Podcasts about xinhua

At its core, China in African Media: Between Influence Operations and Decolonization (Bloomsbury, 2026) is a book about power, journalism, geopolitical influence, and knowledge production in China–Africa relations. It examines how the People's Republic of China has moved beyond simply establishing Chinese media organizations such as Xinhua and CGTN in Africa toward a much more dispersed system of engagement. Conceptualizing these engagements collectively as a multimodal or mixed-media ecology of influence, Umejei highlights China's ability to reach African audiences directly through Chinese media, indirectly through African news organizations, institutionally through partnerships, professionally through the journalists it trains, and infrastructurally through technologies implemented by Chinese firms.  Underlying the book is a strong normative concern about the implications of this expansion of Chinese media engagement for Africa's democracy, leadership, developmental aspirations, and decolonization. In this regard, Umejei addresses the question: Is the emerging South–South media relationship helping to decolonize African journalism by weakening Western dominance, or is China principally replacing Western influence with a new form of Chinese influence? The book draws on semi-structured interviews with journalists across fourteen African countries, content analysis, policy documents, and publicly available materials. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-studies

At its core, China in African Media: Between Influence Operations and Decolonization (Bloomsbury, 2026) is a book about power, journalism, geopolitical influence, and knowledge production in China–Africa relations. It examines how the People's Republic of China has moved beyond simply establishing Chinese media organizations such as Xinhua and CGTN in Africa toward a much more dispersed system of engagement. Conceptualizing these engagements collectively as a multimodal or mixed-media ecology of influence, Umejei highlights China's ability to reach African audiences directly through Chinese media, indirectly through African news organizations, institutionally through partnerships, professionally through the journalists it trains, and infrastructurally through technologies implemented by Chinese firms. Underlying the book is a strong normative concern about the implications of this expansion of Chinese media engagement for Africa's democracy, leadership, developmental aspirations, and decolonization. In this regard, Umejei addresses the question: Is the emerging South–South media relationship helping to decolonize African journalism by weakening Western dominance, or is China principally replacing Western influence with a new form of Chinese influence? The book draws on semi-structured interviews with journalists across fourteen African countries, content analysis, policy documents, and publicly available materials.Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/chinese-studies Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

At its core, China in African Media: Between Influence Operations and Decolonization (Bloomsbury, 2026) is a book about power, journalism, geopolitical influence, and knowledge production in China–Africa relations. It examines how the People's Republic of China has moved beyond simply establishing Chinese media organizations such as Xinhua and CGTN in Africa toward a much more dispersed system of engagement. Conceptualizing these engagements collectively as a multimodal or mixed-media ecology of influence, Umejei highlights China's ability to reach African audiences directly through Chinese media, indirectly through African news organizations, institutionally through partnerships, professionally through the journalists it trains, and infrastructurally through technologies implemented by Chinese firms. Underlying the book is a strong normative concern about the implications of this expansion of Chinese media engagement for Africa's democracy, leadership, developmental aspirations, and decolonization. In this regard, Umejei addresses the question: Is the emerging South–South media relationship helping to decolonize African journalism by weakening Western dominance, or is China principally replacing Western influence with a new form of Chinese influence? The book draws on semi-structured interviews with journalists across fourteen African countries, content analysis, policy documents, and publicly available materials.Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/communications Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

At its core, China in African Media: Between Influence Operations and Decolonization (Bloomsbury, 2026) is a book about power, journalism, geopolitical influence, and knowledge production in China–Africa relations. It examines how the People's Republic of China has moved beyond simply establishing Chinese media organizations such as Xinhua and CGTN in Africa toward a much more dispersed system of engagement. Conceptualizing these engagements collectively as a multimodal or mixed-media ecology of influence, Umejei highlights China's ability to reach African audiences directly through Chinese media, indirectly through African news organizations, institutionally through partnerships, professionally through the journalists it trains, and infrastructurally through technologies implemented by Chinese firms. Underlying the book is a strong normative concern about the implications of this expansion of Chinese media engagement for Africa's democracy, leadership, developmental aspirations, and decolonization. In this regard, Umejei addresses the question: Is the emerging South–South media relationship helping to decolonize African journalism by weakening Western dominance, or is China principally replacing Western influence with a new form of Chinese influence? The book draws on semi-structured interviews with journalists across fourteen African countries, content analysis, policy documents, and publicly available materials.Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/journalism Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

China's influence in Africa's media landscape increasingly operates through content-sharing agreements, journalist training, paid placements, and support for local broadcasters. These "below-the-line" strategies give Chinese narratives a pathway into African newsrooms that extends well beyond the reach of traditional state outlets such as CGTN and Xinhua. But the push for greater Chinese influence raises a deeper question about decolonization. While Beijing presents its media engagement as an alternative to Western dominance, African journalists can be exposed to models of reporting that do not necessarily fit local political and social realities. At the same time, the shift toward social media makes the actual impact of these efforts increasingly difficult to measure. Emeka Umejei, a Senior Research Associate at the University of Johannesburg, joins Eric and Cobus to discuss the arguments from his book China in African Media: Between Influence Operations and Decolonization, content-sharing agreements, journalist training, and the future of African media independence. Show Notes China in African Media: Between Influence Operations and Decolonization by Emeka Umejei

President Xi Jinping has ordered all-out rescue and relief efforts after a mudslide on Wednesday in Nepal caused heavy casualties and left many people missing at a border port in the Xizang autonomous region.8月26日，尼泊尔境内发生的一场泥石流造成重大人员伤亡，并致使西藏自治区一处边境口岸多人失踪，国家主席习近平作出重要指示，要求全力开展搜救救援工作。Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the instruction after the mudslide struck the Gyirong border port, a major land port linking China and Nepal, in Shigatse at around 10:30 am, according to Xinhua News Agency.据新华社报道，泥石流于当日上午10时30分许袭击了西藏日喀则市境内、连接中尼两国的重要陆路口岸——吉隆口岸，中共中央总书记、国家主席、中央军委主席习近平就此作出上述指示。As of 8 pm on Wednesday, at least three people had been killed and 265 others remained missing, CCTV News quoted local authorities as saying.据央视新闻援引当地政府消息，截至8月26日晚8时，灾害已造成至少3人遇难，265人失联。The president stressed that the top priority now is to make every possible effort to search for and rescue missing people, evacuate residents at risk and provide timely medical treatment to the injured.习近平强调，当前首要任务是全力搜寻救援失联人员，转移安置受威胁群众，及时救治受伤人员。He also underlined efforts to strengthen monitoring and early warning, carry out rescue work in a scientific manner and prevent secondary disasters.他还强调，要加强监测预警，科学有序开展救援工作，严防发生次生灾害。Noting that the country is at a critical stage of flood control, Xi emphasized that all local authorities and relevant departments should prepare for worst-case scenarios and extreme situations, and earnestly implement measures for flood and typhoon prevention.习近平指出，当前正值我国防汛关键期，各地区各部门要立足最不利情况、做最坏打算，切实抓好各项防汛防台风措施落实。They must also step up efforts to identify and defuse potential risks and hazards, resolutely prevent serious and major disasters and accidents, and effectively protect people's lives and property, he said.他表示，要加大风险隐患排查整治力度，坚决防范遏制重特大灾害事故发生，切实保障人民群众生命财产安全。Premier Li Qiang has ordered prompt efforts to verify the number of people missing and affected, conduct all-out relief operations and evacuate people at risk.国务院总理李强作出批示，要求抓紧核实失联和受灾人员情况，全力开展救援救灾工作，转移安置受威胁群众。He urged the Foreign Ministry to strengthen communication and coordination with relevant countries to share information in a timely manner and work together to properly handle rescue and relief efforts.他要求外交部加强与有关国家的沟通协调，及时通报情况，共同做好救援救灾相关工作。Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing has led a team to the site to guide rescue and response efforts.国务院副总理张国清已率工作组赶赴现场，指导救援处置工作。Video footage released by China Central Television showed muddy water gushing, carrying tree branches and debris, and some buildings were buried as the mudslide struck.中央电视台发布的视频画面显示，泥石流暴发时，浑浊的洪水裹挟着树枝和杂物汹涌而下，部分建筑物被掩埋。Meanwhile, the disaster has cut off roads, communication networks and power supplies at the border port area on the Chinese side, Xinhua reported.新华社报道称，此次灾害还导致中方一侧口岸区域道路、通信网络及电力供应中断。In the wake of the disaster, China has activated a Level-II emergency response for disaster relief and a Level-II emergency response for geological disasters, the second-highest in the country's four-tier emergency response system.灾害发生后，中国启动了救灾二级应急响应和地质灾害二级应急响应，这是中国四级应急响应体系中第二高的响应级别。Governments at all levels have responded with immediate measures, making every effort to carry out disaster relief as well as search and rescue operations.各级政府已迅速采取应对措施，全力开展抢险救灾及搜救工作。Three central government departments — the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Emergency Management and the National Development and Reform Commission — have altogether allocated 220 million yuan ($33 million) to support Xizang in carrying out emergency rescue and disaster relief work.财政部、应急管理部、国家发展和改革委员会三部门已累计下拨2.2亿元人民币（约合3300万美元）资金，支持西藏开展应急救援和灾害救助工作。The Ministry of Emergency Management has deployed 249 personnel from the national comprehensive fire and rescue force, along with 325 engineering rescue personnel from China Anneng Construction Group, PowerChina and other centrally administered State-owned enterprises.应急管理部已调派国家综合性消防救援队伍249名指战员，以及中国安能建设集团、中国电力建设集团等中央企业325名工程救援人员参与救援。A total of 30,000 central relief items, including tents, stoves, clothing and quilts, folding beds and moisture-proof mats, have been sent to support the evacuation, resettlement and relief work.中央已调拨帐篷、炉具、衣被、折叠床、防潮垫等各类救灾物资共计3万件，用于支持转移安置和救灾工作。At the local level, as of Wednesday afternoon, the Xizang Fire and Rescue Corps had deployed 72 vehicles and 431 fire and rescue personnel at the site, equipped with rescue dogs, life detectors, assault boats and other rescue equipment.在地方层面，截至8月26日下午，西藏消防救援总队已调派72台车辆、431名消防救援人员奔赴现场，并配备搜救犬、生命探测仪、冲锋舟等救援装备。Five repair workers from the State Grid Xizang Electric Power Co — the first group of emergency power repair personnel to arrive at the site — rushed there with a medium-voltage power generator vehicle and two small emergency lamps, and started work to ensure basic power supply and lighting for nighttime rescue operations.国网西藏电力有限公司5名抢修人员作为首批抵达现场的应急电力抢修队伍，携带一台中压发电车和两盏小型应急照明灯赶赴现场，随即投入工作，确保夜间救援行动的基本供电和照明需求。The local meteorological bureau has forecast continued rainfall across the county of Gyirong from Wednesday evening through Sunday, warning of possible floods, landslides and other secondary disasters in low-lying areas.当地气象部门预报，吉隆县自8月26日晚间起至8月30日将持续降雨，并警示低洼地区可能发生洪水、山体滑坡等次生灾害。border port /ˈbɔːrdər pɔːrt/ n.边境口岸land port /lænd pɔːrt/ n.陆路口岸missing /ˈmɪsɪŋ/ adj.失踪的，失联的evacuate /ɪˈvækjueɪt/ v.转移，撤离at-risk residents /æt rɪsk ˈrezɪdənts/ n.受威胁群众early warning /ˈɜːrli ˈwɔːrnɪŋ/ n.预警secondary disaster /ˈsekənderi dɪˈzæstər/ n.次生灾害flood control /flʌd kənˈtroʊl/ n.防汛worst-case scenario /wɜːrst keɪs sɪˈnɛrioʊ/ n.最不利情形，最坏打算typhoon prevention /taɪˈfuːn prɪˈvenʃən/ n.防台风defuse /diːˈfjuːz/ v.化解，排除（风险）hazard /ˈhæzərd/ n.隐患，危险因素

US President Donald Trump's approval rating fell to 33 percent, the lowest level of his presidency, amid public concerns over the US war against Iran, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that concluded Monday.根据8月17日结束的路透社/益普索民意调查，美国总统唐纳德·特朗普的支持率跌至33%，为其总统任期内的最低水平，主要原因是公众对美国对伊朗战争的担忧。Just 33 percent of respondents in the four-day survey said they approved of Trump's performance in the White House, while 64 percent disapproved, the poll showed.民调显示，在这项为期四天的调查中，仅有33%的受访者表示认可特朗普在白宫的表现，而64%的受访者表示不认可。It noted that Trump's approval rating, down from 35 percent in a poll that closed earlier this month and lower than at any point in his current term, "has now tied the lowest level of his prior term reached in December 2017."民调指出，特朗普的支持率较本月早些时候一项民调的35%有所下降，也低于他当前任期内任何时期的水平，“目前已追平他在上一任期内于2017年12月创下的最低点”。The latest poll was released as a 60-day negotiation period under a US-Iran memorandum of understanding was set to expire Monday, with no progress toward a broader peace agreement between the two sides.最新民调发布之际，美伊谅解备忘录规定的60天谈判期将于8月17日到期，双方在达成更广泛和平协议方面未取得任何进展。Trump has sought to ease public concerns over high gas prices in recent remarks. At a political rally in Garden City, New York on Friday, Trump said that paying "a tiny little bit more for your gasoline" is worth the cost of ensuring "a very evil country" cannot have a nuclear weapon.特朗普在近期的言论中试图缓解公众对高油价的担忧。上周五在纽约加登城的一场政治集会上，特朗普表示，为确保“一个非常邪恶的国家”无法拥有核武器，支付“稍微多一点点的汽油费”是值得的。Meanwhile, a Financial Times poll released Sunday showed that 53 percent of US voters said they had become worse off under Trump, amid growing discontent over his handling of the economy and cost of living.与此同时，《金融时报》周日发布的一项民调显示，53%的美国选民表示，在特朗普执政期间他们的经济状况恶化了，公众对其处理经济和生活成本问题的不满情绪日益加剧。"Inflation is outstripping wage gains and people are having difficulty paying their bills. Many feel they are falling behind and not able to keep up with the cost of food, gas, and healthcare," Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West told Xinhua.布鲁金斯学会高级研究员达雷尔·韦斯特对新华社表示：“通胀正超过工资增长，人们在支付账单方面遇到困难。许多人感到自己正在落后，无法跟上食品、汽油和医疗保健的成本。”worse off /wɜːs ɒf/状况恶化discontent /ˌdɪskənˈtent/不满inflation /ɪnˈfleɪʃən/通货膨胀outstripping /ˌaʊtˈstrɪpɪŋ/超过wage gains /weɪdʒ ɡeɪnz/ 工资增长

Entre 2021 e 2025, as universidades chinesas revogaram ou suspenderam 12 200 licenciaturas e lançaram 10 200 novas. O saldo é impressionante por si só, mas o número que mais diz sobre a escala da operação é outro: mais de 30% de toda a oferta formativa do ensino superior chinês foi ajustada neste período, segundo dados do Ministério da Educação citados pela agência oficial Xinhua e avançados pelo South China Morning Post. Não se trata de um ajuste de rotina. É a reformulação mais vasta da arquitetura curricular universitária chinesa em décadas, e vale a pena perceber porquê — e o que pode, ou não, ensinar-nos.

Astronomy Daily — S05E135 — Wednesday, July 8, 2026 1. World's First Commercial Nuclear-Powered Satellite Reaches Orbit SpaceX's Transporter-17 rideshare mission carried City Labs' BOHR CubeSat to orbit on July 7, the first commercially built satellite to fly a nuclear-powered payload — a tritium betavoltaic cell that generates electricity continuously, day or night, regardless of sunlight. Key points •      Launched July 7, 2026 at 3:12am EDT from Vandenberg Space Force Base aboard a Falcon 9, part of the 81-payload Transporter-17 rideshare mission. •      BOHR (Betavoltaic Orbital High-Reliability) CubeSat built by City Labs, a Miami/Florida-based company. •      Uses a 'NanoTritium' betavoltaic device — converts beta particles from the radioactive decay of tritium directly into electricity via a semiconductor. •      Power output is tiny (micro-to-milliwatt range) but continuous — unaffected by eclipse periods or solar panel orientation. •      Tritium's 12.3-year half-life means the power source stays effective for two decades before decaying to harmless helium-3. •      FAA authorised the launch after finding public radiation exposure would stay below one millirem under conservative assumptions. 2. New Zealand's Fuel-Free Thruster Passes First Orbital Test Auckland-based Zenno Astronautics has successfully tested its 'Supertorquer' — an attitude-control thruster that uses superconducting magnets to push against Earth's own magnetic field, generating thrust with no propellant at all. Key points •      Zenno Astronautics is a spin-off from the University of Auckland, New Zealand. •      The system, called 'Supertorquer', completed its first in-orbit test in early July 2026. •      Superconducting magnets, powered by solar panels, interact with Earth's magnetic field to generate torque and maintain a satellite's orientation — no propellant is consumed. •      Until recently this kind of superconducting hardware was too large and complex to fit aboard a small satellite; miniaturisation has now made it practical. •      Because it needs no fuel, the technology could in principle keep a satellite maneuvering indefinitely, as long as it has sunlight for power. •      Zenno co-founder/company messaging: 'We are essentially looking to remove all reliance on Earth's resources so that we can build a sustainable industry in space.' 3. Tianwen-2 Arrives at Quasi-Moon Kamo'oalewa — And Upends the 'Piece of the Moon' Theory China's Tianwen-2 sample-return spacecraft has arrived at near-Earth asteroid Kamo'oalewa after a 400-day, 1-billion-kilometre journey, beaming back the first close-up image — just as new JWST data throws serious doubt on the leading theory of where this strange little world came from. Key points •      Tianwen-2 launched May 29, 2025, and reached Kamo'oalewa on July 6, 2026, arriving at a station-keeping distance of about 20 km. •      China National Space Administration (CNSA) publicly announced the arrival July 6, releasing the first close-up image via Xinhua. •      Kamo'oalewa (asteroid 2016 HO3) is one of only seven known 'quasi-satellites' of Earth — it orbits the Sun but stays in a stable dance alongside our planet, and has done so for roughly 100 years, with about 300 more to go. •      The image reveals a small, asymmetrical rock roughly 20-30 metres across. •      Long-standing hypothesis (since 2021): Kamo'oalewa is a fragment blasted off the Moon's far side by the impact that created the Giordano Bruno crater, 1-10 million years ago — based on its reflectance spectrum resembling space-weathered lunar soil. •      New twist: a July 1 JWST preprint (Sharkey et al.) models Kamo'oalewa's albedo (reflectivity) at around 0.59 — far higher than the Moon's ~0.12 — which is incompatible with a lunar origin and points instead toward a rare E-type silicate asteroid. 4. Jeremy Hansen Steps Back From Active Astronaut Duty Jeremy Hansen, the Canadian Space Agency astronaut who became the first Canadian to fly around the Moon aboard Artemis II in April, announced July 6 that he's stepping back from full-time astronaut service this September. Key points •      Hansen flew as mission specialist on Artemis II in April 2026, alongside NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch — the first crewed lunar mission in over 50 years. •      He becomes the first Canadian to travel beyond low Earth orbit / around the Moon. •      Announced via social media and a Canadian Space Agency statement on July 6, 2026. •      Transition takes effect this September, after 32 years of military service and 17 years as a CSA astronaut. •      He will continue serving as a reservist with the Royal Canadian Air Force and says he remains committed to Canada's space program in a new capacity. •      Joined CSA in the 2009 astronaut recruitment campaign after a career as a Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilot. 5. Aurora Alert: G1 Geomagnetic Storm Possible July 9 Space weather forecasters are watching a combination of a fast coronal mass ejection and an Earth-facing coronal hole that could combine to produce a minor (G1-class) geomagnetic storm on July 9 — with aurora potentially visible across the northern United States, Canada, and parts of northern Europe. Key points •      A fast CME launched from the Sun on July 5 has a modelled arrival time around 6 UTC on July 9. •      Separately, a coronal hole — a region of open magnetic field letting fast solar wind escape — is rotating into an Earth-facing position and its high-speed stream is expected to arrive around the same time. •      Combined, NOAA/space weather forecasters say these two effects could produce G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm conditions. •      Possible aurora visibility zones: Seattle, Edinburgh, and the northern tier of the United States and Canada. •      Context: last week's monster sunspot active regions have now rotated to the Sun's far side after putting on a dramatic show of flares and prominences as they departed. •      Solar activity has otherwise dropped to low levels — mostly common C-class flares — with active region AR4482 now the main feature on the Earth-facing side of the Sun. 6. Chinese Researchers Model the Best Way to 'Nuke' a Killer Asteroid A new peer-reviewed study models two different ways a nuclear device could be used to deflect a threatening asteroid — a straightforward surface impact detonation, or a 'pre-excavation' approach that digs a crater first before delivering a deeper, more effective blast — and finds the right choice depends heavily on how much warning time we have. Key points •      Published July 7, 2026 in the journal Space: Science & Technology. •      Compares two nuclear deflection modes: (1) 'impact detonation' — a simple, shallow-crater surface blast, and (2) 'pre-excavation detonation' — using a penetrator device to dig a deeper crater first, then detonating a warhead to achieve 'deep detonation' inside the asteroid. •      Researchers modelled launch vehicle energy, impactor spacecraft velocity, and the resulting change in the asteroid's velocity for both modes. •      Both modes were tested against a 'virtual threat asteroid database' assuming warning times ranging from one year to twenty years. •      Headline finding: given enough warning time, the deeper 'pre-excavation' detonation is markedly more efficient at deflecting an asteroid than a simple surface blast — but a straightforward impact detonation may still be the only option when warning time is short. •      Context: no known asteroid currently poses an imminent threat to Earth — Apophis, once considered a risk for its 2029 and 2068 close approaches, has been ruled out as a hazard for the foreseeable future.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-the-latest-space-news--5648921/support.Sponsor Details:Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.bitesz.com/nordvpn. You'll be glad you did!Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click HereThis episode includes AI-generated content.

