Opinion

  Last year, a few influential voices urged the Federal Reserve not to raise interest rates out of concern that it would slow global growth and fuel financial disruptions. Fed officials listened politely, then hiked rates in December and subsequently paused. Given recent developments in the foreign-exchange markets, some of these voices may now be wondering if the Fed should …

  Recently, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced that France had secured a $50 billion contract to build Australia’s new submarine fleet, confirming weeks of speculation that Japan had lost out in the three-way competitive evaluation. While the outcome is definitely a missed strategic opportunity to enhance Australia-Japan defense ties, an overemphasis on it also risks missing the broader story …

  The inauguration of Tsai Ing-wen as president of Taiwan offers a unique opportunity for Washington to address two fraught issues in U.S.-China relations. First, sending an appropriate high-level American official to Taipei would signal U.S. commitment to the democratic security of Taiwan in the face of Beijing’s intensifying pressure. Second, it would elevate Taiwan’s status as a regional security …

Countries usually don’t knowingly commit economic suicide, but in Britain millions seem ready to give it a try. On June 23, the United Kingdom will vote to decide whether to quit the European Union, the 28-nation economic bloc with a population of 508 million and a gross domestic product of almost $17 trillion. Let’s not be coy: Leaving the EU …

  The economic recession triggered by the drop of oil prices and the El Nino weather phenomenon, which has caused the country’s hydroelectric dams to run low, have combined to bring the once-booming Venezuela to its knee. Venezuela’s revenue, highly dependent on oil exports, has dropped from $80 billion in 2013 to between $20 billion and $25 billion in 2015, …

  Justin Fox Amazon.com and Facebook had great earnings reports this week. They also reported spending a lot of money on the future. Capital spending was up 35 percent at Amazon and 125 percent at Facebook in the first quarter compared with the same quarter last year. Research and development spending was up 28 percent at Amazon and 26 percent …

People tend to fear spiders and snakes more than they do electrical sockets or fireworks, even though the latter present a far greater danger. This might help explain why humans have such a hard time seeing the threat of climate change. Evolutionary psychologists argue that much of human behavior can be understood only by studying our ancient ancestors. Through 99 …

  The bugbear of deflation is threatening to claim new victims Down Under, after having already wreaked havoc across some of Asia’s biggest economies. The latest inflation data from Australia showed the world’s 12th-largest economy has slipped into deflation for the first time in seven years. Falling clothing, food and gasoline prices pushed the consumer price index down 0.2 percent …

  Donald Trump’s foreign policy speech lays out what would be a disastrous course for the U.S. with regards to Russia and European security. On the other hand, for Europe and its eastern neighbor, the disengagement he is proposing might work out quite well — just not in the way Trump intends. Trump’s most specific statement — an extremely rare …

Donald Trump’s damage to the Republican Party, although already extensive, has barely begun. Republican quislings will multiply, slinking into support of the most anti-conservative presidential aspirant in their party’s history. These collaborationists will render themselves ineligible to participate in the party’s reconstruction. Ted Cruz’s announcement of his preferred running mate has enhanced the nomination process by giving voters pertinent information. …