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Chinese PhD student jailed for life after being exposed as serial rapist who filmed attacks as trophies
PhD student jailed for life after being exposed as serial rapist
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Economic Times
12 minutes ago
- Economic Times
US tariff spike hits China's small parcels, squeezing exporters
Bloomberg Live Events US tariff hikes on small packages from China triggered a slump in shipments last month, contributing to a huge drop in bilateral trade and roiling exporters like Shein Group Ltd The value of small parcels sent from China to the US fell to just over $1 billion in May, the least since early 2023, according to customs data released Friday. The 40% plunge from the same month last year marks a sharp reversal for a booming trade route, coming just as the US government eliminated a long-standing tariff policy shift is upending the business models of fast-fashion titan Shein and its rival Temu, which relied on the exemption to send goods directly to US customers free of tariffs. It's also squeezing thousands of small merchants who relied on the model as a low-cost entry into the world's largest consumer market.'Without the exemption, it would mean tougher business to us, and much fewer options for consumers, and potentially higher prices,' said Wang Yuhao, whose Kunming-based incense company, Shantivale, recently began selling to the US. 'This is a lose-lose situation.'For the entrepreneur, the new tariffs and logistical fees of direct shipping now would mean losing $2 on every parcel. To avoid the additional cost, Wang said he has pivoted to bulk shipments to US warehouses, a move that demanded an upfront investment of more than 100,000 yuan ($13,800) for inventory and source of the disruption is the end of the 'de minimis' rule exemption for Chinese and Hong Kong shipments. Previously, packages valued under $800 could enter the US duty-free. Since May 2, those parcels face tariffs as high as 54% after the Trump administration moved to close what it deemed an unfair trade impact on the largest players was swift. Shein raised US prices on items from dresses to kitchenware ahead of the hike to cover the costs of the higher tariffs, according to data compiled by Bloomberg News. In the week after the tariffs took effect, both Shein and Temu saw double-digit sales declines, an early sign the punitive measures are eroding their with the drop, the US remained the largest single destination for China's small parcels, the data showed. Malaysia followed by taking more than $700 million worth of such shipments last small parcel shipments rose 40% in May compared to a year ago, with Belgium, South Korea, Hong Kong and Hungary among other large destinations.


The Mainichi
22 minutes ago
- The Mainichi
Editorial: Directionless G7 must find its footing after Trump-dominated Canada summit
In an effort to portray unity at all costs, the Group of Seven (G7) advanced industrial nations has failed to deliver a clear message or offer any effective solutions to halt global instability. Standing frozen at this 50th-anniversary milestone, the group's inability to provide meaningful prescriptions highlights its waning influence. The G7 summit took place in Canada, focusing primarily on conflicts in Europe and the Middle East and maintaining the free trade system. Yet it concluded without proposing significant new measures to support Ukraine, nor did it advance meaningful dialogue about the crucial need for free trade. Although a joint statement addressed the Middle East situation, its contents were deeply skewed -- defending Israel, which recently launched attacks on Iran, while harshly criticizing Iran itself. A failure by the G7 to present viable solutions to crises such as war and economic uncertainty demonstrates that it has not lived up to its responsibilities as a key guardian of the international order. U.S. President Donald Trump's preferences strongly shaped the agenda and outcome documents, yet Trump himself departed early, rendering hollow any facade of unity that had been orchestrated. Despite the G7 being originally envisioned as a forum for coordination among Japan, the U.S. and Europe, Trump relentlessly pursued only his "America First" objectives. This behavior must be called out as self-serving. However, the other nations were afraid of the talks collapsing entirely, and thus chose instead to obediently follow Trump's lead. This, too, was problematic; a vigorous exchange of views would have better clarified key issues. Japan also shares partial responsibility for this failure. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba presented information on Chinese and North Korean military activities as "Asia's representative." Although he reportedly expressed "concern under international law" regarding Israel's actions, the firm stance he displayed before the summit faded away. Such behavior risks appearing to endorse Western double standards, effectively giving Israel preferential treatment while emphatically condemning Russia for its aggression against Ukraine. Historically, Japan has built trust with Palestine and Iran through sustained humanitarian assistance and investment. This reputation, carefully established over many years, could now face damage. The inward-looking stance demonstrated by the G7 this year has likely caused disappointment among the emerging and developing nations collectively known as the Global South, which are already pressured by major-power politics. If the G7 continues to tacitly accommodate states such as Russia and Israel, which are attempting to alter the status quo through force, suspicion will only deepen. Moreover, global confidence in the rules-based international order may suffer lasting harm. The G7 urgently needs to clarify and correct its own approach. Rather than continuously relying on U.S. leadership, Japan, Europe and Canada should instead proactively work toward stabilizing and safeguarding global order.


