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☆ China to open border with Hong Kong on Sunday
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A general view of village houses at Hong Kong border facing the skyscrapers in Shenzhen, in Hong Kong, China, December 14, 2021. Hong Kong closely followed China's tough zero-COVID policy until the middle of 2022 when it began to ease some of restrictions. China will no longer require people to present COVID tests upon arrival in the mainland from Hong Kong, while China will issue special tourism and business visas for mainland residents to visit Hong Kong from Jan. 8, the office said. China will also increase flights between the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau, it said. Reporting by the Beijing newsroom, Farah Master and Meg Shen in Hong Kong ; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China's top diplomat calls for 'dialogue', cooperation with U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, Jan 1 (Reuters) - China and the United States must pursue dialogue rather than confrontation and avoid the mistakes made during the Cold War, top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi said on Sunday in his first public comments since his appointment as head of the ruling Communist Party's foreign affairs office. In an essay published in the official Party journal Seeking Truth, Wang urged major countries to "set an example" in the face of multiple challenges, citing China's strengthened cooperation with Russia over 2022. "Over the past year, we have unremittingly explored the correct way for the two major countries of China and the United States to get along with each other," he wrote. Wang's stint as foreign minister saw a sharp rise in tensions between Beijing and Washington on a wide range of issues ranging from trade to Taiwan. He said in his Sunday essay that Taiwan remained at the "core of China's core interests" and the "foundation" on which China's political relationship with the United States is built.

The incident reflects what the U.S. calls a concerning trend of unsafe intercept practices by the Chinese military. The U.S. Air Force RC-135 aircraft was in international airspace on Dec. 21 when it was intercepted by a J-11 fighter jet from the Chinese navy, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement. The Chinese jet positioned itself about 10 feet from the RC-135’s wing and then drifted within 20 feet of its nose as the American plane maintained its course and speed, leading it to take evasive maneuvers. China claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, where it has territorial disputes with Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and others. Austin also raised the issue at a meeting in November with Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe.

☆ Lawyers exit Hong Kong as they face campaign of intimidation
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +18 min

The event that precipitated his hasty departure, Vidler said, was the appearance of articles in the state-backed media in Hong Kong about him. “This was in my view state-sponsored intimidation and harassment,” said Vidler, whose wife and children later left Hong Kong. One Hong Kong solicitor who has relocated to England told Reuters that she knew of at least 80 Hong Kong lawyers who had moved to Britain since the security law was imposed in June 2020. Another lawyer, now living in Australia, estimated that several dozen Hong Kong lawyers had moved there. Mainland officials have long sought influence over these two influential bodies, according to senior Hong Kong lawyers.

New legislation working its way through Congress could improve retirement security for U.S. workers. The plan is part of a stopgap spending bill, and it includes a provision that would automatically enroll eligible employees into their company's retirement plan. Under the new legislation, employers could consider a worker's student loan payment to be the equivalent of a 401(k) contribution and match it accordingly. Finally, the legislation offers a 100% tax credit to businesses with 50 employees or fewer for the cost of maintaining a 401(k) plan. "It’s a bill that helps all income levels and all different types of workers and retirees," Richman, of the Insured Retirement Institute, said.

☆ 'Secure 2.0' is part of the $1.7 trillion spending bill, putting it on track to usher in retirement system improvements
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Sarah O'Brien | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Another round of changes to the U.S. retirement system appears to be on its way. A collection of retirement-related provisions known as "Secure 2.0" is included in a 4,100-page, $1.7 trillion spending bill — which would fund the government for the 2023 fiscal year — that was unveiled Monday night. "I don't believe there will be further changes to [Secure 2.0]." More from Personal Finance:How to prevent package theft on your doorstepUsed-car prices are down 3.3% from a year agoThe 10 best metro areas for first-time homebuyersThe Secure 2.0 provisions are intended to build on improvements to the retirement system that were implemented under the 2019 Secure Act. Those changes included giving part-time workers better access to retirement benefits and increasing the age when required minimum distributions, or RMDs, from certain retirement accounts must start — to age 72 from 70½.

