News
Sulfur squeeze: Gulf chaos is coming for Asia's food prices
3+ hour, 23+ min ago (908+ words) Fertilizer input stress is beginning to rebuild upstream as shipping disruptions continue to constrain flows through critical energy and chemical corridors. Recent developments across Middle Eastern routes, namely the blockades at the Strait of Hormuz, combined with tightening export conditions…...
AI and robots can't fill bellies " so, capitalism's end?
2+ day, 13+ hour ago (1364+ words) Upon close examination, the global economic psyche reveals humanity as recently caught between two opposing poles. On the one hand, unprecedented technological advancement promises to colonize the Moon and Mars, eradicate diseases at their roots, and deliver an unimaginable rise…...
Trump aides caught with pants down as Iran war gooses inflation
1+ week, 5+ day ago (723+ words) New data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that'inflation'soared in March thanks in large part to increased energy costs stemming from President Donald Trump's war with Iran. According'to the BLS, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) posted a month-over-month…...
Another Fed rate cut " still possible but far from guaranteed
2+ week, 6+ day ago (839+ words) It's still possible the Federal Reserve will slash interest rates again this year " but don't count on it. With input prices soaring, interest rates aren't the top concern for farmers and ranchers these days. Still, lower rates would be welcome....
Japan's relief rally masks deeper economic risks
3+ week, 3+ hour ago (147+ words) Asia Times Markets rebound, but Japan not yet out of the woods Scott Foster reports that market rebounds driven by shifting US signals on Iran mask deeper risks for Japan, including rising inflation, volatile energy costs and pressure on the…...
Trump Fed pick Warsh eyes a 'family fight' shakeup
3+ week, 23+ hour ago (855+ words) Since President Donald Trump named Kevin Warsh as his choice for Federal Reserve chair on January 30, 2026, financial markets have focused on one question: Is he still the inflation hawk he once was, or is he now more comfortable with the…...
Japan's economy edging toward a Takaichi downturn
1+ mon, 3+ day ago (158+ words) No surprises from Japan as risks mount Scott Foster reports that Japan's economy is coming under mounting pressure from higher energy costs, rising bond yields and weakening markets as the Iran war feeds imported inflation. The anticipated Takaichi boom is…...
Oil surge exposing cracks in $1. 8 trillion private credit market
1+ mon, 5+ day ago (1451+ words) TOKYO " With the Iran war sending oil prices into a vertical climb, the resulting shockwaves across global markets have investors balancing their portfolios like a high'stakes game of Jenga on a trembling table. The problem isn't so much oil prices…...
Danantara at one: promise, peril and vexing questions
1+ mon, 1+ week ago (1404+ words) This month's celebration marking the first anniversary of the Daya Anagata Nusantara Investment Management Agency, better known as Danantara, became a stage for Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto to showcase a set of numbers that, at first glance, appeared revolutionary. In…...
Dual paradox coiled inside China's $1 trillion trade surplus
1+ mon, 3+ week ago (1010+ words) China just notched a historic milestone: a trade surplus exceeding US$1 trillion in 2025, with exports up 5. 4 % despite the trade war with the United States. Yet China's export story isn't just about volume " it's about a striking shift toward high-value, high-tech…...