World News

UPDATED: Australia to build eight nuclear-powered submarines under new Indo-Pacific security pact

Australia will build eight nuclear-powered submarines under a new Indo-Pacific security partnership with the United States and Britain that analysts say will likely rile China, which will see the pact…

Read More Here

UPDATED: China launches emergency response after quake kills at least three

China launched an emergency response on Thursday after a 6.0-magnitude earthquake jolted the southwestern province of Sichuan killing at least three people, state media reported. Sichuan's earthquake relief headquarters activated…

Read More Here

Slovenia’s PM urges EU to stand with Lithuania against Chinese pressure

The European Union must stand with Lithuania against Chinese pressure and not give in to trade threats, Slovenia's prime minister said in a letter to fellow EU leaders, according to…

Read More Here

Chinese cities issue travel warnings after Fujian COVID-19

China's COVID-19 outbreak in Fujian province, which has reported 152 local cases in five days, has prompted cities in other parts of the country to issue travel warnings ahead of…

Read More Here

Taiwan lands fighters on highway as annual drills reach peak

Taiwanese fighter jets landed on a makeshift runway on a highway strip on Wednesday overseen by President Tsai Ing-wen as annual drills reached their peak, skills that would be needed…

Read More Here

Chinese city imposes travel curbs, closes public venues in new COVID-19 outbreak

A city in China's southeastern province of Fujian has closed cinemas and gyms, sealed off some entries and exits to highways and told residents not to leave town as it battles a…

Read More Here

Hong Kong police raid museum commemorating 1989 Tiananmen victims

Hong Kong police on Thursday raided the premises of the closed June 4th Museum, dedicated to the victims of China's 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in and around Beijing's Tiananmen…

Read More Here

China’s esports powerhouse status undermined by tough new gaming rules for under 18s

In glass-paneled conference rooms, members of the Shanghai-based e-sports team Rogue Warriors tap away at their phones as they train from 11 a.m. till late, occasionally breaking for food. "I…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Germany says no indication death of its Beijing envoy was political

A German Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Monday there was no reason to believe that the sudden death of Jan Hecker, Germany's newly appointed ambassador to Beijing, had a political…

Read More Here

Taiwan scrambles jets against renewed Chinese military activity

Taiwan's air force scrambled on Sunday against renewed Chinese military activity, with its defence ministry reporting that 19 aircraft including nuclear-capable bombers had flown into Taiwan's air defence identification zone.…

Read More Here

Beef giant Brazil halts China exports after confirming two mad cow disease cases

Brazil, the world's largest beef exporter, has suspended beef exports to its No. 1 customer China after confirming two cases of "atypical" mad cow disease in two separate domestic meat…

Read More Here

EPA’s Eye in the Sky: The Hong Kong Zhuhai Macau bridge, China

The Hong Kong Link Road of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, (HZMB) spans over the South China Sea in Hong Kong, China. The HZMB is 55-kilometre long and consists of a…

Read More Here

Taiwan says China threat worsening

China’s armed forces can “paralyse” Taiwan’s defences and are able to fully monitor its deployments, the island’s defence ministry said, offering a stark assessment of the rising threat posed by…

Read More Here

China shuts American Chamber of Commerce in Chengdu, organisation says

Chinese authorities have instructed an American Chamber of Commerce in the southwestern city of Chengdu to cease operations, officials with the organisation said on Tuesday. The chamber notified members on…

Read More Here

U.S. climate envoy Kerry visits Japan, China for talks on emissions

U.S. climate envoy John Kerry arrived in Tokyo for talks on Tuesday with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on cooperation on carbon emissions and cutting support for fossil fuels, especially coal, before…

Read More Here

China culture crackdown a sign of ‘profound’ political change

China's crackdown on celebrity culture and its moves to rein in giant internet firms are a sign of "profound" political changes under way in the country, a prominent blogger said in a…

Read More Here

China cuts amount of time minors can spend on online games

Chinese regulators on Monday slashed the amount of time players under the age of 18 can spend on online games to an hour of gameplay on Fridays, weekends and holidays,…

Read More Here

China will soon surpass Russia as a nuclear threat –senior U.S. military official

China, in the midst of a rapid nuclear weapons buildup, will soon surpass Russia as the United States' top nuclear threat, a senior U.S. military official said, warning that the…