☆ I run NORAD's Santa tracker program. It takes thousands of volunteers and state-of-the-art tech to give kids Santa's real-time location.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Taayoo Murray | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Lieutenant Sean Carter is a public-affairs officer who runs the NORAD Tracks Santa program. The tradition started by accident in 1955, and now an average of 1,500 volunteers help every year. I'm also the NORAD Tracks Santa program manager. Before taking over as the NORAD Tracks Santa program manager, I briefly worked in public affairs at Space Base Delta 1 — a Space Force unit responsible for installations all around the globe. NORAD has other events, but for the past 67 years, one of the Department of Defense's largest outreach events has been NORAD Tracks Santa.

U.S. scientists have achieved “ignition” — a fusion reaction that produced more energy than it took to create — a critical milestone for nuclear fusion and a step forward in the pursuit of a nearly limitless source of clean energy, Energy Department officials said Tuesday. The process imploded a tiny capsule inside the hohlraum that is filled with deuterium and tritium, creating a fusion reaction. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory"We have taken the first tentative steps toward a clean energy source," said Jill Hruby, the Energy Department's National Nuclear Security Administration. The Inflation Reduction Act provided millions in new funding for fusion projects and the White House this year convened the first fusion summit and developed a 10-year plan to commercialize fusion technology. A technician reviews an optic inside the preamplifier support structure at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, Calif., in 2012.

☆ NFL player J.J. Watt blasts Chipotle on Twitter: 'We want big burritos back'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Mary Meisenzahl | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Arizona Cardinals player J.J. Watt called out Chipotle for shrinking burrito sizes on Twitter. Some customers have been complaining about Chipotle's portion sizes for years. Pro-bowler and Arizona Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt tweeted Sunday "Burritos have been getting smaller…," writing that he wanted to "open dialogue" with Chipotle. "We want big burritos back," he wrote, adding hashtags including "Burrito justice," "Still hungry," and "This is supposedly double meat." If its portion sizes are getting smaller, Chipotle wouldn't be the only retailer to do so.

☆ Taiwan mulls WTO case after latest Chinese import bans
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has complained for the past two years of Chinese import bans on various agricultural and aquatic goods, including pineapples and grouper fish, saying it is part of a Chinese pressure campaign. Speaking to reporters, Su said China was using administrative means to "interfere" in normal trade which is not in line with WTO norms. The government will do its best to communicate with relevant Chinese departments on the issue, he added. "If there is any non-compliance with the relevant WTO norms, we will also follow the relevant channels to file a complaint." It said it hoped that Taiwanese companies will provide the information that meets government requirements as soon as possible.

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried could face extradition from the Bahamas to the US: Here's how, legal experts explain
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Its founder Sam Bankman-Fried has mounted a media tour apparently from the Bahamas, where he's said to still live. US prosecutors have powerful tools to charge and summon defendants living overseas, experts said. If the US government ultimately succeeds in bringing criminal charges against him, prosecutors have legal tools to extradite him to the US, legal experts told Insider. The US would file its extradition application through the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs, which oversees those requests. In this case, it's not likely that a potential securities fraud case would allow another nation to put terms on its extradition.

☆ Fact Check-False claims Moderna CEO was executed at Guantanamo Bay stem from widely-debunked website
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An article from a website regularly debunked by Reuters Fact Check for spreading fake news articles falsely claims that Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel was executed on Nov. 18, 2022 by the “U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps.” There is no evidence to support this claim. Bancel has made public appearances and spoken publicly since Nov. 18 (here), (here). No reference to the incident exists on the Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corp website (www.jag.navy.mil/news.htm) or Moderna’s website (here). Claims that Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel was executed on Nov. 18, 2022 by the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps originate from a website that publishes satire and fake news.

