We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2022: When a Romanian businessman returned to his hometown and found a city blighted by mining waste, he hatched a plan to restore it to its former glory. He became a local hero, but now prosecutors accuse of him a running a multimillion dollar fraud By Alexander Clapp. Read by Simon Darwen The Guardian
Month: July 2025
Former top Shell engineer leaves Britain to work on ‘cleaner’ oil tech in China
A leading engineer, who spent 20 years working for the global oil giant Shell, has left Britain to take up a position at a Chinese university to lead a team working with the petroleum industry on low-carbon technology. Advertisement Jing Xudong, who was an adjunct professor at Imperial College London at the time of his departure, held a number of positions in academia and industry and collected a number of awards and honours along the way. This included his election as a fellow of Britain’s Royal Academy of Engineering in…
GM’s Korea plants leave Detroit carmaker fully exposed to US tariffs
General Motors is under pressure to clarify its plans for the future of a key manufacturing hub in South Korea, as the country’s trade talks with the Trump administration to mitigate steep car tariffs remain unresolved. GM Korea’s two carmaking plants produce affordable compact vehicles, principally for the North American market, accounting for nearly 17 per cent of the group’s US vehicle sales. That puts the Detroit auto company at the heart of Donald Trump’s trade war, with executives counting on Washington to strike a deal with Seoul that would…
Investors rage over Vietnam’s alleged breach of power contracts
Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. A dispute between the government of Vietnam and renewable energy developers over subsidies is threatening to disrupt power supplies, a move that could hit manufacturers that have moved to the country in droves from China. Vietnam has become a critical link in global supply chains in recent years as manufacturers, including Apple, Samsung and Intel, relocated as part of a “China plus one” strategy to hedge their operations against geopolitical…
Why the UK kept an Afghan immigration scheme secret
US President Donald Trump sealed a trade deal with Indonesia and the UK had a secret plan to immigrate Afghans to Britain after a data leak. Plus, tariffs have finally hit US inflation, and climate change is driving the sale of catastrophe bonds. Mentioned in this podcast: Donald Trump announces trade deal with Indonesia Catastrophe bond sales hit record as insurers offload climate risks UK set up secret Afghan immigration scheme after data leak and gagged media US inflation reaches 2.7% as Trump tariffs hit Today’s FT News Briefing was…
Robots, AI will power factories within a decade, Nvidia’s CEO says
The world’s factories will be powered by robots and artificial intelligence within a decade, as machine learning and automation replace humans in assembly line work, especially those that are repetitive and hazardous, said the founder of the world’s most valuable company. Advertisement “Today, AI is [a] fundamental infrastructure, like electricity and internet before, [and] AI is revolutionising the supply chain, changing how we build and move things,” said Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, during the opening ceremony of the International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing on Wednesday. “Hundreds of…
Labubu craze to drive up profit 350%, Pop Mart says
Pop Mart, the Chinese toy firm behind the hugely popular Labubu dolls, has said its profits are set to soar for the first six months of this year. The Beijing-based company said in a preliminary statement that it expects profits for the period to jump by 350% as revenues more than tripled. Pop Mart, which has a stock market value of more than $45bn (£34bn), also said profitability had been boosted by increased recognition of the brand globally and cost controls. Collectors have been obsessed with the viral Labubu dolls…
Chinese brain drain a great loss for US, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says
It is a “great loss” for the United States that many Chinese academics and researchers have left the country and chosen to return to China amid worsening bilateral relations, said Jensen Huang, co-founder and CEO of chipmaker Nvidia. Advertisement “I’m also happy they go home, because that’s where they’re from,” Huang said in response to a question from the Post during a group interview on Tuesday. “But it’s an enormous loss for America when the brightest minds decide to come to you for education and decide to go home.” Huang…
China’s Xi Jinping makes case for free trade as supply chain expo opens
President Xi Jinping has spoken out against unilateral sanctions and trade barriers – reiterating China’s support for globalisation as the international economic environment turns more protectionist – in an article published on the opening day of a high-profile supply chain expo. Advertisement Wednesday’s piece in Qiushi – the leading theoretical journal of the ruling Communist Party – compiles statements Xi has made on the topic since 2012. The article, titled “Unswervingly Advancing High-Level Opening Up”, comes as China continues to make its case as a champion of free trade in…
China’s local governments urged to use legislation ‘propeller’ to power economy
China’s local governments should use their legislative power to support private companies, recruit talent and encourage technological innovation to develop their economies, Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily said in a commentary on Tuesday. Advertisement “The reason local legislation can serve as a propeller in economic and social development is that it establishes a stable and open system, where all types of market entities can operate within the framework of the rule of law,” the article said. The commentary praised the Hangzhou government in Zhejiang province for legislation on the Hangzhou…