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Horizons Middle East & Africa is your daily spotlight on one of the world’s fastest-growing regions. Live from Dubai, we bring you the latest global markets and analysis, plus news-making interviews, with a special focus on MEA. All that and more, as you head to the office in the Gulf, pause for lunch in Hong Kong, or start your day in London or Johannesburg. (Source: Bloomberg)
Earlier this month, the celebrated cellist Yo-Yo Ma turned seventy—an occasion that led him to reflect on not just his own past but also the planet’s future. In a letter to fans, he wrote, “Today, I am worried. In the year 2100, my youngest grandchild will be 76. She will be meeting a world I will not see. I wonder what the world will be like then?” Not long ago, Ma sent us recommendations for three books that have contributed to his thinking on this theme—books that interrogate timeless aspects of human nature, our complex relationships to one another, and…
Rights and Responsibilities is a recurring series by Richard Garnett on legal education, the role of the courts in our constitutional structure, and the law of religious freedom and free expression. It is still (very) early in the Supreme Court’s new term, and its calendar is far from full. The justices and their law clerks will consider thousands more requests for review and, notwithstanding the recent trend of declining caseloads, will probably grant a few dozen more. That said, and unlike the last few years, it does not appear that the story of what court-watchers call October Term 2025 will feature…
As trade tensions grow between the US and China, Microsoft is reportedly preparing to move the manufacturing of its Surface laptops and tablets out of China. Nikkei reports that Microsoft is aiming to move manufacturing of Surface devices and data center servers out of China “starting from 2026 at the earliest.”The move will reportedly include components, parts, and product assembly for future Surface hardware and server products. The report claims Microsoft has already shifted some of its existing server production outside China, and is pushing to also produce more Xbox consoles outside of the country.News of Microsoft’s potential manufacturing changes…
French parliament set for no-confidence votesWelcome to our Europe blog with a lively day expected in the French parliament with two no-confidence votes scheduled.The prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, and his government appear likely to survive, however, after he offered to suspend President Emmanuel Macron’s landmark pension reform to win support from the left.The Socialists, who hold the key to Lecornu’s political survival, welcomed the move, saying they would not support the no-confidence motions, one from the far-left and the other from the far-right National Rally.The result is still expected to be close, Reuters reports, with potential rebels from the Socialists…
Brown University has rejected the Trump administration’s proposed compact, which would have required the university to make changes to its campus policies in exchange for an advantage in receiving federal funds. In a Wednesday letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon and White House aides May Mailman and Vincent Haley, Brown President Christina Paxson said she was “concerned” that agreeing to the compact “would restrict academic freedom and undermine the autonomy of Brown’s governance.” Paxson notes that while she is willing to cooperate with the federal government and is “committed to contributing to national conversations about principles for improving American higher…
A federal employee union last week filed its second lawsuit against the Trump administration over its efforts to outlaw collective bargaining at most federal agencies, arguing that the White House targeted National Aeronautics and Space Administration workers in response to the labor group’s vow to fight anti-union actions at other federal agencies.In March, President Trump signed an executive order citing a seldom-used provision of the 1978 Civil Service Reform Act to strip two-thirds of federal employees of their collective bargaining rights, on the grounds of national security. The International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers in July challenged that edict…
This article is an on-site version of our FirstFT newsletter. Subscribers can sign up to our Asia, Europe/Africa or Americas edition to get the newsletter delivered every weekday morning. Explore all of our newsletters hereGood morning and welcome back. In today’s newsletter:Bond investors rein in credit riskFrench business ‘betrayed’ by Lecornu’s moveRethink of Europe’s military procurement urgedAir travel disruption from US shutdownWe begin with the bond market, where big investors are cutting back their exposure to riskier corporate debt.Who’s shifting: Asset managers including BlackRock, M&G and Fidelity International have gravitated towards safer corporate or government bonds, believing that a huge…
Sometimes you have to ask yourself: How did I get here—sitting in Saudi Arabia, listening to Louis C.K. do jokes about Barely Legal magazine?Honestly, I thought it would be funny. The instant I heard about the Riyadh Comedy Festival, I pleaded with the editor of this magazine to send me. Despite a series of legal reforms over the past decade, Saudi Arabia remains one of the most conservative Muslim societies in the world, while Louis C.K. is famous for his foul mouth and his record of masturbating in front of a succession of unimpressed women. A match made in heaven!My…
Arson Alone Does Not Explain the Palisades Fire The Drain is a weekly roundup of environmental and climate news from Legal Planet. When federal prosecutors charged a man last week with intentionally starting a brushfire that was suppressed but smoldered and ultimately became the Palisades fire, arson became the focus of attention all week. The city’s after-action report about the fire was totally overshadowed by questions around the suspect. What was his motive? Is there strong evidence? It’s almost as if arson became the sole explanation for one of the state’s most destructive fires. That would be a mistake. People…