☆ Taiwan says it sees less Chinese interference ahead of elections
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Speaking to reporters ahead of Saturday's elections in Taiwan for mayors and councillors, Wu said China was always a factor when Taiwan voted, but this time around Beijing was meddling less. "I would describe it as that the Chinese interference in our election is not as prevailing as previous elections," he said. China's Taiwan Affairs Office did not respond to a request for comment. While China's military activities have continued, they have been at a much reduced scale. Wu said the elections were important for China too as Taiwan was a model for democracy in the Chinese-speaking world.

☆ For retirement-system changes proposed in Congress via 'Secure 2.0,' December is do-or-die time
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Sarah O'Brien | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

While no specific agenda has been released yet, supporters of the retirement-change proposals collectively called "Secure 2.0" are hopeful that it will be among the pieces of legislation that make it across the finish line. Increasing the extra amounts — so-called catch-up contributions — that individuals age 50 or older can put in their retirement accounts. watch nowThis year, the House passed its version of Secure 2.0, the Securing a Strong Retirement Act (H.R.2954), in late March with a bipartisan vote of 414-5. Secure 2.0 could be attached to a must-pass billAssuming that Secure 2.0 wouldn't get floor time for a vote on its own, supporters are hoping legislators will attach it to a must-pass bill this year. In September, Congress passed a stopgap measure to fund the government's 2023 fiscal year, which started Oct. 1, through Dec. 16.

He said the school’s student affairs office interviewed Jones’ roommate, who had not seen the suspect with a gun. It wasn’t clear if the school’s internal investigation of Jones possibly having a gun ended with that roommate’s interview. On Tuesday, university officials admitted they learned Jones had been convicted of a misdemeanor for a concealed weapons violation in 2021. Hingeley revealed in court Jones’ previous scrapes with the law. He attempted to purchase a Smith & Wesson M&P15-22, a .22-caliber rifle, but “failed the background check,” the owner said.

China's Taiwan Affairs Office did not respond to a request for comment. the person said, adding that the calls would connect but Chinese officials wouldn't pick up. Based on a long-standing practice, faxes continue to be exchanged between two semi-official organisations that handle routine affairs: Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation and China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits. The council told Reuters that while Chinese officials do not reply directly, they have handled Taiwanese requests when needed or responded through public statements. China this year labeled Tsai's administration "evil" while Taiwan called China "incredibly absurd".

The university’s “threat assessment team” had learned about Jones in September after a third party, who was not a student, reported that he spoke about having a gun, UVA Police Chief Timothy Longo told reporters. He said the school’s student affairs office interviewed Jones’ roommate, who had not seen the suspect with a gun. Steve Helber / APIt wasn’t clear if the school’s internal investigation of Jones possibly having a gun ended with that roommate’s interview. Jones had also been involved in a campus hazing probe, but it did not appear to lead to any disciplinary action, Longo said. A UVA men's basketball home game set for Monday night against the University of Northern Iowa was postponed.

☆ Ammar Campa-Najjar faces off against John McCann in Chula Vista, California's mayoral election
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Hanna Kang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ammar Campa-Najjar is running against John McCann in Chula Vista, California's mayoral race. The San Diego State University graduate ran two unsuccessful congressional campaigns, one against Rep. Darrell Issa in California's 50th Congressional District. He is endorsed by the San Diego County Democratic Party, Chula Vista Firefighters, and several high-profile elected officials, including Gov. McCann is currently serving his fourth term as deputy mayor on the Chula Vista City Council. He is endorsed by the Chula Vista Police Officers Association, the Republican Party of San Diego County, and the San Diego County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

☆ Worker complaints alleging anti-union shutdowns rise as organizing surges
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Eli M. Rosenberg | Eli Rosenberg Is An Investigative Tech Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +13 min

The company, G&D Integrated, had closed the factory, saying it had suddenly lost its decade-old contract with a Japanese company, workers said. Starbucks closed multiple stores this year following union activity. Trader Joe’s, for example, abruptly closed a wine shop in the center of New York City where workers had been organizing. Demonstrators protest outside a closed Starbucks in Seattle on July 16. More than 40 percent of the stores had union campaigns, according to data from Starbucks Workers United, the union that has been organizing the workers.

