CNA
July 2026
Commentary: Why the US is losing Chinese AI stars
If he didn’t at least try starting his own company, he would regret it for the rest of his life.”
HSBC sells Singapore insurance business to Germany's Allianz in US$2.09 billion deal
Malaysia back in the F1 frame as Bahrain hopes recede
CNA Explains: With the Houthis' Red Sea threat, is the world running out of detours?
Analysts warn that a simultaneous disruption of two key waterways — the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Strait of Hormuz — would put global supply chains under strain
Rerouting through the Cape of Good Hope is a second-best solution as it will not be favourable to shippers in terms of the increase in nautical miles that needs to be covered
With commercial and emergency oil stockpiles already thinned out in the first wave of the US-Iran war, crude prices can be expected to spike towards US$150, at least until it brings about a big enough demand destruction,
The Red Sea is one of the world's busiest trade corridors, so any prolonged disruption affects global supply chains as a whole,
This was exactly the key reason why the Suez Canal was built in the first place, (to) create a direct shipping route between the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean, without having to navigate the more treacherous Cape of Good Hope,
With recent Houthi threats in the Red Sea, more and more barrels will be halted. The route being used for rerouting is also vulnerable now,
There is no such thing as a free detour in shipping,
Any industry actively practising a JIT (just in time) strategy or traditionally dependent on materials supply from the Arabian Gulf states would need to seriously rethink their strategy,
The more chokepoints come under pressure at the same time, the less flexibility the global trading system has,
The world is running out of options to mitigate a prolonged closure of Hormuz, let alone a simultaneous blockade of Bab el-Mandeb,
While we are nowhere near that scenario today, a prolonged shutdown of major export routes could create operational challenges that extend well beyond higher oil prices,
What concerns me most is the combined effect of rising oil prices and more expensive maritime transport,
Stocks suffer fresh blow as markets hit by perfect storm
Markets now face the resurgent Middle East war, a spike in oil prices back past US$100 and worries about the artificial intelligence investment boom
A relatively small number of companies have driven a disproportionate share of returns in recent years,
Volkswagen profit plunges as carmaker weighs mass job cuts
We must accelerate efforts to structurally lower our cost base and sustainably improve our earnings quality,
Spain declares national emergency over wildfires near Madrid and in Avila
Forced labour concerns a 'convenient' rationale for rebuilding Trump's tariff wall: Analysts
Tariff wars and trade wars are not in the interests of any party,
We do know that the majority of these tariffs are paid by domestic consumers,
I don't think this is about forced labour at all. It was just a convenient excuse to rebuild the tariff wall that got overturned by the Supreme Court in February,
We don't know when those will land. It could be soon, and that will drive the tariff rates presumably higher still,
So it's not actually about stopping forced labour or trade in forced labour, despite what the United States claims,
We oppose all forms of unilateral tariff measures,
TikTok charged with breaching EU tech rules on online safety for kids
The Digital Services Act requires platforms to build protections for minors into the design of their services, and holds them to account when they fail to do so,
Teen accounts on TikTok have more than 50 preset privacy and safety features, informed by experts, from the moment they set up an account,
Under 18 accounts are private by default and we are one of the only platforms where younger teens cannot use direct messaging or have their content eligible to appear in the For You feed,
UN urges evacuation of 6,000 sailors stranded in Hormuz strait
Seafarers remain exposed to hostilities as deadly attacks in the strait continue -- facing imminent risks of death or harm,
Seafarers should not be forced or compelled to endanger their lives by sailing through conflict zones. Nor should they face the risk of reprisal by shipowners if they decline these assignments,
The seafarers have been left on their ships to fend for themselves without food, water, fuel, medical care, electricity or means to communicate with their families,
Attacks against civilian vessels are unacceptable and must stop. They are protected under international humanitarian law,
Parties to the conflict should urgently work to facilitate safe passage for stranded seafarers to safely evacuate and disembark, as well as ensure the delivery of critical supplies,
Thee seafarers have been left on their ships to fend for themselves without food, water, fuel, medical care, electricity or means to communicate with their families,
Cathay Pacific raises fuel surcharges from Aug 1 as jet fuel prices surge
Trump under pressure from all sides over Chinese AI surge
Denying American startups access to models available abroad would stifle competition, entrench incumbents, and function as a tax on intelligence,
Lobbyists are urging Washington to treat open-model AI as a security threat. In fact, it is something more familiar: proper competition that should be welcomed,
The Kimi panic needs to stop,
These Chinese models are excellent. Open-source models that are excellent should be used,
Jana Nayagan, Indian politician-actor Vijay’s final film, draws huge crowds and delivers strong box office
Jana Nayagan, starring Vijay, has attracted large crowds
