Month: September 2025

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday that the two countries should deepen cooperation “in all sectors”. Advertisement The remark was a strong indication that New Delhi would not cut back on crude oil imports from Russia despite pressure from the US. Modi also expressed strong enthusiasm for welcoming Putin to India, in a subtle rebuke of US President Donald Trump. As they met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, Modi told Putin: “1.4 billion Indians are eagerly waiting…

Chinese exporters appear to hold significant bargaining power in their trade with the United States, according to an estimate from one of Beijing’s top investment banks, carrying 9 per cent of the cost burden created by the tariffs US President Donald Trump levied earlier this year. Advertisement The findings from China International Capital Corporation (CICC) run contrary to earlier claims by US officials – including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent – that Washington has been on the winning side of the global tariff blitz rolled out in April. “US importers, sandwiched…

Taiwan has injected new blood from the younger generation into its security team as it seeks to tackle growing threats from Beijing and navigate US President Donald Trump’s transactional approach to policy. Advertisement The office of Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te on Monday announced that its spokesman Lii Wen and Taipei City councillor Chao Yi-hsiang had been appointed deputy secretaries general of the National Security Council (NSC) with immediate effect. The two men, both in their thirties, replaced seasoned deputies Hsu Szu-chien and Liu Te-chin, who were reassigned as advisers.…

Three major world powers – China, India and Russia – all with various frictions with the United States, projected an image of solidarity on Monday in front of the international media during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin. Advertisement During his first visit to China in seven years, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the hands of his counterparts – Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping – and pulled them closer. As the three leaders mingled, one interpreter translated Putin’s…

Chinese scientists have created the world’s first rubber band that converts body heat into electricity, potentially paving the way for smartwatches and other wearable devices that will charge automatically. Advertisement The research team said the material combined elasticity with efficient thermoelectric conversion. “Until now, all reported high-performance thermoelectric materials have realised only flexibility, rather than elasticity,” they wrote in a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature last month. Wearable devices currently need bulky batteries or frequent charging but the research raises the prospect of a ready and constant power…

Hedge funds are ramping up options wagers, signalling that the Chinese yuan’s rally against the US dollar still has room to run. Advertisement Their demand for options that become profitable if the yuan rises against the dollar has increased, according to traders who asked not to be identified. Investors are now targeting a yuan at around 7 or stronger by the end of the year, SGX Derivatives Exchange data showed, on rising confidence in China providing policy support and shifting US interest rate expectations. “We have seen a pickup in…

Government measures to deter foreign buyers from purchasing residential properties are by no means the preserve of Asian economies. In February 2024, Canada extended a nationwide ban on most foreign buyers until 2027 in an effort to curb speculation and improve affordability. In the US, a growing number of states, including Texas and Florida, have passed laws barring nationals from several countries, notably China and Russia, from acquiring land and property. Advertisement Yet in the most liveable cities in Asia, with the strongest investment appeal, the political noose is tightening…

Advertisement Brine shrimp, also known as Artemia, are among the oldest surviving species on Earth, going back about 400 million years. They are widely used as aquaculture feed, and also have medicinal and cosmetic value. And now scientists have spotted them in the far reaches of the Taklamakan Desert in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. The shrimp are extremely tolerant of salt and were detected in a wildlife water source in the city of Aral, also known as Alar, by life science researchers from Tarim University, according to a report from…