International News 28 August 2026
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Huawei to Expand AI Healthcare Partnerships for Drug Development
Chinese technology giant Huawei is set to broaden its artificial intelligence collaborations with domestic pharmaceutical companies, focusing on drug development and clinical applications. This strategic expansion is designed to solidify Huawei's presence in the rapidly growing AI-driven drug discovery market, capitalizing on a broader industry trend where medical firms are heavily investing in AI modeling and automated laboratories to accelerate research and improve overall efficiency. Speaking to Reuters on Wednesday, William Zhang, President of Huawei’s Healthcare Business Unit, highlighted that these partnerships will scale up as the company deepens its medical AI research. He noted that future cooperative efforts will span the entire medical lifecycle—from drug manufacturing and clinical trials to final real-world applications. Although Zhang refrained from sharing specific project details, he confirmed that Huawei has already established clinical partnerships with multiple hospitals and is actively pursuing further collaborative opportunities across the healthcare sector.
https://internasional.kontan.co.id/news/huawei-perluas-kerja-sama-ai-dengan-perusahaan-farmasi-china
OPEC+ Loses Market Influence as Iran War Chokes Middle East Oil Supply
Six months into the conflict involving Iran, the world's most powerful oil alliance, OPEC+, has seen its historical dominance over global energy markets severely diminished. The ongoing war has damaged regional energy infrastructure and blocked crucial Middle East export routes, most notably the Strait of Hormuz. As a result, major producers such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Kuwait are no longer able to rapidly adjust supply to meet global demands. This loss of flexibility has significantly eroded the cartel's market share, leaving its policy decisions and public statements largely ineffective at influencing global oil prices. Prior to the outbreak of hostilities in late February 2026, OPEC and its allies controlled over 48% of the world's oil production. By July, that figure had dropped to roughly 40%—a decline partially driven by the United Arab Emirates exiting the cartel in May—with the core seven members now accounting for just a quarter of global output. With OPEC+ sidelined during what analysts are calling the most severe supply disruption in history, global markets are instead being stabilized by a sharp decline in Chinese crude imports, which has emerged as a primary force balancing the oil market this year.
US Treasury and Fed Chiefs Differ on Interest Rate Intervention
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh are exhibiting contrasting views on how actively policymakers should influence interest rates. This philosophical divide emerges just as President Donald Trump's administration ramps up efforts to lower long-term borrowing costs. However, market analysts and portfolio managers caution that these attempts will likely struggle to succeed without concrete policies to address the nation's continually expanding fiscal deficit. The divergence in their economic approaches highlights two distinct strategies for managing the financial system. Warsh advocates for the central bank to scale back its traditional communication tactics, preferring to allow market forces more room to organically dictate rate movements. In contrast, Bessent is willing to utilize a variety of mechanisms, including unconventional tools, to actively manage financial market operations. This contrasting dynamic will be closely watched on Friday morning when Warsh is slated to speak at the Federal Reserve’s annual economic symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.