Donald Trump’s mobile phone is never far away when he is playing golf. Last Sunday, he spent the day at Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey. Then came the bombshell on Truth Social: “Because of my good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, I am unhappy that the United States previously agreed to take part in joint military exercises with South Korea.”
He went on to say that the exercises were not only expensive but also “totally inappropriate,” given that North Korea had behaved respectfully during his time as president. He therefore instructed “Secretary of War” Pete Hegseth to reduce U.S. participation in a military exercise due to begin the following day.
Yes, the following day.
tirsdag 18. august 2026
Trump has handed a gift to Kim Jong Un and deepened concerns over US reliability
President Donald Trump’s sudden announcement the US is scaling backmajor military drills with South Korea risks renewing concerns US forces are too stretched to support crucial Western allies or maintain deterrence against autocracies that threaten them. It’s also a gift to North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un at a time when he has ramped up his own nation’s threat to global stability –– and offered no concessions in return.
Just as the 10-day Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises involving tens of thousands of troops were set to begin, Trump said he had ordered the war games scaled back because North Korea has been “unthreatening and respectful” to his administration.
Just as the 10-day Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises involving tens of thousands of troops were set to begin, Trump said he had ordered the war games scaled back because North Korea has been “unthreatening and respectful” to his administration.
US pulls last aircraft carrier in Asia as Trump focuses on Iran and the Western Hemisphere
President Donald Trump’s war against Iran is stretching the limits of U.S. aircraft carriers and leaving the western Pacific without one of the key American warships as China shows more signs of aggression.
The USS George Washington is departing the Pacific and expected to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East amid growing concerns about mental health and supply issues aboard the long-deployed carrier. The Lincoln has had its time at sea extended from its original May return date to support operations against Iran.
The lack of a U.S. carrier in the Pacific may be short-lived if the Navy deploys another in the next couple of months. But it shows how the open-ended operations with Iran are running some American sailors ragged, analysts say, while the Trump administration further retreats from the Asia-Pacific region and focuses on the Western Hemisphere.
The USS George Washington is departing the Pacific and expected to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East amid growing concerns about mental health and supply issues aboard the long-deployed carrier. The Lincoln has had its time at sea extended from its original May return date to support operations against Iran.
The lack of a U.S. carrier in the Pacific may be short-lived if the Navy deploys another in the next couple of months. But it shows how the open-ended operations with Iran are running some American sailors ragged, analysts say, while the Trump administration further retreats from the Asia-Pacific region and focuses on the Western Hemisphere.
China censors public mourning as it holds former premier's funeral
Flags at government sites are flying at half-mast and security vehicles are parked in the heart of Beijing, as China mourns former Premier Zhu Rongji. Zhu died of an illness last week at 97 and was cremated at a funeral in Beijing on Tuesday. The ceremony, attended by senior leaders including President Xi Jinping, was kept low-key. No footage has been released.
Zhu, who served as China's premier from 1998 to 2003, is remembered as one of the country's most important economic reformers. While hailing the late premier as a "loyal" party member, the Chinese state is also wary that public mourning for his era of reform can easily turn into veiled criticisms of the current government under Xi.
Zhu, who served as China's premier from 1998 to 2003, is remembered as one of the country's most important economic reformers. While hailing the late premier as a "loyal" party member, the Chinese state is also wary that public mourning for his era of reform can easily turn into veiled criticisms of the current government under Xi.
Thailand has a gun problem - 10 million of them
Just three days after a 14-year-old opened fire at his school, killing eight people before shooting himself, another incident in the same province illustrated even more starkly Thailand's troubled relationship with guns.
Chalong Riewrang, a 71-year-old former politician, went into the local administration office to discuss a large sum of money he says he was owed by the administration chief, Thongchai Yenprasert, a man he called his friend. The conversation ended abruptly with Chalong pulling out a gun and firing four shots through the window of Thongchai's car, hitting him and his driver. Thongchai later died from his wounds. Chalong then left the scene, and phoned a startled journalist he knew who was in the middle of a live broadcast on YouTube, to tell her what had happened.
After the police intercepted him and took him to the station, he was allowed to speak to reporters, casually smoking a cigarette and seemingly unperturbed by what he had done.
Chalong Riewrang, a 71-year-old former politician, went into the local administration office to discuss a large sum of money he says he was owed by the administration chief, Thongchai Yenprasert, a man he called his friend. The conversation ended abruptly with Chalong pulling out a gun and firing four shots through the window of Thongchai's car, hitting him and his driver. Thongchai later died from his wounds. Chalong then left the scene, and phoned a startled journalist he knew who was in the middle of a live broadcast on YouTube, to tell her what had happened.
