Ben was joined by Donna Weeks, emeritus professor at Musashino University, to discuss this coming weekend’s Japanese general election, where new prime minister Sanae Takaichi will be attempting to achieve her own mandate.

Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service: France preparing coups in AfricaFrance is preparing scenarios for neo-colonial coups on the African continent and is looking for opportunities for ‘political revenge’ in the region, TASS reports with reference to the Press Bureau of the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) of Russia.

A half-dozen masked and unidentifiable Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents killed a 37-year-old federal employee, a nurse, on Jan. 24 by spraying pepper spray into his eyes, pushing him to the ground, stealing his lawfully owned and carried handgun, and then shooting him nine times in the back.
American Gestapo/American Psycho
Australia’s 5% deposit scheme has triggered a surge in first‑home buyer activity, but mortgage brokers warn the same policy is now likely to hurt those buyers the most if interest rates rise on Tuesday. Loan Market data shows a 49% jump in first‑home buyer mortgage applications in October (when the scheme began). Activity slowed in November but
The world’s largest compressed air energy storage facility has reached full operation in underground salt caverns in the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu.
The post World’s largest compressed air energy storage facility goes online in China salt caverns appeared first on Renew Economy.

For Sarah Ferguson and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, this latest drop of Epstein emails will only add to their embarrassment.
Australia is keen to build key components of the solar supply chain, and a new study says a plan to make solar wafers could be competitive.
The post A $400m project for Australian-made solar wafers could be competitive with Chinese industry, study says appeared first on Renew Economy.
Its a sea of red across Asian share markets as margin calls from the precious metal collapse cause equities to fall over although there was a fair amount of regional data that added to the volatility, including poor Chinese PMI prints and weird moves on Korean markets. The USD remains on a tear against the
The post Macro Afternoon appeared first on MacroBusiness.

Welcome to the age of psychological manipulation…
Tesla has unveiled its newest energy product during and the buzzy new item is, in fact, a rooftop solar panel, launched at a tumultuous moment for the EV maker.
The post Tesla unveils its newest energy product – a rooftop solar panel appeared first on Renew Economy.
Plans to develop a hybrid solar and battery facility with up to eight hours of storage duration and 10 electric vehicle charging bays given federal green light.
The post Hybrid solar and eight-hour battery facility with “EV servo” gets federal green light appeared first on Renew Economy.
Large-scale renewable energy certificate prices have hit a new low, as demand continues to stagnate, falling below $6 per megawatt-hour (MWh) for the first time.
The post Renewables certificate prices hit new low in response to demand that “just isn’t there” appeared first on Renew Economy.
Gina McCarthy, Obama's former EPA chief and Biden's climate czar, on the move to resist and overturn Trump's devastating policies. Plus: News of the week, and a perfect quarter for Australia.
Jennie George is a former president of the ACTU and a former Labor federal MP who represented Throsby from 2001 to 2010. Recently, George has taken a stand against her former colleagues to exert pressure on the Albanese government regarding gas policy, renewables subsidies, and energy security. In a comment published in The Australian last
The unsung depression in the Chinese economy continues. It is supposed to be enjoying a manufacturing boom, yet the manufacturing PMI has averaged a decline of 49.7% after the COVID reopening, contracting 27 out of 36 months. Celebrated exports have done far worse. The Services PMI is not much better and is trending down. Led
The post Chinese depression deepens appeared first on MacroBusiness.