Read More Here

U.S. intelligence community says cannot solve COVID mystery without China

The U.S. intelligence community does not believe it can resolve a debate over whether a Chinese laboratory incident was the source of COVID-19 without more information, U.S. officials said in…

Read More Here

Experts suggest booster COVID shots for higher-risk groups in China

Experts in China have recommended making booster COVID-19 doses available to specific groups, such as employees at higher risk of exposure to the virus and those who have weak immunity…

Read More Here

China cracks down on celebrity fan culture after scandals

China cracked down on what it described as a "chaotic" celebrity fan culture on Friday, barring platforms from publishing popularity lists and regulating the sale of fan merchandise after a…

Read More Here

China’s net gold imports via Hong Kong drop in July m/m

China's net gold imports via Hong Kong fell nearly 29% in July after a sharp rise in June, Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department data showed on Thursday. Net gold…

Read More Here

China criticises U.S. ‘scapegoating’ over COVID origin report

China criticized the U.S. "politicization" of efforts to trace the origin of the coronavirus, demanding without any evidence that American labs be investigated, ahead of the release of a U.S.…

Read More Here

U.S. VP Harris says China intimidates to back South China Sea claims

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday accused Beijing of coercion and intimidation to back unlawful claims in the South China Sea, her most pointed comments on China during a visit to Southeast Asia, which she…

Read More Here

Russia, Iran and China to hold joint drills in Gulf

Russia, Iran and China will hold joint maritime exercises in the Persian Gulf around late 2021 or early 2022, Russia's ambassador to Tehran said, the RIA news agency reported on…

Read More Here

China reports no new local COVID-19 cases for first time since July

China's health authority reported on Monday that there were no new locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 for the first time since July, offering more signs that the current outbreak which…

Read More Here

U.S. lends support to Lithuania against China pressure

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Lithuania's foreign minister on Saturday and agreed on "bilateral coordinated action" to help the country withstand pressure from China over its decision…

Read More Here

China can contribute to Afghan development -Taliban spokesman

China has played a constructive role in promoting peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan and is welcome to contribute to the rebuilding of the country, Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen told Chinese…

Read More Here

China to step up tree planting campaign to help reach net zero

China will plant 36,000 square kilometres of new forest a year - more than the total area of Belgium - from this year to 2025 as it bids to combat…

Read More Here

China reports further drop in new local COVID-19 cases

China reported on Thursday a further decline in new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases in the country's current outbreak, now in its fourth week. China posted five new locally transmitted infections…

Read More Here

Chinese ports choke over ‘zero tolerance’ COVID-19 policy

Several Chinese ports are facing congestion as vessels due to call at Ningbo are being diverted and cargo processing is slowed partly due to stricter disinfection measures under China's "zero-tolerance"…

Read More Here

Investors step back from risk amid worries over China data, Afghanistan

nvestors generally shied away from risk Monday, as turmoil in Afghanistan, fresh concerns about an economic slowdown in China and the spreading coronavirus Delta variant put the brakes on last week's…

Read More Here

Detainee says China has secret jail in Dubai, holds Uyghurs

A young Chinese woman says she was held for eight days at a Chinese-run secret detention facility in Dubai along with at least two Uyghurs, in what may be the…

Read More Here

Hong Kong reclassifies 15 countries as ‘high risk’ for COVID-19

Hong Kong's government said it would upgrade 15 overseas places including the United States, Spain and France to "high risk" from "medium risk" by Aug. 20, meaning international arrivals from…

Read More Here

China’s new local COVID-19 infections fall for sixth day

New local COVID-19 infections in China declined for a sixth day, official data showed on Monday, as most regions pulled the latest outbreak under control, while others kept up vigilance…

Read More Here

China’s new locally transmitted COVID cases down for the 4th straight day

China on Saturday reported 30 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases for Aug. 13, down for the fourth consecutive day, offering fresh signs that a month-long outbreak may be waning. The…

Read More Here

Port, shipping firms divert vessels after a Ningbo terminal shuts

Ports and shipping companies are diverting vessels from a container terminal in China's busiest marine transportation hub which was forced to close after a coronavirus case emerged, as the pandemic…

Read More Here

China reports smallest number of local COVID-19 cases since July

China on Friday reported declining numbers of new locally-transmitted COVID-19 cases for the third consecutive day, extending tentative signs that the latest month-long outbreak may be waning. The National Health…

Read More Here

WHO calls on governments to cooperate to accelerate studies into origins of COVID-19

