Shifting Geopolitics and Asian Dynamicsactive

Australia’s push to rely on a broader range of countries for its oil imports will extend beyond a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

The investment frenzy is driven by anxiety about China’s tightening grip on supply chains

Islamabad has reportedly switched to lower-profile role but believes peace can make progress without face-to-face meetings Pakistan is passing proposals between Iran and the US to keep talks alive behind the scenes and inch towards a peace agreement, officials and experts say. Pakistani officials say that they are conscious of the fact that at stake is not only regional peace, but the health of the global economy and the livelihoods of millions of the poorest people in the world – including in Pakistan, whose monthly energy import bill has almost tripled as a result of the war. Continue reading...

Hong Kong police have arrested a 44-year-old man for allegedly trafficking more than HK$800,000 (US$102,110) of suspected heroin. The force said on Friday that officers from the Tuen Mun district anti-triad unit were conducting an operation at around 9.50am the day before, when they found a man acting suspiciously outside a flat on Yan Po Road. After stopping the man for questioning, officers found around 300g (10.6oz) of suspected heroin in a reusable bag he was carrying. They also found an...

If the “China shock” of the early 2000s was about China catching up, then “China shock 2.0” is about the country redefining the boundaries of what is economically possible across manufacturing sectors, according to Columbia University professor Adam Tooze. Amid complaints about the trade and industrial policies accelerating China’s rise in many sectors – including aviation, space, artificial intelligence (AI), telecoms, microprocessors, robotics, nuclear and fusion power, quantum computing,...

May Day rallies across the world brought workers out in force on Friday to protest rising energy prices caused by the US-Israeli war on Iran. Here's everything you need to know about the demonstrations taking place from Islamabad to Istanbul.

Gold bars, cruises, Dior beauty services and Rosewood Hong Kong vouchers are just some of the incentives Hong Kong’s major lenders are offering in hopes of capturing wealthy clients, as visitors from mainland China descend on the city during the golden week holiday starting on Friday. HSBC, Standard Chartered and Bank of China (Hong Kong) – the city’s three biggest banks – Citigroup, DBS Hong Kong, ICBC Asia, Bank of East Asia and Hang Seng Bank have all extended the hours of certain branches on...

Matt King, a 34-year-old graphic designer living in New York, has long grappled with his identity as the son of a Canadian-Chinese mother and white father. Despite being born in the US and raised in Los Angeles, he is aware that mainstream US society does not always see him as a bona fide US citizen. “You’ll always get ... a sprinkling of this ‘you’re not truly American’,” the 34-year-old resident of Brooklyn, New York, said, prompting him to claim his own definition. “To me, being an American...

Iran’s supreme leader defiantly vowed Thursday to protect the Islamic Republic’s nuclear and missile capabilities, which US President Donald Trump has sought to curtail through airstrikes and as part of a wider deal to cement the war’s shaky ceasefire. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.

Three Chinese nationals who travelled to Singapore to break into houses and steal expensive items after they saw multiple videos on social media about wealthy Singaporeans were sentenced to jail on Thursday. The three men, Yang Chao, Zhou Qifa and He Jiao, conspired to target vulnerable properties in Singapore, break into the houses, steal valuables and leave the country with them. Both Yang, 42, and He, 38, were sentenced to five years and three months in prison, while Zhou, 37, was sentenced...

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said that American officials discussed the possibility of a "Board of Trade" during a call with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on Thursday, describing it as a tool that could help manage economic relations between the two countries.

"It will drop like a rock," the US leader said

Beijing’s decision to block Meta Platforms’ proposed acquisition of artificial intelligence firm Manus should not be seen as a restriction on foreign investment, Chinese state media said, urging companies in the sector to “go global when ready” and “pursue partnerships where appropriate”. “What stands out from Meta’s Manus deal is that the AI industry is transcending simple commercial logic,” Yuyuan Tantian, the influential social media account run by state broadcaster CCTV, said on Wednesday in...

