The capital that anchors China’s power and global role
New research shows that laughter rhythms in humans and great apes are strikingly similar, suggesting a shared evolutionary past. Fresh recordings of children’s giggles align with decades-old ape tickling data, indicating a common ancestor and shedding light on the evolution of human speech.
A Nepali guide, Dawa Sherpa, has been found alive six days after he went missing descending Mount Everest on 29 May. He has been airlifted to a Kathmandu hospital with frostbite after a cleanup crew found him crawling near the Khumbu Icefall. His family had already begun funeral rites and have accused his employer of delayed search efforts.
Beijing has expelled Vivian Wang of The New York Times after a DealBook appearance by Taiwan’s Lai Ching-te; the United States has responded by revoking a visa for a Chinese state-media journalist, in a tit-for-tat move that underscores deteriorating press access and ongoing tensions between Beijing, Taipei and Washington.
Arcadia’s former mayor, Eileen Wang, has pleaded guilty to acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China, admitting she boosted Beijing propaganda on a US-based site while failing to notify US authorities. Sun, her former fiancé, has been sentenced for the same charges. Sentencing for Wang is set for Oct. 6 with a potential 10-year term.
China's official PMI has held at the expansion threshold near 50, with new orders and production softening slightly. Analysts cite robust energy security and ongoing export strength, though domestic demand remains sluggish amid a housing slump. Exports to Europe and Southeast Asia help offset U.S. demand weakness. Morgan Stanley sees 2026 growth near the 4.5–5% target.
The Philippines has confirmed reports of a floating structure at Scarborough Shoal and is reviewing satellite imagery and raw information. Manila has lodged protests, while China maintains sovereignty claims. The dispute continues to unfold amid ongoing maritime exercises and international scrutiny.
World defense chiefs at the Shangri-La Dialogue stress collective security amid rising regional strains. Tokyo pushes for transparency; Beijing underscores strategic rivalry and mutual concern. Leaders warn that fragmentation could disrupt stability, urging closer coalitions.
The United States has proposed tariffs of up to 12.5% on imports from about 59–60 countries, citing failures to curb goods made with forced labour. The EU has negotiated a digital trade deal with South Korea and is preparing new industrial measures to reduce single‑supplier dependence. China has tightened controls on outbound investment and is hosting a steady stream of foreign leaders.
Since early June, Chinese coast guard and survey ships have intensified activity near Taiwan and Pratas Island, prompting Taiwan to condemn Beijing’s maritime claims. Several incidents involve harassing inquiries, standoffs, and expulsions, with Taiwan emphasizing sovereignty and international law.
Australia says a new US tariff hike on imports is not linked to its anti-slavery laws, with ministers stressing Australia has mechanisms to tackle modern slavery. The plan, unveiled under a Section 301 investigation, targets 60 countries and could run alongside existing duties during a transition period.
Solomon Islands’ new prime minister has said a 2022 security pact with China is under review, after he was provided with a copy and indicated some officials have been moved. Australia and the Solomon Islands are negotiating a broader strategic treaty to elevate their bilateral security and economic ties.
On June 4, 2026, authorities mark the anniversary with tightened security. Relatives of victims are barred from graves in Beijing; vigils in Hong Kong remain restricted. International voices insist on memory and accountability while protests occur abroad and in other cities.
Five Eyes intelligence partners have published a joint bulletin and U.S. prosecutors have seized 13 internet domains after identifying fake consultancies that advertised analyst jobs to current and former security‑clearance holders. Officials have said the websites used stolen identities and AI images, paid recruits in crypto and pressured applicants for non‑public information.
New Zealand lawmakers who visited Taiwan have been banned for a year from China, Hong Kong and Macau. The move prompts diplomatic friction as Wellington defends parliamentary travel to Taiwan as longstanding practice under its One China policy. Officials say the ban is a China-driven reaction to cross-strait diplomacy.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has visited Pyongyang for a two‑day summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, pledging closer strategic, economic and people‑to‑people ties. The trip has followed Pyongyangs growing alignment with Russia and announcements of accelerated nuclear and naval programmes; Beijing is moving to reassert influence over its treaty ally.
Anthropic has called for a coordinated global option to slow or temporarily pause frontier AI development, warning that models are accelerating their own improvement and could enable recursive self‑improvement. The proposal has prompted debate with OpenAI and US officials as both firms race to release models and prepare IPOs.
