Here’s a story that will spread sunshine in Beijing this morning: lawsuits by South Korean victims of Japanese forced labor practices from the World War II era are moving forward against a Japanese steelmaker. It looks as if there will be a wave of these cases, reviving extremely (and justifiably) bitter Korean memories about the […]

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is donning his tinfoil hat, and investors, diplomats and even some of his supporters are not impressed with the new look. Erdogan has already identified the covetous “interest rate lobby” and other foreign “dark forces” at work, and he stood silent as his Deputy PM blamed the “Jewish diaspora” for […]

The delay of Obamacare’s employer mandate continues to generate coverage—even the Times is getting into the act. The Grey Lady released a piece today that profiles Shanty Grill, a representative restaurant that is heaving a sigh of relief over the delay of the mandate. But the delay hasn’t stopped the restaurant from making preparations for the future, […]

A new forecast for 2014 predicts lower prices and lower demand for OPEC oil, despite an increase in overall global demand. It’s not surprising that cheap American shale energy is driving the shift. America’s shale boom is predicted to continue to satisfy an ever larger chunk of global demand in 2014. The Financial Times writes: […]

Bad global economic news: Chinese exports and imports both took a tumble in June, slipping 3.1 and 0.7 percent, respectively. Those figures may not sound dramatic, but considering the historically blistering rate of Chinese growth over the past decade they suggest a serious slowdown looming in the world’s second-biggest economy.This is all further evidence that the […]

Coursera has raised another $43 million from investors, and hopes the new funds will help it to finally reach profitability. The New York Times reports: Over the next few months, Coursera plans to double its employees to about 100, and expand in several areas, including mobile apps and its Signature Track offerings, which charge a […]

Illinois still hasn’t done anything about its pension crisis, and its inaction has become an embarrassment. After failing to pass a reform bill in 2012, and failing again to do anything before its session adjourned in May, the state legislature has just missed yet another deadline. After the Spring session adjourned, Governor Pat Quinn called a […]

If you’re wondering why the rent in New York is so high, read this list compiled by Business Insider. It’s a list that every candidate for mayor of New York should read but probably won’t: it showcases eight very well-intentioned blue laws that in their actual effects disadvantage the young and reduce opportunities for the […]

French President François Hollande is about a couple of months past the first-year mark, and it’s been a disastrous term so far. If he’s surprised by this, he shouldn’t be. Right out of the gate, he’s made moves that both supporters and opponents would consider missteps. He raised taxes on businesses to increase revenue for […]

The de facto Qatar-Turkey alliance with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt has been hit by a powerful counterpunch from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, who have jointly promised $8 billion in aid for Egypt’s new government.Qatar had been hoping to ride the Islamist tide to greater regional power and influence, giving about $8 billion to […]