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China will showcase a range of new weapons during a vast military parade on Wednesday, in a show of strength that is being seen as a challenge to US military dominance.Military experts have been analysing social media photos and footage from several recent rehearsals, which have shown anti-ship missiles, cutting-edge underwater drones, anti-missile systems, and more tech that could pass by Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on September 3.While officials have kept secret the list of hardware to be displayed in front of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and other world leaders, many military enthusiasts have already spotted significant new systems, including what is rumoured to be a gigantic laser weapon.The military has said all the equipment presented is domestically produced and “in active duty”. – ‘Eagles’ to counter US ships -Four new anti-ship missiles several metres long have been seen: the YJ-15, YJ-17, YJ-19, and YJ-20. “YJ” is short for “Ying Ji”, which means “eagle attack” in Chinese.These missiles can be launched from ships or aircraft and are designed to inflict critical damage on large vessels. The YJ-17, YJ-19, and YJ-20 models could be hypersonic, meaning they can fly at least five times the speed of sound.”China must develop powerful anti-ship and anti-aircraft carrier capabilities to prevent the United States from posing a serious threat to China’s national security,” Song Zhongping, a military commentator and former Chinese army instructor, told AFP, referring to tensions in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.- Underwater drones -Two new, extra-large torpedo-shaped unmanned underwater vehicles have been spotted during the rehearsals.The first, labelled “AJX002”, is 18 to 20 metres (59-66 feet) long, according to the website Naval News. The second was hidden under a tarpaulin.While China still lags behind the United States in surface naval power, according to Naval News, it has the world’s largest programme of “extra large uncrewed underwater vehicles” (XLUUVs) — with at least five types already in the water.- Anti-missile shield -Still shrouded in mystery, the HQ-29 is described by some Chinese analysts as a “satellite hunter” capable of intercepting missiles at an altitude of 500 kilometres (310 miles), outside the Earth’s atmosphere, as well as satellites in low orbit.Mounted on a wheeled vehicle, the system features two missile containers, each approximately 1.5 metres in diameter.Its capabilities could make it China’s most advanced interception system to date and one of the most powerful in the world.- World’s ‘most powerful’ laser? -A huge rectangular vehicle in camouflage colours covered with a tarpaulin could be a defence system capable of shooting down missiles and drones using a powerful laser, according to the South China Morning Post daily.The X account “Zhao DaShuai”, which is linked to the Chinese military, claims it is the “most powerful laser air defence system in the world”.- New nuclear weapons? -Intercontinental ballistic missiles, capable of carrying nuclear warheads, the ultimate symbols of power, are expected to feature prominently in the parade.”China will showcase a new generation of nuclear weapons,” analyst Song Zhongping told AFP. Nuclear weapons, like the other hardware which will be displayed during the parade, “will help equalise the military power balance between China and the US”, he said.- New armoured vehicles –Next-generation vehicles have been spotted in recent days, notably a new tank — slightly smaller than the Type 99A main battle tank, reportedly in service since 2011.If this and the other equipment displayed on September 3 is indeed produced domestically and in service, as China claims, then the armed forces “have undergone a significant upgrade vis-a-vis other major advanced militaries around the world”, said James Char, a professor specialising in the Chinese military at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.”However, we won’t be able to assess the actual capabilities of all the weapons and equipment under this ceremonial (and non-operational) setting,” he added.

Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba soared on Monday but Asian and European markets were mixed after Wall Street retreated from record highs.Alibaba rocketed almost 20 percent following bumper results on Friday, including a surge in AI revenue. Its US-listed shares added 13 percent on Friday too.Alibaba lifted the Hang Seng by two percent and Shanghai rose half a percent. Other Asian indexes were in the red, however, with Japan’s Nikkei off more than one percent as chip shares came under pressure.Seoul’s Kospi was also off even after South Korean data showed record monthly semiconductor exports in August despite growing pressure from US tariffs.In Europe, London and Paris were higher in early trade but Frankfurt fell back. Oil prices edged up.On Friday US stocks fell, with the Dow and S&P 500 retreating from record highs ahead of the long Labor Day weekend.An acceleration of a key US inflation reading lowered prospects for sustained interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve in the coming months.Although a September cut of 25 points is probably still on the cards, “it may be hard for them to move as quickly or aggressively as they’d like, with inflation moving higher,” said eToro analyst Bret Kenwell.German inflation rose in August for the first time this year, data showed Friday, which could lessen the chances for further European Central Bank rate cuts too.On tariffs, a US appeals court ruled Friday that President Donald Trump exceeded his authority in tapping emergency economic powers to impose wide-ranging duties.The tariffs remained in place for now though, and hitting out at the ruling Trump said that “the United States of America will win in the end”.Japan’s tariffs envoy cancelled a trip to Washington last week over plans for a presidential order including stepped-up Japanese purchases of US rice, the Nikkei reported.- Key figures at around 0700 GMT -Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 1.2 percent at 42,188.79Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 2.0 percent at 25,671.78Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.5 percent at 3,875.53London – FTSE 100: UP 0.4 percent at 9,223.67New York – Dow: DOWN 0.2 percent at 45,544.88 (close)Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1722 from $1.1693 on FridayPound/dollar: UP at $1.3524 from $1.3507Dollar/yen: UP at 147.05 from 147.01 yen Euro/pound: UP at 86.67 pence from 86.56 pence West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.4 percent at $64.24 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: UP 0.3 percent at $67.67 per barrelburs-stu/fox

Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou has overtaken Tokyo-Yokohama to become the world’s top cluster for innovation, the United Nations said Monday.The UN’s World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) said the Chinese cluster had leapfrogged its Japanese rival in its 2025 Global Innovation Index.The change at the top of the world’s 100 leading innovation clusters was down to WIPO broadening the criteria to include venture capital investments to formulate the annual rankings.The UN agency dealing with patenting and innovation previously only used patent filing and scientific publishing data to identify local concentrations of world-leading innovation activity.”Venture capital investment activity helps capture how scientific and technological knowledge translates into start-up creation and, ultimately, new goods and services in the marketplace,” WIPO said.The agency said Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou and Tokyo-Yokohama “make a massive contribution to global scientific publications and patenting outputs”, together accounting for nearly one in five patent applications filed globally.- Indian cities surge -The new ranking showed that San Jose-San Francisco has now overtaken Beijing, Seoul and Shanghai-Suzhou to grab the third place.London has shot up from 21st to eighth place, while Bengaluru has likewise jumped from 56th place to 21st on the back of venture capital deals.”Innovation clusters form the backbone of strong national innovation ecosystems, helping to anchor and strengthen the journey from ideas to market,” said WIPO chief Daren Tang.The recalibrated rankings “highlight which clusters are turning scientific research into economic results”.Overall, the change in methodology has seen East Asian clusters drop while US clusters have made gains.The change boosted Indian clusters, while those in the European Union — where the venture capital markets are sometimes less vigorous than in the United States — have tended to see a decline.- Most innovation clusters in China -The top 100 innovation clusters are spread across 33 economies, uniting “top universities, researchers, inventors, venture capitalists and research and development firms in driving forward breakthrough ideas”, WIPO said.By country, China for the third consecutive year led the ranking with the most clusters in the top 100, at 24, followed by the United States with 22 clusters.WIPO said the clusters with the most innovation-intensive activity in proportion to population size were San Jose-San Francisco in the United States, followed by Britain’s Cambridge.- Top 15 -The top 15 innovation clusters in 2025:1: Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou (China)2: Tokyo-Yokohama (Japan)3: San Jose-San Francisco (United States)4: Beijing (China)5: Seoul (South Korea)6: Shanghai-Suzhou (China)7: New York City (United States)8: London (Britain)9: Boston-Cambridge (United States)10: Los Angeles (United States)11: Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto (Japan)12: Paris (France)13: Hangzhou (China)14: San Diego (United States)15: Nanjing (China)

