Happy Christmas

UPDATEs included on December 25 / 26 / 28.



Today, even the crocodiles are nice ...

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处决张成泽后朝鲜希望中国理解
金正恩望来华

After the execution of Chang Sung-taek,
North Korea hopes for China's sympathy.
Kim Jong-un looking forward to visit China.
[Source: HongKong media, December 23]


Evening News from South Korean TV ARIRANG on Dec. 25, 2013:




朝鲜人在中国：多靠偷渡团伙去韩国

Headline:
North Korean [citizens] in China: Many come up to secretly crossing to South Korea in [small] groups.



多年来，朝鲜媳妇郑金素代表了一个隐秘的群体——非法越境并滞留于中国的朝鲜人生存状态的缩影。

Photo:
Each year, young wives [.....] from North Korea represent some kind of secret colony [here], being detained in China's miniature of North Korean living conditions after illegally sneaking out of [their] country.

[Source: Taiwan Sea Network (Xiamen / Amoy) 台海网(厦门) on December 26 (local date), 2013]

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资料图巡逻中的朝鲜人民军

[Archive] picture: N Korean People's Army on patrol.

朝鲜严控中朝边境 将警备力度提高到最高级别

Headline:
North Korea strictly controlling its frontier. Raising the garrison's dynamics to the highest level.

朝鲜“二号人物”张成泽被处决后，有韩国媒体称朝鲜强化边境管控，甚至将边境地区的警备力度提高到最高级别，全天候执行巡逻和潜伏任务，以最大程度减少非法离境人员的发生。《环球时报》赴中朝边境记者了解到，今年冬季，朝鲜边境警备队一反常态，空前加大了夜间的巡逻、防控的力度。

After the execution of North Korea's "person No.2", Chang Sung-taek, South Korean media say North Korea is intensifying its border controls and even raising dynamics of the border region's garrison to the highest level. Patrols carried out at each weather and hidden missions have reduced to the highest extent the occurence of personnel illegally leaving the country. A 'Global Times' reporter at the Chinese - N Korean border found out that this winter North Korean border guards behave out of the normal. They unprecedentedly increased night patrols and the dynamics of defense controls.

[Source: Ifeng Network - People's Network 凤凰网—人民网 on December 28, 2013]

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毛泽东和金日成，是朋友，是战友，是同志，也可以说是酒友。

" Mao ZeDong and Kim Il-song are friends, comrades-in-arms and comrades [of the Communist Party]. One might even say they are drinking companions. "

[Chinese comment added to the above picture that is showing North Korean leader Kim Il-song (left) and China's leader Mao ZeDong.]

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中共中央举行纪念毛泽东同志诞辰120周年座谈会

Headline:
The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China holds a commemorative symposium on the occasion of comrade Mao ZeDong's 120th birthday.

The Chinese article mentions the participation of China's leadership in that symposium taking place in Beijing's Great Hall of the People this morning. Attending the meeting are prime minister Li KeQiang, two members of the Communist politbureau, vice-premier Zhang DeJiang and Yu ZhengSheng, as well as two other high-ranking party members, Wang Qishan and Zhang GaoLi. Liu Yunshan, another member of the politbureau presides over the symposium. Before the meeting, the above mentioned politicians and president Xi JinPing visited the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall.

[Source: Global Network 环球网 on December 26, 2013]


Mao meeting with Stalin's foreign minister Molotow.




环球舆情调查：85%受访者认为毛泽东功远大于过

Investigation of public sentiment [by Global Network]:
85% of those being questioned consider Mao ZeDong's merits as far-reaching.

The Chinese opinion poll is based on telephone calls and online requests made in great regions and cities on December 23 and 24, 2013.

[Source: Global Network 环球网 on December 25, 2013]

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North Korea - New Provocation

朝称将对韩不预警打击

North Korea says it will attack the South without previous warning.

[Source: (Network of Defense Daily) 解放牛网—解放日报 on December 21, 2013]


朝鲜致电威胁韩国被指意在掩盖国内真实情况

Headline:
In a telegram North Korea threatens the South [which is] hinting at its intention to conceal the real situation inside the country.

这类挑衅通常意在转移外界注意，从而令外界忽视朝鲜国内的真实状况。

The usual intention behind such provocation is to divert the attention of the outside world, thus leading the outside to overlook the real situation within North Korea.

..........

