Category: Politics

Politics

US and Taiwan Team Up on Palau Projects as Washington Pledges More Than US$150 Million for Pacific

The United States and Taiwan are deepening cooperation in Palau as Washington announces more than US$150 million in new support for Pacific Island nations, putting infrastructure, energy security and regional development at the center of a growing geopolitical contest. US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau announced the funding on Sept. 1 during the Pacific Islands Forum Partners Dialogue in Palau. The US Department of State said the package is intended to strengthen economic prosperi

September 3, 2026

Politics

Trump Threatens to Hit Iran “Hard” as US-Iran Fighting Erupts Again Around Strait of Hormuz

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump has threatened further military action against Iran after American and Iranian forces exchanged fire for the first time in weeks, raising fresh fears that the six-month conflict could spiral into a wider regional war. The latest escalation began when US forces struck Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, with Washington saying the weapons were being prepared for use in laying sea mines in one of the world's most important shippi

September 3, 2026

Politics

Iran Strikes US Targets Across Gulf After US Attack Reportedly Hits Wedding in Southern Iran

Iran has launched a wave of missile and drone attacks against US-linked targets across the Middle East after a new round of American strikes on Iran, dramatically escalating a conflict that had shown signs of easing. The latest confrontation came after US forces carried out strikes against Iranian military targets, including air-defense systems, radar installations, maritime assets and facilities linked to Iran’s ability to operate around the Strait of Hormuz, according to the US military. Ira

September 3, 2026

Politics

US and Taiwan Team Up on Palau Projects as Washington Pledges More Than US$150 Million for Pacific

The United States and Taiwan are expanding cooperation in the Pacific through two projects in Palau, as Washington announces more than US$150 million in new support for Pacific island nations amid intensifying competition for influence across the region. The initiatives were announced during the 55th Pacific Islands Forum in Palau, where US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau unveiled Washington’s new funding package on Sept. 1. The broader US program covers energy, infrastructure, dig

September 3, 2026

Business

Bessent Pressures BOJ to Act on Weak Yen as September Rate Hike Bets Surge

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has stepped up pressure on Japan’s central bank to take “decisive” action against the yen’s weakness, adding fresh momentum to expectations that the Bank of Japan could raise interest rates later this month. Bessent met Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda on Aug. 30 on the sidelines of the G20 finance ministers and central bank governors’ meeting in Asheville, North Carolina. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, Bessent backed Japan’s efforts to address

September 3, 2026

Politics

UN Moves Toward International Support Fund for Nuclear Weapons Victims

The United Nations is taking a significant step toward addressing the long-term human and environmental consequences of nuclear weapons, with survivors and communities affected by atomic bombings and nuclear testing calling for greater international support. A first-of-its-kind international meeting on victim assistance and environmental remediation was held at UN Headquarters in New York on Sept. 1, bringing together governments, civil society representatives and people directly affected by nu

September 3, 2026

Politics

Russia Suffers More Than 40,000 Reported Military Casualties for Second Straight Month, US Think Tank Says

Russia’s military is reportedly continuing to pay a heavy price for limited battlefield gains in Ukraine, with Ukrainian authorities estimating more than 42,000 Russian military casualties in August alone. The figure, cited by the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW), would mark the second consecutive month in which reported Russian casualties exceeded 40,000. Ukraine's General Staff estimated 42,020 Russian casualties for August, following an estimated 42,860 in July. That would put

September 3, 2026

Business

Chevron Makes US$7 Billion Bet on Venezuela Oil as US Pushes Major Energy Expansion

CARACAS, Venezuela — US energy giant Chevron is making a major new bet on Venezuela, announcing plans to invest more than US$7 billion over the next five years to dramatically expand oil production in a country sitting on some of the world's largest petroleum reserves. The ambitious plan aims to more than double Chevron's Venezuelan production to approximately 600,000 barrels per day, marking one of the most significant investments yet in the country's struggling energy industry. Chevron said

September 2, 2026

Politics

CIA Chief’s Secret Moscow Meeting ‘Achieved Its Goals,’ Lithuania Says

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda says CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s unannounced trip to Moscow achieved its stated objectives, adding that the mission was aimed at reducing tensions in the region. Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow on August 25, in the first publicly known visit by a sitting CIA director to Russia since CIA chief William Burns went there in 2021. Ratcliffe met Russia’s foreign intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin, who confirmed the talks and described them as a working-level intel

September 2, 2026

Indonesia

India’s Modi Emerges as a Potential Diplomatic Bridge Between Russia and Iran

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek have put a new question on the table: Could India become an important bridge between countries locked in major conflicts? Modi’s position is unusual. India maintains a longstanding strategic relationship with Russia while also maintaining working ties with Iran and close relations with the United States and other

September 2, 2026