Paul Manafort, Kevin Spacey, Catalonia: Your Tuesday Briefing
It makes no mention of Mr. Trump or election meddling,
but Mr. Mueller may be using the charges to pressure Mr. Manafort, above after pleading not guilty, into providing information about those topics.
_____ • New alarm over North Korea’s nuclear program: A South Korean scientist told lawmakers
that another explosion at the North’s test site could destabilize the area and send radioactive material into the atmosphere.
The government of President Nicolás Maduro, above with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow this month, must come up with $1 billion to avert default —
and Russia has been making loans and deals that could save it from collapse.
That was President Xi Jinping’s message as he held court before influential executives from China, Asia
and the U.S., including Tim Cook of Apple and Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook.
_____ • Russia’s strategy of using oil as a geopolitical tool to spread its influence faces a crucial
test this week in Venezuela, where Moscow is effectively taking China’s place as principal banker.
" one woman said, "that’s appalling." _____ What you need to know to start your
day in Asia, delivered to your inbox. that Not having butter in France,