Bollywood, famed for its lavish song-and-dance numbers and vast production crews, now finds itself confronting a new kind of spectacle: artificial intelligence.From altering iconic endings to generating entire films, AI is shaking up India’s multibillion-dollar film industry, raising alarm for some, excitement for others.The debate first erupted when producers re-released the 2013 hit “Raanjhanaa” with an AI-modified finale, when the Hindi film was dubbed into India’s southern language of Tamil.The new ending changed the tragic death finale into a hopeful one — with the protagonist’s eyes seen to flicker open — triggering outrage from director Aanand L. Rai and star Dhanush.They decried the change as a violation of creative rights.”This alternate ending has stripped the film of its very soul,” Dhanush posted on social media, after the new version was released in August.”The concerned parties went ahead with it despite my clear objection,” Dhanush said, calling the use of AI to alter films “a deeply concerning precedent for both art and artists”.”It threatens the integrity of storytelling and the legacy of cinema”, he added.Director Rai said that while AI is “definitely the future… it is not there to change the past”.Then, days later, entertainment firm Collective Artists’ Network announced India’s first fully AI-generated feature film, “Chiranjeevi Hanuman -– The Eternal”.The mythological epic, set for a 2026 release, aims to merge ancient legend with cutting-edge technology for a global audience, telling the story of the Hindu monkey god Hanuman.Not all filmmakers were impressed.”And so, it begins,” wrote filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane on social media. “Who needs writers and directors when it’s ‘Made in AI’?”- ‘Flesh and blood’ -The industry is bracing for a fight.On one side are those who see AI as a cost-saving disruptor capable of replacing armies of extras and technicians in Bollywood’s famously labour-intensive productions.On the other are defenders of artistry, unpredictability, and human expression.Some see opportunity in using AI to boost traditional films.”I don’t think AI means there can’t be flesh and blood,” said director Shakun Batra, who has created a five-part short film series using AI. “The best future would be when two skill sets merge.”But he insists that technology must complement, not override, human creativity.”I don’t encourage AI as a replacement to human endeavour of expression,” said Batra, known for emotional Bollywood dramas such as “Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu”, “Kapoor & Sons” and “Gehraiyaan”.Veteran filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, director of classics such as “Masoom”, “Mr. India”, and the 1998 movie “Elizabeth” that was nominated for seven Academy Awards, shrugged off the threat.He said AI could not replace good storytelling.”The best stories are unpredictable and AI cannot handle unpredictability,” he told AFP. “AI can’t, at this moment, create great performances on screen — because if you look at any big stars of this world, it is their eyes that act, not their face.”Kapur said AI would be destructive only for filmmakers who rely on formulaic tropes.”If your movies are predictable… then of course, AI will destroy you,” he added. “Perhaps some kid somewhere will be able to do what you are doing.”Instead, he said AI, at its best, would open the industry to new ideas.”AI is a hugely democratic technology because it gives opportunities to those who would never get it,” he said. “How many people in India can afford to go to film schools?”- ‘Level the playing field’ – The emergence of AI would initially hit high-budget films such as superhero movies where you are “relying on action”, Kapur said.Kapur is actively integrating AI into his own work, and even plans to establish an AI-focused film school in Mumbai’s Dharavi slum.”AI will empower creators, level the playing field for independent filmmakers, and even lead to the creation of entirely new, AI-generated movie stars and characters,” he said.But filmmakers also point out that the future of movies lies in the hands of the audience.”Raanjhanaa” director Rai says he was comforted by the support of his fans backing the unchanged version, even 12 years after its original release.”The way they reacted to AI is much bigger than the way I reacted,” he said. “It is more of their film than mine.”

