Latest news from Asia. China, Japan, India, geopolitics, economy, stance on Ukraine
Israeli Prime Minister issued orders for "vigorous strikes" against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon on the same day a three-week ceasefire agreed at the White House took effect. This is not the first cycle: the ceasefire continues — fighting does too.
# President Ready for Diplomacy, But the Key Word Is 'If': What Stands Behind This Signal and Why Baku's Choice Is No Accident The President has signaled readiness for diplomatic negotiations, yet the conditional nature of this statement carries significant weight. Behind this carefully worded message lies a complex set of preconditions that must be met before dialogue can proceed. The selection of Baku as the venue for this diplomatic signal is far from coincidental. Azerbaijan's capital holds strategic importance in regional politics and carries symbolic meaning for all parties involved in the ongoing conflict. The choice underscores the international dimension of the negotiations and demonstrates willingness to engage with neutral ground facilitation. The emphasis on the conditional "if" suggests that any diplomatic process must be built on specific foundations. These conditions likely encompass security guarantees, recognition of legitimate interests, and adherence to international law principles. The President's position reflects a hardline approach tempered with diplomatic openness—ready to negotiate, but only within clearly defined parameters. This nuanced messaging demonstrates political sophistication, signaling strength to domestic audiences while keeping diplomatic channels theoretically open to the international community. The careful wording leaves room for maneuver while establishing non-negotiable principles that must underpin any future talks.
While the U.S. Treasury Department extended the "window" for purchasing sanctioned Russian oil until May 16, India consumed almost twice as much Russian barrels in a month — and these volumes will continue as long as floating storage facilities remain full.
# 70 thousand voters in a city that Israel declared a "safe zone," but where an Israeli airstrike destroyed the city council building itself. HAMAS is boycotting — and that's precisely why the elections took place.
Tokyo District Court ruled that the logo of the American video service Zoom infringes on a trademark of Japanese audio company Zoom Corp., which was registered back in 2006. However, the court refused to ban Americans from using the logo.
Chinese laboratory DeepSeek has released two models with open weights and support for 1 million tokens — and did so at $1.74 per million input tokens, while competitors charge 10 times more.
Israel's Defense Minister Publicly Announces Readiness for New Strikes and Lists Attack Targets. The Problem Is That the US Is Simultaneously Negotiating with Iran Over a Nuclear Deal.
Huawei has expanded its foldable smartphone lineup with a new Pura X Max model — an enlarged version of the Pura X featuring a thinner body and larger displays.
A humanoid robot Honor completed a 21-kilometer half-marathon in Beijing in 50:26, breaking Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo's record by seven minutes. The progress is impressive, but the comparison is manipulative.
# English Translation On April 17, Tehran announced the opening of the Strait of Hormuz as part of a ceasefire. On April 18, the IRGC reported that it had "restored control to its previous state" — citing the continuation of the American blockade of Iranian ports. Trump had warned in advance: the blockade will remain until a deal is signed.
# On December 11, 2025, AVIC Lifted a 16-Ton Unmanned Aircraft Into the Sky Capable of Releasing Swarms of Over 100 Drones in Flight On December 11, 2025, AVIC successfully conducted the maiden flight of a 16-ton unmanned aerial vehicle designed to deploy swarms of more than 100 drones during flight operations. A conceptual video broadcast on state television immediately illustrated a scenario in which the Jiutian aircraft penetrates a U.S. Navy formation in the Pacific Ocean.
Araghchi announced full opening of the Strait of Hormuz as part of ceasefire, but actual shipping traffic remains collapsed: instead of 130+ vessels per day — nine. There is a ceasefire, but no enforcement mechanism.
Xiaomi officially confirmed the launch of Redmi Buds 8 — new wireless earbuds that will arrive on the Chinese market on April 21, 2026, alongside other brand innovations.
# Shalamar vessels 450,000 barrels from Das Island and heads to Karachi. Since the start of the war, only 21 vessels have passed through the strait — instead of over 100 daily before the conflict.
# War between the USA and Israel against Iran has turned the oil sector into a profit machine — and placed Europe facing a dilemma it already experienced in 2022 after Russia's invasion.