North Korea has reaffirmed that denuclearization is off the table, with Kim Yo Jong denouncing U.S. and South Korean pressure as misinformation. Xi Jinping's visit to Pyongyang signals China’s focus on stabilizing the peninsula and managing North Korea’s expanding arsenal. Analysts say Beijing will refrain from pushing denuclearization and may offer economic assistance instead.
Oil and petrol prices have fallen after the U.S. and Iran reached a tentative deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but global inventories and U.S. strategic reserves have dropped to decades-low levels and will take months to rebuild. Consumers are seeing smaller pump prices now; wholesale and crude markets remain fragile while production, shipping and refinery capacity restart is underway.
The Pentagon has updated its annual 1260H list and has added 188 Chinese entities, including Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, and reinstated memory chipmakers CXMT and YMTC. Beijing has protested and several listed companies have rejected the designations. The change will bar the Defense Department from direct contracts with listed firms this month and from third‑party purchases from 2027.
Genesis AI has unveiled Eno, a wheeled, modular robot designed to work across manufacturing, logistics, hotels, and healthcare. Backed by $105 million in funding, the company aims to deploy dozens of units by end-2026 and scale to mass production, with LG as a key partner and a broader push into the AI-enabled physical economy.
China and North Korea have pledged to deepen cooperation during Xi Jinping’s Pyongyang visit, emphasising strategic coordination and trade ties while avoiding renewed denuclearisation talks, as Kim Jong Un seeks closer alignment with Beijing and Moscow.
Xi Jinping has met Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang to expand China-DPRK cooperation across politics, economy and culture. Both leaders say they have reached an important consensus in the new era, with efforts to strengthen diplomatic and trade links, border reopenings and people-to-people exchanges. Denuclearisation discussions are not publicly stated.
China’s rapid tech funding model is under tighter supervision as local governments demand disclosures on Dreame-linked entities, signaling Beijing’s push to curb misallocation while still backing long-horizon tech bets.
Anthropic has said it has disabled access to its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models after the U.S. Commerce Department has ordered the company to suspend foreign‑national access on national security grounds. Anthropic is complying while disputing the governments evidence of a narrow "jailbreak" and is working to restore access; other Anthropic models remain available.
Fresh data show China’s May retail sales stalled while investment contracts widen, signaling a slowdown in domestic demand. Yet exports are proving resilient thanks to AI-related demand and renewables, and industrial output edges higher, painting a nuanced picture of a faltering domestic economy still buoyed by external demand.
Xi Jinping has visited Pyongyang with Kim Jong Un, signaling a deepening China–DPRK relationship. Talks emphasize broader cooperation while avoiding denuclearisation discussions, raising questions about regional balance and North Korea’s nuclear status.
Kono has died at 89. He helped shape Japan's wartime apology with the 1993 Kono Statement and the 1995 Murayama apology, influencing regional ties with China and Korea. Conservatives have since challenged those acknowledgments. The former cabinet secretary and LDP chief warned against whitewashing history as relations with neighbors fray.
The UK-India Free Trade Agreement will enter into force on July 15, delivering immediate tariff cuts and a boost to exporters and consumers. Ministers say the deal will improve GDP, wages and bilateral trade in the long run, with firms urged to register to access tariff relief.
Beijing has banned Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and his family from entering China, including Hong Kong and Macau, over remarks Beijing deems harmful to its interests. Manila calls the move unfounded and vows to defend territorial integrity as Manila tightens security ties with the United States and allies.
China has detained Min Zin, the US-Myanmar scholar and executive director of ISP Myanmar, on suspicion of espionage and endangering China’s national security. The arrest occurred after he arrived in Kunming for an academic workshop, with Beijing saying the case will be handled under the law. The move follows broader U.S.-China tensions and Myanmar’s ongoing political crisis.
Taiwan has launched a secure website for Chinese nationals to provide intelligence information, citing growing discontent amid China’s economic and political pressures. The move mirrors practices by the U.S., U.K., and Israel and follows a broader pattern of cross-strait distrust and security measures.
The Pentagon has added major Chinese firms such as BYD, Alibaba and Baidu to a sanctions list over alleged ties to China’s military. Beijing condemns the move as unfair and vows retaliation; the update follows a high-stakes meeting between Presidents Trump and Xi and could affect 2027 procurement rules.
A think tank warns that China’s military expansion could quickly and dramatically raise the threat to Australia by basing long-range bombers and missiles closer to the region. The analysis notes capability growth, with potential deployment near Australia and new bases increasing the frequency of strikes.