President Xi Jinping gathered the leaders of Russia and India among dignitaries from around 20 Eurasian countries on Sunday to kick off a showpiece summit aimed at putting China front and centre of regional relations.The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit is being held in the northern port city of Tianjin until Monday, days before a massive military parade in the capital Beijing to mark 80 years since the end of World War II.The SCO comprises China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus — with 16 more countries affiliated as observers or “dialogue partners”.Russian President Vladimir Putin touched down in Tianjin on Sunday with an entourage of senior politicians and business representatives.Xi held a flurry of back-to-back bilateral meetings with leaders including Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko — one of Putin’s staunch allies — and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on his first visit to China since 2018.Modi told Xi that India was committed to taking “forward our ties on the basis of mutual trust, dignity and sensitivity”.Xi, in turn, told Modi that he hoped the two countries would recognise that they are “partners rather than rivals”.If they see each other as “opportunities for development rather than threats”, China-India relations will grow steadily, Xi added, according to state broadcaster CCTV.The two most populous nations are intense rivals competing for influence across South Asia and fought a deadly border clash in 2020.A thaw began last October, when Modi met with Xi for the first time in five years at a summit in Russia.”The interests of 2.8 billion people of both countries are linked to our cooperation. This will also pave the way for the welfare of the entire humanity,” Modi told Xi.- ‘Project influence’ – The bilateral talks were held at the Tianjin Guest House, an intimate venue surrounded by lush greenery.Security guards positioned themselves around and inside the venue, their eyes scanning reporters and guests carefully, as Chinese diplomats hurried through the halls.Large sections of Tianjin were closed to traffic, with a significant police presence deployed around the city.Official posters promoting the SCO lined the streets, displaying words such as “mutual benefit” and “equality” written in Chinese and Russian.China and Russia have sometimes touted the SCO as an alternative to the NATO military alliance. This year’s summit is the first since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House.As China’s claim over Taiwan and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have seen them clash with the United States and Europe, experts say that Beijing and Moscow are eager to use platforms such as the SCO to curry favour.”China has long sought to present the SCO as a non-Western-led power bloc that promotes a new type of international relations, which, it claims, is more democratic,” said Dylan Loh, an assistant professor at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University.More than 20 leaders including Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan are attending the bloc’s largest meeting since its founding in 2001.- Talks on the sidelines -Putin is expected to hold talks on Monday with Erdogan and Pezeshkian about the Ukraine conflict and Tehran’s nuclear programme respectively.Xi met Erdogan on Sunday to discuss the situations in Gaza and Ukraine, a readout from Ankara said. Turkey has hosted three rounds of peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv this year that have failed to break the deadlock over how to end the conflict.The Russian president needs “all the benefits of SCO as a player on the world stage and also the support of the second largest economy in the world”, said Lim Tai Wei, a professor and East Asia expert at Japan’s Soka University.”Russia is also keen to win over India, and India’s trade frictions with the United States presents this opportunity,” Lim told AFP.The summit comes days after India was hit by a sharp bump up in US tariffs on its goods as punishment for New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil.Many of the assembled dignitaries will be in Beijing on Wednesday to witness the military parade, which will also be attended by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Stock markets fell Friday, with Wall Street indexes retreating from record highs as a key US inflation reading accelerated, lowering the possibility of sustained interest rate cuts in the coming months.Investors widely expect a cut next month to bolster the world’s largest economy after Federal Reserve chief Jerome Powell signaled last week the risks of labor market weakness.But the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index held steady at 2.6 percent in July, above the Fed’s two-percent