4 h. ago Steel, cars, copper: list grows of US import tariffs by category, not country

US President Donald Trump increased tariffs this week on imports from 14 countries with duties of 25 to 40 per cent, making waves in Asia where most of the target countries are located. While those country-by-country outcomes have captured much of Trump’s trade spotlight, the US has also raised tariffs on a series of product sectors – in some cases, made anywhere in the world – affecting producers from China to Canada. Copper was the latest target this week. The US now levies tariffs on the...

Politics

4 h. ago Live updates: Trump says in audio that he threatened to bomb Moscow and Beijing; more tariff rates released

Live updates: Trump says in audio that he threatened to bomb Moscow and Beijing; more tariff rates released  NBC News

Events

6 h. ago Hard Numbers: Beijing calls Taiwan’s “bluff”, Copper prices soar, Russia breaks drone attack record (again), wildfire threatens France’s second city

Hard Numbers: Beijing calls Taiwan’s “bluff”, Copper prices soar, Russia breaks drone attack record (again), wildfire threatens France’s second city  GZERO Media

Events

8 h. ago Pungent protest: Thai man douses portrait of Cambodia’s Hun Sen with fish sauce

A man who embarked on a 30km (19-mile) protest walk barefoot and splashed fish sauce on a portrait of Cambodia’s Senate leader and former prime minister Hun Sen outside the country’s embassy in Bangkok was briefly detained but later released by Thai police. Angered by Cambodia’s actions during a recent border clash with Thailand, 69-year-old retired tennis coach Thewa Sritawan walked for almost five hours from his home in Pak Kret, in neighbouring Nonthaburi province, at dawn on Monday to carry...

Events

8 h. ago China pledges to build megaprojects despite pivot to domestic consumption

China will continue to “scientifically” plan and build megaprojects while maintaining its “investment intensity” over the next five years, officials said – even as Beijing seeks to shift to a more consumption-driven growth model. “To further drive economic development and improve people’s livelihoods, it is essential to maintain a certain scale of investment,” said Li Chunlin, vice-chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country’s top economic planner, at a press...

Politics

9 h. ago Tesla is no longer a car company: China just paid it $557 million to build the country's largest battery

Tesla is no longer a car company: China just paid it $557 million to build the country's largest battery  The News Wheel

Economics

9 h. ago Chinese EV maker Zeekr plugs in to hybrids to tap into soaring sales

Zeekr, a premium electric vehicle (EV) unit of Geely Auto, has jumped on the hybrid technology bandwagon to widen its customer base amid rising competition in the world’s largest automotive market. The Hangzhou-based company has become the latest mainland Chinese EV assembler to launch plug-in hybrids, leaving Shanghai-headquartered Nio as the only domestic company making pure EVs. US carmaker Tesla, which produces cars on the mainland, is another maker of pure EVs. “Nearly all Chinese carmakers...

Politics

10 h. ago Surprise US copper tariff tests the mettle of China’s vast refining industry

Shockwaves from Washington’s decision to impose a 50 per cent tariff on copper imports are still rippling across the Pacific, and China, the world’s largest consumer of the metal, is feeling the effects. Copper futures traded in the US rallied on the tariff threat, expanding a price gap with the London and China markets, where prices fell. The most active copper futures contracts traded on the Shanghai Futures Exchange fell by 1.36 per cent on Wednesday following US President Donald Trump’s...

Politics

11 h. ago Europe and China’s medical device tit for tat shows that Trump tariffs aren’t helping Beijing make friends

Europe and China’s medical device tit for tat shows that Trump tariffs aren’t helping Beijing make friends  Fortune

Politics

12 h. ago ‘More dangerous’ than Pogos: should Philippines ban online gambling?

At the rehabilitation centres run by Bridges of Hope, a recovery network spread across the Philippines, founder Jon Ty is used to seeing the different faces of addiction. For years, clients came seeking help for their abuse of drugs, alcohol or painkillers. Now, most come for something else. Today, seven in 10 clients treated across the network of centres are battling online gambling addiction – a trend that highlights a deepening crisis in the country, fuelled by a boom in mobile betting apps...

