Nvidia CEO Huang replaces Elon Musk as China's bridge to Trump
KEN MORIYASU and YIFAN YU
WASHINGTON/PALO ALTO, California -- In the summer of 2018, two red Teslas drove into Beijng's Zhongnanhai, the walled-off compound that houses the headquarters of the Chinese Communist Party and the State Council.
The Teslas parked in front of the Zi Guang Ge, or Hall of Purple Light, and CEO Elon Musk walked into the two-story pavilion to meet the powerful vice president, Wang Qishan, a close ally to President Xi Jinping.
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Japan Today
3 hours ago
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Ukraine facing fierce fighting around eastern city of Pokrovsk, Zelenskiy says
FILE PHOTO: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks during a press briefing following phone calls with U.S. President Donald Trump, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, May 19, 2025. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo By Ron Popeski and Oleksandr Kozhukha President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that Ukrainian forces were facing fierce fighting around the city of Pokrovsk in the east, a logistics hub near which Russia has been announcing the capture of villages on an almost daily basis. Zelenskiy, speaking in his nightly video address, said Ukraine's top commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, told a meeting of senior officials that the situation around Pokrovsk was the current focal point of its attention in the war, which began when Russia invaded in February 2022. "All operational directions were covered, with particular focus on Pokrovsk. It receives the most attention," Zelenskiy said. Ukrainian forces, he said, were also "continuing to act" in border areas in the northern Sumy region, where Russian troops have gained a foothold in recent weeks. Syrskyi, in a separate report on the Telegram messaging app, described Pokrovsk and five other sectors as among the most difficult theatres along the 1,000-km (620-mile) front. "The Russian Federation is paying the maximum price for attempting a 'summer offensive,'" Syrskyi wrote. Russian forces have for months been trying to close in on Pokrovsk, a road and rail hub whose pre-war population of about 60,000 has been all but evacuated. Syrskyi in May reported that Kyiv's troops had stabilised the situation around the town, also the site of the only colliery in Ukraine producing coking coal for the country's steel industry. Russia's Defence Ministry on Thursday announced the capture of two villages on either side of Pokrovsk -- Zvirove to the west and Novoekonomichne to the east. A third village near the city -- Novotoretske -- was declared by Moscow to be "liberated" earlier in the week. Ukrainian officials have made no acknowledgement that the villages have changed hands. The General Staff of Ukraine's military said in an evening report that two of them -- Zvirove and Novoekonomichne - were in areas where Russian troops were trying to penetrate Ukrainian defences. In Sumy region, where Russian troops are trying to establish what Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin calls a "buffer zone", the popular Ukrainian military blog DeepState said Kyiv's forces had retaken a previously lost village. DeepState, which relies on open source reports to track the presence of Russian forces, said Ukrainian troops had restored control over the village of Kindrativka. There was no official comment from either side. © (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025.
Japan Today
4 hours ago
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Small businesses warn of Trump tariff impact on toy industry at Comic-Con
Small business owners used the festive backdrop of Comic-Con to discuss a sobering topic: the negative impact that US President Donald Trump's proposed tariffs are having on the toy industry Small business owners used the festive backdrop of Comic-Con to discuss a sobering topic: the negative impact that President Donald Trump's proposed tariffs are having on the toy industry. "Not the most sexy topic," Jonathan Cathey, chief executive of collectibles company The Loyal Subjects, admitted at a panel titled "Toys, Tariffs, and Trade Wars" at the four-day convention in San Diego, California. "But this ultimately affects you guys, it affects the end user," he said. "Prices will go up, and our rate of sales will go down." Toy companies have been fretting about the impact of Trump's global tariff blitz on the industry, particularly when it comes to China. Of over $17 billion worth of toys imported to the United States last year, more than $13 billion came from China. But a rollercoaster tariff row between Washington and Beijing has caused havoc for U.S. businesses and their Chinese suppliers. Panel moderator Daniel Pickett argued that the Trump administration is "imposing truly exaggerated, somewhat crazy, and frightening measures." He said Trump's proposal to impose additional tariffs on imports "has only wreaked havoc on the entire industry." Trump recently dismissed warnings by toy giant Hasbro's CEO Chris Cocks about rising prices if higher tariffs were imposed, defending his trade policy by emphasizing it favors domestic production. But Cathey argued the rhetoric doesn't reflect American reality. He said: "There's like 480,000 manufacturing jobs... that aren't even filled. So we're going to do what, we're going to bring a bunch of factory jobs back that nobody can fill." The business owner suggested that U.S. value-addition lies in innovation rather than manufacturing. "There are industries where tariffs make sense," Cathey continued, highlighting the automotive and mining sectors. "There's a mechanism where tariffs make sense that actually protect jobs, American workers, and our national security. Barbie ain't it." Brian Flynn of Super7, a collectibles and action figures brand, said the Trump administration's shifting tariff policies have caused chaos and uncertainty. "Nobody knows what's going to happen," he said, adding that the triple-digit tariffs Trump has sometimes mentioned would "drive everyone out of the market." Flynn said the impact was already visible at Comic-Con, where he had to limit himself to a small concession stand rather than a larger exhibit space. Consumers will feel the impact in their wallets next quarter, he warned. "And when it hits, that's going to make a big difference for us." © 2025 AFP
