Everyone, please be sure to thank Eric for the foreign news updates!
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**China and East Asia**
Human History Pushed Back
Recorded history in China could be a thousand years older than we thought. The discovery indicates the mythical Xia dynasty (ca 2070 – ca 1600 BC) – founded by Yu according to legend – may have in fact existed. Previously, the only evidence for the existence of Emperor Yu (currently worshipped as a God in Chinese folk religion) came from a court scribe in the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) by the name of Sima Qian (ca 135 – 86 BC). One issue with collaborating the existence of Emperor Yu and the Xia dynasty is the lack of written evidence – the first writing in China doesn’t appear for another thousand years on oracle bones.
Activists and Human Rights Lawyers Speak to Foreign Press About Government Suppression
Almost 250 lawyers and human rights activists have been arrested in China on specious grounds since the start of July. Family are being placed under surveillance, many are facing potential house arrest, others are on the run and in hiding, and the detained themselves are not allowed to speak with their families.
China Actually Built the Lane Straddling Bus
They did it, they actually did it. China actually built the tunnel bus. Now comes the most important test, how do drivers react to having a bus roll over them as they are going about their business? Each bus is electric, ground clearance of seven feet (half the height of a semi-truck), with up to 400 passengers per vehicle and the ability to link up to four vehicles into a train. The New York Times has a report on the test drive.
Its an Even Numbered Year, Time for the Olympic Taiwan Name Issue
Every two years, the people of Taiwan chafe at the official designation of their nation as “Chinese Taipei” for the purposes of competing in the games. For the purposes of the games, Taiwanese athletes are not allowed to compete under their own flag, and the song playing is not their national anthem. In 1976 and 1980, Taiwan actually refused to compete in the games due to the controversy.
Two Chinese Military Commanders Arrested
Generals Li Jinai and Liao Xilong have been arrested on charges of corruption during a senior cadre meeting. They are the third and fourth high ranking active-duty General officers to be arrested on charges of corruption. The political purges of the military conducted by Xi Jinping are being described as the most radical and extensive ones carried out to date – more so even then Deng Xiaoping following his ascension to the leadership of China following Mao’s death. Previously, Li assisted in the development of the new anti-shipping missiles for the PLA Second Artillery Corps – an independent branch of the PLA tasked with carrying out attacks on enemy shipping in time of war.
North Korea Attempts Moon Shot
Kim Jong Un has ordered his space agency to shoot for the moon within the next five years. A reminder, the space race between the US and the Soviets was part of the arms race, with each development in missile launch technology being used to improve the two nation’s ICBM technology. Further, their plans to place earth observation satellites could be used to secret nuclear warheads into orbit to cause an EMP over a target region and set off an ablative cascade ahead of a reignition of the Korean War.
**Russia and Ukraine**
Russian Troop Buildup on Ukrainian Border
Russia has created four new armored Divisions along the Ukrainian border, including the reactivated 1st Guards Tank Army. This is accompanied by an article in a Kremlin backed newspaper which states:
Ukraine has become Russia’s strategic adversary: Moscow does not exclude the possibility of a major war
Reports indicate Russian strategic thinkers believe a fight for Kiev could be a short, decisive war. This was the same strategic myopia which eventually resulted in the outbreak of WWI as Austria-Hungary allowed a similar level of myopia to get them involved in Serbia.
IOC Clears 271 Russian Athletes to Compete in Rio
Roughly 2/3 of the Russian contingent to the games will be cleared to compete against the recommendations of the World Anti-Doping Agency. In spite of this, the IOC has reported the athletes will be undergoing more intensive performance enhancing drug screenings at the Olympic Village. The Athletics and Weightlifting teams are still completely banned, while the Aquatics, Canoeing and Kayaking, Cycling, Pentathlon, Rowing, Sailing, and Wrestling teams are undergoing partial bans.
Putin Manipulated Trump Into Pushing Kremlin Line
Michael Morell, ex-CIA Officer who went on the record with the NYT, claims Putin has used frequent stroking of Trump’s ego as a means of aligning the GOP Candidate for President to the Kremlin line on foreign affairs. Though unable to provide proof, Morell’s claims mesh with Trump’s decision to make three Kremlin paid agents (Manafort, Page, and General Flynn) his top advisors and the decision by the Trump campaign to focus all their attention in the Platform Committee on making sure the official Republican Platform gives away Ukraine and Eastern Europe to the Russians.
Putin Courts Iran for Eurasian Alliance
This is right out of Alexander Dugin’s book The Fourth Political Theory, in which Dugin – a top advisor to the Kremlin – seeks to unite the “traditionalist world” against the “Atlantean World” and the values of Western Democracy.
**India**
India rationalizes tax system
Previously, India was effectively a union of 35 separate market areas due to an almost Byzantine labyrinth of tax codes and regulations, many of which had to be paid as the goods crossed the state borders and which required hours of paperwork at state border checkpoints. This system will implement a single, nationwide tax system. Though already approved, it will take some time before the system can be implemented.
**Middle East**
Foreign Aid Not Reaching Christian Refugees
Not officially declared refugees by the UN Refugee Agency and often forcibly expelled from refugee camps by Muslim neighbors, Christians from the Middle East are in serious crisis. Three Bishops of the Catholic Church with Diocese in the Middle East have said the only help reaching Christians stranded in or displaced from ISIS controlled areas is coming from the churches. Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan of the Syriac Catholic Church in particular has denounced Western response to the crisis.
ISIS Holding Close To 3000 Civilians Hostage
Having already executed at least twelve of the hostages, it is believed the remaining individuals are being used for kidnapping money and as human shields. Most of these individuals were already internal refugees living in refugee camps.
35 Kurdish Peshmerga, 8 Turkish Military Personnel Dead in Clashes
Taking place at a checkpoint in Turkey’s Hakkari Province, the fighting has since spread to the rest of the province.
600 Kyrgyz Fighters Rally to ISIS in Iraq
Including 100 women in the group, this represents the single largest influx of Kyrgyz fighters to the would-be Caliphate since Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi first declared the Caliphate.
Egypt Claims to Have Killed Head of Islamic State Province of the Sinai
Unconfirmed as of the this article going to the press, Egypt claims to have killed Chief Executive of the ISIS Branch in the Sinai Peninsula.
**Europe**
Germany Has a Pokemon Train
Dusseldorf has established a three-hour train route which will take riders on a tour of the city – so they can catch all the Pokemon. In other news, Germany is doomed…
Asylum Applications From Turkey Soar
Germany has seen the number of Turkish asylum seekers in their nation double. This comes as German trust and approval of Merkel’s job falls through the floor.
France Cancels Flea Market Over Security Fears
Europe’s oldest and largest outdoor market has been canceled. Once a tourist draw which would bring up to 2.5 Million to the city, the authorities in Lille fear they will not be able to provide adequate security in light of the ISIS threat.
Following on the heels of a report Ukraine will be exporting less wheat than ever due to increased demand at home, France is seeing a 21% decrease in yield from last year. This is the lowest yield France has seen since 1986, and will likely spur further unrest in the third world as food prices go up around the world.
**South America**
Venezuela Bankrupt Within A Year
Between debt payments and basic services provided by the government, Venezuela is expected to be bankrupt by the end of the year. This will most likely only worsen the ongoing food crisis.
It Could Be Worse, We Could Be Brazil
The Brazilian government is in such dire straits the President will not be sitting in the VIP Box and their upcoming elections are expected to be even messier than ours.