Politics

13 h. ago Trump tariffs live updates: Trump says he won't extend August 1 deadline; copper, pharma face hit

Trump tariffs live updates: Trump says he won't extend August 1 deadline; copper, pharma face hit  Yahoo Finance

Events

14 h. ago BYD and Geely bank on big discounts, Xpeng’s ‘super AI’ SUV : 7 EV reads

We have put together stories from our coverage on electric and new energy vehicles from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. BYD, Geely bank on big discounts to set record car sales, dent smaller rivals China’s leading electric vehicle (EV) makers from BYD to Geely Auto sustained their strong sales last month as big price cuts lured new buyers, helping boost their market share and heaping pressure on...

Politics

14 h. ago BYD makes safety pledge for cars with proprietary assisted driving in China

BYD makes safety pledge for cars with proprietary assisted driving in China  Reuters

Transport

15 h. ago Hongkongers may soon be limited to 3 prepaid SIM cards per service provider

Hong Kong authorities have proposed reducing the maximum number of prepaid SIM cards a user can register with a telecoms provider from 10 to just three, and criminalising those who misuse them. A paper submitted to the Legislative Council on Tuesday detailed the proposed amendments to the Telecommunications Ordinance, which are expected to be scrutinised by the legislature next year to strengthen efforts against rising phone scams in the city. Improper use of SIM cards registered under another...

Politics

15 h. ago Malaysia’s Anwar to confront Rubio over US tariffs amid fears about 25% levy

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Wednesday that US tariffs would be at the forefront of his agenda when he meets US Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week, as the Southeast Asian nation strives to negotiate a reprieve from punitive levies threatening to stifle economic growth and devastate export-reliant industries. The urgency stems from a move made on Monday by US President Donald Trump, who dispatched letters to the leaders of 14 countries threatening tariffs ranging from 25...

Events

16 h. ago China’s lead in global shipbuilding may already be fading, new data suggests

China’s dominance of global shipbuilding appears to have been eroded over the past six months, according to the latest industry data, suggesting that US efforts to rein in the country’s shipyards may be starting to bite. China has been by far the world’s largest shipbuilder for years, but its shipyards saw new orders plunge 68 per cent year on year to 26.3 million deadweight tonnes in the first half of 2025, according to a Monday report from maritime consultancy Clarksons Research. South Korea,...

Politics

17 h. ago ‘Very optimistic’: Indonesia vows to press on with US talks despite 32% tariff

Indonesia has vowed to press on with negotiations despite US President Donald Trump’s decision to maintain 32 per cent tariffs on the country, even as it intensifies diplomatic efforts to seek alternative export markets, including fellow members of the Brics bloc. The Southeast Asian nation is one of 14 countries notified by Trump via letters on Monday that the unilateral tariffs he announced in April would take effect on August 1. Trump delayed the levies’ implementation by 90 days to allow...

Politics

18 h. ago Shanghai, Beijing, And Chengdu Experience Explosive Growth In International Arrivals As China’s Visa

Shanghai, Beijing, And Chengdu Experience Explosive Growth In International Arrivals As China’s Visa-Free Access Expands To Seventy-Four Nations Worldwide  Travel And Tour World

Events

18 h. ago Auto prices in China are spiraling down. What that means for tariffs

Auto prices in China are spiraling down. What that means for tariffs  The Detroit News

Economics

18 h. ago Hong Kong stocks fall on worries about China’s deflationary pressure

Hong Kong stocks fell by the most in nearly three weeks as China’s deflationary trend became more entrenched, deepening concerns about the nation’s growth prospects. The Hang Seng Index dropped 0.8 per cent to 23,943.42 at 10.13am local time on Wednesday and the Hang Seng Tech Index retreated 1.3 per cent. On the mainland, the CSI 300 Index climbed 0.2 per cent and the Shanghai Composite Index added 0.3 per cent. Henderson Land Development slumped 8.3 per cent to HK$26 after raising HK$8 billion...

Events