Donald Trump has discussed with oil companies how to cushion the impact of a months-long US blockade of Iranian ports, as reports of potential new strikes pushed Brent crude to its highest level since March 2022. For FRANCE 24's international editor Angela Diffley, both sides are locked in a 'who will blink first' strategy, with Washington applying sustained pressure while Tehran resists concessions.

Subscribers: The Daily Pulse won’t be published on May 1 because of China’s Labour Day holiday. We will resume publication on Monday, May 4. Crude oil prices jumped to a four-year high after US President Donald Trump suggested that a US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could last for “months”. Brent crude, the global benchmark, surged as much as 7.3 per cent, surpassing US$126 a barrel, following reports that Trump met oil executives on Tuesday to discuss ways of extending the blockade and...

More than 20 ships were intercepted in a mission aimed at challenging the blockade of the Gaza Strip. Israel dismissed those on board as "attention-seeking agitators."

On April 13, 2026, Indonesia executed a rare feat of high-stakes diplomatic choreography. On one side of the planet, Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin stood at the Pentagon to sign the Major Defense Cooperation Partnership (MDCP) with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Simultaneously, on the other side, President Prabowo Subianto held a marathon five-hour meeting […] The post Indonesia shows the non-aligned way through US-China rivalry appeared first on Asia Times.

US President Trump meets with oil firms over ways to minimise impact on fuel supplies amid US blockade of Iranian ports.

China's manufacturing sector index for April, which reflects the overall health of the industry, exceeded the key threshold of "50" for the second consecutive month. This was driven by increased production and orders in sectors such as aerospace and electrical equipment. However, the sustained high price of crude oil, fueled by the situation in Iran, remains a concern, and its impact on the future outlook for businesses will be a key factor to watch.

US returns over 650 antiquities valued at nearly USD 14 million to India

A young scientist who was a leader in Britain’s AI chip field has returned to China, joining Nanjing University earlier this year as an associate professor at its School of Artificial Intelligence. Song Yuhang, whose published papers on artificial intelligence (AI) have been widely cited and reported, obtained his PhD from the University of Oxford in 2022, and is also a recipient of the coveted JP Morgan AI Research Award. According to Song, he and his fellow Oxford PhD candidate Walter Goodwin...

Brics nations are assessing whether a digital payments framework linking their currencies could lessen the impact of Western sanctions, tariffs and US dollar volatility without destabilising the Washington-led global financial system. Under the plan proposed by India’s central bank, Brics is looking to allow cross-border transactions to be settled in local currencies. Its feasibility depends on how far the bloc’s members can lessen their reliance on Western-controlled payment channels without...

CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper says Tehran cannot sell around 69 million barrels of oil already loaded onboard its tankers due to the blockade

The Trump administration has moved to dismiss the members of the National Science Board, which governs the National Science Foundation. Dismissed members say the agency's independence is threatened.

WASHINGTON, April 29 (Yonhap) -- U. S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday the ...

WASHINGTON, April 29 (Yonhap) -- U. S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday the ...

A rejoinder to the pontiff’s simplistic condemnation of the war against Iran.

US President Donald Trump warned Tehran on Wednesday that it should "get smart soon" and capitulate to Washington's demands for strict controls on its nuclear program, as a US naval blockade tightened its grip on Iran's economy. The US could extend its naval blockade of Iran for several more months, oil executives were told in a meeting with Trump, an official said, following reports that he had rejected Iran's latest proposed deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. "Iran can't get their act together..."

Oil giants have posted "exceptional" profits as war in the Middle East drives up crude prices, fuels global supply fears and creates trading opportunities – handing some of the world’s biggest energy companies a financial boon while consumers face rising costs.

Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek has added multimodal capabilities to its flagship chatbot for the first time, meaning it can now process images and video in addition to text, bringing it in line with competitors that already offer this functionality. The limited release to select users comes just days after the Hangzhou-based company released its new flagship model V4, which was followed by significant price reductions. According to DeepSeek multimodal team leader Chen Xiaokang, who made the...

Political change in Sofia promises a stable government after years of turmoil – but it isn’t likely to translate into a substantial shift in policy towards neighbouring North Macedonia and its blocked EU aspirations.

