We’ve noted before that the rise of nationalism and anti-Japanese sentiment in China would have immediate consequences for trade between China and Japan. In fact, it already is: auto-giant Toyota, Japan’s largest manufacturing company and exporter, is cutting its exports to China in response to falling demand and factory closings in the country. The Financial Times reports: […]

There’s more chaos in China this week as a large riot broke out in a worker dormitory in Taiyuan on Sunday. What started as a fight quickly escalated into a free-for-all involving about 2,000 workers. A strong force of 5,000 policemen was promptly dispatched to settle down the workers, 40 of whom suffered injuries from the incident.The […]

The effects of the euro crisis on European finances are well-documented, but now it is stirring up longstanding ethnic crises as well. In Spain, more than 600,000 Catalan protesters have taken to the streets calling for more autonomy for their region, which has long been the economic powerhouse of Spain.Catalonian separatism has a long history, but many Catalans are […]

We’ve already been pleasantly surprised by some good economic news today, but there’s more. The Wall Street Journal reports that housing prices have risen over the past year by 1.2 percent—the largest gain in seven years. This is the latest in a string of reports suggesting that the housing market may be turning around, and many […]

The brand new business publication of the Atlantic Group, Quartz, will be doing an Energy Revolution beat (or “obsession” in their parlance). In one of their first articles, they take on the energy bears—analysts who predict that we’re headed for severe energy shortages in the near term: The scarcity scenarists generally forecast only through 2020, […]

There is mounting evidence that the “Free Syrian Army” includes brigades of foreign fighters from places like Chechnya, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia. These fighters have varying allegiances, religious beliefs, battle strategies, and visions of Syria’s future. Some fight for a free, democratic Syria. Some are terrorists. Some are well-armed, well-trained, and lethal; others are poor and […]

Has the recession taught the kids to pinch pennies? As the Wall Street Journal reports, millennials who have watched their parents lose their homes and blow through meager savings are beginning to take steps to ensure that the same thing doesn’t happen to them. Younger Americans are now putting money away and enrolling in retirement plans at […]

China’s first aircraft carrier, a Soviet relic bought from Ukraine, is now in service. It was launched at a triumphant ceremony with top officials in attendance, including President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao. Problem is, the carrier is pretty much useless. Jane Perlez reports for the NYT: The mark “16” emblazoned on the carrier’s side […]

The repercussions from 9/11/12—the day the roof fell in on the Obama administration’s Middle East policy—continue to rumble across the diplomatic and political landscapes. Before that day, much of the country’s political and media establishment had been studiously ignoring signs of trouble in the Middle East or, when problems were too serious to ignore, studiously […]

The high-profile teacher fight in Chicago and other smaller union conflicts elsehwere in the country have pitted teachers’ unions against their longstanding allies in the Democratic Party. But while the rift between Democratic pols and their union backers has been a long time in the making, few expected things to go this far: The New York […]