Hiroshi Watanabe As U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met in Beijing for a closely watched summit centered on trade, tariffs, Taiwan, and geopolitical tensions, one phrase stood out from Xi’s remarks: the “Thucydides Trap.” The reference immediately drew attention because it invoked the work of Thucydides , an ancient Greek historian whose writings on war and power politics...
Hiroshi Watanabe As U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met in Beijing for a closely watched summit centered on trade, tariffs, Taiwan, and geopolitical tensions, one phrase stood out from Xi’s remarks: the “Thucydides Trap.” The reference immediately drew attention because it invoked the work of Thucydides , an ancient Greek historian whose writings on war and power politics continue to influence modern diplomacy more than 2,000 years later. Thucydides, an Athenian general and historian who lived during the 5th century BCE, remains one of the most influential thinkers in international relations more than two millennia after his death. His masterpiece, History of the Peloponnesian War , chronicled the devastating conflict between Athens and Sparta, but what set his work apart was his methodology. Unlike contemporaries who relied on mythology or divine intervention to explain events, Thucydides focused on political strategy, human behavior, military power, and economics, creating one of the earliest examples of analytical history and political realism. At the heart of his analysis lay a deceptively simple observation: rising powers create fear in established powers, making conflict more likely. As Thucydides famously wrote, “It was the rise of Athens and the fear that this inspired in Sparta that made war inevitable.” This insight became the foundation for what Harvard professor Graham Allison later popularized as the “Thucydides Trap”, the dangerous dynamic that emerges when a rising global power challenges an existing dominant one, potentially pushing both toward confrontation even if neither actively seeks war. Why the Idea Matters Today: The Trump-Xi summit comes at a particularly sensitive moment in U.S.-China relations. Trade tensions, tariffs, restrictions on advanced technology exports, disputes over Taiwan, and broader geopolitical competition have strained ties between the world’s two largest economies. At the same time, both countries...
The most critical signal within Nebius’s (NBIS) recent performance is not the quarterly revenue beat, but the fundamental transformation of the company’s risk profile. While the market focuses on top-line volatility, the deeper narrative reveals a transition from speculative capacity building toward the industrial-scale fulfillment of pre-sold infrastructure.
The most critical signal within Nebius’s (NBIS) recent performance is not the quarterly revenue beat, but the fundamental transformation of the company’s risk profile. While the market focuses on top-line volatility, the deeper narrative reveals a transition from speculative capacity building toward the industrial-scale fulfillment of pre-sold infrastructure.
Despite Record Low Sentiment, US Retail Sales See Strongest Annual Gain In 8 Months After a big jump in March, retail sales likely cooled in April , according to BofA's almost omniscient forecast as they see spending on gasoline providing a smaller boost and auto sales moderating, after an early Easter pulled forward some seasonal demand into March. The “holiday shift” dynamic also may have contri...
Despite Record Low Sentiment, US Retail Sales See Strongest Annual Gain In 8 Months After a big jump in March, retail sales likely cooled in April , according to BofA's almost omniscient forecast as they see spending on gasoline providing a smaller boost and auto sales moderating, after an early Easter pulled forward some seasonal demand into March. The “holiday shift” dynamic also may have contributed to softer activity after Easter. However, the actual print was +0.5% MoM (as consensus expected - and hotter than BofA's forecast), lifting sales by 4.9% YoY - the strongest gain since Aug 2025 Source: Bloomberg Gas Stations and Nonstore (Online) Retailers were the biggest positive factor while Motor Vehicle & Parts and Clothing were the biggest drags... Source: Bloomberg Most importantly, the 'Control Group' which plugs into the GDP calculation rose 0.5% MoM (better than expected) and March was revised higher... Source: Bloomberg Interestingly, 'real' retail sales (admittedly crudely adjusted via CPI) have rebounded from a negative print in December... Source: Bloomberg So far it seems spending continues despite record low consumer sentiment? Who exactly is UMich surveying for this? Tyler Durden Thu, 05/14/2026 - 08:39
️ Updates from the first round at Aronimink Golf Club ️ Official live leaderboard | Follow us on Bluesky | Mail Scott Michael Brennan is making his PGA Championship debut this week. The 24-year-old from Virginia tied for 24th at the Masters last month, and won his first title on Tour in Utah last October, and now he’s joint leader here, albeit with the usual fairly major early-Thursday caveats. He...