target, with the core reading that strips out food and energy accelerating slightly to 2.9 percent.”The bad news is, inflation is continuing to inch higher, which isn’t really the environment the Fed likely wants to cut in,” said Bret Kenwell, an analyst at eToro.Although a September cut of 25 basis points is probably still on the cards, “it may be hard for them to move as quickly or aggressively as they’d like, with inflation moving higher,” he said.The main US indexes fell ahead of the long Labor Day weekend after the Dow and S&P 500 closed at all-time highs on Thursday.Wall Street will be closed Monday for the holiday.In Europe, German data showed that unemployment in Europe’s biggest economy topped three million in August for the first time in more than a decade.Battered by high energy costs and fierce Chinese competition, German manufacturers were struggling even before US President Donald Trump erected new tariff walls.Separate figures showed that German inflation rose in August for the first time this year, putting it at 2.2 percent, which could lessen the chances for further European Central Bank rate cuts.”As far as the European Central Bank is concerned, today’s German inflation data will catch the hawks’ attention, as it bolsters the argument for a high bar to yet another ECB rate cut,” said Carsten Brzeski, an economist at ING.Inflation slowed in France and Italy this month, however, and held steady in Spain.In Britain, an influential think tank said Friday that the Labour government could raise billions of pounds by imposing a windfall tax on banks in the UK.NatWest fell significantly on London’s top-tier FTSE 100 index, closing down 4.4 percent, and Lloyds and Barclays also saw heavy selling. The report by the Institute for Public Policy Research suggested that banks could be targeted in the Labour government’s autumn budget.”Any such rumours are likely to have an exaggerated impact given the government’s obvious need to raise more income in an attempt to mitigate its financial difficulties,” said Richard Hunter, head of markets at Interactive Investor.- Key figures at around 2035 GMT -New York – Dow: DOWN 0.2 percent at 45,544.88 points (close)New York – S&P 500: DOWN 0.6 percent at 6,460.26 (close)New York – Nasdaq: DOWN 1.2 percent at 21,455.55 (close)London – FTSE 100: DOWN 0.3 percent at 9,187.34 (close)Paris – CAC 40: DOWN 0.8 percent at 7,703.90 (close)Frankfurt – DAX: DOWN 0.6 percent at 23,902.21 (close)Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.3 percent at 42,718.47 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 0.3 percent at 25,077.62 (close)Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.4 percent at 3,857.93 (close)Euro/dollar: UP at 1.1693 from $1.1680 on ThursdayPound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3507 at from $1.3508 Dollar/yen: UP at 147.01 yen from 146.97 yen Euro/pound: UP at 86.56 at from 86.46 pence West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.9 percent at $64.01 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.7 percent at $68.12 per barrelburs-bcp-bys/sla

Japan pledged Friday to invest $68 billion in India during a visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Tokyo, as the two countries agreed to deepen security ties.”India’s massive market is so full of potential that incorporating its vibrancy will help drive the growth of Japan’s economy,” Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told reporters.Bilateral trade is currently worth over $20 billion annually, heavily favouring Japan.Speaking during Modi’s two-day stopover before he visits China, Ishiba said Japan would boost investment in India to 10 trillion yen ($68 billion) and would establish a cooperation initiative focusing on semiconductors and AI.The two sides also pledged to bolster security cooperation, with Kyodo news agency reporting that the two had agreed to expand drills between Japan’s Self-Defense Forces and the Indian Armed Forces.The nations also expressed “serious concern” over the situation in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, in a separate joint statement, according to Kyodo.”As the international situation grows more and more uncertain, Japan and India must join hands for the sake of peace and stability of the region,” Ishiba told reporters.Modi said that “India and Japan are fully committed to a free, open, peaceful, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific”.Earlier Modi told a business forum in Tokyo that India and Japan will “shape the Asian Century”, with India “the springboard for Japanese businesses to the Global South”.Both countries have been hit by tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump, with levies of 50 percent on many Indian imports into the United States taking effect this week.Japan’s vital