☆ China says must resolve stability issues in Hong Kong and Macau
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, Nov 2 (Reuters) - China should "resolutely deal with" and "rectify" whatever is needed to resolve any long-term stability issues in Hong Kong and Macau, a senior official said, according to a 20th Communist Party Congress party supplementary document reading published in October. "We should seize the major issues related to the long-term stability of Hong Kong and Macao, we should resolutely deal with whatever needs dealing, we should resolutely rectify what must be rectified and resolutely establish whichever rules are necessary," wrote Xia Baolong, director of China's Hong Kong and Macau affairs office, according to the document, which local media published excerpts of on Wednesday. Reporting by Martin Quin Pollard and Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Jacqueline WongOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

From exceeding your credit limit to fraud prevention, there are many reasons a credit card may be declined. Apply Now On Chase's website Apply Now On Chase's website Apply Now On Capital One's website6 of the most common reasons your credit card is declined1. You hit your credit limitIf you're at or near your credit limit, your card may be declined. Your credit card is expiredYour card will also be declined if it's past the expiration date. How to prevent your card from being declinedTo prevent your credit card from being declined, know your card's expiration date and notify your credit card company of international travel plans.

☆ China's leadership reshuffle puts greater weight on relations with the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING — China's latest leadership appointments point to greater emphasis on relations with the U.S.Foreign Minister Wang Yi joined the new Politburo, the second-highest level of power, state media announced Sunday. The changes showed that Yang Jiechi, a long-time diplomat closely involved with U.S.-China relations, did not stay on in the Politburo. Yang has headed the party's central committee foreign affairs office and was widely expected to retire. Qin Gang, China's ambassador to the U.S., also made the list of new central committee members released Saturday. "I think there may be a chance to certainly ease the tensions, hopefully, given the challenges China faces in keeping the Chinese economy growing," Yang said.

☆ The US Army Corps of Engineers is dredging the Mississippi River and racing to keep the sea from contaminating drinking water
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Mississippi River is at record low levels, stranding barges and allowing sea water to move in with no end in sight. The US Army Corps of Engineers is emergency dredging to keep the channel open to supply barges. Barges, stranded by low water, sit at the Port of Rosedale along the Mississippi River on October 20, 2022 in Rosedale, Mississippi. USACE is racing to build a 1,500-foot-wide, 35-foot-tall underwater levee to prevent saltwater from creeping further up the river, where it could contaminate drinking water. An underwater sill is constructed near the mouth of the Mississippi River to block seawater pushing up river, on October 18, 2022.

☆ 'Political fix' needed for Wikileaks' Assange - lawyer
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SYDNEY, Oct 21 (Reuters) - A lawyer for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said an "urgent political fix" is needed in his case because legal appeals against his extradition to the United States could continue for another decade and his health is declining. In June, Britain's Home Secretary approved Assange's extradition to the United States. "This case is political and needs an urgent political fix," she added. The saga began at the end of 2010 when Sweden sought Assange's extradition from Britain over allegations of sex crimes. Britain's Home Affairs office has said the courts had concluded Assange's extradition would not be incompatible with his human rights, and that he would be treated appropriately.

☆ After years of headaches, the US Navy's first stealth destroyer is operating farther from home than it's ever been
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Rachel Nostrant | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

US Navy destroyer USS Zumwalt is on a tour of the Pacific, making visits to Guam and Japan. USS Zumwalt in Yokosuka on September 26. USS Zumwalt the Pacific Ocean on April 10. Years in the makingSailors handle line aboard USS Zumwalt during a refueling-at-sea in the Philippine Sea on September 5. Sailors stand watch on the bridge of USS Zumwalt while the ship departs Yokosuka on October 8.

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