美国军方领导人马丁·邓普西早些时候称，朝鲜可能即将发起军事挑衅。中国外交部发言人华春莹说，中方反对任何损害朝鲜半岛和平稳定的行为，希望有关各方避免采取导致半岛局势紧张升级的言行。

U.S. military leader Martin Dempsey only recently said, North Korea was probably going to start a military provocation.
Hua ChunYing, spokeswoman for China's ministry of foreign affairs, said the Chinese side opposes any damage whatsoever done to peace stabilizing activity on the Korean peninsula, and hopes that all sides refrain from resorting to statements and actions that would cause a tense situation on the peninsula to [further] escalate.

[Source: SINA - Xinjingbao 新闻中心—新京报 on December 21, 2013]

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News from China:

习近平与玻利维亚总统就通信卫星发射相互致贺

[China's president] Xi JinPing and Bolivia's president extend their mutual congratulations regarding the launch of a [Bolivian] communication satellite.

The satellite was successfully launched on top of a Long March III rocket from the XiChang facility tonight at 0:42 local time. The satellite's perigee is at 210 km distance, its apogee at 42.165 km distance from Earth, and its actual angle of inclination is reported to be 24°. The procedure of roughly placing the satellite was finished 26 minutes after rocket launch. Plannings and construction for that satellite project, however, had taken 15 years at the Chinese development site.

[Source: chinacom / xinhua network - sina / evening news 新华网—新闻晚报 on December 21, 2013]


Editor's Note:
The satellite's orbit is now an elliptic one. In order to reach a circular geostationary orbit at a distance of 42.000 km from Earth, the satellite has still to perform some additional manoeuvres using its own engine. These manoeuvres might last some time. The angle of inclination mentioned above is the angle between the orbit plane and the Earth's equatorial plane. It should be reduced to 0° to ensure maximum performance of the satellite.

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Choice of recent visitors to "blueprint news" and who have been localized during the last few days:

China - Successful Moon Landing

Last UPDATE: December 16

嫦娥三号成功落月 中国探测器首次登上地外天体

Third stage of [spaceship] "Chang'e" made a successful landing on the Moon.
First time, China's [robot] explorer stepped on extra-terrestrial celestial body.




“玉兔”今起开始科学探测

"Jade Hare" Now Starting its Scientific Survey


China's landing device approaching the Moon.

From mission control center in Beijing here the first picture transmitted by China's lunar robot "Jade Hare" after its successful landing on the Moon:



Further information on an earlier blogspot of mine: China's Mission to the Moon

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China's president Xi JinPing and prime minister Li KeQiang
visiting the spaceflight control center in Beijing on Dec.15.

习近平到北京航天飞行控制中心欢看两器互拍成像

Xi JinPing came to Beijing's spaceflight control center to watch with joy the photos that were mutually taken by both vehicles [i.e. the landing device and scouting robot].

Editor's Comment:
Decades ago we already became acquainted to Japanese tourists taking photos from each other in front of typical tourist sites everywhere in the world. With regional economy flourishing more and more, we recently met with Chinese and Vietnamese tourists doing the same. However, Chinese vehicles taking photos from each other on a Moon resort, that is certainly something new. - Ulysses



"嫦娥"与"玉兔"月面互拍照传回

"Chang' e" and "Jade Hare" on Moon,
sending back mutually taken photos.


Live pictures from both vehicles on the Moon
transmitted to mission control center, Beijing.

N Korean Reader: "The Trial of a Traitor"

North Korea: The Trial of Chang Sung-taek
Accusations Leading to His Death Penalty

- Quotations from the Chinese press translated by "Ulysses" -

张成泽从上世纪80年代光复大街建设时期就开始筹集贵金属，并在属下组建秘密机构，藐视国法，从银行调出巨额资金买进贵金属，结果对国家的财政管理体系造成巨大混乱，犯下了反国家罪行。

Starting in the "Main Road to Recovery" period of construction during the 1980ies, Chang Sung-taek began to acquire precious metal and simultaneously established a secret organization. Despising national law, he thoughtfully spent huge funds to buy precious metal. As a result, the nation's system of financial administration built up enormous chaos. Such he committed a crime against the country.

从2009年起，张成泽向其心腹走卒散布种种淫秽图片，带动资本主义寻欢作乐风气混入国内，到处挥霍无度、骄奢淫逸。

Since 2009, Chang Sung-taek spread all sorts of obscene photos towards his trusted lackeys. He brought along some capitalist mood of seeking pleasure and having a good time drifting into the country, everywhere spending without restraint and love of luxury.

仅以张成泽在2009年一年里从其小金库拿出挥霍460多万欧元，出入海外赌场一事，足以证明他何等堕落、变质。

Only [to mention that] Chang Sung-taek in 2009, within one single year, seized and spent more than 4.6 million Euro from his small treasure, in relation with entering into an overseas gambling house. Proof enough what kind of [morally] degenerate person he is.

