Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday highlighted that the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between India and Oman will bring renewed confidence and energy to the bilateral relationship. Speaking at the India-Oman Business Summit, he noted that the gathering would chart a fresh course for cooperation between the two nations. “Today, we are taking a historic step whose impact will resonate for decades. The CEPA will inject new confidence and momentum into our partnership in the 21st century,” Modi said.
He emphasized India’s progressive and self-reliant nature, noting that as India grows, it also helps its partners prosper. Modi pointed out that India is on track to become the world’s third-largest economy, which benefits the global community and holds particular significance for Oman. He underlined the close ties between the two countries, describing them as not only friends but also maritime neighbors with generations of mutual trust and a deep understanding of each other’s markets.
Modi invited Omani companies to participate in India’s growth story, highlighting the nation’s rapid economic expansion. He attributed this growth to structural reforms over the past 11 years, including the implementation of GST and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), which have transformed India’s economic framework.
The Prime Minister arrived in Oman on Wednesday for a two-day visit. During 2024-25, bilateral trade between India and Oman reached approximately USD 10.5 billion, with exports of USD 4 billion and imports of USD 6.54 billion. Modi expressed optimism that the CEPA and ongoing collaboration would create new avenues for business and strengthen the historic partnership between the two nations.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.
In a high-security laboratory in Shenzhen, Chinese scientists have achieved what the United States has long tried to prevent: a working prototype of a machine capable of producing advanced semiconductor chips—the same chips that power artificial intelligence, smartphones, and weapons crucial to Western military dominance, according to Reuters. Completed in early 2025, the prototype is now undergoing testing and occupies nearly an entire factory floor. It was developed by a team of former engineers from Dutch semiconductor company ASML, who reverse-engineered the company’s extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) machines, sources familiar with the project said.
EUV machines, which use beams of extreme ultraviolet light to etch circuits thousands of times thinner than a human hair onto silicon wafers, are at the heart of a technological Cold War. Only a handful of Western companies currently produce them. While China’s machine can generate extreme ultraviolet light, it has not yet produced fully functional chips. ASML’s CEO Christophe Fouquet previously stated that China would need “many, many years” to master such technology, yet the existence of this prototype suggests China may be closer to semiconductor independence than experts had expected. Despite this progress, significant technical hurdles remain, particularly in replicating the precise optical systems manufactured by Western suppliers.
China’s prototype was made possible in part by acquiring components from older ASML machines through secondary markets. Government officials reportedly aim to produce working chips using the prototype by 2028, though insiders suggest a more realistic target is 2030. The achievement marks the culmination of a six-year government initiative to achieve semiconductor self-sufficiency, a top priority of President Xi Jinping. While China’s semiconductor ambitions have been public, the Shenzhen EUV project has been shrouded in secrecy, overseen by Ding Xuexiang, a close confidant of Xi who leads the Communist Party’s Central Science and Technology Commission. Huawei plays a central role, coordinating a network of companies and state research institutes involving thousands of engineers, and has been described by sources as China’s version of the Manhattan Project.
The project recruited former ASML engineers, some working under aliases with false identification, as their expertise was essential to reverse-engineering the complex EUV technology. Despite non-disclosure agreements, enforcing intellectual property protections internationally has been difficult, and Dutch intelligence has warned that China has used extensive espionage programs to acquire advanced technological knowledge from the West.
China’s prototype is larger than ASML’s commercial machines to increase power, and it still lags behind in optical precision, partly due to difficulty replicating components from suppliers such as Germany’s Carl Zeiss. Research institutes, including the Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics, and Physics, have contributed breakthroughs that made the prototype operational in early 2025, though further refinement is needed. Parts are sourced from older machines and secondhand markets, including components from Nikon and Canon, and a team of young engineers works on reverse-engineering and reassembling components under close supervision.
Huawei remains deeply involved throughout the supply chain, from design to final integration into products like smartphones. Employees on the project often live on-site with restricted communications, and teams are isolated to maintain confidentiality. While China has yet to produce fully functioning chips on this prototype, the effort represents a significant step toward achieving domestic semiconductor independence and reducing reliance on Western technology.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.
David van Weel, the Foreign Minister of the Netherlands, arrived in India on Thursday for a visit aimed at strengthening and diversifying bilateral ties. During his stay, he will engage in meetings in Delhi and Mumbai. The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, shared the details on X, stating, “Welkom in India! FM David van Weel @ministerBZ of the Netherlands arrived in New Delhi today. His visit and engagements in Delhi and Mumbai will focus on further deepening and diversifying India-Netherlands bilateral ties.”
The high-level visit precedes the scheduled visit of Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof in February next year. In an interview with ANI, Marisa Gerards, the Dutch Ambassador to India, noted that the Prime Minister will lead a delegation for the AI Impact Summit in February 2026, including CEOs such as the head of Philips, other business leaders, and representatives from technical universities.
