- — New Australia defense strategy ignores US elephant in the room
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at 4/17/26 11:50pmSometimes new government strategies really aren’t newsworthy. The 2026 National Defence Strategy (NDS) is like that. The biggest headline from the document is the additional defense spending of A$53 billion (US$38 billion) over the next decade, which the government claims (with some accounting sleights of hand) will reach 3% of GDP. While this technically meets [] The post New Australia defense strategy ignores US elephant in the room appeared first on Asia Times.- — Hormuz standoff sets a tense tone for Trump-Xi meet
- at 4/17/26 11:29pmThe Trump administration’s decision to carry out a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has raised tensions in the Persian Gulf to new and more perilous levels. The move was announced by the US president, Donald Trump, after negotiations over a ceasefire with Iran broke down on April 11, partly due to Iran wanting [] The post Hormuz standoff sets a tense tone for Trump-Xi meet appeared first on Asia Times.
- — Strategic autonomy or ambiguity? India’s Gulf dilemma
- at 4/17/26 11:11pmThere is a lively and, at times, sharply divided discourse in India today on its foreign policy choices over the Iranian crisis. At the center of this debate is a simple but uncomfortable question: Is India being prudently cautious, needlessly timid or has it devolved into strategic ambiguity? In the aftermath of last weekend’s failed [] The post Strategic autonomy or ambiguity? India’s Gulf dilemma appeared first on Asia Times.
- — Democrats shouldn’t follow Republicans into the extremist swamp
- at 4/17/26 10:39pmThe other day on X, leftist Twitch streamer Hasan Piker got into an argument with a commentator known as Swann Marcus. Marcus had scoffed at the notion of Piker trying to connect with blue-collar workers. In retaliation,Piker claimedthat Marcus had written a “how to” manual about sex tourism in Asia: As you can see, Community [] The post Democrats shouldnt follow Republicans into the extremist swamp appeared first on Asia Times.
- — North Korea taking its nuclear threat to the high seas
- at 4/17/26 10:19pmNorth Koreas missile test from its new Choe Hyon destroyer signals a shift toward a more flexible sea-based nuclear deterrent, as the regime compensates for submarine limitations. This month, multiple media outlets reported that North Korea test-fired two strategic cruise missiles and three anti-ship missiles from its new 5,000-ton destroyer Choe Hyon as part of [] The post North Korea taking its nuclear threat to the high seas appeared first on Asia Times.
- — Token inequality: AI haves and AI have-nots
- at 4/17/26 9:44pmGemini was my preferred model for research a few months ago. So, was Grok. Recently, I asked one of them for serious research, accompanied by blunt exhortations on how it has been disappointing me repeatedly of late, along with examples of the quality of answers I needed. The answers that came disappointed even the lowest [] The post Token inequality: AI haves and AI have-nots appeared first on Asia Times.
- — Recalibrating the India-South Korea strategic partnership
- at 4/17/26 5:44pmThe impending three-day visit of President Lee Jae-myung to India is not routine diplomacy – it is a strategic inflection point for both countries and the wider Indo-Pacific. The regional order that once underpinned stability is fragmenting. Economic interdependence is increasingly a liability, and long-standing security guarantees are under strain. In this shifting landscape, India [] The post Recalibrating the India-South Korea strategic partnership appeared first on Asia Times.
- — Iran, not US, cancels Hormuz blockade after Israel-Lebanon truce
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at 4/17/26 12:11pmIran said Friday that the Strait of Hormuz is fully reopened to international shipping following an Israel-Lebanon ceasefire agreement, prompting thanks from President Donald Trump – who then said the US naval blockade on Iranian ports will continue. “In line with the ceasefire inLebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is [] The post Iran, not US, cancels Hormuz blockade after Israel-Lebanon truce appeared first on Asia Times. - — Israel-Lebanon ceasefire no tidy end to fighting, Hormuz shutdown
- at 4/17/26 10:49amAfter weeks of bombardments in southern Lebanon that have killed more than 2,000 people and displaced more than one million residents Israel has announced a ten-day ceasefire with Lebanon, prompting Iran to declare the Strait of Hormuz completely open – although US President Donald Trump said the US blockade will remain in full force until [] The post Israel-Lebanon ceasefire no tidy end to fighting, Hormuz shutdown appeared first on Asia Times.
- — Congressional Dems probe envoy Jared Kushner’s Arab money ties
- at 4/17/26 6:51amThe ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee on Friday morning announced a “sweeping” probe into alleged self-enrichment byJared Kushner, the son-in-law of US PresidentDonald Trumpwho has served as a high-profileWhite Houseenvoy in the Middle East while also, according to CongressmanJamie Raskin, “soliciting billions of dollars from Gulf monarchies for [his] private business ventures.” In [] The post Congressional Dems probe envoy Jared Kushners Arab money ties appeared first on Asia Times.
- — Manacled Manus: the limits of ‘Singapore washing’ for China AI
- at 4/17/26 6:51amOn March 25, Manus co-founders Xiao Hong and Ji Yichao were barred from leaving China after a meeting with the National Development and Reform Commission in Beijing, as the Ministry of Commerce launched a national security review of Meta’s US$2 billion acquisition of their company. By April 2, Beijing’s position articulated an explicit message: it [] The post Manacled Manus: the limits of Singapore washing for China AI appeared first on Asia Times.
