Markets

Neotech Metals (NTMFF) has begun its maiden drilling program at its 100%-owned TREO project in British Columbia’s Wicheeda Rare Earth District. The program targets high-priority zones identified by previous sampling, which yielded up to 28.97% TREO and 2.91% Nb₂O₅. Drilling aims to assess mineralized pathways and their relation to Defense Metals’ Wicheeda deposit. This marks a critical step in exploring the area’s resource potential.

The 2025 China Heat Pump Industry Annual Conference highlighted a shift beyond price competition towards technological innovation. While many companies remain in a price war, Haier’s 30% energy-saving technology and intelligent management platforms are gaining traction. The focus is expanding from basic heating to energy conservation, cost savings, and smart management for homes and buildings. Successful implementations in industrial parks and agricultural settings demonstrate significant cost reductions through multi-energy synergy. The industry emphasizes decarbonization and demands sophisticated system integration, requiring technological prowess from heat pump manufacturers.

The operator of “Sakura Anime,” a Chinese website illegally distributing Japanese anime, has been sentenced to two years and three months imprisonment and fined RMB 15,000 for copyright infringement and forging documents. The Chengdu Intermediate People’s Court upheld the original ruling after an appeal. The website allegedly disseminated over 2,100 anime series without permission, ignoring requests from licensed distributors to remove the content. The case highlights the fight against digital copyright infringement.

Shell plc (SHEL) has initiated a $3.5 billion share buyback program spanning approximately three months, concluding by October 24, 2025. Executed via two $1.75 billion contracts on London and Netherlands exchanges, the program aims to reduce issued share capital by cancelling all repurchased shares, up to 602,100,000. Completion is expected before Shell’s Q3 2025 results, contingent on market conditions. The buyback demonstrates financial strength and boosts shareholder value.

A viral moment at the 2024 Beijing Auto Show involving Li Auto’s CEO Li Xiang and Xiaomi’s CEO Lei Jun sparked online buzz. Li Xiang closed the door on Lei Jun while showcasing the Li Auto L6, leading to humorous speculation about Li “locking” him in. Xiaomi’s Xu Jieyun clarified that Lei Jun was examining the armrest design. Li Xiang explained he closed the door to allow Lei Jun to better experience the car’s interior.

Khaby Lame, the world’s second-most-followed influencer with 259 million followers, has joined Weibo, launching his first video and generating considerable interest. Known for his signature silent comedy and deadpan reactions, Lame’s move follows other foreign influencers finding success in China, such as Kai Cenat. Lame’s team hints at plans for him to fully integrate into Chinese social media and potentially travel to China, signaling a strategic expansion into the lucrative market. Forbes estimates Lame’s annual income at $20 million.

Alibaba’s Tongyi Qianwen introduced Qwen3-30B-A3B-Thinking-2507, a revamped reasoning model with significant upgrades in math and coding. It outperforms competitors like Gemini 2.5-Flash on benchmarks like AIME25 and LiveCodeBench v6. The model also shows improved performance in knowledge assessments, writing, agent functionality, and multi-lingual instruction understanding. Its expanded “thinking length” allows for more complex problem-solving. The model and Qwen Chat platform are available on open-source platforms, providing developers with a robust AI tool.

Tigo Energy and Haier Renewable Energy have announced a compatibility certification, ensuring seamless operation between Tigo’s Flex MLPE products and Haier’s hybrid solar inverters. This collaboration aims to deliver enhanced performance and value for residential energy consumers. A joint webinar will be held for installers in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, highlighting the partnership’s technical advantages. The integration underscores the importance of interoperability in simplifying solar deployments and accelerating the energy transition.

Logitech is actively diversifying its manufacturing footprint outside of China to mitigate U.S. tariffs, aiming to reduce its U.S. imports made in China to under 10% by year-end. The company is relocating production to countries like Malaysia, Mexico, Thailand, and Vietnam. The CEO stated this diversification has been successful without increasing material costs. Logitech previously implemented a price increase to offset tariffs but currently has no plans for further adjustments.

A woman in Nantong, China, drew a license plate with the sequence “88888,” sparking social media buzz. Rumors circulated about a quick resale for $388,000, but she and the dealership deny these claims. While offers reportedly reached $153,000, she intends to keep the car. Chinese regulations usually prevent direct plate sales, although valuable “leopard number” plates are sometimes auctioned, with some fetching exorbitant prices, like the “Yue V99999” which sold for $445,000.