Economy & Markets
Asian central banks, currencies, trade flows, commodities and the supply chains wiring the Indo-Pacific.
Four Asian economies carve distinct paths in the AI race
Taiwan dominates advanced chipmaking, South Korea leads in memory chips, Japan focuses on robotics, and Vietnam invests in talent and minera
Asia's central banks quietly set rules for AI-driven finance
At a July 2026 meeting in Singapore, EMEAP central bank governors discussed how AI is reshaping monetary policy, financial stability, and pa
SpaceX rocket crash on Moon highlights regulatory gaps
An abandoned SpaceX rocket stage is on course to hit the Moon on August 5. The crash offers a rare scientific opportunity but underscores th
The fog of AI investing: contradictions that refuse to clear
Investors simultaneously fear peak data and believe in runaway intelligence. Hardware demand keeps outstripping supply despite repeated satu
AI's Intelligence Ceiling: Diminishing Returns Challenge the Singularity Narrative
AI has disproven a decades-old math conjecture and solved quantum cryptography problems, yet the world remains largely unchanged. Some resea
Trump's new tariffs on 60 countries to cost Americans $100 billion annually
President Trump unveiled tariffs on 60 countries covering 99% of US imports, estimated to cost Americans $100 billion yearly. Critics say th
Trump Tariff Refunds Won't Reverse the Economic Damage Done
The US Supreme Court struck down Trump's IEEPA tariffs, but the damage to trade relations and business confidence persists. Asian exporters
AI and Human Ingenuity May Herald a New Golden Age of Mathematics
In May 2026, OpenAI's generative AI solved the long-standing unit distance conjecture. Human researchers quickly built on the AI's proof to
Yen and Won Flash a Currency Risk Global Markets Are Underpricing
The Bank of Japan raised rates to 1% in June, but the yen slid past 163 per dollar, a 40-year low. The Bank of Korea hiked to 2.75% in July,
Trump Tariffs Threaten Indian and Chinese Generic Drug Imports to US
President Trump announced tariffs on generic drugs, escalating from zero to 200% over three years. The policy targets Indian and Chinese man
China's Surging Ag Research Funding Outpaces US Decline
US public funding for agricultural research peaked in 2002 and has declined by over 30% after inflation. China overtook the US as the top pu
How Australia Resisted PRC Economic Coercion: Lessons for Others
Australia's defiance of PRC economic coercion after the COVID-19 origin probe call shows resilience. By diversifying exports to ASEAN, Japan