️ Updates from the first round at Aronimink Golf Club ️ Official live leaderboard | Follow us on Bluesky | Mail Scott Michael Brennan is making his PGA Championship debut this week. The 24-year-old from Virginia tied for 24th at the Masters last month, and won his first title on Tour in Utah last October, and now he’s joint leader here, albeit with the usual fairly major early-Thursday caveats. He’s up there at -2 with Harry Hall, who finished in the top 20 last year at Quail Hollow. A neat start for the 28-year-old from Cornwall, with birdies at 5 and 6. -2: Hall (6), Brennan (5) -1: A Fitzpatrick (7), McCarthy (6*), N Hojgaard (6), McKibbin (3), Jaegar (3), C Smith (3*), Harman (3*), Cauley (2), Greyserman (1) Continue reading...
The expansion of Nomagic and Brack.Alltron's partnership marks a significant development in e-commerce logistics, as the collaboration now incorporates Vision-Language-Action (VLA) systems to enhance warehouse automation with advanced Physical AI. This integration allows for increased autonomy in order fulfillment processes, enabling robots to better understand and adapt to complex environments, t...
The expansion of Nomagic and Brack.Alltron's partnership marks a significant development in e-commerce logistics, as the collaboration now incorporates Vision-Language-Action (VLA) systems to enhance warehouse automation with advanced Physical AI. This integration allows for increased autonomy in order fulfillment processes, enabling robots to better understand and adapt to complex environments, thus allowing for operations beyond traditional working hours. As global supply chains face...
Prisoners have a right to communicate with the media about their cases. Yet after 41 years in jail, Bamber has been banned A few weeks ago I wrote a lengthy email to Jeremy Bamber, who has been in prison for nearly 41 years after being convicted of murdering five family members. Bamber has always protested his innocence, and the late Guardian prison correspondent Eric Allison and I have frequently...
Prisoners have a right to communicate with the media about their cases. Yet after 41 years in jail, Bamber has been banned A few weeks ago I wrote a lengthy email to Jeremy Bamber, who has been in prison for nearly 41 years after being convicted of murdering five family members. Bamber has always protested his innocence, and the late Guardian prison correspondent Eric Allison and I have frequently written about Bamber and the White House Farm murders in the Guardian over the years . In the email, I asked about aspects of his case as I often do, chatted about a football match I’d been to with my younger daughter at the weekend, told him my older daughter was pregnant, mentioned that I’d been out for lunch with a forensics expert, and said we had an amazing blossom tree across the road that had just come into full bloom. I also emailed a photo of the blossom tree. Simon Hattenstone is a features writer for the Guardian Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here . Continue reading...
(RTTNews) - A report released by the Commerce Department on Thursday showed retail sales in the U.S. increased in line with economist estimates in the month of April.
(RTTNews) - A report released by the Commerce Department on Thursday showed retail sales in the U.S. increased in line with economist estimates in the month of April.
Aditxt ( ADTX ) will effect a 1-for-27 reverse split of its common stock, the company said on Thursday. With the opening of trading on May 18, the company’s common stock will trade on a post-split basis under the same symbol ADTX. After the reverse stock split becomes effective, the Company will have ~510,123 shares of common stock issued and outstanding, down from 13.77M earlier. The reverse stoc...
Aditxt ( ADTX ) will effect a 1-for-27 reverse split of its common stock, the company said on Thursday. With the opening of trading on May 18, the company’s common stock will trade on a post-split basis under the same symbol ADTX. After the reverse stock split becomes effective, the Company will have ~510,123 shares of common stock issued and outstanding, down from 13.77M earlier. The reverse stock split is primarily intended to bring the company into compliance with Nasdaq’s minimum bid price requirement. ADTX -29.93% to $0.06 premarket. Source: Press Release More on Aditx Therapeutics Historical earnings data for Aditx Therapeutics Financial information for Aditx Therapeutics
tum3123/iStock via Getty Images What's on Our Minds For countries that rely on fossil fuel imports from the Persian Gulf, surging prices and unreliable supplies caused by the war in Iran are potentially major issues. Among EM countries, for example, the majority of South Korea's and Taiwan's energy (including the needs of their vibrant semiconductor industries) come from oil and LNG shipped from t...