China's national football team may not have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but the country remains a major contributor to the tournament through its manufacturing industry, which has a key role in producing a large share of the official merchandise sold to fans worldwide.中国国家男子足球队虽未晋级2026年国际足联世界杯，但依托本国制造业，中国仍是本届赛事的重要支撑方；全球球迷所购的官方周边商品，很大一部分都由中国生产。The tournament, staged across 16 host cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico, will run from June 11 to July 19. This year's World Cup is bigger than ever as it will feature 48 football teams, instead of the usual 32 teams.本届世界杯在美国、加拿大、墨西哥共计16座主办城市举办，赛事周期为6月11日至7月19日。本届世界杯规模创下历史新高，参赛球队由往届的32支扩充至48支。Much of the World Cup-themed merchandise and souvenirs bought by fans was manufactured in Yiwu International Trade City, in Yiwu, Zhejiang province, famous as the world's largest wholesale small commodity market.球迷选购的大部分世界杯主题周边与纪念商品，都产自浙江义乌国际商贸城，这里是全球规模最大的小商品批发市场。Mike Smith, 60, from East London, was in New York shopping with his wife at an official FIFA World Cup 2026 store temporarily located on the ground-floor of the plush mall The Shops at Columbus Circle in Manhattan.60岁的迈克·史密斯来自伦敦东区，他和妻子正在纽约曼哈顿哥伦布圆环高端购物中心一层的2026世界杯官方临时门店购物。Smith told China Daily: "There's a nice selection of things in here. I expect a lot of the merchandise is made in China. It is good as that means they're still a part of the tournament."史密斯接受《中国日报》采访时表示：“店里商品种类十分丰富。我猜大部分周边都是中国制造，这是件好事，说明中国始终参与着这项赛事。”"We have to get our grandson a T-shirt in a large or he won't be very happy with us. He's football-mad! We are very excited about the matches and the England boys are doing well so far. So, all-in-all it's been a nice trip."“我们得给孙子买一件大号T恤，不然他会不开心。他是个狂热球迷！我们对赛事满怀期待，目前英格兰队的发挥也很不错。总的来说，这次出行十分愉快。”"Made in China" labels could be seen on official FIFA products, ranging from scarves, key rings, T-shirts, mini footballs, jackets and more.国际足联官方商品随处可见“中国制造”标签，品类涵盖围巾、钥匙扣、T恤、迷你足球、外套等各类产品。Some items were made in the likeness of very popular World Cup players like Argentina's Lionel Messi and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo.部分商品以梅西、C罗等世界杯人气球星为原型制作，梅西效力阿根廷队，C罗代表葡萄牙队。Local manufacturers in Yiwu told Chinese media that they began receiving orders from international buyers in early 2025 to ensure they reached overseas markets in time for the kick-off of the World Cup.义乌本地厂商向国内媒体透露，早在2025年初他们就接到海外采购商订单，保障商品能在世界杯开赛之前准时销往全球市场。However, the football souvenirs are not just being made in Yiwu.不过，足球纪念商品的产地并不只有义乌。Some are produced in Guangzhou in Guangdong province, Qingdao in Shandong province and Xiamen in Fujian province, according to local media reports.据地方媒体报道，广东广州、山东青岛、福建厦门也有工厂生产相关周边。A production plant in Guangdong manufactured the official match ball of the 2026 World Cup, called Trionda. Some match balls are fitted with Chinese smart chips.广东一家工厂打造了2026世界杯官方比赛用球“特里安达”，部分比赛用球内置中国研发的智能芯片。At one other official FIFA store in New York, a member of staff, who did not want to be named as he was not authorized to speak to the media, said that the shop was extremely busy most days as many shoppers from all over the world bought multiple things.纽约另一家世界杯官方门店一名不愿透露姓名的店员（无对外媒体采访权限）称，门店平日里客流爆满，世界各地的消费者都会一次性选购多款商品。He added that the most popular items for sale were the T-shirts, baseball hats, pins and scarves with the FIFA 2026 World Cup logo on them. All "Made in China" products.他补充道，印有2026世界杯标识的T恤、棒球帽、徽章和围巾最畅销，这些商品全部为中国制造。FIFA licenses its official merchandise, including products with the tournament's logo and emblem and team crests. Any unauthorized replicas infringe trademark rights and can be seized by customs.国际足联对官方周边实行授权管理，含赛事标识、会徽、球队队徽的商品均在授权范围内；未经许可的仿制品涉嫌侵犯商标权，海关可依法予以扣押。Some of the other merchandise on display in stores were made in Vietnam or Cambodia, the labels showed.门店陈列的其余部分周边商品，标签显示产自越南或柬埔寨。Various football fans were browsing through the goods for sale at another very busy FIFA Store located in Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan on Monday.周一，曼哈顿洛克菲勒广场另一间客流火爆的世界杯官方门店内，各路球迷正在挑选在售商品。Nearby in Rockefeller Center, a line of customers eagerly waited to view exhibits inside a FIFA museum, adorned with the photos of a few iconic football players outside, including the late Pele of Brazil.不远处的洛克菲勒中心内，大批游客排队等候参观国际足联博物馆；场馆外墙陈列多位传奇球星海报，其中包含已故巴西球王贝利。China's presence at the World Cup even extends beyond the stores and onto the pitch.中国对本届世界杯的参与不止体现在周边门店，赛场之上也随处可见中国元素。Pop Mart's famous Labubu dolls made an appearance at the opening ceremony.泡泡玛特热门IP拉布布玩偶亮相世界杯开幕式。Two life-sized Labubu dolls in football jerseys were seen lifting a replica of the World Cup trophy at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City on June 11.6月11日，墨西哥城阿兹特克体育场中，两个真人大小、身着球衣的拉布布玩偶举起大力神杯复刻模型。A pair of Chinese-made football boots gained attention during the tournament.一款中国制造的足球战靴在赛事期间备受关注。Cape Verde goalkeeper Josimar Jose Evora Dias, commonly known as Vozinha, wore Senda Mendoza Elite boots manufactured by Xufeng Sports Products in Putian, Fujian province.佛得角门将若西马尔·若泽·埃沃拉·迪亚斯（昵称沃济尼亚）上脚了福建莆田旭峰体育生产的森达门多萨精英款足球鞋。His team competed with European champions Spain to get a surprise 0-0 draw in Atlanta on June 15.6月15日亚特兰大赛场，他所在的佛得角队逼平欧洲冠军西班牙队，爆出0比0的冷门。Chinese beverage makers, including Luckin Coffee and Cotti Coffee, have struck partnerships with national teams such as Spain and Argentina, according to Xinhua News Agency.新华社消息，瑞幸咖啡、库迪咖啡等中国饮品品牌已与西班牙、阿根廷等国家队达成合作。Chinese technology is also a big part of the tournament. Chinese TV maker Hisense is the official Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review TV provider used to make crucial game decisions, Yahoo reported.科技领域同样少不了中国身影。雅虎报道，中国电视厂商海信为本届赛事提供视频助理裁判（VAR）专用回放显示屏，用于裁决比赛关键判罚。Lenovo, a Chinese technology firm, is the supplier of equipment to 16 stadiums in the tournament. Both the company's servers and artificial intelligence devices will be used.中国科技企业联想为全部16座赛事场馆供应设备，赛事将投入使用联想服务器与人工智能设备。China is also taking part through a trio of its referees in the event: Fu Ming, assistant referee Zhou Fei, and Ma Ning, a VAR.三名中国裁判也参与本届世界杯执法工作，分别是主裁判傅明、助理裁判周飞、视频助理裁判马宁。Host cities Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara have 115 light-rail trains manufactured by CRRC, a Chinese rail transit equipment supplier.墨西哥城、蒙特雷、瓜达拉哈拉三座主办城市投入运营115列轻轨列车，全部由中国中车轨道交通装备企业制造。In Mexico City, 800 new-energy shuttle buses — 95 percent of them made in China — will help take fans between venues, Xinhua reported.新华社报道，墨西哥城投放800辆新能源接驳大巴，其中95%为中国制造，负责接送球迷往返各个赛场。merchandise /ˈmɜːtʃəndaɪs/周边商品，商品，货品souvenir /ˌsuːvəˈnɪə(r)/纪念品，纪念周边emblem /ˈembləm/会徽，徽章，标志infringe /ɪnˈfrɪndʒ/侵犯（权利），违反replica /ˈreplɪkə/复制品，复刻模型transit /ˈtrænzɪt/交通运输，运输系统

As one of the most important geopolitical relationships in the world, the United States - China relationship has the opportunity to set the course of a number of issues that would ripple across the world. Unfortunately, it seems that misperceptions, misunderstandings, and missed opportunities abound in this vital relationship. In this month's episode, we speak with Sarwar Kashmeri, a leading international relations scholar, academic, business leader, and host of the Polaris Live program, about his recent trip to China and what insights he gathered during his travels. During his two weeks in China, a country he has not visited in over 20 years, he became confident that both sides of this relationship do not understand each other and that the only solution is exchanges, travel, and everyday interactions which can lead to a better path forward. He outlines the worldview that many in China hold and what their government seems to want from engagement with the world. This certainly is not a relationship free of critical challenges, but we can all do our part to solve them by accurately understanding what each side wants from the other.Sarwar Kashmeri is an international relations specialist, author, and commentator, noted for his expertise on U.S. global strategy and national security.He speaks frequently before business, foreign policy and military audiences. He is the founder and host of Polaris-Live. com, “United States and China in the world,” a live internet video program featuring 30 minute conversations on the business and geopolitical impact of China's rapid rise to superpower status.Kashmeri is author of the Foreign Policy Association's report “The Telegram: A China Agenda For President Biden“ (2021); “The Telegram II: The Business of America and China is Business“(2022); “China's Grand Strategy: Weaving a New Silk Road to Global Primacy,” (Bloomsbury), his third book, was published in July 2019. It is a centennial book of the Foreign Policy Association where Sarwar is a Senior Fellow. The book was released at a Washington D.C. launch featuring Kashmeri and former U.S. Defense Secretary, Chuck Hagel.He is also an Applied Research Fellow of the Peace and War Center of Norwich University, Vermont, USA  and served a four year term as a non-residential Senior Fellow at the Brent Scowcroft Center for International Security of the Atlantic Council in Washington D.C.Kashmeri has hosted “China Focus,” a podcast series for the Carnegie Corporation of New York and discussed China's Belt and Road Initiative on television with Deutsche Welle, the German news network, and in a series of interviews with Xinhua, China's global news agency.

On today's show Andrew and Bill begin with the news that Beijing moved to further ease hukou restrictions, including why this is a welcome change for millions of Chinese citizens, as well as a look at questions and challenges as the reforms are implemented. Then: A report that Chinese AI talent has been restricted from leaving China, while Beijing continues its efforts to control capital outflow and offshore investments. From there: Indications that the US has indeed paused its second tranche of arms sales to Taiwan, and more details on a US-China board of investment. Then: PRC-Japan updates, including reports of Takaichi recriminations from Xi in his meeting with Trump, heavy rare earth shipments restricted for the past four months, the cards Japan has yet to play, and Mao's strategic stalemate as a stage of protracted war, not an endgame. At the end: An American journalist for Xinhua and other state outlets is arrested and accused of acting as an unregistered agent of the CCP.

Durante l'incontro tra Trumpo e Xi Jing Ping, secondo l'agenzia di stato Xinhua, poi, durante l'incontro chiuso alla stampa, Xi è stato più esplicito: ha avvertito Trump che la questione di Taiwan. L'ex presidente del Consiglio italiano è stato particolarmente duro con gli Stati Uniti e con la Cina, proprio nei giorni in cui Donald Trump e Xi Jinping sono impegnati in primo incontro bilaterale da anni. Draghi è tornato a sottolineare l'importanza di una strategia europea e di investimenti comuni. Il Consiglio e il Parlamento Europeo hanno appena raggiunto un accordo su nuove norme pensate per proteggere gli adulti che necessitano di protezione e sostegno per l'invecchiamento e la disabilità, ma che si trovano in una situazione "transfrontaliera". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened marginally higher this morning from yesterday's close, at 40,708 on turnover of 8-billion N-T. The market posted a record daily gain of more than 1,700 points on Monday to close above the 40,000-point mark for the first time. Analysts says buying in the semiconductor industry was sparked by massive spending proposed by major U-S cloud service providers last week and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing was the largest beneficiary of that on Monday .. … and saw its share price rose 6.56-per cent to close at a high of 2,275 N-T. Premier directs ministries to assist shipping companies Premier Cho Jung-tai has instructed government agencies to coordinate assistance for Taiwan shipping company whose vessels are stranded due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. According to the Cabinet, the directive was issues after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released data showing of the about 1,600 vessels from various countries currently stranded (受困), eight are operated by Taiwan firms. The Cabinet says Cho has asked the Ministry of Transport to coordinate with the foreign ministry in contacting foreign governments and Taiwan shipping firms, to offer assistance measures to enable the vessels to resume normal operations as soon as possible. However, the Cabinet has not released any details concerning how such measures could be adopted. Hon Hai's 2nd generation satellites launched successfully Two second-generation satellites developed by Hon Hai has been launched successfully into orbit from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. According to Hon Hai, the low-Earth orbit satellites PEARL-1A and PEARL-2B have entered their intended orbits for expected on-orbit mission durations of between one to three years. The satellites have been primarily designed for payload technology verification (驗証，確認) in communication and space science. Hon Hai co-developed the satellites with the National Central University. China Fireworks Explosion State media in China says an explosion at a fireworks plant in a central Chinese province has killed at least 21 people and injured 61 others. China's official news agency Xinhua says the blast occurred at a fireworks plant in Changsha city of Hunan province on Monday afternoon. Nearly 500 rescuers were deployed to the scene and evacuations were conducted in danger zones. Authorities are investigating the cause of the blast. 19 people jailed in France for facilitating a network of migrant smugglers 19 people in France received jail terms for facilitating (促進) a network of migrant smugglers operating along the northern French coasts. Prosecutors at the trial in the northern city of Lille (LEEL) said those convicted worked as lookouts, masterminds, and drivers for smuggling gangs. Ross Cullen reports. Mauritania Lawmakers Sentenced for Insulting President Two female opposition lawmakers in Mauritania have been sentenced to four years in prison for insulting the president and inciting (煽動) violence. Their lawyers say Monday that the charges stem from social media posts accusing the president of discrimination against Black people and descendants (後人) of slaves. Last month, Marieme Cheikh Dieng and Ghamou Achour were charged with “attacking the symbols of the state.” Mauritania outlawed slavery in 1981 but human rights groups report around 149-thousand people remain in modern slavery in the country. That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____. －－－－以下為 SoundOn 動態廣告－－－－ 新加坡，開啟最過癮的海陸雙享假期！ 蘋果旅遊 推出新加坡與郵輪專案，結合新加坡城市魅力與豪華郵輪體驗，迪士尼探險號或雲頂夢號任你選，一次滿足海陸度假享受，詳情請洽蘋果旅遊！