Bessent: "Iran must reduce oil production." The regime writes to the United Nations: "U.S. piracy: the seizure of our ships."

His other options included – stopping the war or resume bombing – both carrying more risk than the blockade, officials said.

According to sources cited by the newspaper, Donald Trump believes that other options, such as resuming bombing or exiting the conflict, carry greater risks

It has been revealed that the Trump administration in the United States has dismissed all 22 members of the board that oversees the National Science Foundation, a government agency that provides research funding to universities and research institutions. This decision has drawn criticism from research organizations and other groups.

With both sides at an impasse, oil prices have continued to rise sharply.

The measures aim to crack down on Iran’s shadow banking system and Chinese purchases of Iranian oil.

Trump: "Tehran admits collapse." Vance vs. Hegseth: "The Pentagon is a cause for concern."

Ali al-Zaidi, a political unknown, has been tasked with forming a new coalition government. Now, he must grapple with growing U. S. pressure to curb Iranian influence over Iraq.

The move targets the entire supply chain -from chemical manufacturers to cartel-linked traffickers -accused of facilitating production of these drugs.

Residents along Israel's border with Egypt have expressed alarm at Egypt's plans for live-fire drills in Sinai.

Barclays' profits rose, but loan losses weighed on its first-quarter results. At the same time, oil giant BP’s earnings jumped, largely driven by an exceptional oil trading boom linked to the Iran war.

China is testing a prototype nuclear reactor that can be carried on a truck, according to a leading scientist. He described the reactor, which has been in development for several years, as the “world’s first 10-megawatt vehicle-mounted nuclear power unit” and said the team behind it was now seeking opportunities to put it to use. This output would be enough to power a medium-sized AI data centre. “The ‘nuclear power bank’ we proposed exemplifies the new generation of nuclear energy systems,” Wu...

Singapore built its edge on something rare: neutrality that actually worked. Capital moved in, companies set up and deals got done without politics getting in the way. From where I sit, that predictability has always been “The Product.” Yet, it seems that pressure on that model is now out in the open as it grapples […] The post Singapore’s AI neutrality is cracking under US-China pressure appeared first on Asia Times.

The 4,000-year-old Linear Elamite script from what is now Iran has long eluded archaeologists hoping to unlock the secrets of a near-forgotten age. French archaeologist François Desset's work on deciphering the writing system now has some comparing him to Jean-François Champollion, the famed philologist who deciphered ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.

US President Donald Trump claims he helped save these eight Iranian female protesters from execution, whilst social media users claim the image is AI-generated. What do we know about the women pictured?

Iran offered to end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz if the US lifts its blockade on the country and ends the war in a proposal that would postpone discussions on the Islamic Republic's nuclear program, two regional officials said Monday. US President Donald Trump seems unlikely to accept the offer, which was passed to the Americans by Pakistan and would leave unresolved the disagreements that led the US and Israel to go to war on Feb. 28.

US President Donald Trump convened his national security team to discuss Iran's proposal to end a war now in its third month, a conflict that has left thousands dead across the Middle East and disrupted energy supplies.

Tankers laden with Iranian oil are clustering off Chabahar, a port in Iran that’s outside the Persian Gulf but just shy of the US blockade line.

Positions ‘terminated, effective immediately’, says email to scientists sent on president’s behalf, in move labelled ‘dangerous attack’ on US innovation The Trump administration has fired members of an independent board that oversees the National Science Foundation (NSF). Members of the National Science Board received an email on Friday sent from the Presidential Personnel Office “on behalf of President Donald J Trump” stating that their position was “terminated, effective immediately”. Continue reading...

India said the war in the Middle East is a “complicating factor” as it holds talks with both Washington and Tehran over options to safeguard its $120 million investment in Iran’s Chabahar port.

Faced with escalating trade barriers from the US, Chinese automakers are adopting a "buffer route" strategy by using Canada and Mexico as transit points to enter the US market, while also evolving their approach from simply exporting fully assembled vehicles to embedding themselves into complex global supply chains. By deepening their integration from pure manufacturing into technical standards, Chinese automakers are now venturing beyond market expansion, as they compete for leadership and dominance in both manufacturing and technology.

