The new economic geography: Who profits in a post-American world? Adam S. Posen
Can Keir survive? Inside the plot to bring down the prime minister: With his government mired in scandal, an operation to dethrone Starmer is now under way. Guardian
Tuesday: American President Donald Trump, accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, begins his second state visit to Britain, hosted by King Charles III at Windsor Castle.
Starmer ‘in last-chance saloon’ as he pins hopes on Trump visit: Facing a backbench revolt, the prime minister is seeking to regain the initiative after the Mandelson fiasco prompted talk of a leadership challenge. The Times
The inside story of how Starmer has (so far) won over Trump: More than 20 Labour and Republican sources reveal how private outreach, public theatre and careful planning led to this week’s state visit. Telegraph
The US-UK relationship is about to become more explosive: MAGA’s bromance with Britain’s populist conservatives is fueled by a combustible mixture of love and hate. Adrian Wooldridge
UK plans biggest security operation since coronation for Trump’s state visit: NYT reports the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk has intensified consideration about potential threats, experts said. British authorities had already made extensive security plans.
The Brits who beat Brexit: Gibraltar celebrates its return to Europe: Nearly a decade after Britain quit the EU, British residents of Gibraltar on the southern tip of Spain, will regain travel and commercial access under a treaty. WP
Why French politics can't cope without an absolute majority: While most European countries have learned to manage their fragmented parliaments, France has failed to adapt. The 'fait majoritaire,' the political dominance of a president backed by a parliamentary majority, has so deeply shaped politics since 1962 that lawmakers have been unable to envision governments built on a base of negotiation and compromise. Le Monde
How Emmanuel Macron’s France became Europe’s fiscal problem child: Dire finances reflect pandemic and energy crisis largesse but also president’s early tax cuts. FT
Sarkozy's son to run for mayor in scandal-plagued French Riviera town: Louis Sarkozy, the son of former president Nicolas Sarkozy, will run for mayor in Menton, where several investigations are open into the local administration. Le Monde
Far right set to make electoral gains in Germany’s most populous state: FT reports Alternative for Germany puts centre ground parties under pressure in North Rhine-Westphalia’s municipal poll, early projections show.
Saturday: 190th annual Oktoberfest, Bavarian beer festival and funfair, begins in Munich.
China outraged by Mexico's automotive tariffs: Le Monde reports the Mexican government announced plans to raise import taxes to 50% on 1,400 products – including automobiles – imported primarily from China, India, and South Korea. Beijing, viewing this as a pro-American maneuver, threatened retaliation.
China pushes for Trump visit as high-stakes trade talks begin: Fate of TikTok in US also sits at center of US-China negotiations in Madrid this week. WSJ
Wednesday: The deadline for ByteDance to sell TikTok to non-Chinese buyers or have the app banned in the US arrives again -- unless Trump steps in with another extension.
Wednesday: China hosts the 12th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, with military personnel and scholars expected to deliberate on regional security issues and cooperation.
Japan to investigate undersea-cable supply chains for China exposure: Nikkei reports move comes after US announces plan to ban Chinese equipment in maritime cables.
Japan sets record of nearly 100,000 people aged over 100: The BBC reports that Japan has set a new record for the 55th consecutive year, with the number of centenarians in Japan reaching 99,763 as of September, according to the health ministry. Of that total, women accounted for an overwhelming 88%.
In ageing Japan, warehouse work becomes a job for machines: Amazon makes promising advances but the pool of human truck drivers is shrinking dramatically. FT
War movie made by Vietnam's military a box office blockbuster: Film grosses more than twice Hollywood hits during period of 'peak patriotism.' Nikkei
Digital terror threats are rising in Southeast Asia: A lull in violence isn’t a sign of safety. Karishma Vaswani
Record-low Indian rupee risks further weakening if US trade tiff persists: Market goes out of favor with foreign investors as 50% 'reciprocal' tariffs take hold. Nikkei
India finds out how hard it is to build a finance hub from scratch: GIFT City has attracted global banks with tax breaks and modern infrastructure, but the vibrant community its planners promised remains far from reality. Bloomberg
Argentine President Milei calls his sister ‘the boss.’ Now she’s a liability. An election loss and bribery allegations have put a spotlight on Karina Milei and her influence on her older brother. WSJ
Straits Times: Romania summons Russian ambassador over drone ‘threat’
Russia made drone production a supreme priority. Now it swarms the skies. NYT reports Ukraine is struggling to defend itself against the growing number of attack drones that Moscow has started using in its onslaughts.
