World News

China’s COVID-hit Shenzhen suspends direct flights to Beijing

Direct flights from the southern city of Shenzhen to Beijing have been suspended until at least July 1, booking apps showed, ahead of celebrations for the Chinese Communist Party's founding…

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Germany must confront China on human rights despite trade, says industry

Germany needs an honest discussion about how to deal with trading partners such as China and must not duck confrontation if red lines on human rights are crossed, the head of the influential…

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China’s cryptocurrency-mining crackdown spreads to Sichuan

China's crackdown on cryptocurrency "mining" has extended to the southwest province of Sichuan, where authorities ordered cryptocurrency mining projects closed in the major mining centre. Cryptomining is big business in…

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BioNTech shots have stronger antibody response than Sinovac, Hong Kong study shows

People who are vaccinated against COVID-19 with BioNTech's vaccine were found to have "substantially higher" levels of antibodies than those who received Sinovac's jab, the South China Morning Post reported…

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Shenzhen airport tightens COVID-19 measures as China logs 30 new cases

The airport in China's southern city of Shenzhen said on Saturday that anyone entering the premises must show a negative virus test taken within 48 hours before entry. The instruction…

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Cathay working with Airbus on single-pilot system for long-haul

Cathay Pacific is working with Airbus to introduce "reduced crew" long-haul flights with a sole pilot in the cockpit much of the time, industry sources told Reuters. The programme, known…

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TikTok owner ByteDance’s 2020 revenue soars, net loss at $45 bln

TikTok owner ByteDance's total revenue more than doubled last year to $34.3 billion but its net loss widened to $45 billion, according to a company memo seen by Reuters. The…

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China disease expert says COVID-19 origins probe should shift to U.S.

A senior Chinese expert said the United States should be the priority in the next phase of investigations into the origin of COVID-19 after a study showed the disease could…

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China launches crewed spacecraft Shenzhou-12 in historic mission

China launched a spacecraft on Thursday carrying three astronauts to part of a space station still under construction for the longest stay in low Earth orbit by any Chinese national.…

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Covid outbreaks in Chinese ports could cause global goods shortages

An outbreak of Covid-19 in southern China has combined with the rapid reopening of the world economy and a shortage of shipping containers to cause a surge in transport costs…

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China says no leak at nuclear plant, no change to detection standards

China said on Wednesday that there was no radiation leak at the Taishan nuclear power station and it had not raised acceptable limits for radiation levels around the plant, responding…

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Australia’s top exporting state calls for reset in China ties

Australia's biggest exporting state on Tuesday urged Canberra to stop antagonising China, the country's top trade partner, in remarks that came amid escalating criticism of Beijing led by the United States, Australia's…

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China denounces G7 statement, urges group to stop slandering country

China denounced on Monday a joint statement by the Group of Seven leaders that had scolded Beijing over a range of issues as a gross interference in the country's internal…

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China cautions G7: ‘small’ groups don’t rule the world

China on Sunday pointedly cautioned Group of Seven leaders that the days when "small" groups of countries decided the fate of the world was long gone, hitting back at the…

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UPDATED: Gas pipe explosion kills 12 in central Chinese city

A gas pipe explosion in a residential community in a central Chinese city killed 12 people and injured 138, state media CCTV reported Sunday. One hundred-fifty people were evacuated following…

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China’s cryptocurrency-mining crackdown spreads to Yunnan in southwest – media

China's crackdown on cryptocurrencies has spread to the country's southwest with a campaign against misuse of electricity by bitcoin miners in Yunnan province, local media reported on Saturday. In addition…

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Alibaba to develop self-driving trucks with logistics unit Cainiao

Chinese e-commerce leader Alibaba Group Holding Ltd plans to develop self-driving trucks with logistics subsidiary Cainiao, Chief Technology Officer Cheng Li said on Thursday. Cheng also said Cainiao aims to…

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China arrests over 1,100 suspects in crackdown on crypto-related money laundering

Police in China arrested over 1,100 people suspected of using cryptocurrencies to launder illegal proceeds from telephone and Internet scams in a recent crackdown, the Ministry of Public Security said.…

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China’s Guangdong steps up COVID-19 testing as infections mount

China's southern Guangdong province, spooked by a rise in novel coronavirus infections since May, stepped up mass testing this week in a handful of cities, including those that have yet to report…

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WHO official says can’t force China to give more information on COVID-19 origins

A top World Health Organization official said on Monday that the WHO cannot compel China to divulge more data on COVID-19's origins, while adding it will propose studies needed to take understanding of where the virus emerged to the "next…

