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Afghanistan’s grape harvest is turning into raisins — literally — as exports collapse

Border closures with Pakistan have crushed Afghanistan’s fruit exports, forcing farmers to dry their grapes into lower-priced raisins

By ABDUL QAHAR AFGHAN and The Associated PressAugust 19, 2026

The IRS is scrutinizing how UnitedHealth moved money through foreign subsidiaries—and whether it underpaid taxes

The agency wants to raise the health giant’s taxable income for four straight years. Neither side will say how much is at stake.

By Tatiana SatauaAugust 19, 2026

The U.S. built its brand by attracting the world’s best and brightest. It must not lose that advantage

As any chief executive knows, the strongest brands are rarely destroyed by their competitors. This principle applies to nations as well.

By John A. QuelchAugust 18, 2026

More in Asia

Unitree, famous for its dancing robots, surges by 460% on its trading debut, lifting valuation to $66 billion, far ahead of U.S. competitors

The Hangzhou-based startup, founded in 2016, has quickly become something akin to a national champion in China’s robotics sector.

By Nicholas GordonAugust 19, 2026

Strait of Hormuz chaos has incentivized China to use an alternative trade route: a 3,400 mile frozen Arctic channel dubbed the ‘Ice Silk Road’

Chinese shipping company Sea Legend Line just announced a shipping route through the Arctic, which takes half the time as established shipping routes.

By Sasha RogelbergAugust 19, 2026

Alibaba’s $2 billion gaming exit signals where Beijing wants its money

The e-commerce giant sells its gaming studio and pours $53 billion into AI as the US-China tech rivalry heats up

By Mia OsmonbekovAugust 18, 2026

AWS’s Asia chief is relocating to Japan as the country scrambles to modernize its legacy IT systems

Last year, Japan began a push to reboot its innovation engine with a plan to channel $2.3 trillion in investments to 17 strategic sectors by 2040.

By Angelica AngAugust 18, 2026

More in Global

Edward P. Lazear, left, congratulates Randall S. Kroszner, center and Kevin M. Warsh, right, at the conclusion of their confirmation hearing held by the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee in Washington, DC, February 14, 2006.

Bond traders are testing Kevin Warsh: The Fed chair will heed—but not be ruled by—them, says an economist who spent years sitting next to him

“He wants the Fed to think in terms of the bigger picture … and people are finding that frustrating, but I think he’s been very, very clear.”

By Eleanor PringleAugust 19, 2026

Exclusive: Replit taps OpenAI’s low-cost Luna model for new ‘Free Mode’

An 80% reduction in the cost of tokens for OpenAI’s Luna allowed Replit to roll out the new service, which despite its ‘free’ name, still requires a monthly subscription.

By Emily ForliniAugust 19, 2026

Also’s $3,500 e-bike is a $1 billion Trojan horse for autonomous transportation

The Rivian spinoff just raised $150 million to build autonomous vehicles for moving people and packages—not just pedalers.

By Lily Mae LazarusAugust 19, 2026

Even potato-chip tasters are temporary in the economy of 2026 — there’s nearly 57 million of these ‘disposable workers’

MIT labor economist Paul Osterman tracks them in his new book, “Disposable Workers: The Transformation of Employment.”

By Paul Osterman and The ConversationAugust 19, 2026