Headlines

Chinese takeover in Solomon Islands was preventable

I try to write stories that have a shelf life beyond a few days. An Asia Times article from November 27, 2021, “US misses golden opportunity in the Solomon Islands,” qualifies. The national elections have finished and the provincial elections are in their final stages. People

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Will new Solomon Islands PM stay close to China?

Former foreign minister Jeremiah Manele has been elected the next prime minister of Solomon Islands, defeating the opposition leader, Matthew Wale, in a vote in parliament. The result is a mixed bag for former prime minister Manasseh Sogavare’s Ownership, Unity and

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France sends combat troops to Ukraine battlefront

France has sent its first troops officially to Ukraine. They have been deployed in support of the Ukrainian 54th Independent Mechanized Brigade in Slavyansk. The French soldiers are drawn from France’s 3rd Infantry Regiment, which is one of the main elements of France’s Foreign

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The reality of courtesans in Netflix’s Heeramandi

Indian director Sanjay Leela Bhansali is known for his big-budget Bollywood production, featuring grand sets, star casts, meticulously choreographed dance sequences and lavish costumes, jewellery and furnishings. His new series for Netflix, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, lives

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Taiwan hit with millions of cyberattacks every day

Taiwan stands out as a beacon of democracy, innovation and resilience in an increasingly autocratic region. But this is under growing threat. In recent years, China has used a variety of “gray zone” tactics to pressure Taiwan to accept the Communist Party’s attempts at

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China making plans to build and ship EVs from Thailand

BANGKOK – China’s imported electric vehicles (EVs) are heavily denting US and Japanese car sales in Thailand, prompting Chinese manufacturers to invest more than a billion dollars to assemble their EVs near Bangkok to expand domestic sales and accelerate international exports.

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Trump-proofing NATO in the face of Russia’s nukes

Although a second Trump presidency is not a foregone conclusion, NATO members are gearing up to Trump-proof the organization and are reviewing their defense strategies. NATO’s concerns about Trump’s possible re-election were heightened by his flippant comment in February that

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The PLA’s dangerously double-edged sword

On the eve of China’s President Xi Jinping’s visit to Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron sounded a loud alarm bell when he said “Europe faces imminent danger” and that “things can fall apart very quickly.” He is concerned about the Russian war in Ukraine, now backed by

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Too big to win

It is painfully apparent to anyone of sound mind and judgment that there’s something gravely wrong with America’s current military capacity and our ability to project power in the world. The WWII-era fighting force composed of 14 million GIs with a muscular industrial base

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China in middle of India-Pakistan naval arms race

In a tit-for-tat Indian Ocean arms race with China prominently in the middle, Pakistan has recently launched its first Hangor-class submarine while India has tested a next-generation anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon to target such vessels. Pakistan’s new submarine, the

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Chinese overcapacity doesn’t square with the facts

Subscribe now for access at a special price of only $99/year. High-tech industry drives China’s growth David P. Goldman shows that the meme of Chinese overcapacity doesn’t align with recent data, with China’s manufacturing sector improving as shown by the Caixin PMI hitting a

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Does independent journalism have a future?

Imagine waking up tomorrow and every journalist had been arrested or quit their jobs. What would the world look like without good-quality journalism? This seems like an unlikely scenario but globally independent journalism is under real threat and its future is uncertain. The

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