Author: Justin M. Larson

Oleksii Liskonih | Istock | Getty ImagesJapan’s fragile economy, already hurt by U.S. tariffs and declining investments in property, faces another hit due to the diplomatic spat between Tokyo and Beijing.Miffed over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments related to Taiwan, China on Friday advised its citizens against travelling to the country. Japanese tourism-exposed stocks fell in the aftermath of that warning, while experts caution the impact could be more severe over a longer duration.Mainland Chinese tourists have been the largest group of foreign visitors to Japan so far in 2025 at about 5.7 million, or nearly 23% of all…

Poland’s prime minister has said an explosion on a railway line leading to the Ukraine border this weekend was caused by “an unprecedented act of sabotage”, and vowed to catch those responsible “regardless of who their backers are”.Visiting the scene this morning, Donald Tusk said the damage done to the railway tracks on Sunday was deliberate and likely aimed at blowing up the train. He expressed relief there were no casualties.Speaking later in Warsaw, after an emergency meeting of security officials, Poland’s special services minister said there was a “very high chance” that the blast was carried out on the…

Germany has announced it will restart exporting weapons to Israel following a ceasefire in Gaza more than a month ago. The German government said exports would resume from 24 November after it suspended sales of military equipment that could be used in the Gaza Strip in August.Germany – the second largest supplier of arms to Israel behind the US – stopped shipments after Israel approved a ground offensive to take over Gaza City.Since then, Israel and Hamas have signed the first phase of a peace deal that came into force on 10 October. Germany said the ceasefire had now “stabilised”…

With the exception of Cape Verde, who are making their debut next year, Africa’s qualifiers are all established on the world stage: Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia. Six are in the world’s top 50 with Ghana, in 73rd, the lowest-ranked of the nine. It would be a stretch to suggest any of these countries don’t deserve to be there over a European nation.But what do the numbers tell us? Let’s use relative strength again by looking at the top 50 and weighting it to the confederation. Uefa has seen its share of the World…

Second-hand clothing platform Vinted is under investigation in France after some user accounts were found to be directing visitors to pornographic content.France’s Children’s Rights Commissioner Sarah El-Haïry said she had asked watchdog Arcom to examine the allegations first reported in French media.Vinted, which has 23 million users in France, has no age-verification procedure – meaning children and teenagers could have been exposed to pornographic material without having to show proof they were over 18.In a statement, the Lithuania-based company said it had a “zero-tolerance policy regarding unsolicited communications of a sexual nature or the promotion of sexual services”.”All inappropriate and…

Previously unknown organ works by Johann Sebastian Bach have been presented and performed in Germany for the first time in 320 years.Germany’s Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer called the discovery of the two pieces a “great moment for the world of music”.They first caught the attention of the Peter Wollny, a researcher of the German composer and musician, in 1992 when he was cataloguing Bach manuscripts at the Royal Library of Belgium in Brussels.The organ works – the Chaconne in D minor BWV 1178 and Chaconne in G minor BWV 1179 – were undated and unsigned. Mr Wollny spent the next…

As concerns over a U.S. tech bubble linger, investment strategists are mapping out various diversification plays on both sides of the Atlantic to shore up portfolios against a sharp market correction. Market pros told CNBC that European equities, government bonds and value stocks all offer advantages amid valuation concerns in the artificial intelligence space. Arnaud Girod, head of economics and cross asset strategy at Kepler Cheuvreux, said Monday that he believes the recent pressure in certain AI-linked U.S. tech stocks is likely to continue, noting that a downturn will hit semi-conductors in particular. Speaking with CNBC’s ” Europe Early Edition…

Beijing has used loans to developing nations to expand its influence, but a new study says no country has received more Chinese financing than the United States. Source link

Post-election violence has tarnished the country’s reputation for stability, and the crackdown may have backfired on the government, as officials in Washington call for a re-examination of U.S. ties. Source link

Decades ago, a Chinese village became an official symbol of revolutionary “self-reliance.” The slogan hasn’t changed, but nearly everything else has. Source link

