USA: Coal and gas among targets of China’s retaliatory tariffs

China has announced retaliatory tariffs against the US after President Donald Trump imposed a 10% tax on all Chinese imports. The counter-measures include a 15% tax on coal and liquefied…

USA: Trump agrees to pause tariffs on Canada and Mexico but not on China

President Donald Trump has agreed to hold off imposing 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico for 30 days, pulling the North American neighbours back from the brink of a potentially…

USA: Trump sows uncertainty – and Xi Jinping sees an opportunity

If China was angry at the United States for imposing an extra 10% tariff on all Chinese goods, it did a good job of hiding it. It urged Washington to…

China: Beijing counters Trump’s tariffs with measured opening move

Beijing has made its decision. After days of warning of counter measures and urging Washington to enter negotiations and “meet China halfway”, it has decided to hit back – or…

Taiwan: Film star Barbie Hsu dies at 48

Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu, who was best-known for starring in the hit 2001 TV series Meteor Garden, has died from pneumonia at the age of 48, according to local media.…

China: Fashion giant Shein re-enters India five years after ban

Chinese fast fashion app Shein has relaunched in India five years after it was banned by Delhi, under a deal with Indian firm Reliance Retail. An official from Reliance Retail,…

USA: Markets slide in Europe and Asia as Trump’s tariff war escalates

Shares in Europe and Asia have fallen after US President Donald Trump announced tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China, and said tariffs on the EU would “definitely happen”. The German and…

China: What lies under the bonnet of the new AI chatbot DeepSeek?

Tumbling stock market values and wild claims have accompanied the release of a new AI chatbot by a small Chinese company. What makes it so different? The release of China’s…

China: Asian markets tumble as Trump’s tariff war escalates

Investors are bracing for a turbulent period that could hit the earnings of major companies and dent global growth. Canada and Mexico have said that they will hit back with retaliatory…

Indian: Tax relief for middle class

aIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s coalition government has unveiled its first full-year budget after his party lost an outright majority in parliament last year. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced measures…