Boosted by summits in Alaska and China, Putin moves against Europe, Ukraine: Russia has been emboldened in its strategy of splitting the US from Europe while pushing ever harder to gain a military victory in Ukraine. WP
Trump, reluctant to pressure Putin and Netanyahu, risks sidelining himself: US president has leverage with both leaders, but analysts say he isn’t using it. WSJ
Trump’s reversals on immigration mount over economic concerns: Trump has walked back some significant immigration policies that collide with his economic agenda, angering his far-right allies. NYT
Trump concerned South Korean arrests could 'frighten' investors: AFP reports Trump on Sunday said foreign workers sent to the United States are "welcome" and he doesn't want to "frighten off" investors, 10 days after hundreds of South Koreans were arrested at a work site in Georgia.
US companies put brakes on hiring after Donald Trump’s tariffs hit: Industries most exposed to rising costs caused by trade wars launch wave of job cuts. FT
Inside Stephen Miller’s reign of terror: Everything you loathe or love about Donald Trump’s America, you hate or cherish about Miller’s republic of fear. Rolling Stone
In an era of deep polarization, unity is not Trump’s mission: President Trump does not subscribe to the traditional notion of being president for all Americans. NYT
The American dream is ending in a psychotic breakdown: A rising tide of political violence and the rejection of legal norms suggests the America of the Founding no longer exists. Janet Daley
The influencer FBI: The skill set required to succeed online may not always translate to effective law enforcement. Atlantic
Telegraph: Kash Patel takes victory lap for crime FBI did not solve
How Charlie Kirk’s social media machine rewired a generation’s politics: The 31-year-old activist and provocateur built a modern political organization for the social media age, through the arts of online discourse and discord. WP
Utah governor blames social media for fomenting US political violence: FT reports Spencer Cox said accused shooter of Charlie Kirk had been a ‘very normal young man’ who was radicalised online.
Fortune: Utah governor blasts ‘conflict entrepreneurs’ and tech giants that ‘hack our brains’ after Charlie Kirk assassination
AI-controlled drone swarms set to transform combat on battlefield: The latest iteration of flying robot warfare, unmanned weapons co-ordinate to overwhelm enemy defences. FT
AI's prophet of doom wants to shut it all down: Eliezer Yudkowsky has spent the past 20 years warning AI insiders of danger. Now, he’s making his case to the public. NYT
AI extremists are peddling science fiction: AI realism embraces humility and a basic truth: Technologies succeed when they improve lives. Aaron Ginn
The AI doomers are losing the argument: As AI advances and the incentives to release products grow, safety research on superintelligence is playing catch-up. Peter Guest
From Meta AI to ChatGPT: The dangerous game of ever-increasing AI personalization. While publicly pledging to design safe tools, Meta and OpenAI continue to give users the ability to steer their chatbots away from relative neutrality. Is this paradox sustainable in the long term? Nicolas Six
Wednesday: Meta Connect developer conference, where engineers, designers, and creatives will discuss AI and virtual, mixed, and augmented reality.
Fortune: AI engineers are being deployed as consultants and getting paid $900 per hour
Masayoshi Son is going big on OpenAI. Time to worry. SoftBank’s foray into generative AI brings back memories of WeWork. Shuli Ren
Is ChatGPT's fake empathy a threat to mental health? Do conversational artificial intelligences pose a dangerous risk of emotional addiction for vulnerable individuals, or even the general public? Le Monde spoke with addiction specialists. Le Monde
Fortune: AI chatbots are harming young people. Regulators are scrambling to keep up.
Are you experiencing posting ennui? Sharing casual moments from our lives on social media doesn’t seem to make sense the way it used to. New Yorker
Ralph Lauren’s vintage man of mystery: At 71, Doug Bihlmaier has become a style hero to fashion-savvy social media creators. NYT
Shakespeare family tragedy 'Hamnet' wins top Toronto film prize: AFP reports "Hamnet," a devastating period drama about the life of William Shakespeare and his family, won top prize Sunday at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Anime, cocktails, and a fan club: How the Dodgers cash in on Japan: Shohei Ohtani's team takes charge of its international outreach in MLB first. Nikkei
Schroeder seals Euro basketball title for world champions Germany: AFP reports NBA star Dennis Schroeder came good when it mattered most as Germany edged out Turkey 88-83 to win the EuroBasket title, two years after lifting the World Cup.
At World Cup 2026, the US risks a diplomatic own goal: From Uruguay to Qatar, hosts have long used the tournament for politics. Next year, the US may stand out for antagonism toward co-hosts Canada and Mexico. Jonathan Wilson
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal
A11. | September 15