Israel and Lebanon have agreed on a 10-day ceasefire beginning at 11 p.m. on April 16 Kyiv time. Hezbollah, which has been conducting an actual war, was not involved in the negotiations — and this is the key question for any forecasts.
# Kunpeng loaded at "Portova" and heading to Daheji: if cargo is accepted, India will officially violate commitments that Trump announced to the world — and Delhi has not publicly confirmed.
Russia and Azerbaijan signed a joint statement on compensation for the J2-8243 flight disaster. The document closes the financial matter but leaves unanswered what Baku has been demanding for over a year: criminal liability for specific individuals.
Iranian military used Chinese commercial satellite TEE-01B to guide strikes against U.S. bases in the Middle East. Beijing remains silent, Trump writes letters — and already warns of "big problems."
Rich Starry, a Chinese tanker under US sanctions, crossed the strait unobstructed on the second day after Trump imposed the blockade. This is the first practical test of the new maritime operation — and it has revealed its limitations.
Tehran has agreed to open the Strait of Hormuz under ceasefire conditions, but is physically unable to do so — naval mines were laid haphazardly, some are drifting, and neither Iran nor the United States has minesweepers available near the strait.
Tokyo approved new subsidies worth $4 billion for state-backed startup Rapidus — a company that has yet to release any mass-produced chips but is already in negotiations with over 60 potential clients. The main client and simultaneous shareholder is Fujitsu.
American intelligence has detected Beijing's preparations for new weapons shipments to Tehran — occurring amid ongoing negotiations where Washington is demanding Iran's disarmament.
After a two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, fewer than a dozen vessels passed through the strait. Tehran has imposed a traffic limit, collecting tolls exceeding a million dollars per voyage and demanding payment in bitcoin or yuan—a scheme that could itself violate sanctions.
Xiaomi launches Redmi Book Pro 2026 on the market in March-April with Intel Core Ultra based on the latest 18A process. Weight of 1.08 kg and 37 hours of video playback are strong selling points, but the real test will be a performance-per-watt comparison with Apple's M4.
On April 9, the Russian-flagged supertanker Archimedes passed through the Strait of Hormuz in ballast and changed its destination from Iran's Kharg Island to "for orders" status. For vessels flying the Russian flag, such a route is an exception rather than the norm.
Zelensky confirmed the participation of Ukrainian specialists in the destruction of Iranian drones in several countries in the region. Behind the scenes — technology, experience and questions about reciprocity.
# Translation Just one day after the announcement of the American-Iranian ceasefire, only four vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz — compared to 138 daily before the war began. Insurance markets, ship captains, and analysts agree: normalization will take weeks, if not months.
The C100 4G costs $292 and comes with 8000 mAh with IP69K protection — a standard typically found in industrial equipment. The question is what exactly had to be sacrificed.
In March 2025, China exported over 349,000 electric and hybrid vehicles in a single month for the first time — a 140% year-on-year increase. Behind this figure lies not only demand for cheaper cars, but also an internal crisis in the Chinese market that manufacturers are addressing through exports.
Russia's budget deficit exceeded $58 billion in the first quarter of 2026 — an amount the Kremlin had planned to spend throughout the entire year. This is more than just a number on a spreadsheet.
A drone struck a pumping station on Saudi Arabia's East-West oil pipeline—the only serious alternative to the Strait of Hormuz—hours after the US-Iran ceasefire was announced. Coincidence or a message?
Samsung Electronics' operating profit in the first quarter of 2026 reached $37.8 billion — a record in South Korean corporate history. The paradox: the company is not yet a leader in the very chips that sparked this surge.
A two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran halted attacks and temporarily reopened the Strait of Hormuz—but neither side obtained what it declared as its war objective. The phenomenon of "mutual victory" reveals the logic of the conflict better than any official statement.
Redmi K Pad launches with a processor at the level of flagship smartphones of 2025 and a display that technically surpasses iPad mini in every parameter. However, a global launch has not yet been confirmed.
# Translation A two-week ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran marks the first time in modern history that it includes a toll for passage through the Strait of Hormuz — a waterway previously considered international. UNCLOS prohibits this, but neither Iran nor the US has ratified the convention.