This week, Murphy and Heilemann welcome policy Hackeroo and Clintonworld veteran Doug Sosnik. The Hacks dive into Trump's Twitter feud with Chicago's Pope, high-stakes negotiations to end the war with Iran, the JD Vance problem, shifting voting trends and Trump's job approval—and check in on California's governor's race. Photo by Xinhua via Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Entre stratégies d'influence étrangères et reprise en main des récits nationaux par les autorités de transition, le contrôle des médias est désormais un levier central de la souveraineté au Mali, au Burkina Faso et au Niger. Pour décrypter ces mutations, L'atelier des médias reçoit la géopolitologue Selma Mihoubi. Depuis la série de coups d'État survenus entre 2021 et 2023, les pays qui se sont réunis en confédération au sein de l'Alliance des États du Sahel (AES) ont opéré un tournant radical, y compris sur le plan médiatique. Loin d'être uniquement le fruit d'ingérences extérieures, cette transformation s'appuie sur des racines locales profondes. Un « alignement narratif » Selma Mihoubi, docteure en géopolitique à Sorbonne Université et consultante, souligne que ce « régime narratif » s'articule autour de trois axes : la célébration d'une souveraineté retrouvée face à l'ancienne puissance coloniale française, l'instrumentalisation de l'histoire et une occultation volontaire des revers sécuritaires face aux groupes djihadistes. Face à ce que l'experte nomme un « encerclement cognitif », les États de l'AES structurent leurs propres outils de communication. La création de la radio La Voix du Liptako, de la télévision AES TV et d'une agence de presse commune à Niamey vise à créer un « alignement narratif », explique la géopolitologue. « En fait, il y a vraiment une recherche de coalition informationnelle pour diffuser un même narratif. Et d'ailleurs, les dirigeants des pays de l'AES l'ont dit eux-mêmes : les médias de service public de ces trois États [L'ORTM au Mali, la RTB au Burkina et la RTN au Niger, ndlr] doivent travailler pour le rayonnement de l'Alliance des États du Sahel et diffuser des contenus qui vont véhiculer ces narratifs-là. Donc il y a ce partage de contenus gratuits, justement pour s'assurer en fait d'un alignement narratif. » La vulnérabilité économique, un terreau fertile Les journalistes locaux ont été mis au pas tandis que le paysage médiatique sahélien souffre d'un sous-développement chronique et d'une précarité financière qui facilitent l'influence de puissances étrangères. Ainsi, l'agence étatique chinoise Xinhua propose ses dépêches gratuitement, une oportunité pour des médias locaux qui ne peuvent souscrire aux flux des agences européennes (AFP et Reuters) ou américaines (AP). Mais Selma Mihoubi explique que « cette opportunité économique de récupérer des informations gratuites n'est pas nécessairement synonyme d'une adhésion idéologique ». À cette influence feutrée s'ajoute la stratégie plus frontale de la Russie, qui utilise massivement des comptes inauthentiques et des campagnes d'astroturfing sur les réseaux sociaux pour saturer l'espace numérique de discours hostiles à la France. À lire aussiComment un réseau de désinformation tente de déstabiliser les pays de l'AES

VOV1 - Tại châu Á, hai nền kinh tế lớn là Trung Quốc và Nhật Bản đang đứng trước bài toán không dễ: vừa đảm bảo an ninh năng lượng trong ngắn hạn, vừa điều chỉnh chiến lược cho dài hạn. Vậy họ đang lựa chọn những giải pháp nào?Trung Quốc và Nhật Bản đều phụ thuộc lớn vào năng lượng Trung Đông, với những con số đáng chú ý: Với Trung Quốc, khoảng 42-50% dầu thô nhập khẩu đến từ Trung Đông, tương đương gần 5 triệu thùng/ngày.  Khoảng 30% khí tự nhiên hóa lỏng (LNG) của nước này cũng đến từ khu vực Trung Đông. Đáng chú ý, 40-45% lượng dầu nhập khẩu của Trung Quốc đi qua eo biển Hormuz, một điểm nghẽn địa chiến lược quan trọng. Trong khi đó, Nhật Bản phụ thuộc gần như tuyệt đối vào Trung Đông. Khoảng 93-95% dầu thô nhập khẩu của Nhật đến từ khu vực này, chủ yếu từ Saudi Arabia và UAE.Năng lượng tái tạo trở thành “trụ cột chiến lược” giúp Trung Quốc giảm thiểu rủi ro từ những cú sốc năng lượng toàn cầu. Ảnh: Xinhua

Ce qui fait la Une de l'actualité, c'est la poursuite de la guerre au Moyen-Orient et la paralysie du détroit d'Ormuz. Selon l'agence Xinhua, des experts estiment que les multiples signaux envoyés par Mojtaba Khamenei laissent présager trois évolutions majeures. Premièrement, le conflit pourrait s'inscrire dans la durée et présenter un risque d'extension. Deuxièmement, l'économie mondiale pourrait connaître des turbulences durables. Troisièmement, la situation régionale deviendrait plus complexe. Avec Zuqiang Lin de la rédaction chinoise : le déplacement du Premier ministre taïwanais  à Tokyo dont la portée politique n'a échappé à personne.  Eva Massy pour la rédaction en portugais : le durcissement de la loi contre l'homosexualité au Sénégal. Vasilié Damian, chef de la rédaction roumaine : Volodymyr Zelensky était en Roumanie hier (12 mars 2026)

Ce qui fait la Une de l'actualité, c'est la poursuite de la guerre au Moyen-Orient et la paralysie du détroit d'Ormuz. Selon l'agence Xinhua, des experts estiment que les multiples signaux envoyés par Mojtaba Khamenei laissent présager trois évolutions majeures. Premièrement, le conflit pourrait s'inscrire dans la durée et présenter un risque d'extension. Deuxièmement, l'économie mondiale pourrait connaître des turbulences durables. Troisièmement, la situation régionale deviendrait plus complexe. Avec Zuqiang Lin de la rédaction chinoise : le déplacement du Premier ministre taïwanais  à Tokyo dont la portée politique n'a échappé à personne.  Eva Massy pour la rédaction en portugais : le durcissement de la loi contre l'homosexualité au Sénégal. Vasilié Damian, chef de la rédaction roumaine : Volodymyr Zelensky était en Roumanie hier (12 mars 2026)

Kia ora,Welcome to Monday's Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand.I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz.Today we lead with news we need to keep an eye on the 'Sell America' trade, which until now has been more headlines that substance and mainly about China's divestment in US Treasuries. But the Greenland kerfuffle has triggered a serious rethink by many pension fund managers, and more are taking this action.But first, the week ahead will be a relatively quiet one locally on the data front, but we will get a big range of December banking sector data, allowing us to cap the 2025 year on a number of important metrics. In Australia, the key event will be Wednesday's CPI data where it is expected to rise to 3.6%, the final indicator before next week's RBA rate review.Globally, all eyes will be on the gold price and its expected push up through US$5000/oz which could come early in the week.And in the US, all eyes will be on the Fed and its January 29 meeting, amid increasingly contrasting takes by voting members on the appropriate rate path. But most things related to public policy are in turmoil in the US, and the Fed's position is just part of that. We will be watching for bond market reactions.Elsewhere, official interest rate decisions are expected in Canada, Brazil, and Sweden, and the Bank of Japan will publish meeting minutes.An don't forget it is a holiday today in the north of the North Island (Auckland Anniversary Day), and in Australia (Australia Day),In the first news up today, China released its December FDI data overnight and it was negative again. For all of 2025 foreign direct investment fell -9.5%, following a sharp -24.7% fall in 2024 and that makes it the third consecutive year of contraction. December alone recorded a good pickup from November but even with that it was -7% lower than the December 2024 month. But at least it didn't shrink as it did in November from October.China also release minimum wage rate data that showed 27 of the country's 31 provincial jurisdictions have increased monthly minimum wages over the past year, with half introducing double-digit rises.In an interview with state media Xinhua, the Chinese central bank governor indicated that cuts to their interest rates and reserve ratio requirements are on the cards in 2026.Taiwan said industrial production surged more than +21% in December from the same month a year ago, the strongest growth since May. For all of 2025 it was up +16.7%, so the latest activity is an acceleration. But their local retail sector is not showing the same exuberance, up just +0.9% in December from a year ago but down -0.2% for all of 2025. Consumers there are prioritising saving over spending, just like in the country to their west.Japanese inflation eased to 2.1% in December from 2.9% in November, the lowest since March 2022. Food inflation fell to a 13-month low of +5.1%, driven by the slowest rise in rice prices in 16 months.The Japanese January 'flash' PMIs were quite positive with private sector output expanding at their quickest rate for nearly a year-and-a-half to start 2026.The Japanese central bank reviewed its monetary policy and no change was made, held at 0.75% - because an election is imminent. But now inflation concerns seem to be easing too. But markets are on alert for official intervention to support the yen.In India, their 'flash' January PMIs rose across both sectors, maintaining the very high rates of economic expansion there.We are starting to get the early January PMI reports for many key economies. The US factory version was little-changed in a modest expansion and it was the same for their services sector. But both recorded slightly better new order flows. Both noted cost pressures from their tariff-taxes. But as you will note from below this expansion lags most of the other large global economies.The Conference Board's leading economic indicator tracking for the US isn't positive reading, with the latest update reporting further declines.In Canada, their retail sector reported good gains in November, up +3.1% from a year ago, but these may not have extended into December, according to their overnight update.In the EU, output continues to rise in January and business confidence strengthened. That raised their factory PMIs to expansion, but their services PMI's hesitated.In Australia this week, they posted stronger than expected labour market data. That has sharply changed financial market pricing. And in turn there has been a rush by banks, both a major (NAB) and some challengers, to hike their fixed home loan rates today. They get their December CPI result next week and it is widely expected to challenge the upper end of their policy tolerance. If it does, suddenly Australian floating mortgage rates are at risk of a rise on February 3, 2026. If they do hike then, the Aussie policy rate will be 3.85% (3.60% +25 bps). And that will put it 160 bps higher than the RBNZ current 2.25%. It has been 14 years since this difference was that large.In Australia, private sector output expanded at its fastest pace in five months in December according to the S&P Global 'flash' PMI report. Both the factory and services sector expansions picked up, the services sector more than the factory sector however. Faster new order growth, including for exports, was a noted feature.And we should probably note that China received its first shipment of iron ore from their giant African mine at Simandou, Guinea. This likely marks a shift in China's iron ore import focus, likely to Australia's detriment.The UST 10yr yield is now just on 4.24%, down -2 bps from this time Saturday. And here is something to keep an eye on, Europe's largest pension fund cut its holdings of US Treasury debt sharply in 2025, a trend that seems to be gathering steam, the 'sell America' trade, one started by Norway's sovereign wealth fund late last year.The price of gold will start today at US$4983/oz, up a minor +US$1 from Saturday bit still a new record again. US$5000 could come quickly now. Silver is up +US$2/oz at US$103/oz and also a record high. Platinum ihas eased marginally to US$2741/oz.American oil prices are holding at Saturday's at just on US$61/bbl, while the international Brent price is firmish, now just under US$66/bbl.The Kiwi dollar is little-changed from Saturday, still at about 59.4 USc. That makes it almost a -2c loss for the greenback for the week. Against the Aussie we are up +10 bps at 86.3 AUc. Against the euro we are down -10 bps at just on 50.3 euro cents. That all means our TWI-5 starts today just under 63.1, and up +10 bps from Saturday, its highest since late September, and up +150 bps for the week.And we should probably note that the official Chinese yuan setting by the Peoples Bank of China slipped below 7 to the US dollar in Saturday's fixing, the first time it has done that since May 2023. Although to be fair, most currencies are rising against the USD, ours included.The bitcoin price starts today at US$87,968 and down -2.0% from this time Saturday. Volatility over the past 24 hours has been modest at just under +/- 1.0%.You can get more news affecting the economy in New Zealand from interest.co.nz.Kia ora. I'm David Chaston and we'll do this again tomorrow.

Martina Fuchs international business journalist, DJ, and Guinness World Record holder, joins Grammy-nominated producer Maejor and The Frequency School to release ‘The 195', the first song in history featuring women from all 195 countries, recorded in 528 Hz ‘Love Frequency' to promote women's empowerment, global unity, and holistic wellness. I had the wonderful opportunity to sit down and have an in-depth chat, tune in now. :) Martina Fuchs is an international business journalist, music executive, Guinness World Records holder, expert on China and the Middle East, and speaks 9 languages.   She currently works as a Europe business correspondent for China's news agency Xinhua, co-founder of the Frequency School with U.S. Grammy-nominated music producer Maejor, consultant for the IMD business school, and advisor for the Lang Lang International Music Foundation. Based in London, Zurich, and Dubai, Martina also serves as a board member for the Montreux Jazz Festival China and is the brand ambassador for Switzerland's premium chocolate retailer Läderach. Apart from being a global citizen and world traveler, she is also a music DJ and set a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title in 2025 (“Most nationalities to contribute vocals to a musical recording”) for the “195” - the first song in history featuring women from all of the world's 195 countries. Martina speaks 9 languages, including: German, French, English, Chinese, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Swahili. Social media: LinkedIn (Top Voice, 36K followers): https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinafuchsglobal/ Instagram (57K followers): https://www.instagram.com/martina_fuchs_global/   ABOUT THE FREQUENCY SCHOOL: The Frequency School was created at the renowned international boarding Aiglon College in Switzerland in 2024 by U.S. Grammy-nominated and multi-platinum music producer Maejor, and co-founders Martina Fuchs, Kingsley M, Brandon Lee, and Aaron Dawson. Our pioneering concept is designed to harness the transformative power of music for the holistic development of people focusing on the mind, body, and spirit. We provide music-based wellness services and resources, promoting not only their mental and physical health but also their spiritual wellbeing. Through services like music therapy, education, and performance, we empower individuals to lead balanced, healthy, and fulfilling lives. The approach integrates the latest in music therapy with traditional wellness practices to support the whole person. In January 2025, we set a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for: “Most nationalities to contribute vocals to a musical recording (single song)” The “195” is the first song in history featuring women from all of the world's 195 countries and using the 528 Hz ‘Love' sound healing frequency. Using the sounds of birds and the heartbeat as instrumental elements, the “195” aims to raise awareness about gender equality, and promote women's empowerment and female leadership. The "195" Song  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxCn0c9W5V4 Social media:  https://www.instagram.com/thefrequencyschool/ www.linkedin.com/company/the-frequency-school  https://frequency.school     She's All Over the Place Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/shesallovertheplacepodcast https://www.chonacas.com/links/    

The US Federal Reserve on Wednesday decided to lower the target range for the federal funds interest rate by 25 basis points to 4.0 - 4.25 percent, the first rate cut since December 2024, Xinhua News Agency reported on Thursday.据新华社4日报道，美国联邦储备委员会（美联储）于3日决定将联邦基金利率目标区间下调25个基点，至4.0% - 4.25%，这是自2024年12月以来美联储首次降息。Recent indicators suggest that growth of US economic activity moderated in the first half of the year. Job gains have slowed, and the unemployment rate has edged up. Inflation has moved up and remains elevated to some extent, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the principal monetary policymaking body of the Federal Reserve System, said in a statement after a policy meeting. 美联储主要货币政策制定机构——联邦公开市场委员会（FOMC）在货币政策会议后发布的声明中表示，近期数据显示，今年上半年美国经济活动增速有所放缓，就业岗位增长势头减弱，失业率小幅上升，通胀水平有所回升且在一定程度上仍处于高位。"In support of its goals and in light of the shift in the balance of risks, the Committee decided to lower the target range for the federal funds rate by 1/4 percentage point to 4 to 4-1/4 percent," the statement said. "In considering additional adjustments to the target range for the federal funds rate, the Committee will carefully assess incoming data, the evolving outlook, and the balance of risks."声明称：“为实现委员会的政策目标，并鉴于风险平衡发生变化，委员会决定将联邦基金利率目标区间下调25个基点，至4% - 4.25%。在考虑对联邦基金利率目标区间进行进一步调整时，委员会将仔细评估未来经济数据、经济前景演变及风险平衡状况。”The FOMC reiterated its commitment to supporting maximum employment and returning inflation to its 2 percent objective, according to the report.声明称：“为实现委员会的政策目标，并鉴于风险平衡发生变化，委员会决定将联邦基金利率目标区间下调25个基点，至4% - 4.25%。在考虑对联邦基金利率目标区间进行进一步调整时，委员会将仔细评估未来经济数据、经济前景演变及风险平衡状况。”US stocks opened barely changed on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.04 percent, the S&P 500 down 0.03 percent and the Nasdaq flat. Major indexes extended losses while Fed chair Jerome Powell made his remarks, before ending mixed at Wedensday's close: the Dow gained 0.57 percent, while the Nasdaq fell 0.33 percent and the S&P 500 slipped 0.1 percent.3日美国股市开盘涨跌互现，道琼斯工业平均指数上涨0.04%，标准普尔500种股票指数下跌0.03%，纳斯达克综合指数持平。在美联储主席杰罗姆・鲍威尔发表讲话期间，主要股指跌幅扩大，截至当日收盘呈现涨跌分化态势：道琼斯工业平均指数上涨0.57%，纳斯达克综合指数下跌0.33%，标准普尔500种股票指数下跌0.1%。In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Tech Index rose 1 percent to 6,397.63. Most major Chinese ADRs advanced, with the Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index climbing 2.85 percent, as of press time.香港市场方面，恒生科技指数上涨1%，收于6397.63点。截至发稿时，中国主要美国存托凭证（ADR）多数上涨，纳斯达克金龙中国指数攀升2.85%。The Federal Reserve's latest rate cut comes amid a sluggish US economy, with both job creation and growth showing signs of weakness, Xi Junyang, a professor at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, told Global Times on Thursday. 上海财经大学教授奚君羊4日在接受《环球时报》采访时表示，当前美国经济增长乏力，就业创造与经济增长均显现疲软迹象，美联储此次降息正是在此背景下推出的。US businesses added only 22,000 jobs from July to August, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, and massive revisions to federal jobs data show that the pace of hiring was notably low in summer 2025, according to a CNBC report on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Fed cut rates while personal consumption expenditures inflation stayed at 2.59 percent, which is above the Fed's target rate of 2 percent.美国劳工统计局数据显示，7月至8月美国企业仅新增2.2万个就业岗位。美国消费者新闻与商业频道（CNBC）4日报道称，对联邦就业数据的大幅修正显示，2025年夏季美国就业岗位增长速度明显放缓。与此同时，尽管美国个人消费支出通胀率仍维持在2.59%，高于美联储2%的目标水平，美联储仍选择实施降息。"After ending its tightening cycle in 2023, the Fed's move into an easing phase appears a logical step and signals a more neutral monetary policy stance," Xi Junyang said, adding that lower borrowing costs will help reduce financing costs for companies and households, spurring investment and consumption.奚君羊表示：“在2023年结束紧缩周期后，美联储转入宽松周期是合乎逻辑的一步，这标志着其货币政策立场向中性方向调整。”他补充称，借贷成本下降将有助于降低企业与家庭的融资成本，进而刺激投资与消费。Globally, countries that have yet to ease may now face greater pressure to follow suit, as keeping rates relatively high could weigh on their economies, Xi Junyang said. 奚君羊指出，从全球范围来看，尚未实施宽松政策的国家如今可能面临更大的跟进压力，因为维持相对较高的利率水平或对本国经济造成拖累。The cut will also help eases pressure from the China-US interest-rate differential, supporting the yuan's stability and potentially boosting overseas demand for the yuan-denominated assets, the expert said.这位专家表示，此次降息还将有助于缓解中美利差带来的压力，对人民币汇率稳定形成支撑，并可能提升海外市场对人民币资产的需求。All 12 members of the FOMC, including Lisa Cook and Stephen Miran, attended the meeting. While 11 members voted for the 25-basis-point cut, Miran voted against the action, preferring a 50-basis-point cut, according to Xinhua.据新华社报道，包括莉萨・库克与斯蒂芬・米兰在内的联邦公开市场委员会12名成员均出席了此次会议。其中11名成员投票支持25个基点的降息幅度，米兰则投下反对票，主张将利率下调50个基点。"We see where we are now, and we took that appropriate action today," said Fed Chair Jerome Powell at a press conference after the meeting, per the Xinhua report. Lowering interest rates will help a struggling labor market, where some people are having a hard time finding jobs, Powell said.新华社援引鲍威尔在会后新闻发布会上的讲话称：“我们对当前经济形势有清晰判断，今日采取的行动是恰当的。”鲍威尔表示，降息将对当前陷入困境的劳动力市场起到帮助作用，目前部分人群面临就业困难。Along with its policy decision, the FOMC released updated economic projections, forecasting US real GDP growth of 1.6 percent in 2025, 1.8 percent in 2026, 1.9 percent in 2027, and 1.8 percent in 2028. The Fed also projected the US median unemployment rate would remain at 4.5 percent in 2025, ease to 4.4 percent in 2026, and drop further to 4.3 percent in 2027. 与此同时，联邦公开市场委员会还发布了最新经济预测，预计2025年美国实际国内生产总值（GDP）增长率为1.6%，2026年为1.8%，2027年为1.9%，2028年为1.8%；失业率方面，预计2025年美国中位失业率将维持在4.5%，2026年降至4.4%，2027年进一步降至4.3%。basis pointsn.基点/ˈbeɪsɪs pɔɪnts/moderatedv.放缓；减弱/ˈmɒdəreɪtɪd/elevatedadj.偏高的；升高的/ˈelɪveɪtɪd/differentialn.差额；差值/ˌdɪfəˈrenʃl/

TRANSLATION MENU: LOOK UPPER RIGHT BELOW THE SOCIAL MEDIA ICONS. IT OFFERS EVERY LANGUAGE AVAILABLE AROUND THE WORLD! ALSO, SOCIAL MEDIA AND PRINT ICONS ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST! Pictured above: title page and table of contents Sixteen years on the streets, living and working with the people of China, Jeff    ... The post Your mind is colonized-—The Means, Roots, and Global Perils of U.S. Cognitive Warfare – Xinhua Institute – Sept 2025 appeared first on CHINA RISING RADIO SINOLAND.