张成泽被对政权的野心冲昏头脑，盲目猖狂，以至于愚蠢地认为若动员军队，政变可以得逞，因此执拗地企图对人民军伸出魔爪。

Chang Sung-taek, obsessed by wild ambition towards political power, blind and reckless to such an extent that he foolishly considered, if he [only] mobilized the army, a coup d'état could succeed. Therefore, he wilfully attempted to stretch out his claws towards the People's Army.

在庭审过程中，张成泽淋漓尽致地流露出了其作为千古逆贼的丑恶居心。他说：“我试图使军队和人民中间产生对现政权就国家经济状况和民生深陷困境束手无策的不满”，政变的对象正是“最高领导人”。

During the progress of law court interrogations, Chang Sung-taek thoroughly revealed that he harboured the evil intentions of an eternal traitor. He said: " I attempted to use the army and the people [to turn] against the current regime, [as] the condition of national economy and the people's living conditions sink into a difficult position, tieing their hands in a grievance without any plan [to get out]. " The target of a coup d'état [therefore] being exactly the " supreme leadership ".


Editor's Note:
The Chinese text above is quoting an official report from KCNA [朝鲜中央通信社（朝鲜语：조선중앙통신사；英语：Korean Central News Agency），简称朝中社]. The Chinese source [中国新闻网] on which my translation is based did not add any editorial or semi-official Chinese comment whatsoever.



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Editor's Comment: North Korea at the Edge December 16, 2013

In 2013, the news about North Korea have dominated the bandwidth of news reports provided by "blueprint news".

It began in January, on the occasion of his new year's speech, that leader Kim Jong-un surprised us with an announcement of political changes related to Korea's national economy. A new leader trying new ways of ruling his country, one might have thought. Even the successful launch of a Unha 3 rocket carrying an earth-observation satellite could have been seen at that time as a defensive measure rather than another preparation for nuclear war using intercontinental missiles.

Then, in February 2013, another nuclear test, even though not completely successful, brought Korea's nuclear subject back to our perception and on the agenda of a Japanese - U.S. summit. From there it took only some further weeks to North Korea's declaration that war on the peninsula "could not be avoided".

It was at the end of March that North Korea actually declared the state of war between North and South Korea. Furthermore, the North threatened to close the Gaeseong industrial complex near the border to South Korea. That industrial zone was once established to improve economic cooperation between both countries and has granted the impoverished North access to $2 billion in trade per year.

The industrial complex was really closed some time later, and in April 2013 the Korean peninsula found itself at the edge of war. During that month, "blueprint news" published 15 blogspots, all of them related to North Korea. However, the war declared by the North never became hot. Actually, it cooled off after some time, and business in the Gaesong industrial complex continued as usual.

In June, a new development was triggered off when China didn't put forward again the "relationship of sworn brothers" but, instead, urged N Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions. Since then, Chinese - Korean relations seem to have cooled down, although neither Beijing nor Pyongyang have given official declarations about that.

In December 2013, the "grey kingdom of ghosts", ruled by the Kim family, got its first cracks when one of its few accessible representatives, Chang Sung-taek, was sentenced to death. No wonder that U.S. foreign secretary John Kerry is quoted as saying that North Korea has become even more unstable, while latest news from Germany are indicating that North Korea has just called back its citizens from China where they are now engaged in business, probably as an answer to China's unspoken sympathies for Chang Sung-taek whom they came to know for many years as a partner in Chinese - Korean negotiations.

It seems that Pyongyang's strict political isolation, in combination with military aggression at the edge of reason, is now going to take its toll.

- Ulysses -

Far Eastern News

China

中国军舰在南海逼开跟踪辽宁舰的美巡洋舰

Chinese navy ship was forced to make move a U.S. cruiser
that was shadowing [China's aircraft carrier] Liaoning.


USS Cowpens (CG-63) pulls alongside USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63)

报道称，12月5日，美国海军提康德罗加级导弹巡洋舰考本斯号，在南海海域监视中国海军辽宁舰航母时，与中国一艘战舰两栖战舰“迎面遭遇”，美舰采取紧急机动规避了两舰相撞。报道还提到，美国国务院官员说，美国政府通过外交和军事渠道向中国提出了抗议。

A report from December 5 is saying, U.S. navy ship "Cowpens" [i.e. CG-63], a cruiser belonging to the Ticonderoga-class, had the opportunity to keep watch on China's navy ship [the aircraft carrier] Liaoning in the maritime region of the South [China] Sea. When a Chinese ship for amphibious warfare "headed on to run up against" it, the U.S. ship applied emergency power to avoid mutual collision. The report is quoting as well an official from the U.S. State Department as saying the U.S. government has lodged a protest with China by means of diplomatic and military channels.

