Government inspectors testing foodstuffs imported from Japan find no evidence of dangerous levels of radiation – for the 18th month running. They have processed over 111,000 samples, the majority seafood, since August 2023, and found that every single one was ‘satisfactory’. (Not to say delicious. Some inspectors were caught eating the samples rather than throwing them away.) The Geiger counter does report high levels of anti-Japanese political charade.
Analysts are already expecting US President Trump to shy off from imposing high tariffs on Chinese exports. From a Bloomberg story…
Some people familiar with the decision cautioned that Trump often quickly changes his mind on strategy and could decide again to push forward with his original plans to target China. Still, Monday’s actions suggest a more deliberate approach than the fiery rhetoric about tariffs Trump offered during his campaign last year.
One bright side to Trump’s backtracking on campaign promises: he presumably won’t order the Treasury to buy Bitcoin, $Melania and other cryptocurrency for the US reserves. The Russians and Chinese would be wetting themselves laughing if the world’s number-one economy started buying worthless digital fake money.
Yippee, can’t wait: The Chief Executive forecasts 1.4 million Mainland arrivals over Lunar New Year. The Guardian looks at the impact of tourism on housing, retail and quality of life in Spain…
Cities across Spain tell a similar story of slow transformation at the hands of property speculation and a boom in tourist flats – of high rents driving out residents and traditional businesses, and of neighbourhood stalwarts ceding to global chains, souvenir shops, burger joints and nail bars.
The statistics that explain Spain’s housing crisis are equally jarring. Rents rose by 80% over the past decade, outpacing wage increases, and a recent Bank of Spain report estimated that almost half of the Spain’s tenants spend 40% of their income on rent and utility bills, compared with an EU average of 27%.
The crisis – aggravated by the rising cost of living caused by property speculation and the boom in tourist flats – has become Spaniards’ biggest worry, and the focus of the latest policy duel between the governing socialists and their conservative opponents in the People’s party (PP).
You really, really do not want to see this: an AI/Lego/something portrayal of Regina Ip getting hospital treatment for her abscess.
(I warned you.)
Shame the Vag link doesn’t work.
@mjrelje – Seems it’s been taken down; not surprised if legal actions was threatened with even nat sec invoked.