tum3123/iStock via Getty Images What's on Our Minds For countries that rely on fossil fuel imports from the Persian Gulf, surging prices and unreliable supplies caused by the war in Iran are potentially major issues. Among EM countries, for example, the majority of South Korea's and Taiwan's energy (including the needs of their vibrant semiconductor industries) come from oil and LNG shipped from the Gulf. China remains the world's biggest importer of oil and gas from the region. India imports 90% of the crude oil it uses, half of which arrives from the Middle East. But an energy crisis today would occur in an energy environment that is more varied and resilient than just a decade ago, thanks in part to widespread global adoption of renewable energy from solar and wind. Just as EM companies play leading roles in the development and production of AI and robotics—two areas of high investor interest in 2025—EM companies play even more crucial roles bringing about the world's renewable energy present and future. China has done the most of any country over the past couple of decades to diversify its energy supply, for reasons of energy security at least as much as for the environmental benefits. The country has transformed its energy grid using a mix of fossil fuels and renewables and electrified much of its transportation. (In 2025, around 50% of new cars and 30% of heavy trucks sold in China were electric.) Along the way, with initial support from government subsidies, Chinese companies have led the effort to dramatically reduce the global cost of energy from solar and wind to levels competitive with, or even lower than, many fossil fuels. EM companies play crucial roles bringing about the world's renewable energy present and future. Our portfolio has little exposure to the oil and gas industry and is underweight in the Middle East region; the only holding directly related to oil and gas is Tenaris, a manufacturer of specialty pipes for energy producers. Meanwhile we ha...
The new Women’s Super League season kicks off this weekend with some big-name coaches and a new format By No Helmets Required Wigan have won more league titles than any other team in men’s rugby league, but their dominance in the women’s game is a recent and rapid development. They swept the board last season, winning the Challenge Cup, League Leaders Shield and their first Women’s Super League ti...
The new Women’s Super League season kicks off this weekend with some big-name coaches and a new format By No Helmets Required Wigan have won more league titles than any other team in men’s rugby league, but their dominance in the women’s game is a recent and rapid development. They swept the board last season, winning the Challenge Cup, League Leaders Shield and their first Women’s Super League title since 2018. As Wigan begin the defence of their title against Leeds Rhinos this weekend, we take a look at the main issues facing the league. The continued development of the league is reflected in the increase of high-profile coaches leading women’s teams. Denis Betts, the former Wigan, England and Lions player who previously coached in Super League, guided Wigan to the treble last year and has led the way for others to follow. The season opener on Saturday between York Valkyrie and Huddersfield Giants brings together two former Bradford Bulls fullbacks, with Leon Pryce in charge of York and the former Scotland coach Nathan Graham now managing Huddersfield. Continue reading...
Visionary Copper and Gold Mines ( VCG:CA ) announced on Thursday that the Quaternary Group became a significant shareholder, raising its stake in the company to 10.36% on a partially diluted basis. The Quaternary Group bought an additional 100K shares on May 7 at $0.72 per share for a total investment of $72K through the TSX Venture Exchange. After the purchase, the group now holds 1.77M shares an...
Visionary Copper and Gold Mines ( VCG:CA ) announced on Thursday that the Quaternary Group became a significant shareholder, raising its stake in the company to 10.36% on a partially diluted basis. The Quaternary Group bought an additional 100K shares on May 7 at $0.72 per share for a total investment of $72K through the TSX Venture Exchange. After the purchase, the group now holds 1.77M shares and 666.7K warrants, equal to 7.75% ownership on a non-diluted basis. CEO Max Porterfield said the investment reflects strong confidence in Visionary’s Point Leamington gold-copper-zinc-silver project and its broader Canadian mining portfolio. Source: Press Release More on Visionary Copper and Gold Mines Inc. Financial information for Visionary Copper and Gold Mines Inc.