[Source: SINA 新浪军事 on December 14, 2013]

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North Korea



December 14, 2013: Kim Jong-un inspecting the institute for military plannings and research.
[Source: China News 中国新闻网 quoting the news from North Korea's Workers' Party]


A visitor to "blueprint news" coming from South Korea
and who is interested in North Korea's missile tests.

North Korea - Execution of Chang Sung-taek

This morning, China's XINHUA agency and Chinese dailies report about the execution of former North Korean strongman Chang Sung-taek.



[Source: XINHUA agency 新华社 on December 13, 2013]

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韩媒：朝鲜疑似用机关枪枪毙张成泽

South Korean media: North Korea [can't believe] what seems
to be the execution of Chang Sung-taek with a machine gun.



朝鲜《劳动新闻》公布朝鲜军事法庭12日判处张成泽死刑的照片。

Photo published by North Korea's "Workers' News":........................
North Korea's military tribunal sentenced to death Chang Sung-taek.

[Source: WANGYI 网易, quoting "Overseas Network 海外网" on December 13, 2013]

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朝鲜判处张成泽死刑并已执行 称其承认谋图政变

North Korea sentenced to death Chang Sung-taek and executed [the death penalty] thereafter, saying he had admitted plannings for a coup d'état.

Alternative translation:
When North Korea sentenced to death Chang Sung-taek, it stopped the execution of plannings for a coup d'état which he had [allegedly] admitted.

[The difference between both translations is in a small space between two Chinese characters !]


死刑立即被执行。 The death penalty was executed immediately.

[Source: CHINANEWS Network 中国新闻网 on December 13, 2013]

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Comment: The above visitor's IP belongs to the NetRange
of the "Voice of America" VOA in nearby Washington DC.

North Korea - Important Change in Staff

Important UPDATE added on December 11 !

Today, China's XINHUA Network remembered a high-ranking North Korean politician and officer who has just been expelled from North Korea's "Workers' Party". There are two articles referring to Chang Sung-taek (Chinese writing: Zhang ChengZe). Here are the headlines:

朝鲜宣布解除张成泽一切职务并开除出党
North Korea announces the removal of Chang Sung-taek from all of his posts and from the Party.




回顾张成泽被开除出党前的活动
Looking back at Chang Sung-taek's activity before he was expelled from the Party.

The Chinese article above is mentioning Chang's removal from office at the age of 67 because of "sectarian behaviour directed against the Party and the revolution". A series of pictures is showing Chang together with North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong-un on different occasions.

朝中社的报道说，最近党内的“异色分子”在继承主体革命事业的重大历史时期企图废除党的唯一领导体制，通过派别阴谋扩大自己势力，对党提出挑战。劳动党中央政治局召开扩大会议，讨论了张成泽的反党反革命宗派行为。

A report from the Korean Central News Agency [KCNA] says:
Recently some "differently colored element" within the Party, while carrying on the principal part in a great historical period [determined by] the revolutionary cause, attempted to abolish the Party's sole leading system, to extend his [personal] influence by means of factional conspiracy, and advance a challenge to battle against the Party.
The Workers Party's central political bureau convened an enlarged meeting to discuss Chang Sung-taek's sectarian behaviour directed against the Party and the revolution.

[Editor's Note: The Chinese text uses a common abbreviation for the N Korean news agency which might lead to misinterpretation during translation.]



August 13, 2012: The vice-chairman of North Korea's defence commission, Chang Sung-taek, just arriving in Beijing to attend the joint Chinese-Korean conference for economic cooperation.



December 12, 2012, in Pyongyang / North Korea: Kim Jong-un and Chang Sung-taek (right side) inspecting the central command for satellite control.

[Source: XINHUA Network 新华网 on November 9, 2013]

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UPDATE for December 11:



韩国情报机构：金正恩二哥出马抓捕张成泽

South Korea's intelligence apparatus: Kim Jong-un's second brother took up the matter to catch Chang Sung-taek.

据韩国朝鲜战略情报服务中心代表李允杰说：实际上，就连受到金正恩恩宠的朝鲜人民军总政治局局长崔龙海也不敢逮捕张成泽，国家保卫部也无法干涉此事，最后是由金正恩的二哥金正哲带领护卫司令部亲卫队逮捕了张成泽。

According to [Chin. name: Li YunJie], a representative of the South Korean center for strategic intelligence services [related to] North Korea, it is considered as a fact that one of Kim Jong-un's favourites Choe Ryong-hae, chief of the general political bureau for North Korea's People's Army, as well didn't dare to arrest Chang Sung-taek. The national ministry for public security was also unable to interfere in that matter. Finally, it was Kim Jong-un's second brother Kim Jong-chol to lead the command of the guard's squad of personal bodyguards to arrest Chang Sung-taek.