The resolution on the Strait of Hormuz was rewritten several times, removing increasingly sharp language — down to a completely powerless text. Moscow and Beijing vetoed even that.
Oppo has launched the budget-friendly A6k on the Chinese market with a battery that exceeds the capacity of most flagship devices from 2022-2023. The starting price is 1,999 yuan (~$290), with the trade-off being the screen resolution.
During April 4-5, more vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz than at any time since the onset of regional tensions. The figure is straightforward — the conclusions are more complex.
# Saudi Aramco Raises Arab Light Price Amid Strait of Hormuz Tensions Against the backdrop of the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Saudi Aramco has raised the price of Arab Light crude for Asia to $19.50 per barrel. The market had anticipated $40 — and this gap is more significant than the record itself.
Another strike on the oil terminal in Novorossiysk hits not only the Kremlin's budget — it complicates the transit of Kazakh oil to Europe and turns infrastructure attacks into a diplomatic problem.
Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Alen Simonyan publicly named a specific condition for severing ties with two Russian entities — an increase in gas prices. He said Pashinyan's talks with Putin have for now removed that threat.
BYD chairman Wang Chuanfu openly called the rise in oil prices caused by the Middle East conflict a catalyst for the company's international sales. The forecast: up 15%. Behind the figures lies a question that is uncomfortable for everyone.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar have already signed agreements, with Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait and Jordan next in line. But the details of the deals remain undisclosed.
The longest outage in DeepSeek's history occurred two months after the chatbot sent shockwaves through markets totaling a trillion dollars. The company remains silent about the causes — and this is not just a technical issue.
The Ankara prosecutor's office is investigating Özgür Özel for "insulting the president." Last year the Istanbul mayor from the same party was jailed. The pattern is repeating.
LG Chem halted ethylene production, declared force majeure — and ultimately accepted the first batch of Russian oil. Behind the decision is a temporary U.S. authorization that expires on April 11.
IISS analyst Albert Vidal Ribes explained to LIGA.net why the Persian Gulf is considering Ukrainian UAV interceptors as a bargaining chip — and what risks and benefits this entails for Ukraine's security and economy.
The largest Chinese EV manufacturer reported a 19% decline in profits in 2025. We explain the reasons, the implications for investors, and why this matters for Ukraine after the removal of import incentives for electric cars.
The first transit of large container ships since the escalation began did not take place — a sign that guaranteeing the safety of shipping in the Persian Gulf is currently impossible. We examine why this matters and what the consequences are for global supply chains.
Beijing may, for the first time, host the leaders of the United States and Russia within the same month — a signal that will have direct consequences for international support for Ukraine. We examine why this deserves attention now.
Reuters reports on the return of Russian LNG to the Indian market — briefly explaining why this matters beyond mere energy trade and what risks are already on the horizon.
Zelensky has begun a visit to the Persian Gulf region. Kyiv is offering practical experience in combating drones in exchange for scarce air-defense missiles — we explain why this matters now.
Bloomberg reports hundreds of millions of dollars in additional revenue for Tehran after disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. We explain the mechanism, the risks to the global energy market, and the direct impact on the Ukrainian economy.
Financial Times reports that Moscow has nearly completed deliveries of drones and humanitarian aid to Tehran and has rejected a request for S-400 air‑defense systems. We examine why this happened and what it means for Ukraine’s security and arms supply lines.
The first official visit of Lukashenko to North Korea concluded with the signing of a "friendship treaty," but the text of the agreement has not been released. We examine why this matters for Ukrainian security and what questions Kyiv and its partners should be asking.
In high diplomacy, loud statements matter less than quiet agreements: Ankara is intensively persuading Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar to refrain from joining strikes against Iran — the repercussions could affect energy, security and Ukraine's defense-industry interests.
On March 25, Chinese state media showed the full cycle of the Atlas swarm’s operation — from reconnaissance to strike. This was not just a display of hardware: swarm tactics are changing the rules of airspace defense. We examine what was shown and what conclusions air defense systems must draw.
The new OnePlus focuses on battery life and peak performance. We break down the key technical choices, the price tag, and why the launch in China matters for buyers and the market as a whole.
