Japan Wire

Lula’s UN address points to two starkly different visions of Brazilian nationalism ahead of crucial election

When Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva addressed the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 22, 2026, the Brazilian president posed a question to both an international and domestic audience: Who is to decide Brazil’s future?

SyndicatedAndre Pagliarini, Assistant Professor of History and International Studies, Louisiana State UniversitySep 23, 20267 min read

Bangladesh has lost 900 children to measles – a warning to other countries where vaccine rates have slipped

Almost 900 people in Bangladesh are suspected to have died in a measles outbreak that began in March. Most of those affected are children.

SyndicatedVikram Niranjan, Associate Professor in Public Health at University of Limerick, University of LimerickSep 22, 20264 min read

Three Ts will dominate Trump-Xi summit – but expect little movement on trade, less on Taiwan and who knows on tech

When Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping last sat down in May 2026, talk was centered on three Ts: trade, technology and Taiwan.

SyndicatedRana Mitter, Professor of U.S.-Asia Relations, Harvard Kennedy SchoolSep 21, 20266 min read

Could AI really kill all humans? Most scenarios require physical access, making AI armageddon unlikely

In August 2026, an experiment using “frontier”, or cutting edge, artificial intelligence models went further than planned.

SyndicatedAlessandro Di Nuovo, Director Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, and Professor of Machine Intelligence, Sheffield Hallam UniversitySep 21, 20264 min read

Forgotten Mozart notebook reveals how a young woman learned to compose

A small notebook found in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (the national library of France) has turned out to be one of the most important Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart discoveries in decades.

SyndicatedStacy Olive Jarvis, PhD Candidate in in Musicology, University of BirminghamSep 21, 20264 min read

As war in the Middle East widens, Saudi Arabia’s new defence pact could face a major test

Last Thursday, US President Donald Trump said he had a “big decision” coming up about Iran’s regime:

SyndicatedAmin Saikal, Emeritus Professor of Middle Eastern Studies, Australian National University; The University of Western Australia; Victoria UniversitySep 21, 20265 min read

Today's briefing

Nepal could show the world how to recover sustainably from a major disaster
SyndicatedSara Shneiderman, Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology and School of Public Policy & Global Affairs; Ivan Head South-North IDRC Chair, University of British ColumbiaSep 20, 20265 min read