早在今年4月份，日本媒体就爆料说金正哲已经晋升为朝鲜太子党的秘密组织“烽火组”首领。看来，金正恩在平壤高层已经没有真正信得过的人，如今的亲信也很难不成为明天的敌人。所以他要由亲哥哥出面执行行刑任务。

Early this year in April, Japanese media [strongly proposed] that Kim Jong-chol had already risen to [his fully accepted] leadership of North Korea's secret organization "group of the beacon-fire" within the "Party of the crown prince". It looks as if Kim Jong-un has no real trustworthy man any longer at Pyongyang's highest level, as today's trusted follower could easily turn into tomorrow's enemy. He therefore needs his brother to appear personally to carry out the job of execution.

In the frame of a regular press conference, granted by China's ministry of foreign affairs on Monday December 9, their spokesman said, China regarded the matter of Chang Sung-taek as an entirely internal affair of North Korea.

[Source: SOHU News 搜狐—新闻, quoting the Guangzhou daily DAYOO 大洋网 on November 11, 2013]

South Korea Will Extend Air-Defence Zone

韩国扩大防空识别区 覆盖中韩争议岛屿

South Korea will extend its air-defence identification zone,
covering islands disputed between China and South Korea.


韩国国防部8日发布韩国防空识别区（KADIZ）扩大方案，区域范围延伸至半岛西南部的离於岛（苏岩礁）、马罗岛和红岛上空。

On [December] 8, South Korea's ministry of defence announced plans to extend Korea's air-defence identification zone (KADIZ). The regional limits are stretching to LiYu Island (or: SuYanJiao, Korean: Ieodo), MaLuo Island (Marado) and Hong Island (Hongdo) [belonging to] the South-Western part of the peninsula.




All names of Korean islands are given in Chinese Pinyin and Korean romanization. English text and the position of LiYu Island / Su YanJiao (i.e. Su Reef) / Ieodo have been added to the above map for a better understanding of South Korean plannings.

[Source: IFENG 凤凰, quoting a South Korean Source, on December 8, 2013]



Ieodo Rock and Navy Ship

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China Watching Risks of Bit Money

Actual currency information added !
Last UPDATE: December 8

When I recently heard about "bit coins", I had to learn how much that kind of electronic payment system has already become subject to speculation. Invented by some anonymous, a fact which doesn't provide much confidence in its value anyway, that so-called bit money should facilitate internet trade as some clearing unit for services provided. It seems that in some corners of the world with shaky economic conditions, such bit money should even have replaced the local currency to some extent. Now, it has come to the attention of China's Central Bank as a potential source of danger to regular currency systems. However, its significance as a virtual clearing unit is not generally disputed. It's all about standardization and control.



国防范比特币风险 易宪容：再玩下去都被会死

Headline:
The country is watching out at risks related to bit money.
Yi XianRong: Continued gambling leads to [widespread social death].

中新网12月6日电 今年以来“疯狂生长”的比特币被狠狠浇了一盆冷水。12月5日下午，央行等五部委联合发通知防范比特币风险，消息发布后一个小时内比特币价格跌幅达35%。

Report from China News Network on December 6: This year the "insane growth" of bit money has [already] filled a basin of cold water in a "wolfish" manner. In the afternoon of December 5, five [members of the board] within the Central Bank [of China] jointly gave notice [that included] a warning of risks related to bit money. The news issued within the following hour said the price of bit money had dropped to an extent of 35%.

社科院金融研究所研究员易宪容表示，比特币等虚拟货币缺乏政府信用作担保，没有发展前景，且虚拟货币存在泡沫问题只是还未爆发，放任发展下去的结果就是大家都被“炒死”。业内人士则表示，通知并未说比特币不合法以及要取消，实施监管是为进行规范以及防洗钱和防止虚拟货币冲击货币体系。

Yi XianRong, a researcher at the [department] for financial research within the institute for social sciences, showed that bit money is a fictitious currency lacking [any] government's trustworthiness [or: credit] as a guarantee. It has no perspective for development and is just [like] foam existing as a fictitious currency, the only question then being whether this [=> fictitious currency] could erupt as well. [Its] noninterference with [=> economic] results based on development is therefore "stir-frying" [i.e. attracting] everybody. Personnel engaged in business [however] show, the [=> Central Bank's] notice doesn't say that bit money is not legitimate and must be abolished. To carry out supervision [and direction] then means to [introduce] standards along with guarding against money laundering and to avoid the fictitious currency lashing against the [=> regular] currency system.

