After decades of dominating China’s market for high-performance cars with precision engineering, German automakers are losing out to Chinese rivals that have shifted the definition of a high-end car to one that is electric, smart and affordable. Many new Chinese vehicles resemble their German rivals, like the wildly popular Xiaomi SU7, which mimics Porsche’s Taycan. … Read more
For decades in Japan, it was accepted as gospel: A weak currency makes companies more competitive and bolsters the economy. Part of that promise came true last year: As the yen tumbled to a 37-year low against the dollar, big brands like Toyota Motor reported the highest profits in Japanese history. Stocks soared to record … Read more
Cut out of Ukraine talks, E.U. leaders regroup Europeans leaders are set to convene an emergency meeting in Paris today to discuss the war in Ukraine and European security, French officials said yesterday. The aim is to coordinate a response to the Trump administration’s opening of talks with Russia about ending the war with Ukraine, … Read more
Nobody doubted that Lea Salonga could sing. She had won a Tony Award at the age of 20 for her breakout role as the besotted Vietnamese teen Kim in “Miss Saigon,” and sung her heart out as Éponine, and later Fantine, in Broadway productions of “Les Misérables.” She provided the crystalline vocals of not one … Read more
The world economy was already grappling with a perplexing assortment of variables, from geopolitical conflicts and a slowdown in China to the evolving complexities of climate change. Then, President Trump unleashed a plan to uproot decades of trade policy. In starting a process to impose so-called reciprocal tariffs on American trading partners, Mr. Trump increased … Read more
A teenager died and several other people were injured in Villach, Austria, on Saturday after a man attacked them with a knife, officials said. A suspect has been detained in connection with the attack; it is not clear whether he knew the victims. The attack happened around 4 p.m. local time, killing a 14-year-old and … Read more
Three decades ago, he was a scrappy campaigner roaming the world’s corridors of power with a dream to win independence for his tiny homeland. Today, at 75, José Ramos-Horta is both the president and a relentless salesman for East Timor. He asked China’s president, Xi Jinping, to “help us resolve the problem of agriculture, food … Read more
Fifteen people died in a stampede on Saturday at New Delhi’s main railway station as a crush of pilgrims were trying to make their way to a huge Hindu festival in northern India, an official said. The caretaker chief minister of the Delhi region, Atishi, who uses one name, told reporters outside a hospital in … Read more
Before she waded into the water to take a holy dip among the teeming throngs at the world’s largest religious gathering, Draupadi Devi reached into her blouse and handed her husband a small pouch to safeguard. Inside was a slip of paper with his phone number scrawled on it, so she would have it if … Read more
The nonprofit groups track the imprisonment of Chinese political dissidents and the expansion of state censorship. They speak out for persecuted minority groups like the Uyghurs and Tibetans. And they help sustain attention on Beijing’s crackdown of freedoms in Hong Kong. The future of their work is now in question as Elon Musk’s government efficiency … Read more