Ukraine will get up to 100 of France’s Rafale F4 fighter jets as well as advanced air defence systems in a major deal to boost Kyiv’s ability to protect itself against deadly Russian attacks.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the move as “historic”, after signing the letter of intent with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron at an air base near Paris.Deliveries of the Rafale F4’s are planned to be completed by 2035, while the joint production of interceptor drones is starting this year.Financial details are yet to be worked out, but reports say France plans to attract EU financing and also…

A broadcast screen at the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) in Mumbai, India, on April 3, 2025, displays news of U.S. President Donald Trump announcing sweeping new trade tariffs. Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesIndia’s goods trade deficit hit an all-time high of $41.7 billion in October as gold imports surged on festive season demand, while exports to U.S. bore the brunt of steep tariffs.The deficit, which was sharply wider than Reuters poll estimates of $28.8 billion, topped the previous all-time high of $37.8 billion in November 2024, according to LSEG data.During October, India imported gold worth of $14.7 billion, up…

The president said he has not ruled out putting U.S. forces on the ground but signaled for a second day running that he could be open to talking to Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s leader. Source link

Low angle view of tall buildings in Tokyo, Japan, showcasing diverse architectural stylesGeorge Pachantouris | Moment | Getty ImagesAsia-Pacific markets were poised to fall Tuesday, following a tech-led slide on Wall Street.Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 was set to open lower, with the futures contract in Chicago at 49,925 and the one in Osaka at 49,810 against the index’s last close of 50,323.91.Futures for Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index stood at 26,178, lower than its last close of 26,384.28.Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.76%.Overnight in the U.S., stocks pulled back, plagued once again by declines in tech, as Wall Street awaited…

A little-known group sold passage to desperate Palestinians who didn’t know their destination, catching the South African government by surprise. Source link

A student in Montreal, who was born in Kfar Saba, Israel, said she was initially told she could not list Israel as her birth country on her passport. Source link

Russia and China abstained. The vote provides a legal mandate for the Trump administration’s vision of how to move past the cease-fire to rebuild the war-ravaged enclave after two years of war. Source link

Potassium is an electrolyte (electrically charged mineral) that works with sodium, another electrolyte, to help your body maintain proper fluid balance and blood volume, among other functions. Most people get enough or even too much sodium from their diet. But if you don’t get enough potassium, it can disrupt the balance of these electrolytes. Keeping them in balance with enough potassium is important for preventing some of the negative effects of sodium. Potassium also has other benefits. Because potassium plays so many different roles in the body, having low levels may increase your risks of certain illnesses. Taking in enough…

Ozempic is widely known to cause gastrointestinal side effects such as nausea and diarrhea, but the medication can also cause fatigue. This extreme lack of energy is believed to affect anywhere between 0.4-11% of people taking Ozempic. It isn’t fully understood why Ozempic (semaglutide) can make you tired. It may be due to the drug’s effects on your body, such as: Regulation of blood sugar: Ozempic mimics a natural hormone in the gut called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). As the medication does this, your blood sugar levels decrease. However, having lower-than-usual blood sugar levels can make you feel tired, especially as…

The thefts took place during the daytime when the pair would enter mausoleums to swipe necklaces and other jewelry from remains, the authorities said. Source link

The kidnapping echoed the abduction of the Chibok girls 11 years ago and came as U.S. officials pressed the country to address violence against Christians. Source link

The proposal building on the 20-point US plan is intended to restore security, ensure humanitarian access and begin a sustained process of reconstruction and institutional reform for the enclave following two years of devastating conflict between Israel and Hamas.A rival draft resolution submitted by Russia is also under formal consideration, but it remains unclear whether the Council will vote on that text this afternoon.What the US text proposesThe draft would establish an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) working with Israel and Egypt with an initial two-year mandate. A wide view of the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including…

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said migrants were bringing sick cows across the border, snarling beef supply chains. Source link

The Trump Organization and its Middle East development partner have announced a project in the Maldives that marries two of the family’s most successful moneymaking enterprises. Source link