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China blocks several cryptocurrency-related social media accounts amid crackdown

A slew of crypto-related accounts in China's Twitter-like Weibo platform were blocked over the weekend, as Beijing stepped up a crackdown on bitcoin trading and mining. More actions are expected,…

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Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccine gains China approval for emergency use in children, adolescents

China has approved emergency use of Sinovac Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine in people aged between three and 17, its chairman Yin Weidong told state TV late on Friday. China's mass vaccination…

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Photo Story – Pillar of Shame cleaning at HKU

Students take part in the annual cleaning of ‘The Pillar of Shame', an art piece dedicated to the victims of the 1989 Beijing Tiananmen Square Massacre, at Hong Kong University…

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Hong Kong cracks down on Tiananmen commemorations, arrests vigil organiser

Hong Kong police arrested on Friday an organiser of annual vigils for the victims of China’s 1989 Tiananmen crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, in what activists see as a suppression of…

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Hong Kong parking space at luxury development sells for $1.3 million

A parking space at an ultra-luxury residential development in Hong Kong has sold for a record-breaking HK$10.2 million ($1.3 million), local media reported on Thursday. In a tender last month,…

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UPDATED: Hong Kong authorises COVID-19 vaccine for over 12-year-olds

Hong Kong will open its COVID-19 vaccine scheme to children aged 12 and above for the first time, the government said on Thursday, as it pursues a broader campaign across…

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So far, low risk of human spread of H10N3 bird flu in China

A 41-year-old man in China's eastern province of Jiangsu has been confirmed as the first human case of infection with a rare strain of bird flu known as H10N3, Beijing's…

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WHO approves Sinovac COVID shot in second Chinese milestone

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced it has approved a COVID-19 vaccine made by Sinovac Biotech for emergency use listing, paving the way for a second Chinese shot to be…

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UPDATED: China’s Guangdong tightens coronavirus measures as cases persist

Cities in China's most populous province of Guangdong have locked down compounds and streets and required negative COVID-19 test results for some travellers as local health officials sought to control…

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Photo Story – First day of trial against 47 pro-democracy figures

A supporter holds a poster of pro-democracy figures on trial while queuing up at the West Kowloon Law Courts Buildings in Hong Kong, China, 31 May 2021. 47 pro-democracy figures…

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China reports first ever human case of H10N3 bird flu

China's National Health Commission said on Tuesday that it had confirmed one case of human infection with the H10N3 strain of bird flu in Jiangsu province. The case, detected in a male aged…

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UPDATED: In major policy shift China announces three-child policy

China said on Monday that married couples may have up to three children, a major policy shift from the existing limit of two after recent data showed a dramatic decline…

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Hong Kong bans Tiananmen vigil for second year running, citing coronavirus

Hong Kong police cited coronavirus restrictions to ban for a second year running an annual vigil to commemorate the Chinese Communist government's bloody crackdown on student-led pro-democracy protests in Beijing's…

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What is known so far about the origins of COVID-19

Scientists are revisiting a central mystery of COVID-19: Where, when and how did the virus that causes the disease originate? The two prevailing competing theories are that the virus jumped…

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China’s April net gold imports via Hong Kong near 3-year peak

China's net gold imports via Hong Kong jumped in April from the previous month to the highest since June 2018, as demand from the world's top bullion consumer staged a…

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China rejects new US investigation into origin of coronavirus

China rejected US President Joe Biden's order for a new investigation by US intelligence agencies into the origins of the coronavirus, accusing the US of trying to politicize the search.…

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Sinopharm’s two COVID-19 shots effective, study says

Two COVID-19 vaccines from China's Sinopharm showed more than 70% efficacy against symptomatic cases, but it remains unclear how much protection they provide against severe or asymptomatic cases, according to…

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UPDATED: Biden orders investigation into COVID-19 origins, China says U.S. politicising issue hampers investigations

U.S. President Joe Biden has ordered the US intelligence community to ‘redouble’ its efforts studying the origins of coronavirus, adding that it will continue to press for China to participate…

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China’s Shenzhen to tighten residency rules to curb population boom

China's tech hub of Shenzhen aims to make it harder for people from out-of-town to settle in a rare tightening of residency rules, as its population balloons and resources and…

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Calls grow for new inquiry into Covid origins

A leading scientist on the WHO's COVID-19 mission to China said that a follow-up trip could be helpful to gather additional research on the origins of the disease, but should…

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White House says cannot confirm report on COVID-19 origins, needs more information

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday the United States could not confirm a Wall Street Journal report on the origins of COVID-19 and needed more information. Three researchers from China's Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) sought hospital…

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