After the police intercepted him and took him to the station, he was allowed to speak to reporters, casually smoking a cigarette and seemingly unperturbed by what he had done.
US Navy destroyer spent four days without power last month in South China Sea
A US Navy guided-missile destroyer spent four days last month without working toilets, galley services and air conditioning in the blistering heat of the South China Sea after the warship lost power. The incident was due to an engineering failure aboard the warship, the US 7th Fleet said in a statement to CNN, another setback as concerns mount over the heavy strain on the US Navy due to the Iran war and global commitments.
The USS Benfold, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, was on routine operations in the Indo-Pacific on July 24 when an “engineering casualty involving its generators” occurred, Navy Cmdr. Matthew Comer, spokesperson for the 7th Fleet, said.
The USS Benfold, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, was on routine operations in the Indo-Pacific on July 24 when an “engineering casualty involving its generators” occurred, Navy Cmdr. Matthew Comer, spokesperson for the 7th Fleet, said.
China’s most famous comedian under investigation for joke about communist song
A stand-up comedian, considered one of China’s most influential cultural figures, has been placed under investigation and had performances cancelled after he joked about a communist party song.
Guo Degang, China’s best-known comic, was accused of violating public morals after he improvised his own lyrics to a famous Chinese revolutionary song during a performance in Wuhan at the end of July. He was reported to the city’s Culture and Tourism Bureau by a complainant who said he had “not only distorted and vulgarized a classic revolutionary work, but also violated public morals and accepted standards of conduct,” according to a screenshot of the letter published by state-affiliated media thePaper.
Guo’s trouble underscores the delicate line comedians must tread in highly censored China, especially as its ruling communist party steps up its ideological drive.
Guo Degang, China’s best-known comic, was accused of violating public morals after he improvised his own lyrics to a famous Chinese revolutionary song during a performance in Wuhan at the end of July. He was reported to the city’s Culture and Tourism Bureau by a complainant who said he had “not only distorted and vulgarized a classic revolutionary work, but also violated public morals and accepted standards of conduct,” according to a screenshot of the letter published by state-affiliated media thePaper.
Guo’s trouble underscores the delicate line comedians must tread in highly censored China, especially as its ruling communist party steps up its ideological drive.
Five years after the Taliban won, Afghanistan is still losing
In the five years since the chaotic US withdrawal from Kabul and the Taliban’s return to power, Afghanistan has become home to one of the world’s worst human rights and humanitarian emergencies.
Once central to US foreign policy, with American taxpayers footing a $2.3 trillion bill for its 20-year war there, Afghanistan and its people have largely slipped out of much of the world’s view, despite a convergence of man-made and natural crises that have pushed millions of children to starvation and stripped women and girls of their most fundamental rights.
Humanitarian aid to Afghanistan – which is needed by approximately 45% of the population – has been dramatically cut by international donors since the Taliban returned to power, with women and girls bearing the brunt of those cuts. The United States, once the top provider of assistance to Afghanistan, no longer even ranks in the top five of donor nations.
Once central to US foreign policy, with American taxpayers footing a $2.3 trillion bill for its 20-year war there, Afghanistan and its people have largely slipped out of much of the world’s view, despite a convergence of man-made and natural crises that have pushed millions of children to starvation and stripped women and girls of their most fundamental rights.
Humanitarian aid to Afghanistan – which is needed by approximately 45% of the population – has been dramatically cut by international donors since the Taliban returned to power, with women and girls bearing the brunt of those cuts. The United States, once the top provider of assistance to Afghanistan, no longer even ranks in the top five of donor nations.
mandag 17. august 2026
Taiwan: 'To destroy a nation, first erase its history; to destroy a people, first destroy its culture’
Minister of Culture Li Yuan on Saturday lamented the erosion of Taiwan’s cultural sector, saying opposition parties had used cuts to the ministry’s funding “to destroy a people, first destroy its culture.”
The Ministry of Culture’s proposed publicity budget of NT$47.38 million (US$1.48 million) was deleted in the budget cuts passed in the legislature on Friday, while funding for the Public Television Service (PTS) was reduced by NT$21.85 million and Taiwan Plus saw its budget cut by NT$200 million. Li on Saturday said the ministry’s publicity budget has been slashed for a second consecutive year.