Iran has reportedly submitted a new proposal that defers discussion of its nuclear programme until the war ends and disputes over Gulf shipping are resolved.

According to the newspaper, the US leader did not outright reject Tehran's proposal but expressed concerns that Iran was unwilling to meet Washington's key demand of abandoning uranium enrichment.

The announcement came shortly after the Coordination Framework endorsed Zaidi as its candidate. Zaidi will now have 30 days to form a government – a daunting task in a country where constitutional deadlines are rarely respected.

Thus Marco Rubio said when asked if the Iranian supreme leader was alive

After months of tensions and pressure from both the U. S. and Iran, Ali al-Zaidi, a businessman, was named as prime minister-designate.

In its latest offer delivered on Sunday, Iran proposed opening the key waterway to shipping traffic and lifting the U. S. blockade, while postponing the thornier nuclear issue until later.

Pope Leo and new Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally met for the first time on Monday, in a symbolic encounter at the Vatican in which the leaders of the long-separated Catholic Church and Church of England exchanged gifts and prayed together. Mullally, the first woman to serve as spiritual leader of the world’s 85 million Anglicans, was ‌welcomed by Leo, the first US leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, into his formal office at the Vatican’s ornate apostolic palace. The two, who...

Sarah Mullally hails Leo for addressing the ‘many injustices in our world’ after private meeting with pope in Rome The archbishop of Canterbury praised Pope Leo on Monday for speaking “powerfully about the many injustices” in the world, in an apparent reference to the pontiff becoming more outspoken in recent weeks, particularly in his criticism of the US-Israeli war on Iran. Sarah Mullally, who in March became the first woman to lead the Anglican church, arrived in Rome on Saturday for a visit aimed at reinforcing relations with the Vatican. Mullally had a private meeting with Leo, the first US-born leader of the Catholic church, at the Apostolic Palace, the pope’s official residence. Continue reading...

Two months after US and Israeli strikes began, their war on Iran has settled into a costly stalemate. The fighting has paused under a fragile Pakistan-brokered ceasefire, but the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked, direct talks have collapsed and neither side shows signs of yielding. Last weekend, Washington’s envoys cancelled their planned trip to the Pakistani capital for further talks after Tehran declared it would not join negotiations until the US Navy ended its blockade of Iranian...

At the Vatican, the Anglican archbishop met a pope who has signaled no intention to change Catholic doctrine to allow ordaining women.

Iran has presented the U. S. with a new proposal to restore shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and end the war, while suggesting that negotiations on its nuclear program be postponed to a later stage.

China has officially blocked the proposed purchase of domestic artificial intelligence firm Manus by Meta Platforms. The National Development and Reform Commission, the country’s top economic planner, announced the ruling in a statement on Monday. More to follow...

A landmark agreement allowing China to issue sovereign bonds in Indonesia’s domestic market on a reciprocal basis signals a deliberate push for regional financial integration. The reciprocal sovereign bond issuance agreement between China and Indonesia marks a strategic breakthrough. For the first time, China will be allowed to issue yuan-denominated sovereign bonds directly in Indonesia’s […] The post China’s sovereign debt to debut in SE Asia’s largest economy appeared first on Asia Times.

Iran's Foreign Minister Araghchi calls his Islamabad visit 'successful'

According to Alexey Pushkov, the US approach may have been influenced by its experience in Venezuela, which Washington may have perceived as an example of the effectiveness of "precise and surgical" operations.

According to Politico's source, energy costs are cascading into food, transport and housing, hitting lower-and middle-income households hardest

The conflict in the Middle East dimmed income expectations and hopes for a tentative economic rebound this year amid surging energy prices.

Iran signaled it would accept an interim deal with the US whereby Tehran reopens the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for Washington ending its blockade of Iranian ports, according to Axios.

The US and Iran failed to kick off a second round of peace talks this weekend despite a last-minute push by Pakistan, delivering a blow to Islamabad’s efforts to broker a settlement to end the two-month-old war.

