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A character test for America

  To appreciate what’s at stake for the world in this year’s U.S. presidential election, it’s useful to visit a place like Australia that has been one of our most faithful allies — and that appears to be mortified at what’s happening in American politics. Australians are polite, in their own rowdy way. And they know they have to live ...

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A city of 50 million? China wants three of them

  By any measure, Shanghai is one of the world’s biggest cities. It’s home to more than 24 million people. Its subway system is the longest ever built, extending to its rural limits. Crowds are so thick that burly “shovers” get paid to help pack the trains. Now the local government is saying enough is enough: Documents released this week ...

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The transatlantic squabble over Apple’s back taxes

  The U.S. Treasury thinks it’s bad enough that companies such as Apple park piles of cash overseas to avoid paying tax. What’s worse is when foreign authorities change the rules that attracted the money in the first place, and tax those holdings for themselves. In effect, the European Commission is threatening to do just that. Apple and other U.S. ...

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