CHOLTICHA KRANJUMNONG/iStock via Getty Images OppFi Inc. ( OPFI ) recently reported a mixed quarter of earnings, though the recent stock action would suggest fear is accelerating. More on that later, but the punchline here is that the company is executing well and there appears to be additional upside to estimates for the remainder of the year. Sure, there are some risks to be aware of, but the co...
CHOLTICHA KRANJUMNONG/iStock via Getty Images OppFi Inc. ( OPFI ) recently reported a mixed quarter of earnings, though the recent stock action would suggest fear is accelerating. More on that later, but the punchline here is that the company is executing well and there appears to be additional upside to estimates for the remainder of the year. Sure, there are some risks to be aware of, but the company has done a great job navigating this complicated environment. I have long been bullish on OPFI, with my most recent update coming in late-2025 . The company's Model 6 credit scoring model has driven improved credit controls and better profitability. The introduction of AI has caused the barrier of entry to lower (risk), but also encourages higher levels of adoption (opportunity). OPFI provides solutions that enable consumers with subprime or non-prime credit scores to gain access to capital. Historically, this customer cohort has been under-banked by traditional lending institutions because of the perceived higher credit risk. Since COVID, there has been a rise in neo-banks, aiming to serve this customer cohort. Given the lower credit quality, OPFI and their competitors need to rely on highly accurate internal scoring models, which often become a competitive advantage. Data by YCharts Over the past several years, OPFI has made numerous internal enhancements to improve its credit scoring. This came after a period of higher credit risk in 2022, where the company increased its charge-offs and delinquencies, largely driven by unusually strong consumer behavior during COVID that started to normalize. The stock chart above would suggest that investors still lack confidence, and I believe that is an opportunity. Yes, there is still the underlying risk that the macro deteriorates, consumers become pressured, and charge-offs increase. But OPFI has not experienced that. In fact, the company's underlying metrics show signs of strength, despite the ongoing uncertain macro. With p...
ozgurdonmaz/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images Apple ( AAPL ) just delivered the best March quarter in its history, and AAPL confirmed that Tim Cook is stepping aside to become AAPL 's executive chairman while John Ternus takes the reins as AAPL 's next CEO. This was a great quarter as AAPL delivered a top and bottom line beat, which consisted of $111.18 billion in revenue and $2.01 of EPS. AAPL b...
ozgurdonmaz/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images Apple ( AAPL ) just delivered the best March quarter in its history, and AAPL confirmed that Tim Cook is stepping aside to become AAPL 's executive chairman while John Ternus takes the reins as AAPL 's next CEO. This was a great quarter as AAPL delivered a top and bottom line beat, which consisted of $111.18 billion in revenue and $2.01 of EPS. AAPL beat the consensus estimates on revenue by $1.61 billion and on EPS by $0.07. The real question now is whether this print is the last great Cook quarter or the first quarter of a new chapter. I came into this earnings season not knowing what to expect from AAPL, especially since I have been neutral on them since September. AAPL has been a frustrating stock to evaluate because on one side we have the install base and Services scaling, but on the other side, we have a flat-to-declining unit story on iPhone sales, an AI strategy that's been visibly behind, and a forward P/E that is at the upper end of the Spectacular Six. Just as a reference, I am no longer referring to the Magnificent Seven because Tesla ( TSLA ) is just not applicable to the conversation, so the remaining companies form the Spectacular Six. This may come as a shock, but I am upgrading AAPL here because I think the Q2 print was that good. I am seeing their TTM cash from operations spike, and I am hopeful that John Ternus will turn the AI business around. Seeking Alpha Following Up on My Previous Article About Apple In November, I had written an article on AAPL where I reiterated my neutral rating ( can be read here ). Since then shares of AAPL have appreciated by 9.19% and returned 9.39% when the dividend is factored in. Over the same period, the S&P 500 has generated a return of 11.44%. I had concerns over AAPL 's growth profile despite their record Q4 earnings that produced $102.5B in revenue and $1.85 EPS. AAPL's heavy focus on buybacks over innovation and underinvestment in AI and cloud made me believe tha...
The quantum computing industry is growing, and three firms at the top of the list have attempted to distinguish themselves based on their Q1 2026 earnings.
The quantum computing industry is growing, and three firms at the top of the list have attempted to distinguish themselves based on their Q1 2026 earnings.