Et møte og en ellevill parade med robothunder og missiler kan bli stående igjen som et historisk øyeblikk. For var det nå USA mistet grepet? Foto: Yue Yuewei, Xinhua via AP/NTB

A Chinese research team published a paper Monday in the British journal Nature Medicine, reporting the world's first successful transplantation of a genetically-edited pig lung into a brain-dead human recipient. 中国科研团队于周一在英国《自然・医学》期刊发表论文，报告了全球首例基因编辑猪肺成功移植到脑死亡人体的案例。This achievement is expected to help ease the shortage of lung donors and has been hailed by international experts as "a milestone" in the field, according to Xinhua News Agency. 据新华社报道，这一成果有望缓解肺源短缺问题，被国际专家誉为该领域的“里程碑” 事件。A research team led by He Jianxing, a professor at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, transplanted a lung from a six-gene-edited pig into a 39-year-old brain-dead male human recipient following a brain hemorrhage. The lung xenograft remained viable and functional throughout the 216-hour monitoring period, without signs of hyperacute rejection or infection, according to the paper in Nature Medicine.由广州医科大学附属第一医院何建行教授带领的科研团队，将一头经过6 处基因编辑的猪的肺脏，移植到一名因脑出血脑死亡的 39 岁男性受者体内。《自然・医学》期刊的论文显示，在 216 小时（9 天）的监测期内，这一异种移植肺始终保持存活且功能正常，未出现超急性排斥反应及感染迹象。The donor pig had undergone six genetic edits to reduce immune risks. Postoperative monitoring of respiration, blood, and imaging showed that the transplanted lung sustained ventilation and gas-exchange functions for up to nine days, with no occurrence of hyperacute rejection during this period. Concurrent pathogen monitoring also revealed no signs of active infection, the Xinhua report said. 报道称，供体猪共进行了6 处基因编辑，以降低免疫排斥风险。术后对呼吸、血液及影像学的监测表明，移植肺维持通气和气体交换功能达 9 天，期间未发生超急性排斥反应；同时开展的病原体监测也未发现活动性感染迹象。As of April, more than 7.05 million people have registered as organ donors in China, the Global Times learned in April. There have been more than 58,000 organ donations, 63,000 body donations, and 110,000 corneal donations, restoring sight to 100,000, saving over 170,000 lives and supporting medical education and research. Yet, the country still faces a donor shortage.《环球时报》4 月获悉，截至 2024 年 4 月，我国器官捐献志愿者登记人数已超 705 万。全国累计完成器官捐献超 5.8 万例、遗体捐献超 6.3 万例、角膜捐献超 11 万例，累计让 10 万名患者重见光明、17 万余名患者重获新生，并为医学教育科研提供了支持。尽管如此，我国器官供体短缺问题仍未得到根本解决。"Currently, global demand for organ transplants is rising, and xenotransplantation is considered a potential solution to the shortage of donors," He told Xinhua. "This achievement marks a critical step forward in xenogeneic lung transplantation."“当前全球器官移植需求持续增长，异种移植被认为是解决供体短缺的潜在方案。” 何建行向新华社表示，“这一成果标志着异种肺移植研究迈出关键一步。”Liu Changqiu, the deputy head of Life Law Research Society of Shanghai Law Society, told the Global Times on Tuesday that there are three major approaches for future organ supply, which are xenotransplantation, development of artificial organs as well as cultivating organs through cloned human cells, the latter of which still faces technical bottlenecks.上海市法学会生命法学研究会副会长刘长秋周二向《环球时报》指出，未来器官供应主要有三种途径，分别是异种移植、人工器官研发以及通过人体克隆细胞培育器官，其中后者目前仍面临技术瓶颈。Given ongoing challenges in cloned and artificial organ development, xenotransplantation plays a critical role in easing the shortage of donors, Liu said.刘长秋表示，鉴于克隆器官和人工器官研发仍存在挑战，异种移植在缓解供体短缺方面发挥着关键作用。He stated that the next steps will focus on optimizing gene-editing strategies and anti-rejection treatment plans to extend the survival and functionality of transplanted organs. 何建行团队透露，下一步将重点优化基因编辑策略与抗排斥治疗方案，以延长移植器官的存活时间并提升功能。The team plans to apply their self-developed tube-free technology to xenogeneic lung transplantation trials to reduce the damage caused by mechanical ventilation to donor lungs and accelerate the translation of xenogeneic lung transplantation into clinical practice.团队还计划将自主研发的无插管技术应用于异种肺移植试验，减少机械通气对供体肺造成的损伤，推动异种肺移植技术更快向临床转化。The research team emphasized that the study strictly complied to national laws, regulations, and ethical guidelines, and underwent review and supervision by the hospital's ethics committee and other relevant institutions. 科研团队强调，该研究严格遵循国家法律法规与伦理准则，经过医院伦理委员会及相关机构的审查与监督。The recipient, who had suffered severe traumatic brain injury, was confirmed brain-dead after multiple independent evaluations. The family, motivated by a desire to support medical progress, agreed to participate in the study without compensation. The study concluded on the ninth day at the family's request, per Xinhua.据新华社介绍，此次移植的受者因严重创伤性脑损伤，经多次独立评估确认脑死亡。其家属出于支持医学进步的意愿，无偿同意参与该研究。应家属要求，研究在第9 天终止。Xenotransplantation, the process of transplanting animal organs into humans, is a cutting-edge field in global medical research. International experts have praised this breakthrough. 异种移植（将动物器官移植到人体）是全球医学研究的前沿领域，中国团队的这一突破获得国际专家高度评价。Xinhua cited Beatriz Domínguez-Gil, director of the Spanish National Transplant Organization, as saying that, "Previous xenotransplantation trials have been limited to kidneys, hearts, and livers. Compared with these, xenogeneic lung transplantation faces greater challenges. Due to the lung's delicate physiological balance, its exposure to substantial blood flow, and its constant contact with the external air, it is particularly vulnerable to damage." 新华社援引西班牙国家移植组织主任贝亚特里斯・多明格斯- 希尔的评价称：“此前的异种移植试验多集中在肾脏、心脏和肝脏领域。与这些器官相比，异种肺移植面临的挑战更大 —— 肺脏生理结构脆弱，不仅需承受大量血流灌注，还需持续与外界空气接触，因此极易受损。”She described the Chinese team's achievement as "a milestone" in related research.她将中国团队的这一成果称为相关研究领域的“里程碑”。

O ditador da China, Xi Jinping, disse a Lula, em conversa por telefone na noite de segunda-feira, 11, que Pequim “apoia o povo brasileiro na defesa de sua soberania nacional".De acordo a agência oficial chinesa Xinhua, Xi Jinping também afirmou apoiar "o Brasil na salvaguarda de seus direitos e interesses legítimos, instando todos os países a se unirem na luta resoluta contra o unilateralismo e o protecionismo".Felipe Moura Brasil, Duda Teixeira e Ricardo Kertzman comentam:Papo Antagonista é o programa que explica e debate os principais acontecimentos do   dia com análises críticas e aprofundadas sobre a política brasileira e seus bastidores.     Apresentado por Felipe Moura Brasil, o programa traz contexto e opinião sobre os temas mais quentes da atualidade.     Com foco em jornalismo, eleições e debate, é um espaço essencial para quem busca informação de qualidade.     Ao vivo de segunda a sexta-feira às 18h.    Apoie o jornalismo Vigilante: 10% de desconto para audiência do Papo Antagonista  https://bit.ly/papoantagonista  Siga O Antagonista no X:  https://x.com/o_antagonista   Acompanhe O Antagonista no canal do WhatsApp. Boletins diários, conteúdos exclusivos em vídeo e muito mais.  https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va2SurQHLHQbI5yJN344  Leia mais em www.oantagonista.com.br | www.crusoe.com.br 

Former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol was arrested for the second time on July 10 after a court issued a warrant to place him in custody over his short-lived martial law declaration in December.韩国前总统尹锡悦（Yoon Suk-yeol）于7月10日第二次被捕，此前法院因他在12月短暂宣布戒严令而发出逮捕令。The Seoul Central District Court accepted the issuance request from Cho Eun-suk, independent counsel leading the investigation into Yoon's insurrection and other charges, saying Yoon was feared to destroy evidence, according to Xinhua.据新华社报道，首尔中央地方法院接受了负责调查尹暴动和其他指控的独立律师赵恩锡的发布请求，称担心尹会销毁证据。The special counsel team's spokesperson said key charges specified in the warrant included the obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and writing a bogus official document.特别检察官小组的发言人表示，逮捕令中规定的主要指控包括妨碍司法公正、滥用权力和撰写虚假官方文件。The team also accused Yoon ofviolating the rights of cabinet members by excluding the majority of them from a key meeting before declaring martial law on December 3.该团队还指责尹锡悦在12月3日宣布戒严令之前，将大多数内阁成员排除在关键会议之外，侵犯了内阁成员的权利。The special counsel team launched its investigation on June 18. It sought the detention to keep Yoon in custody for an extended period of time, or at least 20 days.特别检察官小组于6月18日开始调查。它要求拘留尹一段时间，或至少20天。A separate warrant to arrest Yoon for up to 48 hours was sought last month, but it was dismissed by the Seoul court.上个月，有人要求单独逮捕尹锡悦长达48小时，但首尔法院驳回了这一要求。Yoon was first arrested in January before he was officially impeached and removed from office in April over the declaration of martial law. He was released in March after a court accepted his request to cancel the arrest and the prosecutors decided not to appeal against the release approval.尹锡悦于1月首次被捕，随后于4月因宣布戒严令而被正式弹劾并免职。在法院接受了他取消逮捕的请求，检察官决定不对释放批准提出上诉后，他于3月获释。Following the latest arrest, Yoon did not attend his insurrection trial on July 10, saying it was due to health reasons. It was the first time he was absent from the trial.在最近一次被捕后，尹没有参加7月10日的暴动审判，称这是由于健康原因。这是他第一次缺席审判。If convicted of insurrection, Yoon could face a maximum penalty of life in prison or death, according to Yonhap News Agency.据韩联社报道，如果被判犯有暴动罪，尹锡悦可能面临终身监禁或死刑的最高刑罚。obstruction of justicen.妨碍司法公正/əbˈstrʌkʃən əv ˈdʒʌstɪs/insurrection trialn.暴动审判/ˌɪnsəˈrɛkʃən ˈtraɪəl/

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday the White House will have to examine the possibility of deporting Elon Musk, after the billionaire entrepreneurblasted the president's tax and spending bill.美国总统唐纳德·特朗普周二表示，在这位亿万富翁企业家抨击总统的税收和支出法案后，白宫将不得不研究驱逐埃隆·马斯克的可能性。Musk, who originally hails from South Africa and is now a US citizen, posted several posts of criticism over the weekend on social media aimed at Trump's "big, beautiful bill."马斯克最初来自南非，现在是美国公民，周末在社交媒体上发布了几篇针对特朗普“大而漂亮的法案”的批评帖子The tech titan lambasted the bill for what he said was adding to the US debt.这位科技巨头抨击该法案，称其增加了美国债务。Trump jabbed back on Tuesday, posting on social media that Musk, who is the CEO of electric vehicle company Tesla, was upset that the legislation eliminated tax credits for electric vehicles.周二，特朗普在社交媒体上回击称，电动汽车公司特斯拉的首席执行官马斯克对该立法取消了电动汽车的税收抵免感到不满。This is the latest in a row between the two billionaires, with the two in a tit-for-tat war of words.周二，特朗普在社交媒体上回击称，电动汽车公司特斯拉的首席执行官马斯克对该立法取消了电动汽车的税收抵免感到不满。Trump's sweeping bill, which passed the Senate on Tuesday, includes increased spending for defense, energy production and border security.特朗普周二在参议院通过的全面法案包括增加国防、能源生产和边境安全支出。Trump has implied that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the organization that Musk helped create in a bid to cut government costs, could be weaponized against Musk's companies.特朗普暗示，马斯克为削减政府成本而帮助创建的政府效率部（DOGE）可能会被用来对付马斯克的公司。"Elon may get more subsidy than any human being in history, by far," Trump posted on social media. "Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this?"特朗普在社交媒体上发帖称：“到目前为止，埃隆可能会获得比历史上任何人都多的补贴。”“也许我们应该让狗狗好好地、认真地看看这个？”Trump has also threatened to get rid of government subsidies that provide benefits to Musk's companies.特朗普还威胁要取消为马斯克的公司提供福利的政府补贴。Musk vowed to punish Republican lawmakers who supported Trump's bill.马斯克发誓要惩罚支持特朗普法案的共和党议员。"We won't know for some time if Musk follows through on his threats against Republicans. That could take the form of funding primary challengers, helping run independent candidates in red states as campaigns, or something else," Christopher Galdieri, a political science professor at Saint Anselm College in the northeastern state of New Hampshire, told Xinhua.新罕布什尔州东北部圣安瑟伦学院的政治学教授克里斯托弗·加迪埃里告诉新华社：“在一段时间内，我们还不知道马斯克是否会兑现他对共和党人的威胁。这可能会采取资助初选挑战者、帮助在红色州竞选独立候选人或其他方式。”。Clay Ramsay, a researcher at the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland, told Xinhua that Musk's relationship with Trump went in several stages.马里兰大学国际与安全研究中心的研究员克莱·拉姆齐告诉新华社，马斯克与特朗普的关系分为几个阶段。"In the first stage, Musk was willing to spend something like 250 million (US dollars) on Trump's campaign, and Trump liked that," Ramsay said.拉姆齐说：“在第一阶段，马斯克愿意在特朗普的竞选活动上花费大约2.5亿美元，特朗普对此表示欢迎。”。"In the second stage, Musk was Trump's partner in creating DOGE, which functioned something like a fourth branch of government, finding ways to stop spending on items that had been passed by Congress and were required by law. In the third stage, the popular dislike of DOGE resulted in a collapse of Tesla car sales, something which Musk had not expected," he added.他补充道：“在第二阶段，马斯克是特朗普创建DOGE的合作伙伴，DOGE的功能类似于政府的第四个部门，寻找方法停止在国会通过的、法律要求的项目上的支出。在第三阶段，公众对DOGE的厌恶导致了特斯拉汽车销售的崩溃，这是马斯克没有预料到的。”。"In the fourth stage, Musk moved away from direct execution of DOGE's tasks, and as a businessman, found that his companies were in danger of losing valuable support from clean energy subsidies. This, plus his aversion to government debt, explains why he hates the BBB (big beautiful bill)," the researcher concluded.研究人员总结道：“在第四阶段，马斯克不再直接执行DOGE的任务，作为一名商人，他发现他的公司有失去清洁能源补贴的宝贵支持的危险。再加上他对政府债务的厌恶，解释了他为什么讨厌BBB（大美法案）。”。tax creditsn.免税额度collapsen.崩溃、塌陷

