Headlines

How Pakistan became the world’s most useful middle power

As geopolitical competition intensifies across multiple regions, countries capable of maintaining working relationships with rival powers are becoming increasingly valuable. While global attention remains centered on major-power rivalry, another category of states is quietly

Asia

When the world’s greatest power can’t win

For three decades after the Cold War, Washington operated under a dangerous assumption: that military supremacy could indefinitely compensate for diplomatic exhaustion. The United States possessed the world’s most advanced armed forces, unmatched naval reach, and a financial

Asia

Nuclear holocaust threat just another day in Trump World

As he struggles to force Iran’s capitulation, US President Donald Trump issued what seemed to be yet another threat to commit an act of mass destruction against the country through nuclear warfare. When negotiations have faltered in recent weeks, Trump has on multiple occasions

Asia

Post-pax world needs a post-Cartesian mind

Ravi Kant’s recent Asia Times essay argues that the next world order will not be built like the old ones. Pax Britannica rested on sea lanes and finance. Pax Americana rested on markets, media and military reach. But the next global order, Kant suggests, will be organized

Asia

US, EU and China profoundly split on AI intimacy

Globally, hundreds of millions of users now interact regularly with AI companions. The World Health Organization has declared loneliness a global health threat. AI companions offer an immediate, if unproven, response. In 2014, Microsoft launched Xiaoice in China, an AI

Asia

Trump hopes for 'big extension' on Russia-Ukraine ceasefire

President Trump said on Friday that he hopes a temporary ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine will be extended beyond the announced three days, after the two countries agreed to halt fighting through the weekend. “I’d like to see a big extension,” Trump told The Hill’s sister

US concerned by Taiwan defence delay 'concession' to China

TAIPEI, May 9 - Further delays to Taiwan military spending are a \"concession\" to China, the U.S. State Department said, as Taipei's defence ministry detailed the impact of projects excluded from a package passed by the opposition-controlled parliament.

Asia

Tech Now

Andrew Rogers explores new tech trials helping people stay underwater for longer.

Tech

US Postal Service reports falling losses, revenue up

The United States Postal Service (USPS) on Friday reported a net loss of $2 billion for the second quarter of fiscal 2026, underscoring the service’s strained financial situation despite higher revenues and a decline in some operating costs. The agency reported $20.2 billion