The “major embarrassment” of the crash of Russia’s Luna 25 into last weekend had helped place Vladimir Putin into a “dangerous position”. This is the assessment of economic geographer Professor John Bryson of the University of Birmingham, who says that the spacecraft’s loss is the latest in a string of failures that are undermining the…
Days of unprecedented heavy downpours around Beijing, China’s capital, have triggered massive flooding and landslides, leaving at least 20 people dead and 27 missing. Authorities have deemed it the heaviest deluge in a decade, as the remnants of Typhoon Doksuri batter the area. Two days of intense rain prompted the city to close tourist attractions…
China’s heavily indebted property developer Evergrande on Thursday filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy protection in a U.S. court. In a filing to the Manhattan bankruptcy court, the firm sought recognition of restructuring talks underway in Hong Kong, the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands. CNBC has reached out to Evergrande for comment but did…
There are two questions on the agenda as President Joe Biden hosts a trilateral summit at Camp David this weekend with the leaders of Japan and South Korea, Fumio Kishida and Yoon Suk Yeol, respectively. Can Biden draw the two countries, which have a long history of enmity and warfare, into a fruitful alliance? And…
1 At least 80 dead in Maui wildfire as search for survivors continues The death toll from the devastating wildfire in Maui, Hawaii, reached 80 on Friday, officials said, as rescue workers continued to search for survivors in the decimated town of Lahaina. Police were restricting access throughout the island, and access to Lahaina remained heavily…
HONG KONG — NBA star James Harden was left stunned by fans in China after they bought 10,000 bottles of wine from his signature brand in seconds during his appearance on a livestream. Harden, a guard for the Philadelphia 76ers who is visiting the basketball-obsessed country, was promoting his J-Harden wine on a livestream Tuesday…
Peace of a sort may be at hand between Israel and Saudi Arabia. The Wall Street Journal reported the two longtime antagonists are preparing to normalize relations, with Saudi Arabia finally giving formal recognition to Israel in return for “concessions to the Palestinians, U.S. security guarantees and civilian nuclear help.” There are still “long odds,”…
1 Congress breaks for August recess without path to avoid shutdown Lawmakers left Congress for their August recess at the end of this week without a clear path forward to avoid a looming government shutdown. Both the House and Senate had entered recess by Saturday, and are not due back in the nation’s Capitol until…
BEIJING — Chinese and Indian military commanders pledged to “maintain the peace and tranquility” along their disputed border, China’s Defense Ministry said, in an apparent effort by the sides to stabilize the situation after a rise in tensions. China’s Defense Ministry issued a joint statement on social media late Tuesday saying the 19th round of commander-level talks…
First Look What links toothbrushes and weapons systems? A $52 billion investment. The U.S. government has reached a rare bipartisan agreement to invest $52 billion to develop advanced computer chips. Factories, autos, appliances, electronics, toys, toothbrushes, and weapons systems all depend on semiconductors. | View caption Hide caption | A 77-year-old factory in a hard-luck…