David van Weel’s trip follows the 13th round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between India and the Netherlands earlier this December. The discussions reviewed the progress of bilateral relations and explored new areas of cooperation. Both countries focused on strengthening partnerships in sectors such as critical technologies, innovation, semiconductors, AI, science and technology, green hydrogen, shipping, defense, and security, alongside priority areas under the Water, Agriculture, and Health (WAH) agenda.
Acknowledging the Netherlands as a key economic partner for India in Europe, both sides highlighted consistent growth in trade and investment. They emphasized the importance of concluding the India-EU Free Trade Agreement by the end of this year, following guidance from Indian and EU leadership during the visit of the EU College of Commissioners in February.
India and the Netherlands maintain a robust bilateral relationship grounded in shared democratic values, with multifaceted cooperation. The countries also have a Strategic Partnership on Water, promoting collaboration and knowledge exchange in flood management, clean water technologies, and other related areas.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from X/@MEAIndia.
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa carried out inspections at several petrol pumps to ensure adherence to the “no fuel without Pollution Certificate” order. Speaking to ANI, he emphasized the urgent need for the entire Delhi-NCR region to unite against rising air pollution. Highlighting the severity of the situation, Sirsa pointed out that the primary goal is to reduce the Air Quality Index (AQI) in both Delhi and the surrounding NCR, particularly as the region faces adverse weather conditions over the next seven days.
Sirsa explained, “I started reviewing petrol pumps from the Delhi-Haryana border. The entire NCR region together will have to fight this pollution. Even the Haryana Traffic Police have set up a check post in their area. The next seven days are expected to see bad weather, but we aim to lower the AQI. This awareness campaign will continue. I have come to know that many private organisations are not following the 50% work from home norm; action will be taken against them.”
As per data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the overall AQI in the National Capital was recorded at 361 around 1 pm, categorizing it as ‘very poor.’ In response, Transport Enforcement teams have intensified vehicle checks across Delhi as part of measures to curb escalating pollution levels in the NCR.
These actions follow a Supreme Court decision permitting the Delhi government to take strict measures against vehicles operating below the BS IV emission standard within the region. Under the new directives, vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) will be denied fuel at petrol stations, while trucks transporting construction materials into Delhi have been banned to help reduce pollution levels.
The Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, through its Department of Environment and Forests, issued formal directions under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. These directives stipulate that fuel can only be dispensed to vehicles with a valid PUC certificate. Additionally, vehicles registered outside Delhi that do not meet BS-VI standards are restricted, and trucks carrying construction materials are prohibited during GRAP Stage IV (Severe+) conditions. Sirsa stressed that this combined effort across government departments, enforcement agencies, and the public is crucial to mitigating Delhi-NCR’s air pollution crisis.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from ANI.
U.S. Marines wade ashore after disembarking from a U.S. Navy Landing Craft Utility during amphibious training operations in Arroyo, Puerto Rico, on December 9. The exercise demonstrated coordinated sea-to-shore movement, highlighting the Marines’ readiness, tactical mobility, and ability to conduct amphibious landings in diverse coastal environments as part of joint military operations.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.
Thailand’s Pheu Thai Party has selected 46-year-old academic Yodchanan Wongsawat, a nephew of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, as its leading candidate for the premiership in the February election. The move brings the influential Shinawatra family back into focus as Thailand grapples with deadly border clashes with Cambodia and internal challenges within the party. Andrea Heng and Hairianto Diman discuss the implications of his candidacy for party cohesion, border security, and the country’s political trajectory with Kevin Hewison, Emeritus Professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Disclaimer: This Podcast is taken from CNA.
As funerals begin for the 15 people killed in the Bondi terror attack, one of the alleged gunmen, Naveed Akram, has regained consciousness in hospital and is being guarded by police. Meanwhile, further details have emerged about Naveed and his father. Police said that Naveed, 24, and his 50-year-old father, Sajid, travelled to the Philippines last month, though the purpose of the trip is still unknown. The prime minister also stated at a press conference that there is evidence suggesting the suspected attackers may have been influenced by Islamic State ideology.
Disclaimer: This podcast is taken from The Guardian.
Karate standout Marissa Hafezan clinched Singapore's first gold in the sport at the SEA Games in 32 years. She defeated Vietnam's Nguyen Thi Dieu Ly 5-3 in the women's kumite under-55kg final to secure the historic victory. Andrea Heng and Hairianto Diman sit down with Marissa to learn more about her remarkable achievement. They also get an update on Team Singapore’s overall performance at the midpoint of the Games, featuring insights from Marissa Hafezan, SEA Games gold medallist and Singapore karate exponent, and Phil Goh, independent sports journalist.
Disclaimer: This podcast is taken from CNA.
The United States’ confiscation of a sanctioned Venezuelan oil tanker represents a significant escalation, denounced by Caracas as “international piracy.” Andrea Heng and Hairianto Diman examine the underlying strategic signal the Trump administration is sending to Latin America in the context of China’s expanding influence, alongside Ross Feingold, Head of Research at Caerus Consulting. They assess whether this aggressive move qualifies as a justified national security action, whether it accomplished its intended objectives, and how neighbouring countries have responded in the immediate aftermath.
Disclaimer: This podcast is taken from CNA.
