May 28th 2026

The Economist Today Our best journalism, handpicked each day

Annie Crabill Senior digital editor

On the face of things, north-east Asia is in the midst of an export-led bonanza. But our analysis shows just how much the AI boom is driving that growth in Taiwan, South Korea and Japan, while the rest of the region’s industry decays. Is north-east Asia’s reliance on AI a recession waiting to happen? This week Ferrari launched its first, very expensive electric vehicle, the “Luce”. Its marketing chief described it as “polarising”, and it certainly divided opinion. Apparently that is the point. Finally, if you’re interested in the future of war, you should watch today’s edition of The Insider, which is available here.

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Editor’s picks A selection of must-read articles

Boom and bust Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are suffering industrial rot Artificial intelligence is concealing a China shock

→ The world’s biggest chipmaker needs to move beyond Taiwan

Seeing the light Ferrari’s electric car: divisiveness is the point The Italian marque is attempting a high-stakes manoeuvre

Our cover Smart tech is making war a dumber choice Smaller, weaker countries can defend themselves more easily with cheap, deadly kit

→ The dangerous delusion of modern warfare

Unscripted Are Angelenos angry enough to elect an insurgent as mayor? Spencer Pratt tests the limits of grievance politics in a blue city

Edible electronics Tomorrow’s medical sensors might come served with dinner Listening to your gut could involve riboflavin batteries and toothpaste transistors

More of our coverage ▸ Indonesia’s erratic president grabs the country’s commodity exports. Facing a tumbling currency, Prabowo Subianto announces a vast new agency to sell resources to the world. ▸ China is quietly making rural migrants’ lives easier. The notorious hukou system, which ties each person to their place of origin, is being relaxed. We explain why Marx would approve.  ▸ Barney Frank always took the underdogs’ side. We remember the first openly gay man to come out voluntarily in Congress.

Tracking Donald Trump Our latest numbers The American president’s net approval rating Find out

Podcast Money Talks Elon Musk’s astronomical SpaceX bet