Black Sea attacks choke grain exports and drive up global prices
Escalating attacks on Black Sea ports, cargo vessels and export infrastructure have crippled a vital global grain trade route, threatening supplies...
China has announced exemptions to its export controls on Nexperia chips intended for civilian use, the commerce ministry said on Sunday, a move aimed at easing supply shortages affecting carmakers and automotive suppliers.
The decision marks Beijing’s clearest indication yet that it plans to reduce pressure on the global automotive sector caused by export restrictions introduced after the Dutch government assumed control of Nexperia, a major producer of basic semiconductors used in vehicle electrical systems.
Nexperia, headquartered in the Netherlands but owned by China’s Wingtech, is central to the dispute. While China’s commerce ministry did not define what constitutes “civilian use,” the announcement follows reports from German and Japanese firms confirming that deliveries of Chinese-made Nexperia chips have resumed.
Despite this easing, relations between China and the Netherlands — and by extension the European Union — are expected to remain tense until the question of Nexperia’s ownership and operations is resolved. The Dutch government took control of the company on 30 September, citing security concerns over Wingtech’s alleged plans to relocate European production to China.
In response, Beijing halted exports of the company’s finished chips, most of which are packaged in China, but later said it would begin accepting exemption applications following a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on 30 October.
China’s commerce ministry has maintained that its actions are intended to safeguard global chip supply chains, accusing the Netherlands of failing to address the issue. In its latest statement, the ministry expressed hope that the EU would “step up efforts” to persuade the Dutch authorities to reverse their decision, urging Brussels to “use its influence” to prompt the Netherlands to “rectify its erroneous actions.”
The collective-defence agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signals that regional powers no longer want to rely solely on external security guarantees. Whether it becomes a stabilising deterrent or another axis of rivalry remains unresolved.
U.S. President Donald Trump says Washington is not seeking an extension of its memorandum of understanding with Iran, claiming the U.S. already controls the Strait of Hormuz through its naval blockade.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
Ukraine has targeted at least 20 Wildberries warehouses across Russia since 18 July, disrupting a major logistics network. Kyiv says the strikes aim to disrupt alleged military-linked supplies, while the attacks have caused billions of dollars in losses and wider economic pressure.
An artificial intelligence agent running an experimental store in San Francisco has recommended dismissing a human employee after the worker repeatedly arrived late for shifts.
Nvidia is teaming up with some of the biggest names in global finance in a move that underscores how artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming one of the world's most sought-after investment themes.
Parts of Europe and the Arctic will briefly fall into darkness on Wednesday, 12 August, as the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun in a total solar eclipse.
Meta said one of its AI models hacked another company's systems during cybersecurity testing, intensifying concerns about how developers can contain increasingly capable AI systems following similar incidents involving Anthropic and OpenAI.
Scientists say the accidental crash of a discarded SpaceX rocket stage into the moon has provided valuable data on impact cratering while posing no threat to Earth or lunar hardware.
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