LATAM BLOG: China will let Maduro sink rather than confront US warships

As US warships circle Venezuela, China's muffled response reveals the limits of its 'all-weather' friendship with Caracas.

End of Bolivia's leftist era leaves Chinese and Russian lithium deals in limbo

Bolivia’s October presidential run-off has become a contest not only between two political traditions but also over the management of the country’s vast but underdeveloped lithium resources.

China has no clear coal exit strategy as new projects hit decade high

China is failing to set out a coherent plan to phase out coal despite record growth in renewable energy and the approach of key climate deadlines, according to new research released on August 25.

China’s new mega-dam project threatens water war with India

China’s decision to construct the world’s largest hydropower dam on the Yarlung Zangbo river in Tibet has intensified fears in New Delhi of a looming water crisis, with Indian officials warning the project could reduce dry-season flows into India

US EPA’s controversial Climate Crisis report is full of lies and mistakes

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a controversial report in July claiming the effects of the Climate Crisis were overblown. A fact check by Carbon Brief found it is full of lies and errors.

India rejects criticism over Russian oil trade but flow from Moscow plummets

India has pushed back against mounting criticism of its continued energy ties with Moscow, insisting that no country is obliged to buy refined Russian oil products exported from Indian refineries.

China takes Russian oil shipments usually bound for India amid shifting trade flows

At its peak, Russia was India’s largest single supplier of crude, commanding a 36% share of the market. In 2024 alone, New Delhi imported $53bn worth of oil and crude products from Russia.

China willing to supply Ukraine peacekeepers if there is a UN mandate

China has indicated its readiness to send troops to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping mission, but only if such a deployment is authorised by the United Nations, Welt am Sonntag reported on August 24, citing European Union diplomats.

Mapping global drought risk - Statista

By 2050, more than 1.6bn people, including almost 20% of the African population, will be exposed to severe and extreme droughts, if a pessimistic scenario plays out, according to a report by INFORM Climate Change.

Forest carbon credits are facing a reckoning over albedo risks

Planting trees should reduce the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere right? Well, its not so easy as that. Trees also provide shade and prevent sunlight from reaching the ground that could reflect it back into space, cooling the plant.

Trump policies wipe out $19bn in US renewables projects putting China in the lead to dominate the AI race

Donald Trump’s rollback of clean energy incentives has derailed nearly $19bn worth of renewable energy projects this year, raising concerns over the US’s ability to meet soaring power demand from the artificial intelligence boom.

Kenya asks China’s approval to convert dollar-denominated $5bn railway loan into yuan

Apart from lobbying Beijing to convert the loan into yuan, Kenya hopes to generate $4bn by securitising a levy on imports to finance a planned extension of the China-built standard gauge railway (SGR).

Is India being forced closer to China and other BRICS nations by US tarrifs?

According to a new report, bilateral trade grew from $17bn in 2005 to nearly $120bn by 2024, with China becoming India’s largest trading partner and the trade deficit swelling to almost $100bn.

Peru’s gold exports to China surge amid fears of illegal mining links

Peru has emerged as a growing supplier of gold to China, with exports to the Asian giant accelerating sharply in 2025, raising concerns about the origins of the mineral and the role of informal and illegal mining in fuelling the trade.

Chinese President Xi Jinping makes rare visit to Tibet

China’s President Xi Jinping has made an unannounced trip to Tibet, where he presided over a mass gathering in Lhasa to mark six decades since Beijing established the autonomous region.

The Philippines pushes back against Chinese aggression in the South China Sea

Recent incidents, from naval collisions to dangerous aerial interceptions, illustrate the fraught nature of the region, and reveal the Philippines’ evolving strategy to defend its maritime rights.

CENTRAL ASIA BLOG: Might Russia be kicked out of Kazakhstan’s nuclear building programme entirely?

Of three NPP contracts made available by the Central Asian country, two have gone to China. The winner of the other one, Russian state corporation Rosatom, is, meanwhile, struggling with financing issues.

Malaysia blocks rare earth exports to attract downstream investment

Malaysia will prohibit the export of unprocessed rare earth minerals as part of a strategy to retain greater value domestically by drawing investment into downstream industries.

ASIA BLOG: East Asia must steer clear of the Israel-Gaza conflict

Does Donald Trump deserve a Nobel Peace Prize?

After the White House dubbed Donald Trump the "president for peace", bne IntelliNews contributors assess how much substance there is behind the international diplomatic triumphs claimed by his administration.