The World Health Organization has called for all governments to cooperate to accelerate studies into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic and “to depoliticize the situation.” “WHO reiterates that the…

Read More Here

Major container ports in eastern China see worsening congestion after COVID cases

Congestion off China's top two container ports Shanghai and Ningbo is worsening following the shutdown of a container terminal in Ningbo where a COVID-19 case was detected this week. Tighter…

Read More Here

China reports decline in new coronavirus cases for Aug 11

China reported on Thursday 81 new confirmed coronavirus cases in the mainland for Aug. 11, compared with 111 a day earlier, according to the National Health Commission. Of the new…

Read More Here

Chinese court sentences Canadian Spavor to 11 years in espionage case

A Chinese court convicted Canadian businessman Michael Spavor of espionage on Wednesday and sentenced him to 11 years in prison, in a case that is embroiled in a wider diplomatic spat involving Washington and…

Read More Here

Oil price drops more than 2% on China’s virus curbs, strong dollar

Oil prices fell more than 2% on Monday, extending last week's steep losses on the back of a rising U.S. dollar and concerns that new coronavirus-related restrictions in Asia, especially China,…

Read More Here

China reports more COVID-19 cases while some cities kick off new tests

China reported more COVID-19 cases as it entered the third week of its current outbreak on Monday, while some cities added rounds of mass testing in the effort to stamp…

Read More Here

Rocked by sexual assault allegation, Alibaba launches investigation, suspends several staff

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd said on Sunday it has suspended several staff following an employee's allegations on the company's intranet that she was sexually assaulted by her…

Read More Here

EU monitoring situation on global commodity markets – MEP raises alert on Chinese actions

European Commission Vice-President Dombrovskis revealed that Commission services are closely monitoring the situation on global commodity markets as well as specific measures introduced by the Chinese authorities in 2021 in…

Read More Here

China sees highest daily coronavirus cases in current outbreak

China reported on Friday its highest daily count for new coronavirus cases in its current outbreak, fuelled by a surge in locally transmitted infections. China reported 124 new confirmed coronavirus…

Read More Here

China-U.S. container shipping rates sail past $20,000 to record

Container shipping rates from China to the United States have scaled fresh highs above $20,000 per 40-foot box as rising retailer orders ahead of the peak U.S. shopping season add…

Read More Here

Biden to offer temporary ‘safe haven’ to Hong Kong residents in U.S.

The United States on Thursday plans to offer a temporary "safe haven" to thousands of Hong Kong residents, a senior administration official told Reuters, allowing them to extend their stay…

Read More Here

China posts first decline in local new COVID-19 cases this week

China reported on Thursday a decline in locally transmitted COVID-19 cases for the first time this week, and a health official said he expected China's latest outbreak, caused mainly by…

Read More Here

China’s Wuhan to test all 12 million residents as Delta variant spreads

China's Wuhan city will test its 12 million residents for the coronavirus after confirming its first domestic cases of the highly transmissible Delta variant. Wuhan, where the virus first emerged in late…

Read More Here

Baffled investors fear nothing’s off limits in China regulatory crackdown

Bewildered investors in China's tech sector scrambled once again from regulators on Tuesday, fearing that a state media story that likened internet gaming to opium signals a new front in the barrage…

Read More Here

U.S. Republican report says coronavirus leaked from Chinese lab; scientists still probing origins

WASHINGTON, Aug 2 (Reuters) - A preponderance of evidence proves the virus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic leaked from a Chinese research facility, said a report by U.S. Republicans released…

Read More Here

Delta variant in China spreads from Nanjing

China reported on Saturday 55 new coronavirus cases in the mainland for July 30, compared with 64 cases a day earlier, the health authority said. The National Health Commission said…

Read More Here

China reports 64 new COVID-19 cases as Delta resurgence continues in Nanjing

China reported on Friday 64 new coronavirus cases in the mainland for July 29, compared with 49 cases a day earlier, the health authority said. The National Health Commission said…

Read More Here

Delta variant drives virus spread to three China provinces

China Thursday reported small coronavirus outbreaks driven by the Delta variant in three provinces as a cluster linked to an eastern airport spreads despite mass testing and a vaccination drive.…

Read More Here

U.S. top diplomat meets with WHO chief, backs study into COVID-19 origins

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with the head of the World Health Organization on Wednesday and affirmed U.S. support for the global health body’s plans to conduct additional…

Read More Here