The Ministry of Culture’s proposed publicity budget of NT$47.38 million (US$1.48 million) was deleted in the budget cuts passed in the legislature on Friday, while funding for the Public Television Service (PTS) was reduced by NT$21.85 million and Taiwan Plus saw its budget cut by NT$200 million. Li on Saturday said the ministry’s publicity budget has been slashed for a second consecutive year.
From Apple to Ford: How Chinese tech is becoming harder for global companies to ignore
Washington has been stepping up efforts to curb Beijing’s technological ambitions, but from artificial intelligence to electric vehicle batteries, Chinese technology is becoming increasingly embedded in the businesses of some of the world’s biggest companies.
Apple has tapped Alibaba and Baidu for AI in China, while Ford has turned to CATL for battery technology. Volkswagen has teamed up with Xpeng to develop smart EVs in China, while Stellantis is expanding its partnership with Leapmotor on EV production and joint purchasing. Analysts say a broad shift is underway, with Chinese companies becoming sources of technology and innovation that global businesses cannot easily sidestep.
Apple has tapped Alibaba and Baidu for AI in China, while Ford has turned to CATL for battery technology. Volkswagen has teamed up with Xpeng to develop smart EVs in China, while Stellantis is expanding its partnership with Leapmotor on EV production and joint purchasing. Analysts say a broad shift is underway, with Chinese companies becoming sources of technology and innovation that global businesses cannot easily sidestep.
Beijing is said to move to clarify tax rules stoking confusion among China’s ultra-wealthy
Beijing is moving to clarify new tax rules on offshore trusts that have sowed confusion among wealthy Chinese citizens and their advisers. China’s State Taxation Administration is conducting large-scale training for local tax officers to align on how the levy on offshore trusts – some of them set up decades ago – should be applied, according to several onshore and offshore tax lawyers.
The tax agency has also sent out draft guidelines to onshore law and accounting firms, and plans consultation sessions with lawyers in the coming weeks, according to multiple lawyers and advisors who didn’t want to be named discussing sensitive policy matters. Some of those people expect more draft guidance to follow, with the documents eventually made public.
The tax agency has also sent out draft guidelines to onshore law and accounting firms, and plans consultation sessions with lawyers in the coming weeks, according to multiple lawyers and advisors who didn’t want to be named discussing sensitive policy matters. Some of those people expect more draft guidance to follow, with the documents eventually made public.
Trump Will Make South Korea Pay For His Iran Humiliation
Last winter, Donald Trump plunged recklessly into war with Iran. The United States is now losing that conflict. Iran remains defiant, much of the world economy is more threatened now than it was six months ago, U.S. military resources are overextended, and munition stores are dangerously depleted. Trump and the United States have suffered one embarrassment after another; last week, he had to sneak away from the region on a backup plane because of a possible assassination threat from Tehran.
And so the president of the United States has taken the logical next step: He is punishing South Korea, a loyal American friend, and tempting U.S. enemies to doubt America’s will to defend its allies.
And so the president of the United States has taken the logical next step: He is punishing South Korea, a loyal American friend, and tempting U.S. enemies to doubt America’s will to defend its allies.
Hackers used autonomous AI agents to attack Taiwan. Is this the future of cyberwarfare?
Hackers deployed an AI system to carry out sophisticated cyberattacks on Taiwan, officials said, in what experts believe is the first known fully autonomous attack on government agencies. Over four days in July, the AI agents were able to map 21 government systems, crack 85 government user accounts, and extract 2,500 personnel records, according to Dream, an Israeli AI firm that first discovered the attack.
Experts suspect the hackers are from China, but neither Taiwan nor Dream would confirm the origin of the July attacks.
“The investigation found clear indications that the attacks originated overseas and involved a hybrid approach in which hackers combined conventional operations with AI agents such as OpenClaw,” Taiwan’s Ministry of Digital Affairs said in a Thursday statement.
Experts suspect the hackers are from China, but neither Taiwan nor Dream would confirm the origin of the July attacks.
“The investigation found clear indications that the attacks originated overseas and involved a hybrid approach in which hackers combined conventional operations with AI agents such as OpenClaw,” Taiwan’s Ministry of Digital Affairs said in a Thursday statement.
How an icy shipping route at the top of the world is bringing China and Russia together
Ice was still heavy on the water when the hulking Christophe de Margerie tanker set off on the first journey of the season along the Northern Sea Route in late May.
It had just stopped at a port connected to Arctic LNG-2, a US-sanctioned liquefied natural gas facility deep in the Russian Arctic, shipping data shows. From there, led most of the way by an icebreaker, the tanker lumbered through thousands of miles of Arctic waters and the Bering Sea. Its roughly two-week trip ended at the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia’s Far East, where the tanker slipped into a secluded bay that used to be home to a Soviet military settlement.