auto sector still faces 25 percent tariffs as a July trade deal cutting them — as well as additional “reciprocal” levies — is yet to come into force. Modi and Ishiba are set to tour a chip facility on Saturday.They will also visit a factory making “shinkansen” bullet trains, with a view to Japan assisting in a planned 7,000-kilometre (4,350-mile) high-speed rail network by the centenary of Indian independence in 2047.A joint project aimed at building a first high-speed link between the western Indian cities of Mumbai and Ahmedabad has been plagued for years with delays and cost overruns.Modi is due at a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in China on Sunday and Monday, hosted by President Xi Jinping and also attended by Russian leader Vladimir Putin.The visit will be Modi’s first to China since 2018.The two most populous nations are intense rivals competing for influence across South Asia and fought a deadly border clash in 2020.But relations began to thaw last October when Modi met with Xi for the first time in five years at a summit in Russia.burs-aph/dhw

European stock markets fell Friday as investors digested mixed economic data, while shares in UK banks and the pound dropped on reports the sector could face a windfall tax.The Dow and the S&P 500 hit fresh record highs Thursday on Wall Street after an upward revision to US growth in the second quarter and bumper results from AI chip giant Nvidia.Friday sees the release of key US inflation data, which could provide further guidance on interest rates after Federal Reserve chief Jerome Powell signalled a cut was likely in September.”Markets are pricing in around a high probability of a cut by the Fed next month, and today’s… inflation numbers will be a key data point for monetary policy setters,” said Derren Nathan, head of equity research at Hargreaves Lansdown.”Markets are keeping a close eye on the impact of tariffs on the prices of goods and services,” he added. “If inflation comes in hotter than expected, the path towards a drop in US borrowing costs in December will become a little less clear.”In Germany, data showed that unemployment in Europe’s biggest economy topped three million in August for the first time in more than a decade.Battered by high energy costs and fierce Chinese competition, German manufacturers were struggling even before US President Donald Trump erected new tariff walls.Separate figures Friday showed that inflation slowed in France and Italy this month, and held steady in Spain.The euro fell against the dollar, whose rise against the pound was greater.In Britain, an influential think tank said Friday that the Labour government could raise billions of pounds by imposing a windfall tax on banks in the UK.The biggest fallers on London’s top-tier FTSE 100 index were lenders NatWest and Lloyds, which each shed around five percent in midday deals.The report by the Institute for Public Policy Research suggested that banks could be targeted in the Labour government’s autumn budget.”Any such rumours are likely to have an exaggerated impact given the government’s obvious need to raise more income in an attempt to mitigate its financial difficulties,” said Richard Hunter, head of markets at Interactive Investor.- Key figures at around 1100 GMT -London – FTSE 100: DOWN 0.3 percent at 9,193.21 pointsParis – CAC 40: DOWN 0.5 percent at 7,726.88 Frankfurt – DAX: DOWN 0.4 percent at 23,935.36Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.3 percent at 42,718.47 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 0.8 percent at 25,189.34Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.4 percent at 3,857.93 (close)New York – Dow: UP 0.2 percent at 45,636.90 points (close)New York – S&P 500: UP 0.3 percent at 6,501.86 (close)Euro/dollar: DOWN at 1.1667 from $1.1680 on ThursdayPound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3458 at from $1.3508 Dollar/yen: UP at 147.18 yen from 146.97 yen Euro/pound: UP at 86.69 at from 86.46 pence  West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.4 percent at $64.33 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.4 percent at $67.69 per barrelburs-bcp/ajb/js

