Headlines

Moscow’s long paranoia about UK support for Russia’s foes

Relations between London and Moscow reached another peak of tension in August over the UK’s support for Ukraine. The success of Ukraine’s long-range strikes against targets deep inside Russia, with the help of UK-made drones, and the UK’s commitment to supply blueprints to help

Asia

Why you won’t be getting a flying car

Stripe Press was kind enough to send me several books it had published, and one of these was J. Storrs Hall’s “Where Is My Flying Car?”. I had been meaning to read this book for a while, especially after Tyler Cowen recommended it and Jason Crawford gave it a glowing review, so

Asia

No, we are not on the eve of World War III

Every few months, someone — a general, a think tank, a cable news panel — declares that the world is edging toward a third world war. It happened after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. It happens again whenever Chinese warships circle Taiwan, whenever Israel and Iran trade

Asia

US, China gear up for mid-September AI safety talks

BEIJING, Sept 4 - The U.S. and China are gearing up to discuss AI safety risks during a dialogue planned for mid-September, two sources briefed on the discussions told Reuters, as rapidly advancing frontier AI capabilities reach a global tipping point.

Asia

Sri Lanka ex-president's son arrested on graft charges

COLOMBO, Sept 4 - The son of Sri Lanka's former president Mahinda Rajapaksa has been arrested and remanded until September 18 on graft charges linked to purchases of Airbus planes by national carrier SriLankan Airlines, a top court said on Friday.

Asia

Major tunnel and underground rescue operations

MUMBAI, Sept 4 - Rescuers pulled two survivors from a tunnel linked to a hydropower station on Nepal's Trishuli River on Friday, nine days after a glacier collapse caused a torrent of ice, rock and mud that killed more than 1,300 people and left over 5,600 missing.

Asia

US pressure puts Takaichi’s economic agenda in the crosshairs

Subscribe now with a one-month trial for only $1, then enjoy the first year at an exclusive rate of just $99. Bessent gives orders to Japan’s Katayama and UedaScott Foster reports that US pressure on Japan to strengthen the yen and raise rates is colliding with Sanae Takaichi’s

Asia

The AI boom just blew a hole in Trump’s trade war

NEW YORK – America’s trade deficit just widened to US$88.6 billion, its largest since March 2025 — and the political reflex in Washington is almost certain to be more, not fewer, tariffs and trade restrictions. The irony is that the number doesn’t mean what US President Donald

Asia

Will the US become China’s indirect enforcer on Taiwan?

Following the Beijing summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in May this year, their governments offered strikingly different public accounts of the meeting. Beijing’s official readout called Taiwan “the most important issue” in the

Asia