More than 1,000 protesters clashed and faced off with National Guard troops in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday during the latest demonstrations against immigration raids that swept across California over the weekend.超过一千名抗议者周日（6月7日）在洛杉矶市中心与国民警卫队爆发冲突并形成对峙。此次抗议活动是针对上周末席卷加州全境的移民突袭搜查行动的最新回应。Xinhua reporters at the scene observed National Guard soldiers, along with agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security, repeatedly firing tear gas and smoke grenades to disperse the crowd. Some protesters and journalists were hit during the confrontation.新华社记者在现场观察到，国民警卫队士兵协同联邦移民和海关执法局（ICE）以及国土安全部（DHS）探员，多次发射催泪瓦斯和烟雾弹以驱散人群。冲突中有部分抗议者和记者被击中。"We want to protest peacefully. However, the Trump administration just sent soldiers to fight against us. Is it necessary?" one protester told Xinhua outside the Metropolitan Detention Center.“我们想要和平抗议。然而，特朗普政府却派士兵来对付我们。有这个必要吗？”一名抗议者在市中心的大都会拘留中心外对新华社记者说。Protesters at the scene also chanted "shame on you" at National Guard soldiers who created a perimeter around the federal building. Meanwhile, many locations have been taken over by more and more demonstrators and a main freeway running through the city has been blocked.现场的抗议者还向在联邦大楼外围构筑警戒线的国民警卫队士兵高呼“可耻”。与此同时，市内多处地点已被越来越多的示威者占据，一条贯穿市区的主干道高速公路也遭阻断。Shortly after the clash, California Governor Gavin Newsom urged protesters to remain peaceful.冲突发生后不久，加州州长加文·纽森立即呼吁抗议者保持克制。"California -- Don't give Donald Trump what he wants. Speak up. Stay peaceful. Stay calm," Newsom wrote in an online post. "Do not use violence and respect the law enforcement officers that are trying their best to keep the peace."“加利福尼亚人——不要遂了唐纳德·特朗普的心愿。请大声疾呼，但务必保持和平与冷静，”纽森在一篇网络发文中写道。 “切勿使用暴力，并尊重那些竭力维护秩序的执法人员。”National Guard troops sent by the Trump administration arrived in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday morning, according to the US Northern Command. The 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team from the California National Guard deployed approximately 300 soldiers to three separate locations in the greater Los Angeles area.根据美国北方司令部的消息，特朗普政府派遣的国民警卫队部队已于周日上午抵达洛杉矶市中心。来自加州国民警卫队第79步兵旅战斗队的约300名士兵被部署到大洛杉矶地区的三个不同地点。"They are conducting safety and protection of federal property & personnel," the Northern Command announced in an online post. 北方司令部在一篇网络发文中宣布：“他们正在执行保护联邦财产和人员安全的任务。”On Sunday afternoon, Newsom made a formal request to US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, asking the latter to rescind "unlawful" deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles and return them to California authority's command, calling the deployment "a serious breach of state sovereignty."周日下午，州长纽森向美国国防部长皮特·赫格塞思（Pete Hegseth）提出正式请求，要求后者撤销向洛杉矶“非法”部署国民警卫队的命令，并将部队的指挥权交还给加州当局。纽森称此次部署是“对州主权的严重侵犯”。"We didn't have a problem until Trump got involved," Newsom said in a post on X.“在特朗普插手之前，我们这里根本没有问题，”纽森在社交平台X上发文表示。"This is a serious breach of state sovereignty -- inflaming tensions while pulling resources from where they're actually needed. Rescind the order. Return control to California," he added.他补充道：“这是对州主权的严重侵犯——在真正需要资源的地方抽调兵力，同时煽风点火加剧紧张局势。请撤销命令，将控制权交还给加州。”The clash came after agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal law enforcement agencies raided several locations in southern California on Friday, which sparked two-day mass protests.冲突事件始于上周五，美国移民和海关执法局（ICE）协同联邦执法机构突袭南加州多处场所，引发持续两日的大规模抗议。Washington vowed on Saturday to continue the raids despite opposition from local communities and officials. The raids resulted in more than 100 arrests, drawing angry protesters who confronted agents with tear gas, flash-bang grenades and rocks.尽管遭遇地方政府与民众反对，华盛顿方面上周六仍誓言继续突击行动。此次行动逮捕逾百人，愤怒的抗议者以催泪瓦斯、闪光弹和石块对抗执法人员。US President Donald Trump took extraordinary action on Saturday by calling up 2,000 National Guard troops to quell immigration protests in the Los Angeles region, making rare use of federal powers and bypassing the authority of Governor Newsom.特朗普总统上周六采取非常规举措，罕见动用联邦权力绕过纽瑟姆州长权限，紧急调遣2000名国民警卫队员镇压洛杉矶地区移民抗议活动。The governor is leading the opposition on Sunday against Trump's decision.纽瑟姆州长于周日公开反对特朗普决定。Newsom, who previously warned repeatedly that Trump's decision was for the sake of a spectacle, said the president was "not to meet an unmet need, but to manufacture a crisis."这位曾多次警告总统“意在政治作秀”的州长表示：“总统此举并非解决实际需求，而是蓄意制造危机。”"He's hoping for chaos so he can justify more crackdowns, more fear, more control. Stay calm. Never use violence. Stay peaceful," he wrote in a post.“他企图制造混乱以合理化后续镇压行动，散播恐惧强化控制。请民众保持冷静，切勿使用暴力，坚守和平抗议。”州长在社交媒体发文强调。clash/klæʃ/n. 冲突；矛盾sovereignty/ˈsɒvrənti/n.国家的主权rescind/rɪˈsɪnd/v.废除；撤销protester/prəˈtestə(r)/n. (公开)抗议者；反对者crackdown/ˈkrækdaʊn/n. 严厉的打击；镇压

To comprehensively enhance residents' consumption capacity and market vitality, the city of Mianyang in Southwest China's Sichuan Province has proposed piloting a 4.5-day flexible workweek system, encouraging eligible regions to implement a "Friday afternoon plus weekend" 2.5-day leave model.为全面提升居民消费能力和市场活力，位于中国西南部的四川省绵阳市提出试行4.5天弹性工作制，鼓励符合条件的地区实行“周五下午+周末”2.5天的休假模式。The Mianyang Municipal Commerce Bureau recently issued the 2025 work plan for the city's consumption revitalization initiative, proposing seven core actions comprising 29 specific measures to enhance local residents' consumption capacity and market vitality, the Xinhua News Agency reported.据新华社报道，绵阳市商务局近日印发了《绵阳市提振消费专项行动2025年工作清单》，提出了七大核心行动，共29项具体措施，旨在提升居民消费能力和市场活力。The sixth action focuses on the optimization of consumption environments with the implementation of leave initiatives, said the report.报道称，第六项行动重点是优化消费环境，落实休假举措。Relevant departments are asked to ensure full implementation of annual leave and paid leave systems, encourage flexible scheduling for companies and promote simultaneous leaves for couples, Xinhua reported.据新华社报道，要求有关部门确保全面落实年休假和带薪休假制度，鼓励企业灵活安排工作时间，并推行夫妻双方同步休假。Notably, the plan also advocates for a 4.5-day flexible workweek and encourages eligible regions to adopt a "Friday afternoon plus weekend" 2.5-day leave model, per Xinhua.值得注意的是，据新华社报道，该方案还倡导每周4.5天弹性工作制，并鼓励符合条件的地区实行“周五下午加周末”2.5天的带薪休假模式。An official from the Mianyang Municipal Commerce Bureau, who requested to remain anonymous, told the Global Times on Monday that, as the lead authority for consumption promotion, the bureau proposed the model as an exploratory initiative under the framework of implementing central and provincial government policies to boost consumption.绵阳市商务局一位不愿透露姓名的官员周一向《环球时报》表示，作为消费促进工作的牵头部门，该局提出该模式是在落实中央和省级促进消费政策框架下的一项探索性举措。The proposal quickly became a trending topic on social media platform Sina Weibo, generating 210 million views and 55,000 discussions by 1 pm Monday. Many netizens expressed hopes for province-wide implementation.该方案迅速成为社交媒体平台新浪微博的热门话题，截至周一下午1点，阅读量已达2.1亿次，讨论量达5.5万次。许多网友表示希望该方案能在全省范围内推广。A Mianyang resident surnamed Yang told the Global Times that extended weekends would allow more leisurely travel. "It takes about five hours to drive from Mianyang to the Siguniang Mountain scenic area, which is equivalent to half a day," noting that an extra half day would mean the sightseeing time wouldn't be so rushed, and they could better enjoy the local scenery.一位姓杨的绵阳居民告诉《环球时报》，延长周末将使人们有更多时间享受休闲旅行。“从绵阳开车到四姑娘山景区大概需要5个小时，相当于半天时间。”他表示，多出半天时间，观光时间就不会那么紧张，可以更好地欣赏当地的风景。A Chengdu-based employee surnamed Xu, whose child currently lives in Mianyang, said that he currently drives to Mianyang every Saturday morning and returns to Chengdu Sunday afternoon, adding that, excluding travel time, he and his wife only have about a day to spend with their child.一位目前在成都工作、孩子住在绵阳的徐性员工表示，自己现在每周六早上开车去绵阳，周日下午返回成都。除去路上的时间，他和妻子能陪伴孩子的时间只有一天左右。"The time is really short, just when we start to get close to our child, we have to head back," Xu said, expressing a strong hope that this initiative can be further implemented, so that he can spend more time with his child.“时间真的太短了，刚刚和孩子亲近一点，就得离开了。”徐先生说，他非常希望这项举措能够进一步落实，这样他就能有更多时间陪伴孩子了。However, some netizens question the practical implementation of this initiative, wondering whether it will be put into effect and whether implementing this initiative in some public service institutions would cause an inconvenience.然而，一些网友对这项举措的具体实施情况提出了质疑，他们担心这项举措是否会真正落地，以及在一些公共服务机构实施这项举措是否会造成不便。The official from the bureau clarified that the specific implementation rules for the 2.5-day weekend leave have not yet been introduced. 该局负责人澄清，周末2.5天休假的具体实施细则尚未出台。"We need to combine specific circumstances and conduct discussions and research with other departments," the official noted.“我们需要结合具体情况，与其他部门进行讨论研究。”该工作人员指出。The 2.5-day weekend initiative is not novel in China. Over the past years, more than 10 provinces including North China's Hebei Province, East China's Jiangxi Province and Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality have proposed similar initiatives, China Central Television (CCTV) News reported.周末2.5天休假在中国并非新鲜事。据中国中央电视台（CCTV）新闻报道，过去几年，包括河北省、江西省和重庆市在内的10多个省份都提出了类似的举措。According to the report, Longnan in Gansu Province also encouraged that all administrative and public institutions should facilitate Friday afternoon leave for officials and employees after essential services, provided they complete required working hours through schedule adjustments, CCTV News reported.据报道，甘肃省陇南市也鼓励所有行政事业单位，在通过调整作息时间完成规定工作时间的前提下，为干部职工提供周五下午的休假。Professor Yang Haiyang, dean of the Research Institute of Social Development at Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, said that reducing working hours is an inevitable trend of social and economic development and civilizational progress, but its promotion needs to be combined with practical conditions to avoid a one-size-fits-all approach, according to the People's Daily.西南财经大学社会发展研究院院长杨海洋教授在接受《人民日报》采访时表示，缩短工作时间是社会经济发展和文明进步的必然趋势，但推广时应结合实际情况，避免“一刀切”。flexible workweek弹性工作周municipal/mjuːˈnɪsɪpl/adj.市政的；地方政府的leave model休假模式one-size-fits-alladj.一刀切的

Offerta NordVPN: vai su ⁠⁠https://www.nordvpn.com/novageo⁠⁠ e ricevi uno sconto esclusivo + 4 mesi extra sui piani biennali   Il NUOVO libro di Nova Lectio, "L'Inganno dei confini": ⁠⁠https://amzn.to/4jEy4hh⁠⁠ Tutti gli altri libri di Nova Lectio: ⁠⁠https://amzn.to/48dkPQo⁠⁠ Canale Youtube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/NovaLectio⁠⁠   Realpolitik, la mini-serie Podcast di Nova Lectio. Un viaggio tra geopolitica, economia e società per scoprire come funziona il mondo. Analisi, fatti e prospettive senza compromessi, per capire la realtà con pragmatismo e senza ideologie, "Realpolitik", appunto.   Testo e ricerca, Jacopo Turco Voce, Alberto Lodi Mix e Sound Design, Davide Marcone Produzione, Nova Lectio Fonti:  https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/feb/15/arsenal-accused-of-snub-to-drc-minister-over-bloodstained-visit-rwanda-deal https://www.ilpost.it/2025/05/07/ruanda-paris-saint-germain-psg-arsenal-champions-league/ https://en.atleticodemadrid.com/noticias/visit-rwanda-becomes-new-official-atleti-sponsor https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/27/well-camouflaged-dictatorship-rwandans-fear-for-safety-while-dirty-tricks-campaign-undermines-critics https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/7/16/rwandas-kagame-on-track-for-fourth-presidential-term https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/07/world/europe/trump-migrants-rwanda-us-uk.html https://www.worlddata.info/africa/rwanda/tourism.php#:~:text=In%202022%2C%20Rwanda%20generated%20around,tourism%20receipts%20in%20Eastern%20Africa. https://english.news.cn/africa/20250417/4d7aa041b49a4e40b4b26686ed342a89/c.html#:~:text=KIGALI%2C%20April%2016%20(Xinhua)%20%2D%2D%20Rwanda's%20national,decline%20over%20seven%20years%2C%20a%20survey%20shows.&text=Between%202017%20and%202024%2C%20Rwanda's%20real%20gross,consumption%20per%20person%20increased%20by%2027%20percent. https://www.unep.org/championsofearth/laureates/2016/paul-kagame https://www.africarivista.it/il-ruolo-strategico-del-ruanda-in-africa-centrale/255022/ https://www.ispionline.it/en/publication/rwanda-m23-and-goma-deja-vu-198905 https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/02/1160406 https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cj45z1yq2nzo https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/business/Qatar-Airways-stake-in-Rwanda-airport/2560-5379966-32mpxmz/index.html https://african.business/2025/01/trade-investment/qatar-airways-and-rwandair-closing-in-on-deal-says-kagame https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/congo-m23-delegations-leave-doha-peace-talks-stall-sources-2025-04-23/ https://ipisresearch.be/weekly-briefing/the-rising-spotlight-on-coltan-understanding-its-strategic-importance-and-role-in-the-eastern-congo-conflict/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

China beschuldigt de Verenigde Staten van het uitvoeren van geavanceerde cyberaanvallen op kritieke infrastructuur en Huawei, onder meer. Joe van Burik vertelt erover in deze Tech Update. China zegt dat namens de Verenigde Staten geval hacks uitgevoerd zijn via de Amerikaanse nationale veiligheidsdienst NSA, zo meldt het Chinese staatspersbureau Xinhua. Dat zou gebeurd zijn tijdens de Aziatische Winterspelen, die afgelopen februari werden gehouden in het noordelijker gelegen Harbin. Volgens de lokale politie daar zijn er drie specifieke agenten van de NSA die hiervoor verantwoordelijk zijn. Dat drietal zou ook 'vaker cyberaanvallen hebben uitgevoerd op Chinese kritieke infrastructuur, onder meer gericht op Huawei, maar ook de energievoorziening, vervoer, waterbeheer, communicatie en onderzoek voor defensie. Verder in deze Tech Update: Techleap heeft negen middelgrote techbedrijven in Nederland, waaronder Ticketswap, Bitvavo, Hadrian en Eye Security, geselecteerd voor een programma waarin extra begeleiding geboden wordt OpenAI heeft net hun belangrijkste nieuwe AI-model gelanceerd in de vorm van GPT-4.1 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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„Chiny i Rosja nie mogą zostać rozdzielone" – takie zdanie, według chińskiej agencji Xinhua, lider Chin Xi Jinping miał powiedzieć Władimirowi Putinowi podczas rozmowy telefonicznej, do której doszło w poniedziałek, w trzecią rocznicę pełnoskalowej napaści Rosji na Ukrainę. Kreml ocenił rozmowę jako "ciepłą i przyjacielską".Na czym polega strategia Chin po widocznej zmianie polityki administracji amerykańskiej wobec Rosji, Ukrainy i Europy? Czy Amerykanie próbują odciągnąć Rosję od sojuszu z Chinami? I jaką postawę przyjmą Chiny w coraz bardziej zaostrzającej się wojnie handlowej ze Stanami Zjednoczonymi?Gość: Dominik Mierzejewski---------------------------------------------Raport o stanie świata to audycja, która istnieje dzięki naszym Patronom, dołącz się do zbiórki ➡️ ⁠https://patronite.pl/DariuszRosiak⁠Subskrybuj newsletter Raportu o stanie świata ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠➡️ ⁠https://dariuszrosiak.substack.com⁠Koszulki i kubki Raportu ➡️ ⁠https://patronite-sklep.pl/kolekcja/raport-o-stanie-swiata/⁠ [Autopromocja]

Just before the end of 2024, Chinese state media Xinhua slipped out an announcement – the long discussed mega-dam in Medog County, Tibet, has been greenlit. When built, it will generate three times more energy than China's Three Gorges dam, currently the largest in the world. The Xinhua write-up gave few other details, but the news has caused reverberations across Asia as the river on which the dam would be built, the Yarlung Tsangpo, flows into both India and Bangladesh. The existence of the dam could, as we will hear in this episode, have extensive impact on these downriver countries. To break down the complicated water politics of the region, I'm joined today by Chinese Whispers regular, the journalist Isabel Hilton, who founded the climate NGO Dialogue Earth (formerly known as China Dialogue); and Neeraj Singh Manhas, an expert on transboundary rivers and Asian water politics, currently at South Korea's Parley Policy Initiative.

Just before the end of 2024, Chinese state media Xinhua slipped out an announcement – the long discussed mega-dam in Medog County, Tibet, has been greenlit. When built, it will generate three times more energy than China's Three Gorges dam, currently the largest in the world. The Xinhua write-up gave few other details, but the news has caused reverberations across Asia as the river on which the dam would be built, the Yarlung Tsangpo, flows into both India and Bangladesh. The existence of the dam could, as this episode explains, have extensive impact on these downriver countries. To break down the complicated water politics of the region, Cindy Yu is joined by Chinese Whispers regular, the journalist Isabel Hilton, who founded the climate NGO Dialogue Earth (formerly known as China Dialogue); and Neeraj Singh Manhas, an expert on transboundary rivers and Asian water politics, currently at South Korea's Parley Policy Initiative.