- — China Shock 2.0 jolts global economy as Trump does Xi’s work
- at 4/17/26 4:20amTOKYO — On top of the tariffs, wars and inflation upending the global economy, US chieftains are grappling with a new question: which tech companies might get BYD-ed next? The reference here is to the Chinese electric-vehicle juggernaut that’s zoomed past Elon Musk’s Tesla and its peers to become No. 1 globally. The idea that [] The post China Shock 2.0 jolts global economy as Trump does Xis work appeared first on Asia Times.
- — Disrupted supply chains, divided politics
- at 4/17/26 2:50amSubscribe nowwith a one-month trial for only $1, then enjoy the first year at an exclusive rate of just $99. Merz’s paralysis and the EU’s anti-growth orderDiego Faßnacht reports that Chancellor Friedrich Merz is constrained by coalition politics and unable to deliver pro-growth reforms, leaving Germany stuck in stagnation while the EU increasingly functions as [] The post Disrupted supply chains, divided politics appeared first on Asia Times.
- — Will Russia attack Ukraine’s European drone suppliers?
- at 4/17/26 1:33amFormer Russian president and incumbent deputy chair of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev warned on X that “the Russian Defense Ministry’s statement must be taken literally: the list of European facilities that make drones and other equipment is a list of potential targets for the Russian armed forces. When strikes become a reality depends on [] The post Will Russia attack Ukraines European drone suppliers? appeared first on Asia Times.
- — AI shrinking the margin for nuclear error in South Asia
- at 4/17/26 12:59amThe recent US-Israel-Iran conflict has confirmed a structural shift in warfare: artificial intelligence is no longer just enhancing military operations — it is compressing the time available to prevent escalation. In this conflict, AI-enabled decision-support systems processed vast streams of satellite imagery, drone feeds and signals intelligence to assist in strike planning. Thousands of targets [] The post AI shrinking the margin for nuclear error in South Asia appeared first on Asia Times.
- — Iran’s low-cost drones democratizing precision warfare
- at 4/17/26 12:04amWars in Ukraine and the Middle East have propelled drones into the headlines. The word “drone” now stretches to cover everything from hobbyist camera rigs available on Amazon to the Predator and Reaper systems the United States has relied on to fight terrorist organizations over the past 20 years. A common ancestor in the animal [] The post Irans low-cost drones democratizing precision warfare appeared first on Asia Times.
- — Israel-Lebanon ceasefire won’t end the death and suffering
- at 4/16/26 11:40pmAfter weeks of bombardments in southern Lebanon that have killed more than 2,000 people and displaced more than one million residents, Israel has announced a ten-day ceasefire with Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, vowed to keep Israeli troops in southern Lebanon to create a ten-kilometer “security zone”, raising immediate questions about whether the [] The post Israel-Lebanon ceasefire wont end the death and suffering appeared first on Asia Times.
- — Don’t hold your breath on a truly European NATO
- at 4/16/26 11:01pmEvery few years, like clockwork, the idea resurfaces from the salons of Brussels and the op-ed pages of Le Monde and Der Spiegel: Europe must build its own defense architecture, a “European pillar” of security, a NATO without Washington. The rhetoric is invariably stirring. The results are invariably modest. The latest iteration of this perennial fantasy has been [] The post Dont hold your breath on a truly European NATO appeared first on Asia Times.
- — AI boom’s real profits are being made in Asia
- at 4/16/26 9:35pmA 58% jump in TSMC’s quarterly profit, announced on April 16, should change how investors think about the AI economy. Those numbers are not speculative, based on projections or optimistic. They’re realized profits, delivered here and now. A fourth consecutive quarter of record revenue reinforces the point. Advanced chips accounting for roughly 75% of wafer [] The post AI booms real profits are being made in Asia appeared first on Asia Times.
- — Hong Kong banks dependent on SWIFT are warned of new US sanctions
- at 4/16/26 4:08pmThe United States has threatened to impose sanctions on Chinese banks if they are found to be involved in handling money from Iran’s oil trade payments, marking a sharp escalation in efforts to tighten financial pressure on Tehran. The warning came after the US military began blocking ships linked to Iranian trade from docking at [] The post Hong Kong banks dependent on SWIFT are warned of new US sanctions appeared first on Asia Times.
- — US starting to respond to challenge of massive drone incursions
- at 4/16/26 3:41pmThe US is starting to respond to drone incursions on US territory, but the response does not match the growing threats from drones, which are likely to get worse. In 2025, the US tracked 34,000 drones along the southern border, a significant increase over 2024. Late in 2024 there were reports of mass sightings of [] The post US starting to respond to challenge of massive drone incursions appeared first on Asia Times.
- — Trump says Israel and Lebanon have agreed to 10-day ceasefire
- at 4/16/26 12:34pmUS PresidentDonald Trumpannouncedin a Thursdaysocial mediapost that the governments of Israel andLebanonhave agreed to a 10-day ceasefire that will begin on Thursday evening. The president also said that he would be inviting Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahuto theWhite Houseto establish a more lasting truce between the two countries. Israel has for [] The post Trump says Israel and Lebanon have agreed to 10-day ceasefire appeared first on Asia Times.
As of 4/18/26 1:09pm. Last new 4/18/26 12:22am.
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