India and Japan will “shape the Asian Century”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Friday, on a visit expected to secure billions of dollars in Japanese investment and an upgrade to security ties.”India and Japan’s partnership is strategic and smart. Powered by economic logic, we have turned shared interests into shared prosperity,” Modi told a business forum in Tokyo.”India is the springboard for Japanese businesses to the Global South.  We will shape the Asian Century for stability, growth, and prosperity,” Modi said.Modi’s two-day visit — a stopover before going to China — will see Japan unveil 10 trillion yen ($68 billion) in investments over the next 10 years, according to media reports.Bilateral trade is currently worth over $20 billion annually, heavily weighted in Japan’s favour.”Japan and India are strategic partners who share common values such as freedom, democracy, rule of law, having cherished friendship and trust over many years,” Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Isbiba said.”Our economic relationship is expanding rapidly as Japan’s technology and India’s talented human resources and its huge market are complementing each other,” Ishiba told the forum.Both countries have been hit by tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump, with levies of 50 percent on many Indian imports into the United States taking effect this week.Japan’s vital auto sector still faces 25 percent tariffs as a July trade deal cutting them — as well as additional “reciprocal” levies — is yet to come into force. Modi and Ishiba were expected to announce that the number of Indians with specialised skills working or studying in Japan — which is beset by labour shortages — will double to 50,000 over the next five years, reports said.The investments will target fields including artificial intelligence, semiconductors and securing access to critical minerals, with Modi and Ishiba set to tour a chip facility on Saturday.They will also visit a factory making “shinkansen” bullet trains with a view to Japan assisting in a planned 7,000-kilometre (4,350-mile) high-speed rail network by the centenary of Indian independence in 2047.A joint project aimed at building a first high-speed link between the western Indian cities of Mumbai and Ahmedabad has been plagued for years with delays and cost overruns.India and Japan, members of the Quad alliance with the United States and Australia seen as a bulwark against China, were also expected to upgrade their 2008 declaration on security cooperation.After Japan, Modi was due at a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in China on Sunday and Monday hosted by President Xi Jinping and also attended by Russian leader Vladimir Putin.Modi’s visit is his first to China since 2018.The two most populous nations are intense rivals competing for influence across South Asia and fought a deadly border clash in 2020.A thaw began last October when Modi met with Xi for the first time in five years at a summit in Russia.

Markets in Asia were mixed on Friday following recent strong gains and after the Dow and the S&P 500 hit new records, although European stocks retreated.Modest gains on Wall Street came after an upward revision to US GDP for the second quarter and bumper results from AI chip giant Nvidia.The upward GDP hike to 3.3 percent from 3.0 percent mainly reflected improvements in investment and consumer spending.”After the initial release, there were concerns that the domestic (US) economy was slowing quite sharply,” said Richard Flax at Moneyfarm. “But these latest data suggest that the economy is a bit stronger than initially feared.” Attention is now on Friday’s release of a key US inflation reading and the implications for the Federal Reserve’s interest rate outlook.The Paris stock market extended its recovery Thursday after tumbling early in the week on fears that France’s minority government could be toppled, as it struggles to find around $51 billion in savings.But London, Paris and Frankfurt retreated during early trading Friday.In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei and Seoul ended down while Shanghai advanced.Hong Kong crept higher ahead of results from tech titan Alibaba and electric car giant BYD. Oil prices dipped.Japanese industrial production fell by 1.6 percent month-on-month, while vehicle output plunged 6.7 percent.”That fall echoes the big drop in motor vehicle exports last month and suggests that US tariffs are starting to bite,” said Marcel Thieliant at Capital Economics.On Thursday, Japan’s tariff envoy, who was seeking to finalise a trade deal struck in July, abruptly cancelled a visit to Washington.- Key figures at around 0715 GMT -Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.3 percent at 42,718.47 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 0.8 percent at 25,189.34Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.4 percent at 3,857.93 (close)London – FTSE 100: DOWN 0.1 percent at 9,210.71 Euro/dollar: DOWN at 1.1664 from $1.1680 on ThursdayPound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3485 at from $1.3508 Dollar/yen: UP at 147.13 yen from 146.97 yen Euro/pound: UP at 86.50 at from 86.46 pence  West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.7 percent at $64.17 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.7 percent at $68.17 per barrelNew York – Dow: UP 0.16 percent at 45,636.90 points (close)New York – S&P 500: UP 0.32 percent at 6,501.86 (close)