Reading Time : 2 minutesFormer Google CEO Eric Schmidt warns that free open-source AI models from China could dominate globally, especially in developing nations unable to afford expensive Western AI. This shift raises critical geopolitical and technological challenges around AI sovereignty, competition, and global influence in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
Reading Time : 2 minutesEconomic data for Q3 2025 reveals that the Eurozone expanded by a cautious 0.2 percent, reflecting a mild but uncertain improvement. The wider EU did slightly better, while major economies like Germany and Italy showed no growth. France performed more strongly, keeping the region above zero. The outlook remains delicate and heavily dependent on selective domestic contributions.
Reading Time : 2 minutesCitigroup’s CEO Jane Fraser reports rapid growth in China, driven by increased demand for cross-border corporate banking services. While Citi retreats from consumer banking, it doubles down on institutional clients across Asia. Analysts stay cautious, but the bank presents China as a renewed opportunity in a shifting global landscape, where digital and distributed finance continue to reshape strategy.
Reading Time : 2 minutesCentral banks are gradually diversifying their reserves away from the U.S. dollar, turning to smaller G10 and emerging market currencies while boosting gold holdings. The shift is slow but steady, reflecting growing geopolitical caution and a search for stability in a multipolar financial world where the dollar’s long-standing supremacy is being quietly challenged.
Reading Time : 2 minutesChina is offering major electricity discounts to data centers that adopt domestically produced AI chips, aiming to strengthen its independence in advanced computing. These subsidies help offset performance and efficiency gaps with foreign hardware while encouraging large tech companies to invest in local semiconductor ecosystems. The policy reflects China’s strategic response to ongoing international tech restrictions.
Reading Time : 2 minutesThe consumer’s desire for affordable brand freedom is often obstructed by tariffs, which quickly escalate into costly “tit-for-tat” trade wars. This cycle of import taxes drives up prices, restricts market choice, and ultimately hurts consumers and domestic exporters on both sides of the dispute, proving to be a highly inefficient form of state intervention.
Reading Time : 2 minutes Taiwan is fast-tracking AI and digital transformation across industry, academia, and government. Deepening industry-academic collaboration cultivates AI-ready talent and practical deployments, while cities pilot AI-enabled governance and smart-city services. This coordinated effort aims to build scalable AI ecosystems, boost efficiency, and create new business models that keep Taiwan competitive in a globally digital economy.
Reading Time : 2 minutesMiniMax M2 is redefining open-source AI with its efficient mixture-of-experts design and cutting-edge performance. Released in October 2025, it stands as the leading open-weight model, offering top reasoning, coding, and agentic capabilities at lower cost. The M2 proves that open-source innovation can rival the biggest names in artificial intelligence.
Reading Time : 2 minutesCambodia’s new Techo International Airport opened in September 2025, marking a $2 billion milestone for the country. Built south of Phnom Penh, it replaces the old airport with a modern design and expanded capacity. The project reflects Cambodia’s ambitions to strengthen tourism, trade, and connectivity across Southeast Asia.
Reading Time : 2 minutesChina’s home prices dropped at their fastest pace in nearly a year, highlighting a deepening real estate crisis that threatens economic recovery. With weak demand, high inventories, and falling consumer confidence, the property slump could push Beijing toward stronger intervention as regional markets brace for broader ripple effects.
Reading Time : 2 minutesThe United States asked Taiwan to move half its chip production to America, citing security and supply chain concerns. Taiwan firmly rejected the request, defending its semiconductor dominance as both an economic asset and strategic shield. The standoff exposes growing tension between US self-sufficiency goals and Taiwan’s vital role in global technology.
Reading Time : 2 minutesGold’s total global value has exceeded $30 trillion for the first time, reflecting growing investor caution amid geopolitical tension and economic uncertainty. The milestone underscores a shift from risk to safety, as the world’s oldest store of value outpaces even the biggest tech firms in total worth.
Reading Time : 2 minutesChina’s open-source AI ecosystem has overtaken the United States in developer numbers, innovation speed, and model performance. Companies like DeepSeek and Alibaba now rival top U.S. projects, driven by state support and efficiency breakthroughs. Though the U.S. still dominates frontier AI, the balance of innovation is increasingly tilting toward China.
Reading Time : 2 minutesChina has tightened export controls on rare earth elements, defending the move as a matter of national security. The decision, which affects key materials for semiconductors and defense industries, has sparked international concern. Beijing insists the new rules are about responsible management, not trade war tactics, but many see strategic motives behind them.
Reading Time : 2 minutesChina’s new K visa program is reshaping the global science landscape by drawing top US researchers at a time when America tightens its visa rules. With generous support and fewer barriers, China positions itself as a magnet for talent, sparking a potential reverse migration that could alter the future of global innovation.