A seismic event in Mindanao has caused coastal uplift of up to about 2 metres, exposing coral and seagrass as shoreline retreat is observed along the Cotabato Trench. Authorities report multiple aftershocks and ongoing assessments of casualties and damage.
A tentative deal has reopened the Strait of Hormuz and allowed some vessels to leave the Persian Gulf, but global oil flows have not returned to normal. Producers and shipowners have cut output and delayed shipments; tankers stranded in the Gulf and shut-in fields will take weeks to months to restart full exports, keeping pressure on prices and inventories through summer.
Myanmar’s junta chief Min Aung Hlaing is engaging with China to advance Belt and Road projects, border trade, and regional stability. Beijing is deepening cooperation across energy, infrastructure, and digital sectors while urging peace talks and domestic reconciliation.
China has expanded exports despite sanctions, redirecting volumes to Europe and Asia as it maintains a record global trade surplus of $1.2 trillion. The shift raises concerns in Europe about a potential second China Shock and prompts calls for higher tariffs and new policy tools.
Qualcomm has unveiled a data-centre CPU lineup and an acquisition, signaling a broader push into AI infrastructure. The company is pursuing hyperscaler deals, with two custom silicon deals announced and Modular acquisition adding AI software capabilities. The moves come as Nvidia-led demand and memory-chip dynamics shape the AI hardware landscape.
G7 leaders have agreed to reduce reliance on China for critical minerals by 2030, with binding quotas on some sectors and a platform to boost recycling, mining and cross-border cooperation. The move follows Beijing's export curbs on rare earth magnets and aims to coordinate data and crisis response through a new IEA-backed platform.
China’s securities regulator has signaled a crackdown on AI-themed stock promotion and market manipulation, while supporting active ETFs in Shanghai and Shenzhen. Regulators warn they will punish illegitimate stock recommendations and rumours, as Beijing seeks to cool speculative sentiment amid an AI rally.
Western militaries face a surge of cheap, low-altitude drone threats. NATO and partner nations are moving away from reliance on costly interceptors toward scalable, affordable sensor networks, interceptor drones, and mass-produced ground defenses. Ukraine’s experience has accelerated the push to deploy ready-to-use solutions now rather than wait for perfect systems.
The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre reports that over 200 incidents have affected critical national infrastructure in the past year, with around three-quarters linked to state actors. Officials warn AI could accelerate risks, urging urgent, nationwide action to bolster cyber resilience.
Japan has publicly questioned China’s defense-spending transparency while outlining steps to bolster its own defense posture, including arms exports reforms and drones, amid regional tensions. Tokyo is urging trust, openness, and dialogue as it expands capabilities in a changing security landscape.
The G7 has aimed to reduce dependence on a single supplier for critical minerals by building stockpiles and coordinating with partners. Leaders say they will share expertise on stockpiling, with Japan showcasing its civilian-use mineral reserves and procurement diversification.
Taiwan warns that Washington’s arms-sales process remains unchanged while Taipei pushes for timely deliveries. Beijing continues military pressure, and Taiwan is increasing its defense spending and seeking stronger international support.
The United States has begun a phased drawdown of PEPFAR in South Africa, citing policy disagreements and a belief that South Africa can sustain its HIV programs. Pretoria says it will continue treatment with domestic funding, while UN meetings seek clarity on future donor support.
A UK court has jailed a Border Force officer and a Hong Kong trade official for spying for China, marking the first prosecutions under the National Security Act in Britain. Wai and Yuen have been found guilty of assisting a foreign intelligence service and related misconduct, leaving dissidents and supporters distressed. Sentences are ten and eight years respectively.
EU leaders are pressing the European Commission to strengthen the trade defense toolbox and pursue dialogue with Beijing, as they confront a deepening trade imbalance and fears of supply shocks from China. Talks in Brussels have highlighted diverging views on how hard to push Beijing while avoiding a full-blown trade war.
Taiwan has started five days of Immediate Combat Readiness Exercises to test rapid deployment and wartime transition, while China conducts drills nearby. The exercises involve live-fire, real-time responses, and larger regional tensions with frequent Chinese air and sea activity around Taiwan.
Open-source Chinese AI models like GLM-5.2 are gaining traction against top US models, offering cost advantages and deep enterprise use. OpenRouter traffic is rising, and concerns about safety, governance, and regulatory exposure accompany the shift as firms weigh token costs and performance.