It had just stopped at a port connected to Arctic LNG-2, a US-sanctioned liquefied natural gas facility deep in the Russian Arctic, shipping data shows. From there, led most of the way by an icebreaker, the tanker lumbered through thousands of miles of Arctic waters and the Bering Sea. Its roughly two-week trip ended at the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia’s Far East, where the tanker slipped into a secluded bay that used to be home to a Soviet military settlement.
The perils of falling in love as a Communist Party member in China
She was about to marry the love of her life, a foreign man she met at an overseas airport, who’d asked for her number and quickly followed up. But instead of congratulating their long-time colleague, her co-workers, under the orders of their department head, urged her to think again.
Was he worth her losing her job? Along with millions of other Chinese government employees, the woman, whose name was not disclosed due to the sensitivity of the matter, is bound by a long-standing rule that bans civil servants, or anyone who possesses “significant secrets,” from marrying foreigners.
And it’s not just marriage. Since Chinese leader Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, many aspects of personal life for members of the Communist Party or the state sector, from divorce to travel and social activities, have come under increasing scrutiny.
Read more
Was he worth her losing her job? Along with millions of other Chinese government employees, the woman, whose name was not disclosed due to the sensitivity of the matter, is bound by a long-standing rule that bans civil servants, or anyone who possesses “significant secrets,” from marrying foreigners.
And it’s not just marriage. Since Chinese leader Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, many aspects of personal life for members of the Communist Party or the state sector, from divorce to travel and social activities, have come under increasing scrutiny.
Read more
Xi says China needs ‘indomitable fighting spirit,’ praises Tiananmen crackdown
Chinese leader Xi Jinping called on his people to show an “indomitable fighting spirit” in a bullish speech on Monday in which he also praised the ruling Communist Party’s decision to clamp down the Tiananmen democracy protests.
Xi made the comments at a landmark speech marking the centenary of the birth of one of his predecessors – Jiang Zemin, who was China’s leader from 1993 to 2002. He died in 2022. Addressing thousands of officials and delegates at the Great Hall of the People, he portrayed China as a country that was facing tough times, but one that would emerge unscathed.
Xi made the comments at a landmark speech marking the centenary of the birth of one of his predecessors – Jiang Zemin, who was China’s leader from 1993 to 2002. He died in 2022. Addressing thousands of officials and delegates at the Great Hall of the People, he portrayed China as a country that was facing tough times, but one that would emerge unscathed.
Trump says US will reduce military exercises with South Korea, citing lack of help with Iran
President Donald Trump announced Sunday that the United States would reduce military exercises with key regional ally South Korea, just hours before that were due to get underway, citing his positive relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Seoul’s lack of assistance with Iran.
“Based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un, of North Korea, I am not happy with the fact that the United States has, long ago, agreed to participate in Joint Military Exercises with South Korea,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “These exercises are not only costly, with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile, to a Country that, as long as Donald J. Trump has been President, has been unthreatening and respectful.”
South Korea has been a close American ally for over 70 years and the two nations have a mutual defense treaty, primarily designed to protect it from North Korea –– a burgeoning military power that now posses nuclear warheads and intercontinental ballistic missiles.
“Based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un, of North Korea, I am not happy with the fact that the United States has, long ago, agreed to participate in Joint Military Exercises with South Korea,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “These exercises are not only costly, with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile, to a Country that, as long as Donald J. Trump has been President, has been unthreatening and respectful.”
South Korea has been a close American ally for over 70 years and the two nations have a mutual defense treaty, primarily designed to protect it from North Korea –– a burgeoning military power that now posses nuclear warheads and intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Vietnam, Rare Earths, and the Evolving China Plus One Strategy
Over the past few years, China Plus One has reshaped global production, helping Vietnam emerge as an important manufacturing base. China Plus One involves companies reducing their excessive dependence on a single production base (i.e., China) by adding capacity elsewhere, which many have already done. However, the next stage of this strategy is likely to be more complicated. Export controls and economic security concerns are exposing vulnerabilities further upstream, particularly in industries that depend on critical minerals. This has demonstrated that even if a company can diversify where it manufactures, it may remain dependent on concentrated supplies of the materials, components, and processing capabilities necessary for that production.
Vietnam illustrates this challenge particularly well. China Plus One has brought major investments and increasingly sophisticated manufacturing activities to the country.
Vietnam illustrates this challenge particularly well. China Plus One has brought major investments and increasingly sophisticated manufacturing activities to the country.
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