A pay rise for government workers sparks anger and envy in China
In China’s private sector, many complain that jobs and wages are being cut as the country’s economy flounders. So as news spr...
Are mystics kooks or valuable disrupters?
Mysticism. By Simon Critchley. NYRB; 336 pages; $18.95. Published in Britain as “On Mysticism”; Profile; £18.99 The travails ...
Does China have the fiscal firepower to rescue its economy?
MAASTRICHT IS A small Dutch city that casts a big economic shadow. European leaders gathered there in 1992 to sign the treaty...
Mike Johnson has his old job back, for now
The first week of the 119th Congress, which convened on January 3rd, revealed some important truths about how power will be e...
Militant Uyghurs in Syria threaten the Chinese government
AS REBELS STORMED across Syria late last year, eventually toppling the country’s dictator, Bashar al-Assad, some were accompa...
Most Americans think moderate drinking is fine
THIS TIME of the year is when people make resolutions they may struggle to keep. One reason for that is confusion. According ...
When treating snakebites, American hospitals turn to zoos
AT SPACE FARMS, a family-owned zoo and museum in rural New Jersey, Parker Space keeps African puff adders, cobras, copperhead...
America’s bet on industrial policy starts to pay off for semiconductors
IN THE FINAL days of Joe Biden’s presidency, most parts of his administration are winding down. Not so the top brass in the D...
Training AI models might not need enormous data centres
Once, the world’s richest men competed over yachts, jets and private islands. Now, the size-measuring contest of choice is cl...
Los Angeles against the flames
THE FIVE fires that on January 9th were still blazing in and around Los Angeles were already among the most destructive in Ca...