Chinese manufacturers have moved to Italy and set up garment factories. They excel at making garments fast and cheaply, but some Italian manufacturers are unhappy with their presence.

Farmers in Liuchong village in the Central Chinese province of Hubei are standing up to a local phosphate mining operation and fertilizer factory they blame for polluting the village's water and air, killing their crops and livestock, and leading to a sharp increase in cancer rates in the region.

After a dazzling rise to more than $1,900 an ounce, the yellow metal has clearly lost its luster. The price of bullion has slumped by 10 percent since the end of last week, down to $1,420 an ounce.

A steady drumbeat of threats from North Korea is making the world's second largest economy assess China's relationship with its neighbor.