Japan Today
4 hours ago
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Montreal over Miami: Patriotic Canadians change summer vacation plans
FILE PHOTO: Canoes are seen on a dock on Lake Louise at Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rocky Mountains outside the village of Lake Louise, Alberta, October 3, 2014. REUTERS/Mark Blinch/File Photo By Nivedita Balu Canadians are trading their annual vacation south of the border for road trips around Ottawa, the midnight sun in Yukon, whale watching in Nova Scotia or hiking in Banff. The newfound desire to stay local started earlier this year when U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to annex Canada and imposed a series of tariffs on Canadian goods, spurring a 'Buy Canadian' movement to boycott U.S. businesses and avoid traveling to the U.S. London, Ontario-based Guess Where Trips sells curated mystery road trip packages in four Canadian provinces and reported a 75% increase in sales of trips across the country so far this year from a year ago. "It is clear that more Canadians are choosing to explore small businesses and hidden gems close to home, rather than crossing the border for their holidays and vacations," operations manager Jessica Bax said. Road trips around Ottawa are among their most popular packages, Bax said, as more Canadians explore their capital city. Prime Minister Mark Carney has also made a pitch for Canadians to take advantage of a new "Canada Strong" pass that grants free or discounted access to several national parks, historic sites and museums this summer. "Canadians are making choices to visit this great country, spend time here with their family, with their friends. They're making choices to buy Canadian products," he said in a press briefing in Huntsville, Ontario on Tuesday. The discount pass contrasts with Trump ordering higher entrance fees at U.S. national parks for visitors from other countries. A Bank of Canada survey this week showed that 55% of Canadians plan to spend less money vacationing in the United States this year while 35% said they would spend more on traveling within Canada. A survey by TD Bank showed 64% of Canadians polled planned to travel within the country, mirroring an increase in domestic flight bookings. Canadian domestic tourism spending rose 4% in the first quarter this year from a year earlier, said Destination Canada, a government agency that promotes Canadian tourism. The number of flight return trips from the United States made by Canadians fell 17% in May from a year earlier, while the number of such trips made by car fell by 37% that month, according to Statistics Canada. Walter Flower, who operates whale watching tours in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, said he has been busier this year as more people exploring the UNESCO World Heritage town booked a 45-minute ocean adventure hoping to spot whales off the east coast. Divya Mohan, a communications specialist in Toronto, says she had initially planned to go to Texas this year but instead opted to explore the city of Winnipeg in Manitoba. "It just felt like the timing wasn't right... may be in the future," Mohan, 39, said of her trip in April. "Winnipeg is just one more destination in Canada to explore," Mohan said, coming away impressed with the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. On the west coast in British Columbia, RVs have gained popularity, said Storm Jespersen, a regional manager at family-owned tourism firm Evergreen Hospitality Group. "This year is going to be the busiest year in our company's history across our 26 properties... it's so busy, I don't think you can even rent one (RV) very easily right now," said Jespersen. WORTH THE BUCK Traveling in Canada can be expensive as domestic flights to remote locations often cost more than traveling to the United States or even Europe. But travelers have found ways to do it cheaper - through road trips or by hunting for discounts. "Doing road trips or just weekend trips to a cabin nearby is a great way to switch things up without spending thousands of dollars to fly a family of four across the country and back," said Vancouver-based marketing executive Kramer Solinsky. On his list this year, Solinsky plans to visit Montreal and the east coast for the first time and is traveling to Mexico City and Osaka in Japan instead of other sun-soaked options like Florida and California. To make some remote regions in northern Canada more accessible, Air North - the airline for the northern regions of Yukon and Northwest Territories - added more capacity and non-stop routes for the summer, betting on higher demand from what it said was "clear and growing interest among Canadians in exploring more of their own country" Air North said arrivals to Yukon rose 7.6% from January to June this year and the airline continues to see growth in demand for flights to northern Canada. Other Canadian carriers have reported similar trends: Porter Airlines increased its summer network capacity to domestic travel to 80% from 75%, while peer WestJet in May suspended nine routes between Canada and the United States citing lower demand. © (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025.
