the Hangzhou-based start-up around the Lunar...

Events

3 d. ago The Critical Minerals Conundrum Why Reducing Reliance on China is So Hard

The Critical Minerals Conundrum Why Reducing Reliance on China is So Hard  Crude Oil Prices Today | OilPrice.com

Politics

3 d. ago Trump’s ‘Golden Fleet’ shipbuilding push to give US military and strategic advantage

The US Secretary of the Navy on Tuesday outlined US President Donald Trump’s “Golden Fleet” initiative, stating that revitalising the American shipbuilding industry is essential for restoring strategic maritime dominance over China. Speaking at the Surface Navy Association symposium, Secretary John Phelan emphasised the importance of a strong industrial base, warning that the US Navy is currently unable to compete with Beijing’s production capacity. “To be a superpower, you need a dominant...

Events

3 d. ago Trump’s ‘Golden Fleet’ shipbuilding push ‘to give US military and strategic edge’

The US Secretary of the Navy on Tuesday outlined US President Donald Trump’s “Golden Fleet” initiative, stating that revitalising the American shipbuilding industry is essential for restoring strategic maritime dominance over China. Speaking at the Surface Navy Association symposium, Secretary John Phelan emphasised the importance of a strong industrial base, warning that the US Navy is currently unable to compete with Beijing’s production capacity. “To be a superpower, you need a dominant...

Events

3 d. ago ‘Wartime footing’: US Navy chief unveils Trump’s Golden Fleet shipbuilding push

The US Secretary of the Navy on Tuesday outlined US President Donald Trump’s Golden Fleet initiative, stating that revitalising the American shipbuilding industry was essential for restoring strategic maritime dominance over China. Speaking at the Surface Navy Association symposium, Secretary John Phelan emphasised the importance of a strong industrial base, warning that the US Navy is currently unable to compete with Beijing’s production capacity. “To be a superpower, you need a dominant...

Politics

3 d. ago Could the Iran crisis push Global South blocs to deepen security ties?

As the US considers taking military action over a crackdown on unrest in Iran, there has been no official response from either the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation or Brics. Iran is a member of the two Beijing-backed forums for the Global South, and analysts said remaining silent on the situation could be damaging for them. But according to one expert, the Iran crisis could also lead to an expansion of security and strategic cooperation within the two blocs. US President Donald Trump has...

Events

4 d. ago US moves for AI dominance to outpace China with new ‘overwhelming’ military strategy

America’s top defence official declared that the US must achieve unquestioned AI “dominance” to prevent adversaries from gaining a technological edge, as he unveiled a strategy that includes integrating Elon Musk’s chatbot Grok. Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth’s announcement did not mention China by name, but it came a month after a report to the US Congress in which the Pentagon warned of Beijing’s accelerating use of AI to reach its military modernisation goals. On Monday, Hegseth said the...

Events

4 d. ago US moves for AI dominance to outpace China with new ‘overwhelming’ strategy

US moves for AI dominance to outpace China with new ‘overwhelming’ strategy  South China Morning Post

Politics

4 d. ago China’s position on maintaining stability, security of critical mineral supply chains unchanged: FM on G7 Finance Ministers' request to reduce China rare earth dependence

China’s position on maintaining stability, security of critical mineral supply chains unchanged: FM on G7 Finance Ministers' request to reduce China rare earth dependence  Global Times

Politics

4 d. ago Hong Kong’s SHKP secures HK$1.4 billion land deal in Northern Metropolis

One of Hong Kong’s largest developers, Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP), has entered into a land deal worth around HK$1.4 billion (US$179.5 million) with the government for a site in Kwu Tung South, setting up one of the biggest housing projects in the Northern Metropolis. The company said on Monday that the site could yield over 1.2 million sq ft (111,480 square metres) of floor area and more than 2,700 flats, making it the biggest residential development in the area in recent years. SHKP said...

Economics

4 d. ago Foreign media ties US critical minerals meeting to China's rare earths, exposing deep Western anxiety: expert

Foreign media ties US critical minerals meeting to China's rare earths, exposing deep Western anxiety: expert  Global Times

Politics

5 d. ago Japan firms seen ‘stockpiling’ rare earths as Tokyo looks to G7 in face of China controls

Fears of China choking off exports of critical minerals to Japan amid a deepening political dispute have set off industry alarms and prompted Tokyo to elevate the issue at a G7 gathering of finance ministers this week, despite Beijing’s assurances that civilian trade would be spared. Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said last week that she would attend the Group of Seven event in Washington on Monday with the “risk of a rare-earth-supply interruption from China in mind”, the...

Politics

5 d. ago China can't outdo US' AI dominance in next 5 years: Scientists

China can't outdo US' AI dominance in next 5 years: Scientists  Interesting Engineering

Politics