‘Important steps’: what Cop30 deal means for climate unity and Global South

For homeowners in mainland China, selling a property has become so difficult that some are turning to xuanxue, a neo-Taoist philosophy that has morphed into internet slang for any superstitious ritual meant to enhance luck, from feng shui tweaks to cyber talismans. Praying in temples, buying ‘quick-sale’ talismans, or simply writing the word “sold” on a piece of red paper are just a few examples. When a homeowner in Shanghai recently claimed on social media that she found a buyer after praying… Source link

Each winter for the past three years, Claire Zhou, a teenager from the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, has counted down the days until she can fly to northern China and pull on a new ski suit and boots. The better she skis, the more frequently she upgrades her gear, reshaping her family’s holiday budget and pulling them deeper into China’s fast-growing winter sports consumption chain. The country’s winter sports boom, sparked by the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and fuelled by supportive… Source link

South Korea, under President Lee Jae-myung, has repeatedly proclaimed its desire to improve relations and re-engage in diplomacy with North Korea. Yet a landmark agreement with Washington formalised last week reveals a starkly different priority: advancing military capabilities that will almost certainly drive the two Koreas further apart. The United States has officially approved South Korea’s pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines while supporting Seoul’s efforts to secure uranium enrichment… Source link