In The News

Samoa’s Measles Epidemic Part of Global Surge: PRI

Elana Gordon December 11, 2019
Samoa is an independent nation in the Pacific and nearby American Samoa is a US territory. Many on these islands, like others throughout the world, once dismissed measles as a harmless childhood disease, and now both contend with the disease. An outbreak began in September, disrupting Samoan businesses and schools on the island of 200,000 people. The disease is highly contagious and symptoms do...

Malaysia Depends on Foreign Workers: Asia Sentinel

Murray Hunter December 10, 2019
Malaysia relies on a broad mix of foreign workers. The nation’s median age approaches 30, the fertility rate dips below replacement levels, and foreign workers often do the work that many citizens reject, from cleaning to construction and warehouse work. Unofficial estimates suggest as many as 6 million foreign workers represent more than 18 percent of Malaysia’s population and up to 40 percent...

China Needs More Babies: Caixin

James Liang December 8, 2019
China’s fertility rate has barely budged even though the government has loosened its one-child policy for families. Population is linked to economic growth yet uncertainty combined with a rising living standard and cultural acceptance of small families contribute to the trends. China’s fertility rate is 1.8 children per women, below the 2.1 replacement rate. The nation posted 17 million births in...

Megafire, Exhaustion in Australia: Sydney Morning Herald

Peter Hannam, Michaela Whitbourn and Rachel Clun December 7, 2019
Three bushfires have combined into a megafire in Australia’ New South Wales of Australia. “The 'unparalled' fire season in NSW is being to strain resources, with potentially months to run,” reports a team for the Sydney Morning Herald. “About 40 of 90 bushfires across the state were yet to be contained and conditions were expected to worsen around Tuesday, with officials urging...

China Warns US Over Uighur Bill: Reuters

Se Young Lee and David Brunnstrom December 4, 2019
China warns that a US bill calling for an end to detentions of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang could disrupt bilateral cooperation including trade talks. China is already sore about US passage of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act. The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved the Uighur Human Rights Act that includes sanctions for one politburo member. Businesses and investors are...

¥13 Trillion Stimulus Plan in Japan: Japan Times

December 4, 2019
Governments with heavy debt loads are hooked on stimulus and low interest rates. Japan, the world’s third largest national economy, has national debt worth more than 230 percent of its GDP. The Japan Times reports that government officials could add more debt by finalizing plans for a ¥13 trillion stimulus package. The government hopes to take advantage of negative interest rates from the country...

China-Russia Gas Pipeline: Wall Street Journal

Georgi Kantchev December 3, 2019
A new 1800-mile pipeline called the Power of Siberia has begun delivering Russian natural gas to China, a crucial link between the two countries. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping presided over the launch via video. The project is a tangible symbol of the Beijing-Moscow economic and trade partnership in economics as well as mutual political support for...