America on Israel’s invasion of Gaza
Antony Blinken, America’s secretary of state, spent the past few days shuttling across the Middle East, his second such trip since the start of the Gaza war on October 7th. His meeting with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, lasted less than an hour and ended with no joint statement. Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey did
Chinese drones with ‘human brains’
While communication strategies for drone swarms are typically designed to simulate bee and ant colonies, the Chinese team designed swarms with the ability to talk and collaborate like humans. Drone group chats also help make the machines’ thinking transparent to humans, allowing researchers to better understand their behaviour. The technology comes from Li Xuelong and
Kiev under pressure to mobilise more troops
One of the most probable scenarios in the wake of the failure of the UAF’s counterattack is that Kiev will decide to totally mobilize the male population of Ukraine. This would involve sending every Ukrainian physically capable of handling a weapon to the front lines.In fruitless attempts to break through the Russian defense, the Ukrainian
“No elections” in Ukraine
The United States and other supporters have publicly maintained they are ready to back Kyiv with military and financial aid for as long as it takes to defeat Russia. Global attention has turned to the Middle East since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and Zelensky has come under increasing pressure. The president, who
New Wagner group recruits
Russia’s most infamous private military company is on the hunt for new recruits and the drive for fighters is allegedly being headed by the son of Yevgeny Prigozhin. The Wagner Group is in the process of recruiting new fighters just three months after its former leader Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a horrific plane crash. Do
China debtors
China is owed over $1 trillion (€935 billion) through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), making it the world’s biggest debt collector. According to China, more than 150 countries have signed up to the BRI, a mammoth global infrastructure thrust launched by President Xi Jinping in 2013. Based on data collected on Chinese financing of
Zelensky ‘not ready’ for Russia talks
The Ukrainian leader conceded the war was in a “difficult situation” and reiterated his need for more air defences to end Russia’s control of the sky. The sprawling frontline between the warring sides has remained mostly static for almost a year despite a much-touted Ukrainian counter-offensive, with Russian forces entrenched in southern and eastern Ukraine.
World Economies Growing Against Gravity
Around the world, inflation is falling, unemployment has mostly stayed low and the big central banks may have stopped their monetary tightening. China, stricken by a property crisis, looks likely to benefit from a modest stimulus. Unfortunately, however, this good cheer cannot last. The foundations for today’s growth look unstable. Peer ahead, and threats abound.
Chinese Economony
Despite the many horrors visited upon China’s property sector, an industry publication reports that just 308 of the country’s 124,665 developers declared bankruptcy last year.China’s ultra-low corporate bankruptcy rateabout a fifth of that found in America—might seem like unalloyed good news for officials in Beijing. On October 30th the property developer was granted its fifth,
Israel’s forces targeting Hamas headquaters
Israel’s forces are now penetrating deep into Gaza city, far farther than in the ground campaigns of 2009 and 2014. Back then their objectives were more limited: to destroy a number of Hamas’s tunnels and its rocket-launchers. This time the stated goal is the destruction of Hamas, in particular its leadership which Israeli intelligence believes