The Chinese economy is slipping. Growth has slowed, and the national currency, the yuan, has reached an eight-year low. The United States, Europe, and other nations are seeking their manufactured goods elsewhere, like in Thailand, Vietnam, and Taiwan, where the labor is far cheaper than the ever-pricier Chinese. As growth slows, the Chinese government becomes anxious. This may be the… Read more »
(TIMES OF INDIA): Beijing has issued its first red alert for air pollution this year as a new bout of heavy smog was set to hit the capital city and surrounding areas on Friday. The smog that is expected to last for five days, officials said on Thursday. Approved by the municipal government, the red alert will be activated 8… Read more »
(WSJ): Japan is leaping into space resources, agreeing to work with a robotic-exploration company to create a blueprint for an industry to extract resources from the moon that would enable more extensive space exploration. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Japan’s space agency, said Friday that it signed a memorandum of understanding with Tokyo-based ispace technologies Inc. to work on building… Read more »
(FOX): Russia and Japan agreed Friday to hold talks on joint economic development on four islands at the center of a territorial dispute between the countries. It was a small step forward that fell far short of breaking the stalemate in the long-running dispute that has prevented the two countries from signing a peace treaty formally ending World War II. Joint… Read more »
(CNN): Beijing has been dumping U.S. government debt to prop up its currency. China uses the dollars it gets from selling U.S. Treasuries to buy the yuan, which has sunk to an 8-year low as the world’s second largest economy slows. China’s huge holdings of U.S. debt fell to $1.12 trillion at the end of October, their lowest level in… Read more »
The U.S. and China have always had a relationship that could be described as “economic rivalry”, we’ve been competing for decades to see who will sit at the top of the global leader boards; however, with China now arming a shared domain of the U.S. with extensive force, there’s speculation that this rivalry could devolve into a cold war conflict…. Read more »
Reuters: South Korean parliamentary investigators looking into an influence-peddling scandal that led to President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment will not get access to her official residence, a Blue House official said on Friday, citing national security. Later on Friday, the Blue House is due to submit to the country’s Constitutional Court the president’s response to last week’s impeachment vote in parliament,… Read more »
Reuters: The United States is ready to confront China should it continue its overreaching maritime claims in the South China Sea, the head of the U.S. Pacific fleet said on Wednesday, comments that threaten to escalate tensions between the two global rivals.
AP: YAMBA, Australia (AP) — The life was long drained from Lynette Daley by the time the cops rolled up to the lonely beach where her naked body lay. Her skin was cold, her lips were blue, and her blood was everywhere. It was between her legs and in a large clot by her feet. It was inside the four-wheel… Read more »
BBC: A North Korean-run news website claims that a defector group is planning to use explosive-laden drones to blow up statues of its former leaders. According to a report on the Uriminzokkiri propaganda website, the group – which it termed “human scum” – had already conducted test flights from the Chinese border area in their attempts to blow up statues… Read more »