Latest news for 23 September 2025

UNITED STATES

Nvidia’s spending spree.

Leading chipmaker Nvidia has pledged to invest up to $100B in OpenAI (of ChatGPT fame). And of course, OpenAI will use that cash to buy millions more Nvidia chips. (OpenAI)

Comment: Nvidia’s been using its ‘world’s-most-valuable-company’ cash to make a series of strategic investments lately (eg Intel) as the US-China AI race heats up.

CHINA

Open dialogue.

Several US lawmakers have met China’s defence minister (Dong) in Beijing as part of the first House visit to China since 2019 (several senators visited in 2023). (AP)

Comment: The talks seemed to focus on the importance of talks, which is fair enough given the state of US-China ties. Big strategy decisions sit with President Xi, yet the opaque nature of China’s system means nobody really knows what advice he’s getting, or seeking. That’s what makes these face-to-face channels critical, even if not yet with Xi himself (a Trump-Xi meeting will likely happen at next month’s APEC summit in Korea, with Trump then flagging a visit to China early next year).

SERBIA

Military parade.

Belgrade flexed its muscle on Saturday, with a military parade featuring tanks, missile systems, fighter jets, and 10,000 troops. (Euronews)

Comment: Lots on display here: first, there’s Serbia’s flexibility when it comes to defence procurement (with kit from home, China, France, Israel, Russia, and the Emirates); second, there’s what this procurement also says about Serbia’s flexible approach to the world; and third, there’s what it all says about President Vučić himself, hoping to bolster his grip on power after months of student-led protests.

AUSTRALIA

Out(r)age.

Canberra is promising consequences after one of Australia’s top two telecom providers suffered an hours-long outage that blocked calls to emergency services, with at least four people potentially dying as a result. The troubled provider is owned by Singtel, in turn owned by Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund. (ABC)

DR Congo

Ban lifted.

The Congolese government is finally lifting its cobalt export ban, imposed in February to boost prices for the critical battery and electronics input. DRC isn’t returning to a free market, however, instead opting for a quota system regulating export volumes. (mining.com)

Comment: DR Congo typically produces around 70% of the world’s cobalt.

NIGER

No more ICC.

The junta leaders of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have announced they’re withdrawing from the International Criminal Court (ICC), arguing it fails at “handling and prosecuting proven war crimes”, targeting weaker countries instead (almost all ICC cases have involved Africa). (BI Africa)