[Source: IFENG Network 凤凰网 on December 6, 2013]

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人民币成全球第二大贸易融资货币

[China's] "Renminbi" has become the world's No.2 currency in trade spendings.

人民币的国际化进程不断向前推进。根据12月3日环球银行金融电信协会（SWIFT）数据，在10月份的全球贸易货币排名中，人民币已经超越欧元位列全球第二；美元继续占据全球主导货币地位，市场份额仍旧超八成；欧元和日元市场占比均出现微降，全球排名分别为第三和第四。

The continued progress of international spending [based on China's] Renminbi [currency] is pushing forward. According to data [received] from the World Bank's financial newsletter association (SWIFT) and dating from December 3, the October ranking of global trade currencies showed that [China's] Renminbi has already surpassed the Euro ranking position as a global No.2 while the U.S. $ continues to hold the position of a globally leading currency. [Its] market portion still exceeds 80%. The Euro and the Yen market are holding an equal portion that appears to have dropped, [their] global ranking being No.3 and 4.

[Source: SOHU News 搜狐新闻, quoting the "First Daily on Finance and Economics 第一财经日报" on December 4, 2013]

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UPDATE for December 8:

国内比特币产业链上 都有什么样的创业形态？

Domestic bit money [produced] on an industrial chain.
What's all behind that kind of pattern of pioneering work ?


目前，国内围绕比特币的创业领域主要集中在下游的挖掘芯片、挖矿机，以及比特币交易平台。深圳烤猫团队和北京Avalon团队主要在芯片领域内创业，一名比特币芯片创业者向经济观察报表示，这两个团队主要卖挖矿机和芯片，每年每家至少有上亿的利润。

At the moment, the country's pioneering domain where domestic "bit money" is revolving around is mainly concentrated on [advanced] excavation of chips and mining [activity] along with bit money transaction platforms. The "KaoMao" (chin.: Roasted Cat) group in Shenzhen and the "Avalon" group in Beijing are mainly doing pioneering work in the chip domain. One pioneer of bit money chips [told] "Economic Survey Report", these two groups are mainly selling mining opportunity and chips. Each year, each company makes a profit of at least one hundred million [Renminbi].

[Source: Finance.Stockstar - Economic Survey Report 经济观察报 December 8, 2013]

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Some Background Information:

An earlier Chinese source is marking the begin of public interest in bit money and which is dating back to April 2013. The expression "bit money" is fitting with the Chinese word used for it. I therefore avoided the use of "bit coin" which is more common in Western countries.

The expressions "gold mining" or "minig", used in the quoted Chinese article, are referring to the complicated process of an automatic generation of bit money and which has been designed to come to an end at 21 million "bit coins". The word "minig" is usually applied in the same context by Western sources.

Another expression used by the Chinese author is the "bucket of gold" which should refer to the Western expression of "bit coin wallet" or simply "wallet", some kind of personal bit money account.

虽然已经错过了第一个四年的挖矿黄金时间，但比特币进入中国大众视野还是依靠今年4月的一大批报道。对大部分人来说，这就是个新鲜的事物，但少数一部分人则 开始了就此的创业，而第一个方向，就是做挖矿机。

Even though, it already missed the first four years period of "gold mining", bit money is entering the field of vision of China's masses depending on the large number of news reports from April this year. Most people say this should be a [new and strange] matter, but a small number of people [consider] to start pioneering work where one direction, however, is "mining" [activity].

想接触比特币，但是找不到现成的挖矿机，这是很多人入行遇到的第一个门槛。于是，做挖矿机就成了第一桶金。

The thought to get in touch with bit money without looking for ready-made "mining" opportunity, this is for many people [entering business] the first threshold to come across. Consequent "mining" activity returns a first "bucket of gold".

与PC行业不同的是，挖矿机处于一个半年一大变、只接受预订不承诺出货、买卖全凭信任的绝对卖方市场。买者的疯狂成了第一桶金的买单人。

What is different in computer trade: "Mining" [activity] is undergoing much change within half a year. It only accepts bookings that do not undertake to issue goods. Selling and buying is completely based on markets of absolute trustworthy sellers. Buyers' frenzy then returns a single buyer's "bucket of gold".

[Source: WANGYI 网易—科技 June 24, 2013]

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Arafat's Death - Veiling the Facts ?

