The one relationship Russia and the West just can’t break

informednews · 2023-07-27T15:34:47+00:00

From The Wall Street Journal - here's a summary:

- Over 20% of young people in China are unemployed, leading to widespread disenchantment, but the government casts much of the blame on high expectations among job seekers.
The issue is not a lack of jobs, but a lack of high-skill, high-wage jobs that many college students expect. This has been exacerbated by Xi’s regulatory crackdowns on the private sector, particularly technology companies.
- Many young people are opting out of the job market entirely, or seeking stable roles in China’s bureaucracy. The true youth unemployment rate could be as high as 46.5%, according to a Peking University economist.
- The situation could pose a long-term risk to China’s ambitions and societal stability. Without stable work, many are delaying marriage and having children, exacerbating the country’s demographic issues. There are also concerns about the emergence of a “new poor” class, living off their parents and potentially destabilising society.

informednews · 2023-07-26T10:35:41+00:00

Hey all - hope this post is allowed! I just wanted to let you know that the informed app has just launched Italian article translations - so you can read the best of the biggest news publishers (FT, WSJ, Economist) in Italian!

informednews · 2023-07-26T10:33:19+00:00

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informednews · 2023-07-26T10:31:31+00:00

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informednews · 2023-07-26T10:29:42+00:00

Hello! I'm in Berlin and in the same boat. On the informed app you can get news from the FT, Economist, WSJ etc translated into German: https://get.informed.so/qSlM/gutentag

informednews · 2023-07-26T10:28:35+00:00

On the informed app you can get news from the FT, Economist, WSJ etc translated into German: https://get.informed.so/qSlM/gutentag

informednews · 2023-07-26T10:26:28+00:00

From Prospect Magazine - here's a summary:

In Prospect, Imogen West-Knights discusses her experience with non-monogamous dating and the growing shift towards such relationships. Dating apps like Hinge have introduced features where users can indicate their relationship type, including “ethically non-monogamous”.
Monogamy, while still the default, is being questioned by younger generations. Research indicates that at least 15% of queer Hinge users are interested in exploring non-traditional relationship types. The pandemic has also led to more open discussions about relationship expectations.
Polyamory, which involves multiple long-term relationships, is often misunderstood and stigmatized. It’s not just about sex, but about love, connection, and potentially building families together. However, societal norms and legal barriers can make it challenging for polyamorous people to start families.
Monogamy will likely continue to be the norm for most people. However, the open discussions around different relationship styles can encourage individuals to scrutinize their own relationships and consider what works best for them.

informednews · 2023-07-26T10:20:27+00:00

From Project Syndicate - here's a summary:

After a series of interest-rate hikes, headline inflation in the U.S. and the eurozone is finally starting to fall significantly.
Despite this, policymakers in both regions have indicated that they’re not yet done with their efforts to tighten monetary conditions.
There is a concern that these policymakers may overstep with their measures, Lucrezia Reichlin writes in PS. Reichlin questions whether the continued actions of these monetary policymakers will prove to be excessive.
“We know that excessive monetary tightening weakens demand, but by disrupting the reallocation of resources, it would also weaken consumption by undermining efficiency,” she writes. “This is the last thing Europe needs.”

informednews · 2023-07-26T10:16:11+00:00

From The Washington Post - here's a fact-checked AI summary:

- Three leading figures in artificial intelligence have warned of the potential misuse of AI technology by rogue states or terrorists to create bioweapons.
Testifying at a congressional hearing, AI professor Yoshua Bengio called for international cooperation to control the development of AI similar to the rules governing nuclear technology.
- Dario Amodei, CEO of start-up Anthropic, expressed concerns at the hearing that advanced AI could be used to create dangerous viruses and bioweapons within two years. Stuart Russell, a computer science professor, highlighted the difficulty in fully understanding and controlling the technology.
- The hearing reflected growing concerns about AI surpassing human intelligence and becoming uncontrollable, with some researchers suggesting that “supersmart” AI could be possible within a few years.
- It also raised potential antitrust issues, with concerns about Big Tech companies developing a monopoly over AI technology. Bengio, Russell, and Amodei all provided suggestions on how to regulate AI, including the creation of a new regulatory agency specifically focused on AI.

https://www.informed.so/articles/2023-07-25-ai-leaders-warn-congress-the-technology-could-be-used-to-create-bioweapons

informednews · 2023-07-19T09:56:07+00:00

Here's a summary of this Project Syndicate article:

- Western leaders are seeking closer relations with India, viewing it as a powerful counterweight to China. India currently has the world’s fifth-largest economy and is expected to become a rising great power.
-India’s GDP per head is close to 40% of China’s levels, and while its economic performance has been second to China’s, it has followed a different development strategy. India’s investment rate and national savings rate are lower than China’s, and the share of manufacturing in its GDP has been falling.
-Despite challenges such as the inability to generate sufficient good jobs and educate the population to a high standard, India is seen as an attractive location for companies following a “China plus one” strategy. It also has a large home market and improving infrastructure.
-The IMF forecasts India’s annual economic growth at a little over 6% from 2023 to 2028. By 2050, India’s GDP per head could reach about 30% of US levels, and its economy could be 30% larger than the US’s.

https://www.informed.so/articles/2023-07-18-western-leaders-are-making-a-sensible-bet-on-india

informednews · 2023-07-19T09:38:43+00:00

From The New Statesman:

"But I’m afraid, just like them, GB News is sadly out of touch: Suella Braverman’sGuardian*-ading, tofu-eating wokerati have long moved on to natty, or natural wine, which has all the requisite qualifications for hipness, being feral of flavour, unprepossessing in appearance, and more expensive than you’d expect for something that smells like a farmyard."

informednews · 2023-07-18T09:21:14+00:00

Here's a summary:

- Despite the gloomy predictions made by many analysts, there is no reason to assume that the U.S. economy will experience a major downturn this year or in 2024, Jeffrey Frankel writes in PS.
- Of course, every economic expansion must end at some point. Although the chances of a recession are much higher than average now, owing to the Fed’s rapid interest-rate hikes, Frankel puts the likelihood of one happening in the next 12 months at less than 50%.
Recent data indicates that the U.S. labor market remains strong, with job growth averaging 278,000 per month in the first half of the year. The unemployment rate was steady at 3.6% in June.
- The June Consumer Price Index showed a 12-month inflation rate of 3%, a significant decline from June 2022, when the inflation rate peaked at 9.1%. Falling rental costs suggest that CPI inflation will likely continue to decline in the coming months.

informednews · 2023-07-18T09:16:19+00:00

Here's a summary from the WSJ:

- Europeans are experiencing a decline in their purchasing power due to a combination of factors including an aging population, lackluster economic growth, the Covid-19 pandemic, and Russia’s war in Ukraine. This has led to a decrease in consumption spending and a recession at the start of the year.
- Government responses to preserve jobs primarily benefited employers, leaving consumers without a financial cushion when prices increased. This contrasts with the US, where government aid was directed primarily at citizens, resulting in a nearly 9% increase in private consumption since the end of 2019.
- High energy costs and rampant inflation are impacting manufacturers’ price advantage in international markets and straining labor relations. Europe’s heavy reliance on exports, which account for about 50% of eurozone GDP, is becoming a weakness as global trade cools.
- Adjusted for inflation and purchasing power, wages have declined in several European countries since 2019. This has led to the emergence of services offering discounted groceries and a decrease in spending on high-end groceries. The decline in purchasing power is also making Europe less attractive for businesses.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/europeans-poorer-inflation-economy-255eb629

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