QUESTION: I understand that the Koch brothers bought ancient coins. Is there any truth to that? WJ ANSWER: Oh, yes. William Koch was involved in a very famous case involving the Athenian decadrahms. There was a hoard discovered in Antalya by a television repairman and two other people back in 1984. They found a hoard […]

ASIA: The recent elections in Hong Kong have given a landslide victory to pro-democratic parties. However, Beijing reiterated that Hong Kong will always be ruled by China. The foreign minister said at a G20 meeting in Tokyo, “No matter how the situation in Hong Kong changes, it is very clear that Hong Kong is a […]

  ASIA: Chinese President Xi has said that he wishes to avoid a trade war with the US. However, he expressed if pushed too far he is willing to retaliate. “We want to work for a ‘phase one’ agreement on the basis of mutual respect and equality,” Xi told members of an international forum. This has […]

ASIA: China dismissed ‘external’ rumors about the progression of the US-China trade deal, a Chinese ministry spokesperson has said. Reuters reported that the well anticipated “phase 1” of the deal may not be completed this year, as there are more demands from both sides. The US passed a legislation that will require the US to […]

ASIA: The Peoples Bank of China cut its one-year and five-year loan prime rates by 5 basis points. Yesterday, the central bank ordered banks to use the lowered rate to help bolster the economy. The new rates are 4.15 % for the one-year and 4.80% for the five-year, with the growth rate of China hovering […]

ASIA: China and South Korea entered into a defense agreement that could dent South Korea’s relationships with the US and Japan. The agreement will work on developing security ties and ensuring stability in the region. This comes about after China accused the US of meddling with affairs in the region. Recently US President Donald Trump […]

ASIA: A lot of pessimism in the news today regarding the US and China trade deal, with agricultural and concerns over intellectual property being the main sticking points. In addition to this, China came out with a bold statement for the US to stop flexing its muscles in the South China Sea in a separate […]

ASIA: US White House economic advisor and Director of the US National Economic Council Larry Kudlow said negotiators between the US and China were in communication via phone. He did not provide details on the timing of a possible deal, but he did say that a trade deal was in reach. Alibaba CEO Daniel Zhang […]

ASIA: More protests occurred overnight in Hong Kong as students and police have been clashing. China will most likely intervene in Hong Kong as their previous “hands off” policy is not providing the desired result. China released a new submarine. The JL-3 has a range of up to 7,500 miles and could reach the US […]

ASIA: China is trying to implement a digital currency and be the first in the world to do so. “We know the demand from the general public is to keep anonymity by using paper money and coins…We will give those people who demand it anonymity in their transactions,” Mu Changchun, head of the People’s Bank of […]