The US navy flotilla is sailing towards Korean peninsula, the nuclear-powered USS Michigan, one of four Ohio-class guided-missile submarines capable of launching cruise missiles, arrived at the South Korean port of Busan, and US forces have begun installing THAAD, a missile-defense system in South Korea. Such military equipment build up is the ominous indicator of possible catastrophic events. Tensions …

  The launch of China’s second aircraft carrier, expected as soon as this week, will be an important and depressing moment for India. The ‘Type 001A’—likely to be named the “Shandong”—will give China an edge for the first time in the carrier race with its Asian rival, a literal two-to-one advantage. After decommissioning the INS Viraat earlier this year, the …

  What’s a mine worth? In theory, valuation could be based on the amount of salable metal it can produce. On that basis, Freeport-McMoRan Inc.’s Grasberg on the island of New Guinea is one of the best mines in the world, with the third-largest reserves of copper and one of the biggest gold deposits, worth more than $100 billion at …