Fans of record-breaking blockbuster Chinese movie Ne Zha 2 are making significant waves in the derivatives market, clearing out retailer inventories and even creating DIY character-shaped dolls and food items. 中国破纪录票房大片《哪吒2》的粉丝们在衍生品市场掀起巨大波澜，清空了零售商的库存，甚至自制角色玩偶和食品。 Since the film's debut on the first day of the Chinese New Year, which was Jan 29 this year, sales of its collectibles, ranging from mystery toy boxes and cards to fridge magnets and badges, have reportedly topped 50 million yuan ($6.97 million) on Taobao, a leading e-commerce platform in China. 自今年1月29日（农历新年第一天）上映以来，据报道，其衍生品在淘宝（中国领先的电商平台）上的销售额已突破5000万元人民币（约合697万美元），包括盲盒玩具、卡片、冰箱贴和徽章等。 This sequel to the 2019 hit Ne Zha, with inspirations derived from Chinese mythological tales, has already drawn over 200 million cinema-goers, the highest number in the country's film history. 作为2019年爆款电影《哪吒》的续集，这部取材于中国神话故事的影片已吸引超过2亿观影人次，创下中国电影史上的最高纪录。 The film became an instant holiday box office hit thanks to its contemporary re-imagination of Ne Zha, a well-known mythical figure with extraordinary powers, and via its intriguing plot twists. 这部电影通过对哪吒这一拥有非凡力量的著名神话人物的现代重塑以及引人入胜的剧情转折，迅速成为春节档票房爆款。 Customers inquiring about toys featuring characters from the film are often left disappointed at stores across China. A salesperson at a trendy toy store in downtown Nanjing in East China's Jiangsu province said even display samples were sold out. "We expect to restock items like laser cards later." 在中国各地的商店，询问电影角色玩具的顾客常常失望而归。江苏省南京市市中心一家潮流玩具店的销售人员表示，甚至连展示样品都已售罄。“我们预计稍后会补货激光卡片等商品。” Notably, Hunan Sunny & Sandy Toys Manufacturer Co Ltd, the film's sole licensed manufacturer of 3D food-grade plastic toys in China, reported sales of over 450,000 mystery toy box sets through live-streaming in just 11 days -- ranking first in terms of the sales of board-game merchandise on the video platform. In addition, more than 10 million of these sets have been sold through offline partnerships. 值得注意的是，湖南阳光与沙地玩具制造有限公司（该片在中国唯一授权的3D食品级塑料玩具制造商）报告称，仅11天通过直播销售了超过45万套盲盒玩具，在视频平台的桌游类商品销售中排名第一。此外，通过线下合作伙伴销售了超过1000万套。 Yang Zhenlin, assistant to the company's chairman, said their factory workshops had to resume operations ahead of schedule after the Spring Festival holiday, with their hundreds of staff members working tirelessly to replenish inventory. "We had great confidence in the film even before its release, so we promptly secured the copyright," Yang told Xinhua. 该公司董事长助理杨振林表示，春节假期后，工厂车间不得不提前复工，数百名员工加班加点补充库存。“我们在电影上映前就对其充满信心，因此迅速获得了版权。”杨振林对新华社表示。 This week, on e-commerce platforms, some stores have gradually restored supplies. Businesses in the second-hand market have remained brisk. 本周，在电商平台上，部分商店已逐步恢复供应。二手市场的交易依然活跃。 Fans have also discovered that the gold bracelets they had purchased after the first Ne Zha film came out in 2019, with designs inspired by the "universe ring" on Ne zha's arm, have tripled in value on the second-hand market, thanks to both the success of Ne Zha 2 and a higher gold price. 粉丝们还发现，他们在2019年第一部《哪吒》电影上映后购买的金手镯，其设计灵感来自哪吒手臂上的“乾坤圈”，由于《哪吒2》的成功和金价上涨，在二手市场上的价值已翻了三倍。 Some fans have gone so far as to make their own versions of it, using wood, plasticine, flour and even thread. Coinciding with the Lantern Festival on Feb 12, netizens shared creative improvisations of Ne Zha-shaped glutinous rice dumplings, a festive food. 一些粉丝甚至用木头、橡皮泥、面粉甚至线自制了哪吒角色。2月12日元宵节当天，网友们分享了以哪吒为灵感的创意汤圆，这是一种节日食品。 Miao Lingyi, a 10-year-old girl living in East China's Shanghai, expressed her admiration for the character Ao Bing, the son of the Dragon King, stating her desire to use her pocket money to buy a collectible featuring him. "I really love the character and I don't mind waiting a while for the collectible," she said. 居住在上海市的10岁女孩缪灵怡（音译）表达了对龙王之子敖丙这一角色的喜爱，并表示希望用零花钱购买相关收藏品。“我真的很喜欢这个角色，我不介意等一段时间再买到收藏品。”她说。 According to experts, the film's huge success stemming from its captivating plot and stunning special effects, has evoked emotional attachment and resonance with characters among its audiences, while some related products feature limited edition designs -- thereby enhancing their value as collectibles and stimulating consumer purchasing enthusiasm. 专家表示，这部电影的巨大成功源于其引人入胜的剧情和震撼的特效，激发了观众对角色的情感共鸣，而一些相关产品采用限量版设计，从而提升了其收藏价值，刺激了消费者的购买热情。 Ye Guofu, founder of MINISO, a Chinese retailer known for its fashionable but affordable household products, said that Chinese consumers' growing focus on emotional value attached to commodities, particularly among the younger generations, is expected to further drive the consumption of IP-featured products, such as those related to domestic animated films and games. 名创优品（以时尚且价格实惠的家居产品闻名的中国零售商）创始人叶国富表示，中国消费者对商品情感价值的日益关注，尤其是在年轻一代中，预计将进一步推动IP衍生品的消费，例如与国产动画电影和游戏相关的产品。 With this lucrative market rapidly expanding, experts have stressed the importance of both IP innovation and product quality, while warning against risks of market irregularities and intellectual property rights violations. 随着这一利润丰厚的市场迅速扩张，专家强调了IP创新和产品质量的重要性，同时警告市场乱象和知识产权侵权的风险。 Law professor Zheng Ning with Communication University of China suggested that market regulators strengthen oversight to combat potential price gouging and the sale of substandard products -- thereby ensuring a more orderly market environment. 中国传媒大学法学教授郑宁建议，市场监管部门应加强监管，打击哄抬价格和销售劣质产品的行为，从而确保更有序的市场环境。 Zhao Liangshan, a lawyer in Northwest China's Shaanxi province, cautioned that handcrafted items made for personal use are not allowed for commercial purposes. 陕西省律师赵良山（音译）提醒，个人手工制作的物品不得用于商业用途。 As Ne Zha 2 enters international markets, Hunan Sunny & Sandy Toys Manufacturer Co Ltd aims to target global markets -- particularly in Asia, North America and Europe. 随着《哪吒2》进入国际市场，湖南阳光与沙地玩具制造有限公司计划瞄准全球市场，特别是亚洲、北美和欧洲。 The film is set to be screened in various countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Egypt, Singapore, Japan and the Republic of Korea, with premieres in Los Angeles and Sydney having received positive responses from professionals and fans alike. 该片将在多个国家上映，包括美国、加拿大、澳大利亚、新西兰、南非、埃及、新加坡、日本和韩国，洛杉矶和悉尼的首映式已获得专业人士和粉丝的积极反响。

US President Donald Trump has begun his promised flurry of executive action on Day 1. With his first batch of memoranda and orders, Trump repealed dozens of former President Joe Biden's actions and withdrew the US from the Paris climate accords, among other actions. He also said he's pardoned hundreds of people for their roles in the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol, the AP reported.据美联社报道，美国总统唐纳德·特朗普在其上任首日便开始兑现承诺，采取了一系列行政行动。特朗普通过首批备忘录和命令，废除了前总统乔·拜登的数十项举措，并宣布美国退出《巴黎气候协定》等。他还表示，已赦免数百名参与2021年1月6日美国国会大厦袭击事件的人员。Trump, meanwhile, has additional executive orders awaiting his signature as he returns to the White House for the first time since his swearing-in earlier in the day. Those documents would end diversity, equity and inclusion funding, crack down on border crossings and ease regulations on oil and natural gas production. 与此同时，特朗普在当天早些时候宣誓就职后首次返回白宫时，还有其他行政命令等待他签署。这些文件将终止“多元化、公平性和包容性”计划资金，打击非法越境行为，并放宽石油和天然气生产的监管。Quitting Paris climate deal退出《巴黎气候协定》The White House said Monday that Donald Trump, who was inaugurated as the 47th US president, will pull the US out of the Paris climate accord, Xinhua reported.据新华社报道，1月20日，白宫表示，宣誓就任美国第47任总统的唐纳德·特朗普将带领美国退出《巴黎气候协定》。The move, expected in an executive order Trump will sign later in the day, is part of the president's effort to "MAKE AMERICA AFFORDABLE AND ENERGY DOMINANT AGAIN," read the statement.该声明称，特朗普将在当天晚些时候签署的一项行政命令中采取这一行动，这是总统为“让美国再次负担得起并实现能源主导”所做努力的一部分。The first Trump administration officially let the United States, one of the world's top emitters of greenhouse gases, exit the Paris climate accord in November 2020, dealing a major blow to international efforts combating the climate crisis. The upcoming executive order by Trump will mark another round of back-and-forth move regarding US commitment to dealing with climate change on the global stage, per Xinhua report.特朗普第一任政府曾在2020年11月正式让美国退出《巴黎气候协定》，而该国是全球温室气体排放量最高的国家之一，这给国际应对气候危机的努力造成重大打击。据新华社报道，特朗普即将签署的行政命令将标志着美国在全球舞台上应对气候变化的承诺再次陷入反复。"The US withdrawing from the Paris Agreement is unfortunate, but multilateral climate action has proven resilient and is stronger than any single country's politics and policies," said Laurence Tubiana, a key architect of the accord. UN climate chief Simon Stiell added the "door remains open" for Washington, France 24 reported.“美国退出《巴黎协定》是不幸的，但多边气候行动已经证明其具有韧性，且比任何一个国家的政治和政策都要强大，”该协定的主要设计者劳伦斯·图比亚纳说道。据法国24新闻台报道，联合国气候事务负责人西蒙·斯蒂尔补充说，面向华盛顿的“大门仍然敞开”。Additionally, Trump plans to declare an energy emergency as he promises to "drill, baby, drill," and says he will eliminate what he calls Biden's electric vehicle mandate, the AP reported.据美联社报道，特朗普还计划宣布进入能源紧急状态，承诺“开采吧，宝贝，开采吧”，并表示将废除他所谓的“拜登的电动汽车强制令”。Withdrawing from WHO退出世界卫生组织President Trump moved quickly on Monday to withdraw the US from the World Health Organization, a move that public health experts say will undermine the nation's standing as a global health leader and make it harder to fight the next pandemic, the New York Times reported.据《纽约时报》报道，1月20日，特朗普迅速采取行动，让美国退出世界卫生组织。公共卫生专家表示，此举将损害美国在全球卫生领域的领导地位，并使抗击下一场大流行病变得更加困难。In an executive order issued about eight hours after he took the oath of office, Trump cited a string of reasons for the withdrawal, including the WHO's "mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic," and the "failure to adopt urgently needed reforms." 特朗普在宣誓就职约8小时后就发布了一项行政命令，其中列举了退出世卫组织的多个原因，包括世卫组织“对新冠肺炎疫情处理不当”，以及“未能实施急需的改革”。Tariffs and inflation 关税与通货膨胀On Monday evening, Trump also signed a largely symbolic memorandum that he described as directing every federal agency to combat consumer inflation. By repealing Biden actions, Trump also is trying to ease regulatory burdens on oil and natural gas production, something he promises will help bring down costs of all consumer goods. Trump specifically wants to make it easier to extract fossil fuels in Alaska, the AP reported.1月20日晚上，特朗普还签署了一份主要具有象征意义的备忘录，他表示该备忘录旨在指示所有联邦机构打击消费者通货膨胀。通过废除拜登的政策，特朗普还试图减轻石油和天然气生产方面的监管负担，他承诺这将有助于降低所有消费品的成本。据美联社报道，特朗普特别希望在阿拉斯加州开采化石燃料变得更容易。On trade, the president said he expects to impose 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico starting on February 1, but declined to flesh out his plans for taxing Chinese imports, according to the AP.据美联社报道，在贸易方面，特朗普表示预计从2月1日起对加拿大和墨西哥征收25%的关税，但拒绝详细说明他对中国进口商品的征税计划。However, CNN said in a fact check article that "In his inaugural address, Trump said, 'Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens.' But this description of tariffs is false. Tariffs imposed by the US government are paid by US importers, not foreign countries."然而，美国有线电视新闻网在一篇事实核查文章中称，“特朗普在就职演说中说：‘我们不会向本国公民征税来使其他国家富裕，而是对外国征收关税和税款，让我们的公民富裕起来。'但这种对关税的描述是错误的。美国政府征收的关税由美国进口商支付，而非外国”。End Biden-era border policies终结拜登时代的边境政策Trump has issued broad pushback to former president Biden's immigration policies, vowing to use his first day in office to "terminate every open-borders policy of the Biden administration," according to NBC. 据美国全国广播公司报道，特朗普对前总统拜登的移民政策表示强烈反对，誓言将在上任首日“终止拜登政府的所有开放边境政策”。Trump also said during a New Hampshire campaign event in October that he would "use Title 42," a public health law that was implemented toward the start of the COVID-19 crisis and allowed the White House to deport migrants faster. The law was continued partway through the Biden administration but the government stopped using it in 2023, NBC reported.特朗普还在十月新罕布什尔州竞选活动中表示，他将“启用《第42条》”，这是一项在新冠肺炎疫情初期实施的公共卫生法律，允许白宫加速驱逐移民。据美国全国广播公司报道，该法律在拜登政府执政期间一度继续生效，但在2023年已被停止使用。The AP reported that Trump declared a national emergency at the US-Mexico border, and he plans to send US troops to help support immigration agents and restrict refugees and asylum. He's also pledged to restart a policy that forced asylum seekers to wait over the border in Mexico, but officials didn't say whether Mexico would accept migrants again. During the previous effort, squalid and fetid camps grew on the border and were marred by gang violence. Trump is also promising to end birthright citizenship, but it's unclear how he'd do it—it's enshrined in the US Constitution.据美联社报道，特朗普宣布美国与墨西哥边境进入国家紧急状态，并计划派遣美军协助移民局人员，限制难民和庇护申请。他还承诺重启一项政策，迫使寻求庇护者在墨西哥边境等待，但官员们没有说明墨西哥是否会再次接受移民。在之前的行动中，边境上出现了肮脏恶臭的营地，并遭到帮派暴力的破坏。特朗普还承诺要废除出生公民权，但尚不清楚他将如何兑现——因为出生公民权已被写入美国宪法。Trump also is ending the CBP One app, a Biden-era border app that gave legal entry to nearly 1 million migrants, according to the AP.据美联社报道，特朗普还终止了CBP One应用程序，这是拜登时期推出的一款边境应用程序，曾为近100万移民提供合法入境的途径。squalidadj.极其肮脏的，污秽的fetidadj.恶臭的；腐臭的