Bloomberg reports that the crew was sailing with its AIS turned off — a sign of how regional tensions and navigational risks are putting pressure on global energy supplies and are noticeably affecting fuel prices, including in Ukraine.
Reuters reports that tankers under the Indian flag may pass through the Strait of Hormuz on March 21. This is not merely a regional event — its repercussions will be felt by global energy markets and in prices in Ukraine.
Shell estimates that restoring one of the key lines at Pearl GTL in Ras Laffan will take roughly a year. For the global liquefied natural gas market, this means a reduction in available capacity and increased upward pressure on prices; for Ukraine — new risks of energy instability, but also opportunities for diplomatic and industrial response.
Xiaomi unveiled the Watch S5 in China — a lightweight smartwatch with a 1.48-inch AMOLED display, eSIM support, and up to 21 days of battery life. We break down the real benefits these features offer and why it's worth knowing about them today.
According to Reuters, after a February dip in supplies Russia could reclaim the top spot in India's imports in March. This is not just about trade-flow statistics — the changes affect global prices and are felt directly in Ukraine's fuel markets.
With the patent on semaglutide expiring, Indian drugmakers are preparing to roll out low-cost copies of Ozempic and Wegovy. That could change global availability of the drugs — and serve as a bellwether for the markets on which Ukraine depends.
Iran has announced strikes on a number of targets in Israel; officials say damage to the BAZAN oil refinery is minor. However, the incident could affect energy markets and the security of supply chains — which is important for Ukraine as well.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Shield AI integrated Hivemind into the lightweight ARMD drone within eight weeks and demonstrated autonomous coordination and target pursuit — a technology that is already beginning to shape unmanned operations tactics and has direct relevance to Ukraine's defense needs.
QatarEnergy warns of a possible force majeure: strikes on Ras Laffan could remove 12.8 million tonnes of LNG per year from the market for 3–5 years. Why this matters for prices, for Europe and for Ukraine — briefly and without panic.
While global attention is riveted on conflicts, pressure is mounting in the fertilizer market: India is in talks with Russia, Belarus and Morocco — prices, logistics and Ukrainian fields will feel the consequences.
In March, Asian refiners bought about 60 million barrels of U.S. crude — the most in three years. We examine why the region has reoriented toward the United States and what impact this will have on energy security and prices in Ukraine.
Iran struck Qatar's energy infrastructure — the response of global actors is already affecting gas and fuel prices. We explain why this matters specifically for Ukraine and what to expect next.
An overnight airstrike in Tehran, which Israel is calling the "elimination" of Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib, marked the third loss in Iran's leadership within 24 hours. We analyze the scenarios, the operation's partners, and the possible consequences — from regional escalation to impacts on Ukraine's security and defense markets.
India is sending additional warships to escort its tankers, but is not entering the Strait of Hormuz. We explain why this matters now and what risks and opportunities it creates for Ukraine.
Malaysia was the first to withdraw from a trade agreement with the Trump administration after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision. We examine why this matters for the region and how changes in U.S. tariff policy could hit Ukrainian exports.
The only alternative route for Iraqi oil is being relaunched: temporary relief for Baghdad’s budget, a factor for global fuel prices, and another marker of uncertainty for the Ukrainian market.
Oppo unveiled the Watch X3 in China — a premium titanium smartwatch with an eSIM and a suite of medical sensors. We explain why these features are not just about a fashionable gadget but about practicality for travel, telemedicine, and everyday resilience.
Beijing is deploying centers where hundreds of humanoid robots practice repetitive operations and collect large datasets — this is not merely an industrial project, but a factor affecting logistics, defense risks, and competitiveness. We break down the facts and implications for Ukraine.
Sinopec and PetroChina contacted suppliers during a 30‑day easing of U.S. sanctions. We examine — will this change the market and will it affect Ukrainian wallets.
Baykar conducted a test launch of precision‑guided munitions from the jet‑powered Kizilelma drone. The outcome is not just about the technology — it is part of a global trend reshaping defense architecture and placing new demands on air defense and intelligence.
Escalation in the Middle East is undermining gas supplies to South Asia. We examine why household gas is running out in India, which businesses have already been affected, and what lessons Ukraine should draw.