Sunday evening catchup (part 1)

1. Paul Kedrosky reports

'Recent media reports citing information from China's electricity authority claimed that 64.5 million urban electricity meters registered zero electricity consumption over the past six months, equating to enough empty flats to house 200 million people.'

2. This is Money reports

'The European Parliament has launched a controversial new power grab, demanding the right to make tax raids on Britain. 

MEPs said they would approve a 2.9% rise in the Brussels budget – demanded by David Cameron rather than the 6% originally proposed – but only if they get powers to raise taxes.'

3. Archbishop Cranmer reports and analyses the EU's latest power grab as EU President Herman Van Rompuy informs us that

"The time of the homogenous nation-state is over…
The national and the European interest can no longer be separated; they coincide…
We have together to fight the danger of a new Euro-scepticism.
This is no longer the monopoly of a few countries.
In every Member State, there are people who believe their country can survive alone in the globalised world.
It is more than an illusion: it is a lie!"

More catchups later...