Malaysia foreign minister says envoy summoned by US over Israel policy amid Network School saga
Network School, the "digital nomad" community founded in Malaysia by US investor Balaji Srinivasan, came under scrutiny after social media users alleged that it included participants from Israel
There was an individual with dual citizenship, the US and Israel, who entered Malaysia using his US passport. However, subsequent checks revealed that he also held Israeli citizenship, and we asked him to leave,
South Korean court orders SK chairman Chey to pay US$644 million to ex-wife in divorce ruling
The defendant's shareholdings increased substantially during the marriage through his management activities,
The court took into account the sharp rise in the value of the defendant's shareholdings when determining the property division ratio,
China says it opposes new US tariffs, warns against trade wars
Philippines accuses China of using water cannon on its vessels for a second day
The PCG strongly condemns the dangerous and unprofessional actions of the China Coast Guard,
The Philippine side should immediately stop the infringement, provocation and hype,
India's pharma sector braces for impact of proposed Trump tariffs on generic drugs
The tariff is a tax imposed on imported goods, so it would be paid for by the US consumers, with the revenue going to the US government,
The question is which companies have a balance sheet and the US footprint to make it big, which companies will be able to survive the reshoring and which will not be able to,
They can shift more manufacturing to the US (but) there’s operational capacity (and) I don't know if that would be commercially viable,
Generics are very important in the global pharmaceutical system … to help keep costs sustainable because they provide the same active ingredients at a cheaper cost,
This is done in order to RESHORE Generic Pharmaceutical Production into America, with a penalty to those Companies that decide not to build Plant and Equipment within the stated period of time given to them,
Most of the large Indian manufacturers have US facilities, but they have to augment the capacity. The first problem will be to select which (products) should be manufactured and supplied from the US facilities,
Preparing for disruption: Offline messaging apps join India’s protest toolkit
I downloaded and tested it with a few people first,
If there is a complete breakdown of communications, people are trying to prepare for it,
Compared to WhatsApp or Instagram, it doesn't perform at that level,
People have seen what happened this time,
Internet access is essential for people to exercise their fundamental rights, including freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and access to information,
It works well during a concert or an assembly where people are densely packed. But if there's an internet shutdown, there's only so much these offline apps can actually do,
ASEAN sees progress on South China Sea code, targets year-end conclusion
These Code of Conduct negotiations have gone on for decades now and have been quite thorny,
We looked forward to continued efforts in endeavouring to conclude the negotiation of an effective and substantive COC that is in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea), within this year,
This seems to be the focus of many of the countries, and I can see some political will from all the countries involved,
Look at the political realities of what we're seeing in the waters of the South China Sea — it feels as though a conclusion to the Code of Conduct negotiations seems quite challenging,
This has (an) impact, certainly on ASEAN, in terms of energy, fertiliser (and) food,
The other parameter … is that just as ASEAN stands willing and able to provide humanitarian assistance, we want to make sure the assistance reaches everyone who needs it, and it's not filtered on the basis of political affiliation,
Everyone doubled down on the need to comply with international law, maintain the primacy of international law, and uphold freedom of navigation and overflight,
US hits Singapore with 12.5% tariffs, citing failure to ban imports produced with forced labour
I made the point quite categorically that the U.S. has a trade surplus against us…there really is no technical or economic basis to impose tariffs upon us,
Singapore does not condone the use of forced labour and has a comprehensive enforcement framework and good track record against such illegal practices within our borders,
There are also specific product exemptions such as for energy and energy products, pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical ingredients, certain electronics, certain aerospace products, semiconductors, and metals used in currency and bullion,
Clear guidance and adequate transition periods will be essential to help businesses to comply effectively."
Man, 77, gets jail for molesting granddaughter by licking her ear and stroking her back
We would like to caution that there is a good chance that he might not be able to enjoy the same level of medical treatment" that
Oh, that incident."
I’m really remorseful for (what) I have done to you (and) your family. Pls forgive me. I’m truly sorry."
Iran military says attacked US bases in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait
This morning, the fuel tanks, large equipment warehouses and silos, and the barracks of the US terrorist army forces at the Isa Air Base in Bahrain were targeted by Arash kamikaze drones,
Man admits to sexually abusing 11 girls, including his daughter, grandchildren, nieces and students
The accused had severely breached the position of trust reposed in him as family and teacher, and trampled on the very dignity of the various children he was meant to safeguard and nurture,