A version of this essay has been published by Open Magazine at https://openthemagazine.com/columns/shadow-warrior/I have been thinking about the ongoing vilification of Hindus in the media/social media for some time, e.g. the Economist magazine's bizarre choice of Bangladesh as its country of the year while Bangladeshis are genociding Hindus. The simplest way I could account for it is as the very opposite of Milan Kundera's acclaimed novel The Unbearable Lightness of Being. There is some karma at play here, and it is very heavy.The nation of immigrants, or to be more precise, its Deep State, is apparently turning against some of its most successful immigrants: law-abiding, tax-paying, docile ones. Irony, while others go on murderous sprees. In an insightful article in Open magazine, Amit Majmudar explains Why They Hate Us.There has been an astonishing outpouring of pure hatred against Indians in general, and Hindus in particular, on the Internet in the wake of Sriram Krishnan's seemingly accurate statement that country caps on H1-B visas are counterproductive. But this was merely a spike: for at least a year, Hindus have been vilified and name-called as “pajeets” and “street-shi**ers” on the net.It is intriguing that in 2024, both Jews and Hindus have been targeted: Jews by the extreme left on Gaza, and Hindus by both the extreme left and the extreme right, on what is, basically, a non-issue. H1-B is a very minor issue compared to, say, the wars and the US national debt.In fact, the H1-B brouhaha may well turn out to be a medium-term plus for India if it compels young Indians to seek employment at home. It will of course be a minus for the million-plus Indian-origin individuals who are in line for Green Cards, given the per-country cap of 9800 per year: mathematically, it will take them over a century to gain permanent residence.From the host country's point of view too, it is necessary to distinguish between generally desirable immigrants who contribute to the national wealth, as opposed to others who are a net burden on the exchequer, as I wrote recently.On reflection I attribute the withering assault on Hindus to four things: racism, religious bigotry, economics and geo-economics, and narrative-building.Presumably, all this had something to do with British colonial propaganda, which painted India as an utterly horrifying and pestilential country. Motivated and prejudiced imperialists ranging from James Mill to Winston Churchill were considered truthful historians. And it continues. I mentioned above the Economist magazine's baffling decision to certify Bangladesh's Islamist reign of terror.In another instance, in the Financial Times, a British chess correspondent (a nonagenarian named Leonard Barden), was underwhelmed by D Gukesh's staggering feat of becoming world champion at a teenager, and seemed to suggest that a) Gukesh won because his opponent Ding Liren of China was ill, b) Gukesh would have lost to either of two Americans, Caruana and Nakamura (both immigrants to the US, incidentally) if they had been in the fray. Barden, who probably remembers imperial times, also seemed to think poorly of the emerging Indian challenge in chess. These Anglosphere prejudices affect Americans.I also have some personal experience of American racism, as someone who went to the US on a student visa, got his Green Card and stayed on for twenty years before returning to India. A factor in my return was alienation, and the feeling of being an unwanted outsider, engendered by casual racism, even though on the face of it, I had a great life: good job in Silicon Valley, nice house, dream car. Obama's and Biden's regimes did nothing to change that feeling. Trump's second coming may not either.RacismIn general, I find Americans to be very nice people, gregarious, friendly and thoughtful: I had a number of good friends when I lived there. But I also think that racism is inbuilt into the culture (after all, it has not been that long since Brown v. Board of Education, Bull Connor, Jim Crow, George Wallace; and earlier the Asian Exclusion Act).There have been many acts of discrimination and racism against Hindus (although the term “Hindoo” [sic] included Sikhs and Muslims as well). See, e.g., the serious anti-Indian riots in Bellingham, WA in 1907 when “500 working class white men violently expelled Hindoo migrants from the city”. (both images courtesy @Hindoohistory on Twitter).Another remarkable story was the saga of Bhagat Singh Dhind, a Sikh, who was granted US citizenship three times, only to have it be taken away twice. The first time, in 1913, it was because, although ‘Hindoos' are Caucasians, they are not white. The second time, because the Supreme Court ruled in 1923 (US v Bhagat Singh Thind) that it would retrospectively cancel the citizenship of some 77 naturalized ‘Hindoos' based on the 1917 Immigration Act.The “Barred Zone” provision in that 1917 Act denied citizenship to Indians and Southeast Asians by making a large swathe of territory in Asia verboten. Curiously, Japanese, Koreans and some Chinese were exempt. Iranians, some Afghans (and some Baloch, if you look at the map closely) were deemed white. So far as I know, that is still the working definition of “white” in the US. (source: qz.com)There were real human costs: there is the sad story of Vaishno Das Bagai, a San Francisco businessman, who was rendered stateless after denaturalization, and seeing no way out (he was a Ghadar Party activist against British rule in India) committed suicide.Anyway, Dhind, evidently a persistent fellow, got his citizenship a third time because he had served in the US Army in World War I. Third time lucky: his citizenship was not revoked again.After the Luce-Celler Act of 1946, 100 Indians and 100 Filipinos a year were allowed to immigrate to the US, with the prospect of future naturalization as US citizens. Race based limitations were replaced with a quota system by the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act (aka McCarran-Walter Act), but it still retained significant caps based on national origin; that Act also introduced the H-1 category for skilled immigrants.As a result of all this, the number of Indian immigrants to the US (e.g. nurses) started going up. The general euphoria surrounding the Civil Rights Movement also conferred a certain respect upon Gandhi, because Martin Luther King reportedly was inspired by his non-violent techniques of protest.But that did not mean US blacks made common cause with Indians, because often unofficial ‘minority quotas' were achieved by bringing in Indians and Chinese, which in effect meant blacks did not get the jobs they legitimately spilled their blood for.I was one of those who went through the ‘labor certification' process in the 1980s, when it was relatively easy to get a Green Card because there were very few Indians applying. The trickle became a flood after the Y2K issue when a lot of Indians arrived on H1-Bs.I personally experienced mild forms of public racism, for instance from Latinos in New Jersey calling me a ‘dot-head', to an unseen voice shouting “No Indians wanted here” when I was being shown apartments in NJ. This was around the time Navroze Mody was beaten to death in Hoboken, NJ by ‘Dotbusters'.Later, there were whites asking if I were leaving the country when I walked out of a mall with a suitcase in Fremont, California. When I said yes, they expressed their approval.Religious bigotryThe death of former US President Jimmy Carter at the age of 100 is a reminder of the power of fundamentalist Christians in the US. He was a faithful member of the Baptist Church, and in his eulogies, he was praised as a simple and decent man who upheld his Christian beliefs.But the impression of Baptists, and American evangelists in general, in India is vastly different. They were implicated in the story of the fervid young American man who attempted to evangelize the famously hostile tribals of North Sentinel Island. They promptly shot him dead with arrows for his pains.The result of Christian conversion in India has often been negative, contrary to pious platitudes. It has created severe fissures in society, turning family members against each other. The net result of conversion has been to create separatism.Verrier Elwin, a missionary, converted large numbers of people in the Northeast of India, and the result has been calls for a separate Christian nation in that area. Sheikh Hasina, before being deposed, claimed that there were plans afoot for a Christian “Zo” nation, for Zo/Kuki/Mizo/Naga converted tribals, to be carved out of India and Bangladesh.There are precedents, of course: the Christian nations of South Sudan (from Sudan) and East Timor (from Indonesia).The Indian state of Manipur which has seen a lot of conversion recently, is also troubled, with armed Kuki Christian terrorists killing Hindu Meiteis. .The bottom line is that the very precepts of Abrahamisms, of an exclusive god (or god-equivalent), an in-group out-group dichotomy, and the demonization of non-believers as the Other, are antithetical to the Hindu spirit of inclusivity and tolerance.Hindumisia or Hindu hatred is rampant in the West, and increasingly on the Internet. The evolution of this hostility can be seen in a taxonomy of monotheistic religions:* paleo-Abrahamisms: Zoroastrianism, Judaism* meso-Abrahamisms: Christian, Islamic religions* neo-Abrahamisms: Communism, Fascism, Nazism, DMK-ism, Ambedkarism, and so onThe arrival of Christians in India was far from peaceful; the historical record shows that the Jesuit Francis Xavier was proud of his idol-breaking. Claude Buchanan made up lurid tales about his alleged encounters with Hindu practices; William Bentinck and his alleged abolition of sati were lionized far beyond reason, because sati was a very isolated practice.The continued deprecation of Hindus by Christians can be seen vividly in Kerala, where Christians are considerably more prosperous than Hindus (data from C I Issac, himself a Christian and a historian). Here's an American of Kerala Christian descent hating on Hindus, perhaps unaware that “Thomas in India” is pure fiction, and that Francis Xavier, the patron saint of Christians in India, was a fanatic and a bigot. ‘Syrian' Christians of Kerala who claim (without proof) to be ‘upper caste' converts discriminate harshly against ‘lower-caste' converts to this day. Hardly all ‘children of god'.Incidentally, there may be other, political, considerations here. This woman is apparently married into the family of Sydney Blumenthal, which is part of the Clinton entourage, i.e. Democrat royalty. Tablet magazine discussed the ‘permission structure' used by Democrats, especially Obama, to manufacture consent. Hindus may be getting ‘punished' for supporting Trump.I personally experienced Christian bigotry against Hindus at age 10 in Kerala. My classmate Philip (a local Malayali) told me casually: “All your gods are our devils”. Reflexively, I told him, “Your gods are our devils, too”, although no Hindu had ever told me Christian gods were devils.Others have told me identical stories from places like Hyderabad. This meme likely came from Francis Xavier himself. It may well be taught to impressionable children as an article of faith in church catechism.Francis Xavier invited the Inquisition to Goa, and many, if not most, of the victims were Hindus. Here's an account from Empire of the Soul by Paul William Roberts:“The palace in which these holy terrorists ensconced themselves was known locally as Vadlem Gor – the Big House. It became a symbol of fear… People in the street often heard screams of agony piercing the night… Children were flogged and slowly dismembered in front of their parents, whose eyelids had been sliced off to make sure they missed nothing. Extremities were amputated carefully, so that a person would remain conscious even when all that remained was a torso and head. Male genitalia were removed and burned in front of wives, breasts hacked off and vaginas penetrated by swords while husbands were forced to watch”.Below is a tweet by another American presumably suffused with Christian compassion. I am reminded of a Kerala Christian woman repeatedly trying to convert a Scheduled Caste friend, using similar memes denigrating Kali. Finally, my friend got fed up and asked her: “You worship the mutilated corpse of a dead Arab stuck on a stick. And that's better?”. Her jaw dropped, and she blubbered: “But… but, that's a metaphor”. My friend retorted: “Then realize that Kali is a metaphor too”. Not much self-awareness on the part of the would-be converter.Therefore, the religion factor, of Hindus being the ultimate Other, cannot be overstated. There is basically no way to reconcile the Hindu world view with the Christian. Dharma is incompatible with Abrahamisms/Semitisms. And no, it's not Jimmy Carter who's relevant, it's Francis Xavier.Economics and Geo-economicsThere is a serious issue with the engineering community in the US, which has nothing to do with the H1-B program. Engineers have been unable to unite, create a cartel, keep their numbers low and value to the consumer high, and bargain to keep salaries high. This is a signal failure on the part of the US engineers, and blaming others isn't going to solve the problem.Consider, in contrast, doctors (and to a lesser extent, nurses). They keep their numbers very low, successfully portray their contribution to society as very high, and keep out foreign doctors as much as possible: the result is that their salaries are astronomical (a recent Medscape survey suggests that the top-earning specialty, Orthopedics, earns an average of $568,000 a year. And that's the average).In contrast, according to Forbes in 2023 the highest-paid engineering specialty, Petroleum Engineering, earned only $145,000, and in fact wages had actually declined. Even much-ballyhooed software engineers ($103,000 ) and AI engineers ($128,000) make very little. And lest you think H1-B depresses wages, there are almost no H1-B petroleum engineers. The bottom line is that engineering is not a high-income occupation in the US. Why? No syndicate.How about nurses? According to a report, Nurse Anesthetists make an average of $214,000.And there are plenty of Indian-origin doctors and nurses in the US. Why does this not create a hue-and-cry? The answer is two-fold: one, the scarcity value, and two, those in medicine have created a narrative, and the public has bought it, that their services are so valuable that the nation must spend 20% of its GDP on what is, by objective measures, pretty poor outcomes in health: ranking tenth out of 10 in high-income countries, at very high cost.There have been grumbles about the helplessness of American engineers for years: I remember forty years ago some guy whose name I forget constantly complaining in the IEEE's email groups about immigrant engineers enabling employers to lower the salaries they pay.In addition, engineers regularly go through boom-and-bust cycles. They have no leverage. I remember after a boom period in the 1970s, unemployed aerospace engineers were driving taxis. If there is another ‘AI winter', then we'll find unemployed AI engineers on the street as well, despite massive demand right now.It is true that there may be subtle intricacies, too. The US companies that contract out their positions to H1-B engineers may well be paying prevailing wages, say $60 an hour. But there are middlemen: big IT services companies who take on the contracts, and provide ‘body-shopping' services. They may well be severely underpaying the actual engineers at only, say, $35 an hour, in a bizarre revivification of ‘indentured labor', i.e. wage slavery. It is difficult for those on H1–Bs to change employers, so they are stuck.There is a larger geo-economic angle as well. The US likes being the top dog in GDP, as it has been since 1945. Unfortunately, through the fecklessness of all Presidents from Nixon onwards, they have somehow allowed China to ascend to a strong #2 position. At this point, I suspect the Deep State has concluded that it would be impossible to dislodge China, given its manufacturing clout.I wrote a year ago that a condominium with China may well be the best Plan B for the US. Let us consider what has happened to the other countries that were at the top of the economic pyramid: Germany and Japan.The 1985 Plaza Accord whereby the US dollar was depreciated led to a Lost Decade for Japan, which has turned into a Lost Four Decades; that country which was booming in the 1980s lost, and never regained its momentum.Germany was doing pretty well until the Ukraine War and the arrival of the Electric Vehicle boom. But at this point, it has more or less lost its machine tools business, its automobile business; add its social and political views, and its future looks grim.If this is what has happened to #3 and #4, we can expect that an aspiring #3, namely India, will face a concerted effort to ruin it. It is in the interests of both the US and China to suppress a potential competitor, especially when there is the tiresome mantra of “India is the fastest growing large economy in the world”.The Bangladesh coup, which benefits both the US and China by creating a massive new war front on India's East, is therefore possibly the result of a tacit collusion between the Deep State and the CCP. Similarly, the sudden spike in anti-Hindu rhetoric and this H1-B hoo-haa may well be financed by Xinhua, and it clearly benefits the Democrats, as it has driven a wedge between Christian fundamentalist MAGA types and other Trump supporters. It also puts the Indian-origin and/or Hindu members of Trump's team on notice: they better self-censor.Even immigrant Elon Musk, not to mention Vivek Ramaswamy, Kash Patel, Jay Bhattacharyya, and the non-Indian Hindu Tulsi Gabbard, are all in the firing line of the Deep State. Even though the IEEE has been moaning about depressed engineering salaries for half a century, it is curious that this became a cause celebre just days before Trump's accession to the Presidency.Narrative-buildingThere was a sobering incident in New York's subways on December 22nd, when a woman, now identified as 61 year old Debrina Kawam, was set on fire by an illegal immigrant, Sebastian Zapeta, from Guatemala, who had been deported earlier but came back to the US. I saw a video purportedly of her burning to death, shockingly without screaming, rolling on the ground to douse the flames, or anything else. She just stood and burned, as Zapeta fanned the flames.A New York City subway policeman walked by. The people who were busy capturing the footage on their smartphones did not intervene or help. It reminded me of Kitty Genovese, a 28 year old woman who was raped and stabbed to death on March 13, 1964, in full view of onlookers in the apartment block where she lived in Queens, New York. Nobody bothered to intervene as she died, screaming.It is really odd when people refuse to get involved in helping a dying person. There's something morally wrong here, and it should have been worth exploring in the very articulate media.Yes, Debrina Kawam's baffling story got widespread airplay immediately after it happened, but it died surprisingly quickly. Here's the Google Trends index of interest in that story.The big new story was H1-B, which shot up and displaced the subway murder story. Note the respective timelines: the Google Trends below is about H1-B. It is hard to believe this was an organic shift. It was “manufacturing consent” with placement aforethought.I wrote recently about how narratives are created out of thin air with the intent of manufacturing consent. The abrupt U-turn on Sheikh Hasina was one of the examples. Now the neat and abrupt switch from the NYC subway burning-alive also points to something that is deliberately planted to divert attention away from inconvenient questions.Let us now see how the H1-B narrative survives the New Orleans story of the son of immigrants, ex-soldier, and ISIS member driving a truck and ploughing into a New Year crowd, killing many. Of course, the narrative will carefully not say anything rude about the religion of the alleged perpetrator, because there will be… consequences.ConclusionThe furious drama and narrative about H1-B will subside soon; ironically, it may well be to the benefit of the Indian nation if this kind of propaganda reduces the attractiveness of the US for talented would-be Indian immigrants, who might stay on at home and build innovative companies. Canada and Britain have already ceased to be desired destinations.However, the underlying issues of racism, religious bigotry, economic warfare and astroturfed narrative are real and will not go away. These are danger signals about “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” for Indian migrants to the US, and that's a sad start to 2025.3450 words, Jan 2, 2025Here's the AI-generated podcast from NotebookLM by Google: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rajeevsrinivasan.substack.com/subscribe

European bourses initially gained, taking impetus from positive commentary via the Chinese Politburo; upside which has since faded. US equity futures are mixed.China's Politburo says next year must seek progress while maintaining stability; China's fiscal policy to be more proactive next year. Monetary policy is to be moderately loose, via Xinhua.Dollar is at incremental session lows; Antipodeans benefit from the positive sentiment, whilst havens lag.Bonds were initially weighed on from the Politburo read-out, but now off worst levels; USTs a touch lower whilst European paper is slightly higher.Commodities benefit from the risk tone sparked by the positive commentary from the Chinese Politburo.Looking ahead, US Employment Trends, US Wholesale Sales, NY Fed SCE, Commentary from BoE's Ramsden, EZ finance ministers' meeting, Earnings from Oracle.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

A package of preventative measures has been introduced after a wild tiger, which was spotted in a village in Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, injured a resident on Monday, according to an online statement issued by local authorities.根据地方部门发布的一份在线声明，11月18日，在中国东北黑龙江省的一个村庄，一只野生老虎咬伤了当地一位村民。目前，一系列防范措施已经启动。Local television reported on Monday evening that the villager was in stable condition, with a fracture in the left hand and no risk of amputation.据当地电视台18日晚间报道，这名村民的情况稳定，左手骨折，无截肢风险。The provincial forestry and grassland administration has called for all-out efforts to address human-tiger interactions and ensure safety, with measures including educating the public on safety precautions, organizing emergency evacuation drills, and inviting experts to conduct safety training sessions.对此，黑龙江省林业和草原局要求全力解决人虎冲突，确保安全。具体措施包括向公众宣传安全防范知识、组织紧急疏散演练、邀请专家开展安全培训等。As the ecological environment continues to improve, sightings of Siberian tigers have increased across the province, as stated by the provincial administration at an emergency conference held late on Monday.18日晚，黑龙江省林草局在紧急会议上表示，随着生态环境持续向好，黑龙江省各地东北虎出现频次也逐渐增多。According to the forestry and grassland administration of Boli county, Qitaihe city, the tiger was first spotted at around 6 am in Changtai village. Experts from the administration told local television that they were continuing to track the tiger, which will not be killed unless it poses an immediate threat to human safety.七台河市勃利县林业和草原局称，上午6时许，长太村发现老虎行踪。该部门专家向当地电视台表示，他们正在对老虎行踪进行追踪，非必要情况下不会击毙，除非它正在伤人。County administration also reported that the tiger charged at another villager, but was stopped by a gate. Boli county, which is not a primary habitat for the tiger population in Heilongjiang, has urged heightened vigilance and stronger risk prevention measures following this incident.据该县相关部门报告，这只老虎曾冲向另一名村民，但被一道门挡住。勃利县并非黑龙江老虎种群的主要栖息地，此次事件发生后，该县已呼吁提高警惕，加强风险防范措施。Siberian tigers, also known as Amur tigers, are primarily found in Russia's Far East and Northeast China. As one of the world's most endangered species and a flagship species of the forest ecosystem, only 12 to 16 wild Siberian tigers were believed to have been living in China in 1998.东北虎又称阿穆尔虎，主要生活在俄罗斯远东地区和中国东北地区。它是世界上最濒危的物种之一，也是森林生态系统中的旗舰物种。据称，1998年中国境内仅有约12-16只野生东北虎。China officially established the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park in 2021. The park spanning Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces now provides a sanctuary for around 70 wild Siberian tigers -- reflecting a significant conservation milestone.中国于2021年正式设立东北虎豹国家公园。该公园横跨黑龙江省和吉林省，现为约70只野生东北虎提供了保护区，这是保护工作的一个重要里程碑。Markus Radday, a tiger program officer of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), told Xinhua in an interview in July during an event marking the 14th International Tiger Day that China had made remarkable strides in tiger conservation over the past 12 years. He emphasized that local communities can play a crucial role in managing human-tiger interactions by implementing early warning systems, boosting populations of tiger prey and raising awareness concerning tiger behavior.世界自然基金会野生虎保护项目官员Markus Radday在今年7月庆祝第14个全球老虎日的活动上接受新华社记者采访时表示，过去12年中，中国在野生虎保护方面取得了显著进步。他强调，当地社区可以通过建立早期预警系统、增加老虎猎物数量和提高对老虎行为的认识，在管理人虎冲突方面发挥关键作用。preventative measure防范措施amputationn. 截肢vigilancen. 警惕，警戒flagshipn. 旗舰；佼佼者

This week on Sinica, in a show recorded in Beijing, I speak with Liu Yang and Jiang Jiang, the authors of two excellent newsletters — The China Channel and Ginger River Review, respectively — and two of the guys behind the YouTube show "Got China." They're making a great effort to bridge Chinese journalism with Anglophone reporting on China with perspectives and insights from within the Chinese state media system.4:24 – How Jiang Jiang and Liu Yang became journalists 11:42 – How Liu Yang and Jiang Jiang decided to launch their newsletters, and the advantages of being tǐzhì nèi 体制内20:29 – Jiang Jiang and Liu Yang's Got China show 25:46 – Liu Yang's and Jiang Jiang's empathy for American perspectives 29:53 – The negative American discourse on the Chinese economy and “China collapse theory” 37:21 The recent press conferences on monetary and policies, and the response in the realty market in Beijing 46:17 What's next for Got China Recommendations:Liu Yang: Modern Chinese Government and Politics 《当代中国政府与政治?》, a Chinese-language textbookJiang Jiang: The Chinese podcast Bié de diànbō 别的电波; and Shan Weijian's Out of the Gobi: My Story of China and AmericaKaiser: The album The Last Will and Testament by Swedish metal band Opeth; and the Provincial Cuisine Club in Beijing, for trying food from different parts of ChinaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

