Day: April 11, 2026

Two months after the United States’ capture and forcible extradition of former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro – and as the South American country attempts to settle into a state of relative normalcy in the aftermath of the military incursion – a cohort of Chinese migrants are relocating there in search of business opportunities. Not all are new arrivals. Mey Hou, a long-term Venezuela resident in her 40s who fled the country during Maduro’s tenure, said many people from her hometown in southern China’s Guangdong province were already on their way…

“We have been at it now for 21 hours, and we’ve had a number of substantive discussions with the Iranians. That’s the good news,” the US vice-president told a press conference. “[The] bad news is that we have not reached an agreement, and I think that’s bad news for Iran, much more than that, it’s bad news for the United States of America.” Advertisement He left, not responding to questions on whether the two sides would go to war again. Advertisement “We’ve made very clear what our red lines are:…

Scientists in Xinjiang have created the world’s first crystal that can produce the ultraviolet light needed for future thorium nuclear clocks, which could one day guide submarines and deep-space probes without GPS. The fluorinated borate compound could push laser light to a record 145.2 nanometres (nm) – a wavelength short enough to meet a key requirement for these ultra-precise, portable clocks being developed in the United States, China and elsewhere, the team reported in Advanced Materials in January. The result surpassed previous benchmarks set by potassium beryllium fluoroborate, a crystal…

Japan’s participation in annual US-Philippine military exercises is a “big deal”, because it shows how Tokyo is taking a bigger role in regional groupings that could face off with China, according to analysts. More than 7,000 soldiers from the United States and Philippine armies are taking part in this year’s Salaknib drill, a joint annual exercise that started on the north of Luzon island on Monday. The exercise aims to “enhance combat readiness and interoperability between the two armies, focusing on a wide spectrum of military operations”, according to the…

China’s top judicial bodies have detailed ways that the country’s criminal law can be applied to corrupt middlemen, refining the criteria for tackling “new and hidden forms of corruption”. The guidance was part of a judicial interpretation released jointly by the Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate on Friday. In it, the bodies highlight the need to enforce the law against all participants in the corruption chain, for the direct bribe-givers and recipients to intermediaries, officials and management personnel. Advertisement The interpretation is aimed at both deterring these…

Yet the Nairobi Railway City project stands as a rare exception. It combines British financing with Chinese construction and labour to build a major new public transport hub in the Kenyan capital. At the heart of the project is the proposed new Central station and a 172-hectare (425-acre) district that includes new businesses, homes and an industrial zone. Advertisement The plan is designed to plug into the city’s existing and future transport networks and was modelled on the King’s Cross multimodal transport hub in London. The Kenyan government and Kenya…

“I can’t wait to watch the game – it’s Lion’s Head Meatballs versus Hairy Crab!” Liu Jieling, a 42-year-old company executive from Suzhou, joked about a derby clash pitting a side inspired by her city’s signature crustacean cuisine against one by Yangzhou’s steamed meatballs. Entering its second year, the league continues to captivate fans with vibrant city rivalries. Tickets frequently sell out and social media is flooded with memes and chants celebrating local pride. 10:41 What’s wrong with professional football in China? What’s wrong with professional football in China? “I…

China’s top intelligence agency has warned university students to be wary of lucrative job postings that may serve as covers for foreign espionage, as they begin searching for work ahead of a record graduation season. Offers such as earning 800 yuan (US$117) a day for remote data processing or research projects promising easy money could be “traps” to recruit students to illegally collect sensitive information for foreign intelligence agencies, the Ministry of State Security said. “Be wary of promises of salaries that far exceed industry standards,” the ministry said in…

As the Strait of Hormuz reopened and closed again this week, manufacturers across China are navigating a roller coaster of concerns rooted in supply and pricing volatilities. Soaring oil prices have already filtered through to processed fuel and petroleum-based raw materials that help power China’s manufacturing sector – the world’s largest – and a fragile two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States is unlikely to restore pre-conflict stability in the near term, according to industry insiders. “Some companies have begun delaying or cancelling orders,” said Wang Chao, a senior…