Time of India
24 minutes ago
- Time of India
TikTok's owner wanted to publish books, not anymore
News of the press's demise, which was reported earlier by the The Bookseller, came as a shock to authors who were swayed by the possibility that 8th Note could help engineer bestsellers with elaborate marketing campaigns on TikTok. Instead, 8th Note has started taking down digital editions of their books, effectively unpublishing them. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads When 8th Note Press launched in the summer of 2023, the small publisher had a big advantage over other new presses. It was started by Chinese technology company ByteDance , the owner of TikTok , the wildly popular social media platform where viral endorsements can transform books into bestsellers was not enough, it seems, to build a successful publishing business. In late May, 8th Note Press began informing writers that it was shutting down and returning publication rights to the of the press's demise, which was reported earlier by the The Bookseller, came as a shock to authors who were swayed by the possibility that 8th Note could help engineer bestsellers with elaborate marketing campaigns on TikTok. Instead, 8th Note has started taking down digital editions of their books, effectively unpublishing agent Mark Gottlieb, who sold the debut novel "To Have and Have More" to 8th Note, said the company was doing "irreparable damage" to its authors by shutting down so haphazardly. While publishing imprints frequently come and go, the books and authors they publish are usually moved elsewhere within the parent company, rather than being taken out of circulation entirely. If a book is published then quickly disappears, it can be difficult to resell it to another publisher, Gottlieb said."They're wrecking careers in the process of doing this," he said of 8th Note. "If you're an author and this is your first book, what the history is going to show is that your book published and quickly went out of print."The publisher's precipitous fall was surprising, given its parent company's vast resources and last year, the press seemed poised to expand. In October, its executives announced a partnership with the publisher Zando to put out print editions of its books and distribute them to physical bookstores. The plan was to release 10 to 15 titles a year, with a focus on romance, romantasy and young adult fiction. Later, the imprint indicated to agents that it was expanding into science fiction and for 8th Note Press and ByteDance did not respond to requests for comment, and representatives for Zando declined to closure of 8th Note comes at an uncertain time for TikTok, as the prospect of a U.S. ban on the app looms. On Thursday, President Donald Trump again extended the deadline for ByteDance to find a new owner for TikTok so that it can continue to operate in the United publisher acquired more than 30 titles in its first year, and authors and agents who struck deals said part of the appeal was the imprint's parent company -- and the prospect that 8th Note could deliver sophisticated digital marketing campaigns that took advantage of ByteDance's data on TikTok trends and influencers. But despite its built-in promotional power, 8th Note did not deliver any breakout blockbusters, and some agents say it did little to market many of its titles. Currently, digital editions of many of its titles are no longer for sale, though print editions for some titles released with Zando can still be purchased."It's been so unfortunate for the authors," said Jill Marr, an agent at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency, who represents two authors who write under the pseudonym June selling the rights to Kaye's novel, "37 Questions," to 8th Note in November, the publication did not proceed smoothly, Marr said. The editor who acquired the book departed and wasn't replaced. Royalty statements and sales figures that were due to arrive at the end of May still haven't come in, she novel had an extremely short retail run: It was released digitally in February and taken down after just a few her authors are hoping to find another publisher willing to take a chance on their debut, but they are saddled with a launch that sputtered."I'm going to try to resell it to other publishers, but it's difficult because we didn't have time to gain any traction," Marr said. "They're devastated."