00:00 2005年英语专业四级 新闻100:52 2005年英语专业四级 新闻201:31 2005年英语专业四级 新闻302:10 2005年英语专业四级 新闻403:34 2005年英语专业四级 新闻52005年英语专业四级 新闻1The bodies of dozens of African immigrants, discovered off the Italian coast last week, might have been thrown overboard, Italian officials said on Monday.意大利官员周一表示，上周在意大利海岸发现的数十名非洲移民的尸体可能被扔到海里。A coast guard spokesman said 15 illegal immigrants, all believed to come from Somalia, survived being thrown into the Mediterranean Sea.海岸警卫队发言人表示，据称来自索马里的15名非法移民在被抛入地中海后幸存下来。But one of the survivors, a woman, was in a serious condition.但其中一名幸存者是一名妇女，她情况严重。They told the coast guard that their boat had left Libya 20 days before, with around 100 immigrants aboard.他们告诉海岸警卫队，他们的船20天前离开了利比亚，船上大约有100名移民。They said most had died during the trip.他们说大多数人在旅途中死亡。Last Friday,7 Africans, including 3 children, died before their boat could reach the island. A further 25 people survived.上周五，7名非洲人(包括3名儿童)在他们的船抵达该岛之前死亡。另有25人幸存。2005年英语专业四级 新闻2China has set its sight on putting 3 people into space for a week, the China News Service said on Tuesday.中国新闻社周二报道，中国已经决定将3位宇航员送入太空一周。The news agency reported an official as saying that preparations were underway for the next Shenzhou launch.据新华社报道，一名官员表示，神舟飞船下一次发射正在准备中。The Shenzhou VI is expected to blast off within the next 2 years.神舟六号预计两年内会发射升空。Shenzhou V carried a Chinese astronaut aloft.神舟五号搭载了一名中国宇航员。He circled the Earth 14 times during his 21-hour trip, October 15-16, 2003, making China the third country to put a man into space.2003年10月15日至16日，21小时的太空之旅中他环绕地球14周，使中国成为世界上第三个成功实现载人航天的国家。2005年英语专业四级 新闻3Gigantic waves of flame that covered entire neighborhoods and filled the skies over Southern California with ash have killed at least 13 people.大火席卷了整个社区，在加州南部的天空中布满了灰烬，已经造成至少13人死亡。At least 6 separate wildfires were still burning on Monday morning, all the way from the Mexican border to the suburbs of Los Angeles.周一早上，至少有6场野火仍在燃烧，从墨西哥边境一直到洛杉矶郊区。They were reported to have destroyed 800 homes and consumed about 120,000 hectares of land.据报道，大火摧毁了800个房屋，烧毁了约12万公顷土地。Authorities said they were seeking 2 men in connection with the fires, which they believe were started deliberately.当局表示他们正在寻找与火灾有关的两名男子，他们认为火灾是有人蓄意造成的。2005年英语专业四级 新闻4There has been modes growth in tourism worldwide, despite 2 years of terrorism, war and disease.尽管经历了两年的恐怖主义、战争和疾病，世界各地的旅游业仍保持着增长势头。And China is the engine driving it, according to the World Tourism Organization.世界旅游组织的数据显示，中国是推动旅游业发展的引擎。International tourist numbers hit a record 702 million last year, a rise of 2.7 percent over 2001, the year of the September 11 attacks.去年，国际游客数量达到7.02亿人，创世纪新高，比2001年增加了2.7%，而2001年9月11日发生了恐怖袭击。France remains the most popular destination, receiving more than 77 million visitors, followed by Spain, United States, and Italy.法国仍然是最受欢迎的旅游目的地，游客超过7700万，其次是西班牙、美国和意大利。China,however, marked 11 percent growth over that period, attracting 36.8 million international visitors.这段时间内中国增长了11%，吸引了3680万国际游客。It ranks fifth among leading tourism nations.中国在旅游大国中排名第五。By 2020, it will be top, with predictions of 130 million visitors per year.到2020年，预计游客人数将达到1.3亿人次每年，成为最大的旅游大国。Chinese themselves are also becoming a major force as travelers.中国人也正在成为主要的旅游者。According to a Xinhua report, over 16.6 million Chinese traveled abroad last year, up 37 percent from the previous year.据新华社报道，去年有超过1660万中国人出国旅游，同比增长37%。Their numbers are expected to grow to 30 million by the end of the decade, and 100 million in 2020.预计2020年之前，这一数字将增至3000万，到2020年将增至1亿。2005年英语专业四级 新闻5Around 40 former military officers in Argentina have been arrested for possible extradition to Spain on human rights charges.阿根廷约40名前军官被捕，由于人权诉讼，可能会引渡到西班牙。The arrest came as the Argentine government struck down the decree prohibiting such extradition, saying all Argentines should be equal before the law.逮捕事件发生之际，阿根廷政府废除了禁止引渡的法令，称所有阿根廷人在法律面前都应该是平等的。Those detained include a former navy captain and several other ex-officers suspected of torture or murder during the last period of military rule in Argentina,which ended in 1983.这些被拘留的人包括一名前海军上尉和其他几名前军官，他们涉嫌在阿根廷最后一段军事统治时期实施酷刑或谋杀，阿根廷的军事统治于1983年结束。

The United Nations Summit of the Future is being promoted as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to “transform the global governance!” It is scheduled at the UN in New York City for September 22-23, 2024. The top priority for the meeting is to “Transform global governance and turbocharge the implementation of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development.”[1] Our guest, colleague, and journalist, Alex Newman, is preparing to go to the Summit of the Future, inspiring this column.[2]   At the upcoming meeting, UN Secretary Antonio Guterres plans to ask for a vote empowering him to decide when the next “global shock” of any kind seems to be developing in any country so that he can then organize the response to it on behalf of the world.[3]   For those of you who have thought that transforming “global governance” or “the new global order” was a “conspiracy theory,” it is a common conversation among the world's global predators. The UN Secretary-General is so enthralled with his role as a leader of the globalist government he has been promoting himself for that role for years, calling for more power in reforming or transforming what he himself calls the “new global order”[4]or global governance.”[5]   Now consider that Guterres is a well-known malicious Marxist activist under the control of the Chinese Communist Party, which has strongly supported him.[6] No surprise, in turn, that Guterres supports China as well. He publically invited the Communists to have a greater hand in global governance. As one UN headline boasts, “Guterres urges G7 and China to drive momentum for global governance reform.”[7]   Confirming Our Concept of Global Empires   The title of the above article, “Guterres urges G7 and China to drive momentum for global governance reform,” illustrates the collaboration of the Western and the Eastern Global Empires as they also vie to rule the new evolving world governance. It enables us to give you a thumbnail description of who we believe controls the world.   The G7 represents the wealthiest developed nations, plus close involvement with the European Union (EU).[8] This places the G7 into the center of the Western Global Empire. However, the actual ruling bodies are a complex of entities that stand about the nations themselves, such as the banking system, the Deep States, the military-industrial complex, the Western billionaires, and the global corporations. Meanwhile, the Chinese Communists rule the Eastern Global Empire, although their tentacles reach deeply into the Western world.   A few other entities of lesser power, such as Russia and the Islamic Empire, stand somewhat outside the circle of the world's ruling predators, sometimes making alliances with them but also fighting with them. The article and its title also illustrate the role that is being given to the UN in facilitating their collaborations. At the same time, the UN itself leans considerably more toward China than the West.     Precisely what sort of “global governance” or “global order” do you suppose Marxist Guterres and the Chinese Communists will impose on us?   Now consider that Guterres is proposing to “transform the global governance” by turbocharging the UN “2030” agenda. In 2023, the UN called the document “Transforming Our World.”[9] The document reads like a grandiose Marxist high school student telling the whole world what it should do when he runs it. Or, at its most benign, it is simply a wish list, a basketful of utopian Marxist nonsense. It has been fully adopted by the World Economic Forum[10] and many globalist corporations and institutions, and even into the global educational system.   Alex Newman! Everyone Must Pay Attention to Him   As noted earlier, our radio show guest, journalist Alex Newman, will be going to the UN to report on its monstrous Summit of the Future. The UN is asking its 192 nations to replace the sovereignty of their nations and their citizens with the sovereignty of the UN, a front group that is ultimately under the control of the Western Global and Eastern Global Empires.[11],[12]   We have been working closely with Alex Newman, sharing information and views on the growing world governance and the UN's role in it,[13] which I now view as centered in two competing global empires, acting as all empires have always done—vying to slaughter or enslave as many people as possible.   Alex Newman has led the way in his efforts to actually attend as many global events as possible, in his own words, trying to serve God by getting the information out as widely as possible. We believe he may be the first to fully understand the degree to which global predators are using the UN as their launching pad to world domination. This proposed UN “emergency platform” will empower the Secretary-General to seize the relevant functions of national governments in order to resist the alleged or potential new “shock.”   Exactly what constitutes a world-shocking event? He literally says it can be anything, “even Black Swan events.” No, that's not an ecological disaster involving birds. A black swan event is defined in dictionaries as a “high-impact event that is unpredicted or unexpected”—in other words, it's “anything I say it is.”   This latest UN-Globalist assault began in March 2023, when the Secretary-General of the UN announced that he and his global organization were the only ones able and anointed to take on the next world “shock” of any kind.[14],[15]That's as close as possible to a globalist announcing, “On the next available threat, I become emperor of the world.”   Alex and I both fear the voting representatives of the world's governments will come to heal and cede these incredible new “emergency” powers to this criminal Marxist, Guterres. Why? Because every greedy globalist, which is much of the world's leadership, wants a piece of the action when it comes to the control and exploitation of the entire world.   You don't want that? Neither do we. Join the fight in every way you can—it's getting closer and closer to the day when it will be too late to resist.   References:   [1] On July 14, 2024, the President of the General Assembly wrote a letter to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres confirming the agenda: https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/pga_letter-_sotf_2024-07-12-18-54-44.pdf.   [2] About Alex Newman – Liberty Sentinel   [3] UN's Guterres: today's global governance structures reflect yesterday's world (aol.com). Also, see Summit of the Future website – EN | United Nations   [4] In Munich, Guterres calls for a new global order that works for all | UN News   [5] UN's Guterres: today's global governance structures reflect yesterday's world (aol.com)   [6] China supports Guterres to run for a second term as UN chief – CGTN and   [7] Guterres urges G77 and China to drive momentum for global governance reform | UN News   [8] https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/g7.asp   [9] Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development | Department of Economic and Social Affairs (un.org)   [10] What is the UN's Summit of the Future in 2024? | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)   [11] What is the UN's Summit of the Future in 2024? | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)   [12] James Roguski also keeps track of UN efforts to establish itself as a totalitarian government. Still, we see the UN as an obedient servant to the global predatory empires, especially the Eastern Global Empire under the Chinese Communists. Roguski importantly focuses on the secret and illegal manipulations going on behind the scenes at the UN. (100) The UN Silence Has Been Broken! – James Roguski (substack.com)   [13] (100) The United Nations Seeks ‘Global Governance' and Must Be Stopped (substack.com)   [14] UN chief proposes Emergency Platform to help tackle global shocks-Xinhua (news.cn)   [15] our-common-agenda-policy-brief-emergency-platform-en.pdf (un.org) and Responding to Global Shocks: UNSG's Emergency Platform – SDG Knowledge Hub (iisd.org)     Learn more about Dr. Peter Breggin's work: https://breggin.com/   See more from Dr. Breggin's long history of being a reformer in psychiatry: https://breggin.com/Psychiatry-as-an-Instrument-of-Social-and-Political-Control   Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal, the how-to manual @ https://breggin.com/a-guide-for-prescribers-therapists-patients-and-their-families/   Get a copy of Dr. Breggin's latest book: WHO ARE THE “THEY” - THESE GLOBAL PREDATORS? WHAT ARE THEIR MOTIVES AND THEIR PLANS FOR US? HOW CAN WE DEFEND AGAINST THEM? Covid-19 and the Global Predators: We are the Prey Get a copy: https://www.wearetheprey.com/   “No other book so comprehensively covers the details of COVID-19 criminal conduct as well as its origins in a network of global predators seeking wealth and power at the expense of human freedom and prosperity, under cover of false public health policies.”   ~ Robert F Kennedy, Jr Author of #1 bestseller The Real Anthony Fauci and Founder, Chairman and Chief Legal Counsel for Children's Health Defense.

On today's show Andrew and Bill prepare for next week's Third Plenum by talking through expectations and themes to watch. Topics include: The signals from April's Xinhua readout announcing the plenary session, remembering third plenums of the past, why common prosperity is on the agenda, why this year's plenum may be the clearest articulation of Xi's vision for the Party and the PRC, and examining some of the ongoing domestic issues that the Party may (or may not) try to address with reforms. At the end: A scandal over edible oils, the market for silicone masks, fierce competition in the bubble tea market, and checking in with Zach Edey.

In the past few weeks, China's relations with Latin America and the Caribbean have been making headlines. Newsweek published an exclusive story about plans to create a Chinese-run special economic zone on the island of Antigua that will have a port, a dedicated airline, its own customs and immigration procedures, and be able to issue passports. An international crypto services zone will offer opportunities to participate in cryptocurrency operations from mining to dealing.The Americas Quarterly reported that China has expressed interest in building a port complex near the Strait of Magellan at the southern tip of South America, which is considered the most important natural passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. From there, according to the Americas Quarterly, Beijing could grow its presence in the region and also project influence in Antarctica.And in late April, China held the first China-Latin American and Caribbean States Space Cooperation Forum, which opened with a congratulatory letter from Xi Jinping applauding the high-level space cooperation partnership in which he emphasized the benefits of marrying China's mature space technology with the unique geographic advantage of the countries in the Latin America and Caribbean region.To discuss Chinese interests in and strategy toward the Latin America and Caribbean region–known as the LAC–host Bonnie Glaser is joined by Leland Lazarus. He is the Associate Director of National Security at Florida International University's Jack D. Gordon Institute of Public Policy and an expert on China-Latin America relations. He formerly served as the Special Assistant and Speechwriter to the Commander of US Southern Command and as a State Department Foreign Service Officer, with postings in Barbados and China.  Timestamps[02:30] China's Interest in LAC Countries[04:44] Implementation of BRI in LAC Countries[07:23] China's Investment in Energy Development[09:39] Huawei's Penetration into LAC Countries[11:57] Role of Perú in Beijing's Regional Strategy[14:56] China-LAC Cooperation in Space[20:56] Receptivity of China to LAC Countries[25:30] How should the US compete against China in LAC? 

ingo Chiu, also known as "The Machine," is a distinguished photojournalist, honored with the 2021 Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News Photography and recognized as a 2019 Pulitzer Prize Finalist in the same category. Notably, he is the first Chinese-born photojournalist to receive the prestigious Pulitzer Prize in photography. Chiu has a particular affinity for covering wildfires and protests, finding inspiration in capturing the intense moments of firefighters battling fires and the raw emotion and expression of protests that narrate the story behind each event. Born in China and raised in Hong Kong, Chiu earned a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication from Chu Hai College of Higher Education. Additionally, he obtained a second B.A. in a Special Major with an emphasis in Photojournalism during his tenure at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). His early career in Asia involved significant contributions to Hong Kong Express, Hong Kong Sing Tao Daily, and Evening Post, covering events such as the Eastern China flooding, Sino-British meetings in Beijing, amnesty for Chinese illegal immigrants in Macau, and the Hong Kong Handover. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Chiu works as a freelance photographer for reputable organizations such as Los Angeles Times, Associated Press (AP), Agence France-Presse (AFP), Reuters, European Pressphoto Agency (EPA), Getty Images, Xinhua, and Zuma Press. Additionally, he serves as a Senior Photographer for California State University, Northridge (CSUN) following over two decades as the chief editorial photographer for the Los Angeles Business Journal until 2023. Chiu has established a remarkable track record, delivering award-winning, exclusive, and distinctive spot news, sports, and enterprise images published in newspapers worldwide. His achievements include: National Press Photographers Association's (NPPA) 2021 Best of Photojournalism, First Place in Sports Feature. Press Photographers Association of Greater Los Angeles' (PPAGLA) 2019 and 2021 Photojournalist of the Year (POY). Los Angeles Press Club's 2014, 2017, 2020, and 2021 Southern California Photojournalist of the Year (POY). 2021 Award of Excellence in Editorial by Communication Arts and Photography (Magazine). Canada's Photojournalism Photography Award Winner in Applied Arts Magazine Annual Contest 2007. Best Hong Kong News Photography in 1992, 1993, and 1994." --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-brown57/support

Continuing a tradition of podcast, for the first episode back from a long summer break Darren is joined by good friend of the podcast Richard Maude to discuss what each learned from 2023, what trends were notable, and what we might expect – or hope for – in 2024. The discussion covers both the world, and Australia in the world, and the two are able to agree on the ‘word of the year' for 2023: fragmentation. Australia in the World is written, hosted, and produced by Darren Lim, with research and editing this episode by Walter Colnaghi and theme music composed by Rory Stenning. Relevant links Richard Maude biography: https://asiasociety.org/policy-institute/richard-maude Secretary Antony J. Blinken Remarks to the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) “The Power and Purpose of American Diplomacy in a New Era”, 13 September 2023: https://www.state.gov/secretary-antony-j-blinken-remarks-to-the-johns-hopkins-school-of-advanced-international-studies-sais-the-power-and-purpose-of-american-diplomacy-in-a-new-era/ Wang Yi speech at a symposium on the international situation and China's foreign relations in 2023, summarised in Xinhua piece: https://english.news.cn/20240109/f8a95bbb328642c1b11c05fb409bff9d/c.html?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email Josh Rogin, Chaos Under heaven (Goodreads page): https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/54562943 Lawrence Durrell, Bitter Lemons of Cyprus (Goodreads page): https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/214948 Tracy Chapman and Luke Coombs, “Fast Car”, 2024 Grammys (video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEqb6xbeuCo

Apple watch ban - stock unaffected. A surprise with housing prices. A grab-bag bull phrase being dusted off. PLUS we are now on Spotify and Amazon Music/Podcasts! Click HERE for Show Notes and Links DHUnplugged is now streaming live - with listener chat. Click on link on the right sidebar. Love the Show? Then how about a Donation? Follow John C. Dvorak on Twitter Follow Andrew Horowitz on Twitter Warm Up - Slow volume - boring market (you know what they say) - China is testing some market moving ideas - New Year Coming - markets Closed Monday - Another GRAB-BAG Phase - Dusted off.... Market Update - The real Santa Claus rally - the final days - House prices - what? - Boosting Buybacks  - One Company - China wrecks markets - for a day Home Price Index - October S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index 4.9% vs 5.0% consensus - Prior reading was +3.9% Grab-Bag - Bull Phrase - Cash on The Sidelines - The stock market is set to see a significant boost next year, thanks to a record $6 trillion and a growing cash pile in money market funds - according to FundStrat -- (UBERBULL Shop) - - Fundstat's logic: If the Federal Reserve starts cutting interest rates next year, this would hold more true as the risk-free interest rate on money market funds will also fall. This would make holding cash in money market funds less appealing as compared to putting it in the stock market. China - Gamming - Latest: -- China approved 105 domestic games on Monday, the latest indication that Beijing is softening its stance after its move to tighten industry restrictions led to a $80 billion rout last week. --- The titles included those operated by Tencent Holdings Ltd. and NetEase Inc., China's two leading game publishers that have been pummeled by Beijing's new rules. Monday's approvals show the Chinese authorities support the development of online gaming, an industry association said in a post on WeChat republished by the official Xinhua news agency. - What happened a few days earlier - - On Friday, Chinese officials announced new draft rules aimed at limiting how much gamers could spend and restricting rewards that encourage them to spend more time online. - The announcement was a surprise and ended up spooking investors and sending markets into a tailspin. - Games giant Tencent saw its share price drop as much as 16% while the stock of its rival NetEase tumbled a record 28%. Shares of the social-media service Bilibili, which is popular with gamers, tanked 14%. Consumer Sentiment! - December Consumer Confidence 110.7 vs. 104.0 Briefing.com consensus; prior revised to 101.0 from 102.0 - Look at this chart and look at a chart of equity markets - pretty much identical. Wealth Effect is real and will play a significant role in how inflation/disinflation/deflation plays out. Spending Report - Mastercard Spending Pulse reports sales increased 3.1% YoY during the holiday season (Nov 1 trhu Dec 24); NRF predicted spending would increase 3-4% in 2023 - Restaurants (+7.8%), Grocery (+2.1%), and Apparel (+2.4%) had the best performance. - Jewelry (-2.0%) and Electronics (-0.4%) were laggards. China Car Announcement - Nio launched the ET9 EV - The company also confirmed the launch of a low-priced brand called Alps. - Nio will focus on the European market in 2024. - High end is supposedly in competion with the Porche Panarama and the Maybach - The ET9 executive sedan, positioned in the same class as Mercedes Benz's Maybach and Porsche's Panamera series, is expected to start delivery in the first quarter of 2025 at an estimated price of 800,000 yuan (S$152,355), Apple Stops Selling Watch - Stock barley budges - Apple on Tuesday appealed a decision to ban imports of its watches based on a complaint from medical monitoring technology company Masimo, after President Joe Biden's administration declined to veto a government tribunal.