Americas

China’s trade surplus soars past US$1 trillion as AI boom powers exports

• China’s trade surplus reached US$1.04 trillion in 10 months.
• October exports grew 35.2 per cent year on year.
• AI demand supports exports as weak spending weighs at home.

China’s trade surplus reached US$1.04 trillion in the first 10 months of the year, as exports surged amid global investment in AI infrastructure. The growth is helping offset weak domestic demand, but greater reliance on overseas buyers could deepen economic imbalances and heighten trade tensions. Exports rose 35.2…

Iran war oil shock drives dip in global emissions, study shows

• Fossil fuel emissions are forecast to fall by 0.4% in 2026.
• High prices and disrupted oil supplies are driving the decline.
• Overall carbon dioxide emissions are still expected to rise.

Global fossil fuel emissions are expected to fall slightly in 2026, mainly because high energy prices and disrupted supplies through the Strait of Hormuz after the US war on Iran have reduced oil use. Researchers say the decline is not evidence of lasting climate progress, as it reflects…

Nvidia probes espionage claims as White House lockdown and UK fraud conviction make headlines

The chipmaker is investigating reports of a possible Chinese espionage effort targeting its chief executive. Elsewhere, arrests near the White House, a UK public funds fraud conviction, Russian payment problems in the Maldives and a proposed change to FIA age limits feature.

‘Here There Are Blueberries’ Broadway Review: Evil As Banal As A Bowl Of Fruit

• A Broadway play examines newly discovered photographs linked to Auschwitz.
• The images show Nazi personnel relaxing near the camp.
• The review praises the production while finding its drama less powerful than its source.

Here There Are Blueberries has opened on Broadway, bringing a real-life investigation into photographs of Nazi officers and staff near Auschwitz to the stage. The review calls the play vital and often gripping, while noting that the historical images carry more emotional force than the drama itself. The…

‘Summer School, 2001,’ the First Czech-Vietnamese Feature, Is Coming to America via Cinemas, Amazon (Exclusive)

• *Summer School, 2001* reaches US cinemas on 11 December.
• Amazon streaming begins on 18 December.
• The film connects Vietnamese and Czech diaspora stories.

The first Czech-Vietnamese feature film, *Summer School, 2001*, is getting a limited US cinema release before streaming on Amazon. Its release brings Vietnamese and Central European diaspora stories to audiences amid public debate about immigration and belonging. Directed by Dužan Duong, the film follows 17-year-old Kien as he…

How the American French Film Festival Is Bringing French Cinema to 3,000 Los Angeles High School Students With Packed Screenings of ‘In Waves’

• About 3,000 students attended five screenings of “In Waves”.
• More than 60 schools joined the festival programme.
• The initiative connects students with cinema and filmmakers.

The American French Film Festival brought about 3,000 Los Angeles high school students to five screenings of animated feature “In Waves”, followed by discussions with members of its creative team. The programme aims to introduce young audiences to French and international cinema, while giving students access to filmmaker…