A pivot to China saved Elon Musk. It also binds him to Beijing.

A pivot to China saved Elon Musk. It also binds him to Beijing.

When Elon Musk unveiled the first Chinese-made Teslas in Shanghai in 2020, he went off script and started dancing. Peeling off his jacket, he flung it across the stage in a partial striptease. Musk had reason to celebrate. A few years earlier, with Tesla on the brink of failure, he had bet on China, which … Read more

Chipmakers searching for ‘China Plus 1’ are finding Malaysia

Chipmakers searching for ‘China Plus 1’ are finding Malaysia

PENANG, Malaysia: Construction cranes still surround the brand-spanking-new plant in Kulim’s industrial park in Malaysia. But inside, legions of workers hired by Austrian tech giant AT&S are already gearing up to produce at full capacity by year’s end. Outfitted in head-to-toe coveralls, with oversized safety glasses and hard hats, they’re reminiscent of the worker bees … Read more

‘He suffers from Trump derangement syndrome’: Trump blasts Biden over State of Union address

‘He suffers from Trump derangement syndrome’: Trump blasts Biden over State of Union address

Coming out hard against US President Joe Biden over his State of Union address, his predecessor Donald Trump called his speech “terrible” and said that he suffers from “terminal case of Trump derangement syndrome,” Fox News reported. Reacting to Biden’s address, the former President told Fox News Digital, “He was angry, mentally disturbed, and misrepresenting … Read more

US hits Iran with new sanctions targeting commanders, shipping

US hits Iran with new sanctions targeting commanders, shipping

The United States targeted Iranian and Houthi commanders and a vessel that shipped more than $100 million in Iranian commodities to businesses in China in sanctions announced on Tuesday. Mohammad Reza Falahzadeh, deputy commander of Iran‘s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), and Ibrahim al-Nashiri, a member of Yemen’s Houthi militia, were designated under the … Read more

Putin says Russia has no intention of putting nuclear weapons in space, denying U.S. claims

Putin says Russia has no intention of putting nuclear weapons in space, denying U.S. claims

Russian President Vladimir Putin. File. | Photo Credit: AP Russian President Vladimir Putin declared on February 20 that Moscow has no intention of deploying nuclear weapons in space, claiming that the country has only developed space capabilities similar to those of the U.S. Mr. Putin’s statement follows the White House confirmation last week that Russia … Read more

Biden says Palestinian state still possible after Netanyahu call

Biden says Palestinian state still possible after Netanyahu call

Washington: US President Joe Biden said on Friday it was still possible Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could agree to some form of Palestinian state, after the two leaders spoke for the first time in nearly a month amid tensions over the Gaza war. Their call came a day after Netanyahu said he opposes allowing … Read more

U.N. ends political mission in Sudan, where world hasn’t been able to stop bloodshed

U.N. ends political mission in Sudan, where world hasn’t been able to stop bloodshed

The United Nations Security Council voted Friday to end its political mission dedicated to ending the civil war in Sudan. | Photo Credit: JEENAH MOON The United Nations Security Council voted Friday to end its political mission of a few hundred people dedicated to ending the civil war in Sudan. Russia abstained from the unanimous … Read more

Biden turns 81 as voters show concern about age

Biden turns 81 as voters show concern about age

Joe Biden will turn 81 on Monday with the traditional pardoning of the Thanksgiving turkeys at the White House, but don’t expect him to mention the issue that has U.S. voters in a flap. His birthday will turn an unwelcome spotlight on the fact that the Democrat is the oldest president in American history – … Read more

China’s influence in Central America advances at a gallop

China’s influence in Central America advances at a gallop

Anchored in the heart of colonial San Salvador, a towering and expansive library was inaugurated this week by President Nayib Bukele, the latest sign of China‘s growing influence across Central America. With the Chinese ambassador at his side, Bukele toured the seven-story building, erected at a cost of $54 million paid for by China. The … Read more

Blinken asks China to expect candid talk after Biden calls Xi ‘Dictator’

Blinken asks China to expect candid talk after Biden calls Xi ‘Dictator’

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said the US will continue to say things that China doesn’t like, as he defended President Joe Biden‘s remarks wherein he called his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping a “dictator“. Biden called Xi a “dictator”, just hours after they met for the first time in more than a year and … Read more