تشكيك بالتقرير الفرنسي عن وفاة عرفات

شكك ناصر القدوة ابن شقيقة الرئيس الفلسطيني الراحل ياسر عرفات في التقرير الفرنسي الذي استبعد فكرة و فاة خاله مسموما, بينما قالت إسرائيل إن نتائج التقرير لم تفاجئها.ـ

Headline: Suspicion raised by French report on Arafat's death.

Nasir al-Qadua, son of a sister [or: nephew] of the defunct Palestinian president Yasir Arafat, raised doubts on a French report that rejected the idea of his uncle's death from poisoning, [while] Israel said the results of that report are not surprising them.

[Source: Al-Jazeera Network الجزيرة نت on December 4, 2013]


As to the French scientist report that raised so much doubt, here a related article published by People's Network this morning:

法国科学家称阿拉法特死于全身感染 为自然死亡

据英国广播公司报道，法国媒体得到的知情者消息说，负责鉴定阿拉法特死因的法国科学家小组已经判定，这位前巴勒斯坦领导人2004年的去世是由于“自然原因”。
据悉，法国科学家的鉴定定性阿拉法体直接死因为“全身感染”。
此前的一份由瑞士科学家作出的验尸报告曾经指称阿拉法特的体内有“超常水平”的放射性元素钋。

French scientists: Arafat died from an overall infection which should imply a natural death.

According to the British broadcaster BBC, French media referring to insider information said a small group of French scientists, responsible for the identification of the cause of Arafat's death, have already decided that the former Palestinian leader's death should have been a "natural death" directly caused by an "infection affecting the whole body". An earlier report from Swiss scientists had pointed out that Arafat's body contained "a significant level" of the radioactive element Polonium.

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瑞士科学家同时指出，一是时间已经太久，二是阿拉法特的身体已经多次“转手”，因此难以用化验结果证明任何理论。

As an actual response to the French findings, the Swiss scientists quoted above are pointing out:
1) There has already passed too much time [to determine a general infection].
2) Arafat's body has already been "moved" many times before [which makes an infection even more difficult to prove].

[Source: People's Network 人民网—中国新闻网, quoting China News Network on December 4, 2013]


Editor's Comment:

What's all that fuzz about Arafat dying from some "general infection"? After Swiss scientists proved the existence of Polonium in Arafat's body, it must be clear that poisoning with a radioactive substance was at the origin of his death. Once the body being affected by such kind of poison, it is only a matter of time until immuno-deficiency and failure of essential organs would lead to the victim's death. Therefore, it is not the question what kind of infection or organ dysfunction finally caused Arafat's death but rather who applied the poison, a substance difficult to obtain and too expensive for any private person whoever that might be.

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Yitzhak Rabin, (born March 1, 1922, Jerusalem—died Nov. 4, 1995, Tel Aviv–Yafo, Israel), Israeli statesman and soldier who, as prime minister of Israel (1974–77, 1992–95), led his country toward peace with its Palestinian and Arab neighbours. He was chief of staff of Israel’s armed forces during the Six-Day War (June 1967). Along with Shimon Peres, his foreign minister, and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) chairman Yasir Arafat, Rabin received the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1994.
..........
As prime minister, Rabin put a freeze on new Israeli settlements in the occupied territories. His government undertook secret negotiations with the PLO that culminated in the Israel-PLO accords (September 1993), in which Israel recognized the PLO and agreed to gradually implement limited self-rule for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In October 1994 Rabin and King Ḥussein of Jordan, after a series of secret meetings, signed a full peace treaty between their two countries.
The territorial concessions aroused intense opposition among many Israelis, particularly settlers in the West Bank. While attending a peace rally in November 1995, Rabin was assassinated by a Jewish extremist.

[Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica]

U.S. Support Libyan Law Enforcement

After the killing of a U.S. ambassador to Libya in a premeditated attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi and a single-sided U.S. operation to capture an alleged Al-Qaeda activist in Libya's capital of Tripolis, America now concentrates on supporting Libyan law enforcement rather than carry out own operations that have a potential quality to trigger off tensions between the Libyan government and U.S. authorities while Libya is still facing a chaotic situation with regard to its internal security.



الـ"أف. بي. أي" تتولى تدريب ضباط الشرطة الليبية

Headline: The FBI cares for the training of Libyan police officers.

سيكون التدريب على كيفية جمع الأدلة في القضايا الجنائية ومسح مواقع الجرائم

Headline: There will be training for methods to compile evidence in cases of crime and [how] to touch sites of crime.

وقّعت السلطات الليبية اتفاقا مع الولايات المتحدة في طرابلس على تدريب الشرطة الليبية على إجراء التحقيقات الجنائية.ـ

Libyan authorities in Tripolis signed a treaty with the United States about training of the Libyan police [with respect to] criminal investigation.

