Loose change for April 25, 2010

 Economic and business news 

• The New York Times presents an array of views on what it will mean if China allows the yuan to rise.

 North Korea news and stuff 

• The Chosun Ilbo reports on an apparent crackdown going on since November, led by the DPRK and helped by China, to round up those who help ferry people out of North Korea. 
• The North Korean fortunteller who predicted Kim Jong-il's death this year has been missing for several weeks. 

 Other Korea-related stuff 

• Kim Yuna's "queenmaker" skating coach, Brian Orser, has been offered a position to work with Kim's "arch rival" Mao Asada.

 Americana and miscellany 

• The two major Republican candidates vying to win the nomination for the US Senate seat are both under fire for previous campaign donations — to Democrats! One gave thousands of dollars to her would-be Democratic opponent in November, incumbent Senator Barbara Boxer, whom she described as "a courageous leader and friend of California's technology industry." The other blamed his wife for being the one who donated $21,000 to Al Gore.
• Japan is moving to settle its row with the US over the bases in Okinawa. (And make no mistake, if the US ever leaves South Korea bases, it will not be able to sustain bases in Japan for very long, particularly Okinawa.)