Indonesia’s commodity export U-turn: no monopoly, just all the data
Indonesia has abandoned plans to make a powerful new state-owned enterprise the “sole exporter” of its palm oil, coal and ferroalloys, in a move that has reassured some businesses, even as questions over oversight and pricing remain. President Prabowo Subianto’s original proposal to tighten the government’s control over the three major commodities, put forward in May, had prompted speculation that state-linked companies could gain an unfair advantage through access to commercially sensitive data...
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Trump to Meet With Putin and Xi in China, With Nuclear Proliferation on the Agenda
The president plans to also discuss the war against Iran, but is not expected to bring up Russia’s war in Ukraine or the scandal that has engulfed Jensen Huang.
Melaka election: Malaysians vote as Anwar’s PH seeks to stem Umno tide
Voters are casting their ballots on Saturday to decide who will govern the southern Malaysian state of Melaka amid concerns over turnout due to rain forecasts, with the odds stacked against Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition against the incumbent Umno. By around 11.30am, nearly 35 per cent of the 669,211 eligible voters had cast their ballots according to the Election Commission’s online dashboard. The polls mark the third state electoral battle between PH and...
Pax Silica means peace. In the Philippines, it’s a fight
Outside the Grand Hyatt hotel in Manila earlier this year, five people were arrested as hundreds of activists chanting “Junk Pax Silica!” clashed with anti-riot police. Inside, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr hobnobbed with some 600 investors, industry leaders and officials at a US-sponsored forum, urging them to sink their money into the US-led scheme. The Philippines is planning to build a sprawling 1,620-hectare (4,000-acre) “Pax Silica” technology hub near a former American...
Nvidia Scandal Unleashes a Flood of AI-Generated Memes
The revelations surrounding Jensen Huang, who resigned from Nvidia over extramarital affairs, inspired social media posts using the very technology his company helped develop.
Trump and Xi Can Reopen Trade. But for Whom?
The narrative of easing trade tensions doesn’t tell us who reaps the benefits of these developments at the company level.
Will AI Change North Korea’s Nuclear Calculus?
Nuclear stability requires mutual vulnerability. Artificial general intelligence could upset asymmetric deterrence equilibria, especially vis-à-vis Pyongyang.
North Korea’s Last Defectors
Fewer people are making it out of North Korea. That allows Kim Jong Un to exert more control over his country’s image abroad.
Jensen Huang’s Fall Costs Asia an A.I. Ambassador to the U.S.
The ex-Nvidia C.E.O. was a bridge between companies and governments. His exit will reverberate, especially in China where it could accelerate a self-reliance drive.
South Korea’s Options in a Fragmented World
Seoul would be an attractive addition to several different international groupings – but joining one could mean locking South Korea out of others.
Japan Needs Muslim Workers. Is It Ready for Muslim Communities?
Tensions will flare up when cherished social institutions need to change to accommodate nonnegotiable religious needs. But they must start, even if it is only with a hijab or a burial.
NATO Is Not the Right Forum to Discuss China
No matter how strange and exaggerated NATO finds the Chinese perspective on the alliance, the organization should consider addressing Beijing’s concerns.