Taking to X, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammed Ghalibaf shared a new 'formula' that appears to refer to the US's oil reserve claims.

The new proposal was given to the US via Pakistani mediators

Chinese scientists have achieved a breakthrough in "all-iron flow battery" technology that could significantly reduce the cost of storing renewable energy while also extending battery lifespan. Lithium currently costs over 80 times more than iron as a raw industrial material. According to the researchers, an iron battery may offer a potential solution to one of the biggest bottlenecks in the global energy transition. A team from the Institute of Metal Research under the Chinese Academy of...

Brent crude rises more than 2 percent after Washington and Tehran fail to hold second round of talks in Pakistan.

Kudos to the Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan for introducing a two-tier civil service accountability system. This will include giving an independent statutory body, the Public Service Commission, powers to investigate “widespread, repetitive and systemic” management problems, while department heads can investigate problems involving rank-and-file officers. To many, the revamp of the civil service accountability system is long overdue. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has...

In several first-tier Chinese cities, chickens, which were once confined to the dinner table, are finding a new role: cherished household companions. On social media, posts and videos about “pet chickens” have racked up over 3.1 billion views, underscoring how they are reshaping perceptions of pet culture in urban China. In southeastern China’s Guangdong province, a local saying goes: “No chicken leaves here alive”, a testament to the region’s love of eating poultry. Yet one woman, Aguai,...

SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- Seoul stocks opened sharply higher Monday despite ho...

The reserves of Hong Kong’s largest international school group have more than tripled to HK$3.75 billion (US$480.8 million) in over a decade, even as it taps different income sources to offset shrinking government subsidies, the South China Morning Post has found by reviewing the organisation’s annual reports. The English Schools Foundation (ESF) also said in its annual report for the 2024-25 academic year that it expected increased competition for students and it would modernise its marketing...

According to the US leader, as a result, Iran may lose half of its oil production capacity

The US president says he saved eight Iranian women from execution, but Iran says otherwise.

Pope Leo’s criticisms of the Iran war reflect a shift in Catholic thinking, driven by the power of modern weaponry.

Israel is intensifying its attacks and expanding its control in the Gaza Strip, effectively bypassing the newly established, US-supported technocratic administration.

Chinese scientists have developed a method to generate electricity and achieve higher energy efficiency than conventional burning, while producing zero carbon dioxide emissions, by placing coal inside a “battery”. “Coal-fired power” conjures images of heavy pollution, steep carbon footprints and modest efficiency. But a novel, direct coal power technology challenges that stereotype by eliminating combustion entirely and sidestepping the CO₂ emissions that have long defined coal use. A team led...

No direct talks took place between US and Iranian negotiators in Islamabad. A ceasefire in the Iran war continues to exist, but a roadmap to lasting peace remains elusive. DW has the latest.

Trump calls off planned trip to Pakistan by his envoys, in the latest setback to efforts to end the war with Iran.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to return to Pakistan on Sunday for more peace negotiations, state media reported, having just left Islamabad the previous day. US envoys did not arrive in Islamabad as expected on Saturday after Iran said it would not participate in direct negotiations with the US. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.

Trump and other members of the US cabinet were evacuated after shots were fired during the annual correspondents dinner at the Hilton Hotel in Washington.

Seeking out mines is one of the latest tactics announced by the Trump administration to get traffic moving again through the strait as rising energy prices

The Financial Times emphasized that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was absent during both of the US delegation's trips to Islamabad

Before addressing the presser, Donald Trump shared CCTV footage of the suspect running past security perimetres, and pictures of him being pinned on the ground.

US-Iran war LIVE: The war began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, followed by retaliatory Iranian attacks. Tehran shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil artery, targeting their "enemies." Washington responded with more bombings and sanctions. A temporary ceasefire announced in April has failed to hold.

Fox News and New York Post columnist, Karol Markowicz, on Saturday identified the White House Correspondents Dinner shooting suspect as Cole Tomas Allen.

Crowds of protesters took to the streets of Tel Aviv on Sunday, amid fears the US-Israeli war on Iran will resume.