Southeast Asia is riding an investment boom, as a surge in chip exports pushes economies like Vietnam and the Philippines up the World Bank’s income ladder, as defined by the World Bank. Two forces are driving this surge: the AI wave and an intensifying rivalry between Washington and Beijing that has companies scrambling to diversify
Global brands and celebrities have lost the Chinese market over social media posts, promotional events, and trademark lawsuits. Now soccer superstar Kylian Mbappé has joined them. Mbappé, during an appearance on a popular French online talk show, described a meme figure as “a Chinese dictator,” a comment widely perceived as referring to Mao. Within days,
At the nexus of an ongoing affordability crisis and midterm election push, the Trump administration’s effort to reduce beef prices appears to be falling short. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation in August to temporarily increase the quantity of beef in the U.S. by importing 300,000 metric tons of lean beef trimmings into the country
Natural gas is becoming a diplomatic flashpoint across the Strait of Malacca, adding to a host of new tensions between Indonesia and Singapore. On Oct. 23, Indonesia decided to slash pipeline gas exports to Singapore by 9%, blaming domestic shortages. On Sunday, Singapore’s prime minister responded, arguing that “gas supplies are covered by commercial contracts,
But some outside monitors disagree. Sweden’s V-Dem Institute classifies India as an “electoral autocracy,” meaning that although it regularly holds multiparty elections, it fails basic democratic benchmarks such as legislative and judicial checks and balances and citizens’ active political participation. By contrast, the CJP considers peaceful protest, along with upholding the country’s constitution, essential elements
Want a seat at your nearest Starbucks in China? Make sure you order something first. Starbucks China now asks customers to buy something before they can sit down in its cafés, a rule that covers its roughly 8,000 stores across mainland China. (Some customers, like pregnant women and people with mobility issues, will still get
