Reuters reported that U.S. and Myanmar representatives held a second round of discreet talks, this time in Tokyo, after a September meeting in Naypyitaw. Immediate subjects were reported to include release of an American businessman and closure of scam centers targeting Americans. Broader engagement could eventually include Myanmar’s rare-earth deposits.

Albania has a national asset worth investigating. Its value will be established by the quality of that investigation—and by whether the country can turn verified resources into a business that pays workers, investors and the public.

The Gulf's physical petroleum network is proving harder to paralyze than many expected. Yet insurance and freight costs are imposing extraordinary financial penalties on the ships and cargoes keeping that network operational. Meanwhile, the Black Sea is developing its own distinctive risk premium, with reported tanker insurance costs rising more than twelvefold and freight rates separating even from comparable Russian Baltic routes