وفي هذا السياق، قال وزير العدل الليبي، صلاح المرغني، إن ليبيا بحاجة إلى هذا الدعم الأميركي في مجال بناء القدرات للتحقيق والتعامل مع القضايا الجنائية، خاصة وأن "ليبيا تجدد نفسها بعد 42 سنة من حكم ديكتاتوري".ـ

In this context the Libyan minister of justice, Salaah al-Marghani, said that Libya needs that U.S. support in the field of building capacities for investigation [with respect to] cases of crime, especially as " Libya is regenerating itself after 42 years of dictatorial rule ".

[Source: Al-Arabiya Networkالعربية نت on December 3, 2013]

China's Mission to the Moon

Here a first report on China's mission to the moon, published by XinHua News Agency early this morning. It's a rather poetic perception of what happened just some hours ago:



飞向月宫 飞向梦想——嫦娥三号发射全记录

Flying to Moon Palace - Flying to our Dream
Complete Record of "Chang'e" No.3 Launch

[Editor's note: "Chang'e" is the goddess of the moon in Chinese legend.
She should have been a woman who drank some miraculous potion,
stolen from her husband, and flew to the moon.]

新华网西昌１２月２日电２０１３年１２月１日１９时３０分，西昌卫星发射场。群山环抱中，长征三号乙运载火箭静静地伫立在二号发射塔架旁。

它托举着的就是万众瞩目的主角——嫦娥三号。

６个小时后，承载着中国探月新梦想的嫦娥三号就将怀抱“玉兔”从这里启程，奔向3６．８万公里之外的“月宫”。

December 2, Xinhua Network report from Xichang:
Xichang satellite launching facility on the first of December, 2013, at 19:30 [local time]. In the mountainous environment, a "Long March No.3 b" carrier rocket quietly reposed on its launching site.

It should serve as a support to lift off Chang'e No.3, the main "actress" in the focus of millions of people.

Six hours later, Chang'e No.3, bearing the weight of China's new dream of exploring the moon, the "Jade Hare", in her bosom, started on her journey and hurried to the "Moon Palace" which is 368.000 km away from here.

[Editor's note: "Jade Hare" is a legendary Chinese name for the moon. Here it seems to be the name of a scouting robot that should be deployed on the moon.]

[Source: XINHUA 新华网—军事 on December 2, 2013]


"Jade Hare" will carry China's flag to the moon.

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China's Air-Defence Zone - Civil Aviation

亚太多国航空公司向中国通报飞行计划

Headline:
Many airlines from the Asia-Pacific [region] transmit their flight plans to China.

美国三大航空公司联合航空、美国航空与达美航空30号分别表示，已经遵照美国政府的建议，向中方通报有关在中国东海防空识别区的飞行计划。同时，新加坡航空、大韩航空、以及澳航，早前也都表示将会遵守中方的规定。

Three great U.S. alliances of airlines and 30 separate aviation [companies], U.S. based or with a U.S. destination, made clear they already comply with a U.S. government proposal to transmit their flight plans to China as far as these are related to China's East Sea air-defence identification zone. At the same time, [civil] aviation in Singapore, [South] Korea and Australia showed early [disposition] to comply with China's regulations.

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对中国划设防空识别区反应最激烈的日本，则继续要求国内航空公司无须提交飞行计划。但是，美国政府要求航空公司按中国规定、向中方通报飞行计划，等于变相承认中国的防空识别区，这让日本感到十分困惑和被动，国土交通大臣太田昭宏30号表示，日本正向美国确认“真意”。

Now Japan, most fiercely responding to the air-defence identification zone which has been demarcated and set up by China, continues to demand its domestic airline not to submit any flight plan. However, the U.S. government demands airlines to act according to China's stipulations and transmit flight plans to the Chinese side which means [nothing else but] a recognition of China's air-defence identification zone in a disguised form. This makes Japan feel very much pinned down and [in a passive position]. These obviously greatest 30 [companies], [covering] a territorial traffic of the hugest area, make Japan's affirmation of [its] " true intentions " towards the U.S. [even more visible].

At the same time, the Japanese delegate to the ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization's recently opened meeting of the council suggested a discussion about China's air-defence zone. On that occasion, Japan pointed at China's behaviour which should pose a security threat to international civil aviation. Although China opposed, the council member nations U.S.A., Britain and Australia endorsed the proposal to " undergo discussion to get a deeper understanding " of the matter.

[Source: IFENG Network 凤凰网 on 1st December, 2013]

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