Headlines

Surging dollar battering Asia’s most fragile currencies

TOKYO — Kevin Warsh’s arrival at Federal Reserve headquarters isn’t playing out the way Asia hoped. Since taking the baton from Jerome Powell on May 22, Governor Warsh has run notably more hawkish than US President Donald Trump wanted — or at least so far. He could still be

Asia

Japan’s frigate sales pitch masks a wider regional power play

Japan isn’t just selling warships — it’s quietly building a new Indo-Pacific security architecture in the shadow of China’s rise, amid uncertainty in US leadership. This month, the Wall Street Journal reported that Japan is actively marketing its advanced, stealthy Mogami-class

Asia

US-Iran war headed for the gray zone

When it was signed at the end of the G7 summit on June 17, the US-Iran memorandum of understanding (MoU) was hailed as a diplomatic breakthrough. By reopening the Strait of Hormuz, easing sanctions and launching a 60-day negotiating process, it felt like a positive step on the

Asia

The second death of SaaS

‍Silicon shock, token inequality, and techflation are no longer fringe theories floated on these pages. They have become the invisible gravity warping the global economy, rewriting policy, and keeping politicians awake at night. In January, when we called silicon shock an

Asia

China’s humanoid robots moving in as Asia’s workforce ages out

While the world focuses on the “tech cold war” and “de-risking” between the US and China, a quiet “tech truce” is unfolding at the baggage loading areas of Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. As Japan faces a critical labor shortage and an aging workforce, it is turning to Chinese-made

Asia

Washington brought a memorandum to a war made of history

American power has a tell. When faced with a war it wants to end, Washington develops a comprehensive plan that includes phased withdrawals, monitoring arrangements, economic incentives, and a timeline. It then acts as though the document itself were the peace. This has gone on

Asia

Yen hovers near 40-year low against dollar

Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama's conversation with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday helped the yen recover from a low of 161.93 per dollar, just short of the 161.96 level last seen in December 1996.

Asia