The West should learn from Japan how to stand up to China

China’s recent decision to target Japanese companies with export controls on critical minerals and “dual‑use” technologies isn’t just an escalation in Beijing’s dispute with Tokyo. This is a moment of truth for democracies that still hope to compartmentalize economic engagement with China from geopolitical security realities. Last month, Beijing placed 20 Japanese companies on a […]

Starmer’s premiership is dying. Nobody knows how to save it. – POLITICO

The result, one of the worst in Labour’s recent history, has turbocharged the acrimonious debate about Starmer’s perilous position and the direction he is taking his party in.  Six government ministers, MPs and officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told POLITICO they don’t expect the prime minister to be ousted in the wake of the […]

How to watch Keir Starmer’s massive by-election test like a pro – POLITICO

Here’s everything you need to know about the battle for Gorton and Denton. Why it matters Gorton and Denton is the prime minister’s biggest electoral test since last May, when Nigel Farage’s Reform UK snatched Runcorn and Helsby (also in north west England) off Labour by just six votes. On the same night, Reform also […]

How the global effort to keep AI safe went off the rails  – POLITICO

The Trump administration “is very focused on encouraging the success of AI around the world. So this is an important opportunity and a strong showing for the U.S. government,” Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade William Kimmitt said at an event in Washington this month. American companies, including OpenAI, Anthropic and Meta, are announcing billions […]

How to watch British politics in 2026 like a pro – POLITICO

To turn it around, Starmer’s aides want to tackle problems baked into the state for years —on welfare, social care, backlogged courts, special needs support and glacial infrastructure development. Ministers will have to enact reforms they promised to the migration system, a political landmine that has wounded so many predecessors. Endless hurdles stand in Starmer’s […]

Brussels deadlocked over how to handle Brexit Britain – POLITICO

“We made an agreement in May — that should be the foundation for our conversation,” said a second person, an EU diplomat, also granted anonymity to speak freely about the talks. “So we shouldn’t then in November come back and try to add to it the contributions to cohesion funds that we didn’t agree in […]