Australian farmer confidence has improved marginally thanks to easing concerns about commodity prices and input costs. However, it remains in negative territory overall. The latest quarterly Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey, released on Sept. 13, saw confidence lift nationally from -25 percent in the first quarter of 2023 (the lowest level since late 2018) to now sit at -22 percent. While around half of the farmers expected no change to how the Australian agricultural economy would perform in the next 12 months, about 13 percent expected conditions to improve (up from 11 percent in the previous survey) and slightly less expected conditions to worsen (35 percent, down from 36 percent previously)....Read more https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/farmers-more-positive-as-commodity-prices-rise-5491370
While the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) military is conducting live-fire training drills, repeated remarks in military media reveal supreme commander Xi Jinping’s concern about the potential for mutiny and assassination by the armed forces once it is equipped with ammunition, political and military observers suggested. On Sept. 4, the People’s Liberation Army Daily (PLA Daily) published an article that said all military units are required to tighten the “safety valves” to secure the “safety foundation.” It quoted Mr. Xi as emphasizing that the “security and stability of the armed forces” is “a political task” and needs to “address conflicts at its roots” and “eliminate the pitfalls to the end.”... 
Hong Kong street singer Oliver Ma, who had previously been arrested for singing “Glory to Hong Kong” on the streets of Hong Kong, was taken away by the police while busking in Macau a few days ago. He was detained for 13 hours and then deported and banned from entering Macau for one year. Mr. Ma said that he felt his life “was under threat” at the time and described it as the “most dehumanizing” detention he has ever encountered. On Sept. 10, Mr. Ma posted on Facebook that he traveled to Macau with his family on Sept. 3. After lunch, he started busking near the Ruins of St. Paul’s. As soon as he finished the first song, the police arrived and demanded that he stop performing. He and his family were taken to the police station, where they were asked to sign several documents, which the police claimed were mere “records.”...
Two Canadian senators are boosting their ties with the Chinese communist regime through their engagement with a Chinese agency ostensibly dedicated to foreign aid while also promoting China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Sen. Victor Oh recently met with the head of the agency. Sen. Yuen Pau Woo delivered a speech at an agency “high-level conference” during which he criticized Canada for cozying up to Western allies against China. Mr. Oh travelled to China in early September, where he met with Luo Zhaohui, chair of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), according to a CIDCA press release featuring Mr. Oh, his wife, and Mr. Luo....