Aug 11, 2018 - World

Pakistani military to be trained by Russia

Pakistani soldiers on patrol. Photo: Asif Hassan/AFP/Getty Images

Pakistan and Russia signed an agreement this week that said Pakistani military officers would be trained at Russian Federation military institutes, the Associated Press reports.

The context: This comes after reports that the U.S. is cutting back on military training for Pakistani soldiers in the U.S., per the AP. The agreement "underscores Pakistan's increasing reliance on Russia for its military needs." Go deeper: Pakistan's future as the "most dangerous country in the world"

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19 mins ago - Technology

TikTok caught in a U.S.-China vise

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

TikTok, the short-video platform popular among teens for sharing funny moments and dance moves, is getting pulled into the deadly serious geopolitical conflict between China and the U.S.

The big picture: More than any other Chinese-owned app, TikTok has found success outside of its homeland. But as the U.S. sounds security alarms and China turns the legal screws on Hong Kong, the company is fighting to prove that it's not beholden to Beijing — and to forestall a threatened ban by the Trump administration.

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59 mins ago - Sports

College sports stare down a coronavirus-driven disaster in the fall

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

Wednesday was the worst day in college sports since March 12, when the coronavirus pandemic shut everything down.

Driving the news: The Ivy League announced that it will cancel all fall sports and will not consider resuming sports until Jan. 1, 2021 — and Stanford is permanently cutting 11 of its 36 varsity sports to help offset a projected $70 million, pandemic-fueled deficit.

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1 hour ago - Economy & Business

1.3 million Americans filed for unemployment last week

Data: U.S. Employment and Training Administration via FRED; Chart: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios

Another 1.3 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, the Labor Department said Thursday.

Why it matters: The number of new unemployment applications has fallen steadily since peaking in March, but the number is still historically higher than before the pandemic hit. Economists are watching the weekly gauge for any sign that spiking unemployment may come alongside the sharp uptick in coronavirus cases around the country.