Asian shares mixed on hopes for avoiding recession
BEIJING — (AP) — Asian stock markets were mixed Thursday amid hopes Western economies can avoid a recession despite higher interest rates to cool inflation. “There’s increasing confidence the economy may not require a recession to tame the inflation beast,” said Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management in a report. The Hang Seng in Hong Kong rose 1.9% to 22,464.77 while the Nikkei 225 in Tokyo shed 0.1% to 27,362.75. The Fed has said it expects to keep rates high at least through the end of the year to extinguish inflation. In energy markets, benchmark U.S. crude rose 25 cents to $80.40 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
wftv.comShallow 5.5 quake sets off rockslides in southwest China
Roads into the area have been blocked by rockslides, although there have been no reported casualties or other damage. The temblor struck at 3:49 a.m. at a relatively shallow depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) in Sichuan province’s mountainous Luding county, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Although 5.5. magnitude quakes are not particularly strong, shallow temblors are more likely to cause damage. The China Earthquake Networks Center gave the magnitude as 5.6 and depth at 11 kilometers (6.8 miles). China’s deadliest earthquake in recent years was a 7.9 magnitude quake in 2008 that killed nearly 90,000 people in Sichuan.
wftv.comAsian shares mixed on hopes for avoiding recession
BEIJING — (AP) — Asian stock markets were mixed Thursday amid hopes Western economies can avoid a recession despite higher interest rates to cool inflation. “There’s increasing confidence the economy may not require a recession to tame the inflation beast,” said Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management in a report. The Hang Seng in Hong Kong rose 1.9% to 22,460.54 while the Nikkei 225 in Tokyo shed 0.1% to 27,361.10. Traders expect the Fed to raise its benchmark lending rate by another 0.25 percentage points at its next update on Feb. 1. The Fed has said it expects to keep rates high at least through the end of the year to extinguish inflation.
wftv.comGallagher accuses Biden admin of being ‘divided’ on whether China or climate change is top threat to US
The new chair of the House China Select Committee is accusing the Biden administration of being "divided" on whether climate change or China is most dangerous to U.S. national security.
foxnews.com3 winners selected for $10,000 science and literature awards
NEW YORK — (AP) — A debut novel about a biochemistry major, a chapbook centered in part on Hawaiian volcanoes and an exploration of rural policy in China have won awards for their blend of literary quality and scientific insight. The National Book Foundation, which administers the National Book Awards, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation announced Wednesday the second annual list of honorees. The authors receive $10,000 from the Science + Literature program. Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
wftv.comAsia travel hotspots quiet as Chinese tourists stay away
Still, Chanatip Pansomboon, a soft drinks seller in the Chinatown district of Chiang Mai, a scenic riverside city in northern Thailand, was upbeat. After three long years of almost no customers, Nyoman Wisana, the general manager of a Chinese restaurant, said he was "very happy" to see Chinese tourists return. Indonesia is developing programs to attract more Chinese tourists, including exploring starting direct flights from major cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, he said. “For mainland Chinese, Hong Kong is a special city different from other Chinese cities," said Lee. Further afield in Australia, Sydney-based travel agent Eric Wang said the high cost of travel still appears to be keeping Chinese away even as Chinese airlines increase flights.
wftv.comAsia travel hotspots quiet as Chinese tourists stay away
Just a handful of Chinese visitors were posing for photos and basking in the sun this week in the market and plazas near Chiang Mai’s ancient Tha Phae Gate, one of many tourist hotspots still waiting for millions of Chinese travelers to return. The beaches and temples of destinations like Bali and Chiang Mai are the busiest they have been since the pandemic struck three years ago, but they’re still relatively quiet.
news.yahoo.comGas prices spike overnight after surging last week in Florida
ORLANDO, Fla. — Gas prices are on the rise in Florida. AAA average gas prices in Florida Prices at the pump are on the rise in Florida. “During the past two weeks, oil prices have made strong gains on the belief that fuel demand will ramp up as China reopens its economy,” according to AAA’s Mark Jenkins. “Where gas prices go from here will be contingent on what happens in the oil market this week,” Jenkins said. AAA average gas prices in Florida Prices at the pump are on the rise in Florida.
wftv.comLearning to lie: AI tools adept at creating disinformation
Now it's competing in another endeavor once limited to humans — creating propaganda and disinformation. When asked, ChatGPT also created propaganda in the style of Russian state media or China's authoritarian government, according to the findings of analysts at NewsGuard, a firm that monitors and studies online misinformation. "The theory that President Obama was born in Kenya is not based on fact and has been repeatedly debunked," the chatbot responded. Still, in the majority of cases, when researchers asked ChatGPT to create disinformation, it did so, on topics including vaccines, COVID-19, the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, immigration and China's treatment of its Uyghur minority. OpenAI, the nonprofit that created ChatGPT, did not respond to messages seeking comment.
wftv.comChina rings in Year of Rabbit with most COVID rules lifted
Many worshippers offered morning prayers at Beijing's Lama Temple but the crowds appeared to be smaller compared to pre-pandemic days. Throngs of residents and tourists swarmed pedestrian streets in Qianmen, enjoying snacks from barbecue and New Year rice cake stands, and some children wore traditional Chinese rabbit hats. At Taoranting Park, there was no sign of the usual bustling new year food stalls despite its walkways being decorated with traditional Chinese lanterns. Resident Freddie Ho, who visited the temple on Saturday night, was happy that he could join the event in person. As communities across Asia welcomed the Year of the Rabbit, the Vietnamese were celebrating the Year of the Cat instead.
wftv.comChina rings in Lunar New Year with most COVID rules lifted
The Lunar New Year is the most important annual holiday in China. In Beijing, many worshippers offered morning prayers at the Lama Temple but the crowds appeared to be smaller compared to pre-pandemic days. In Hong Kong, revelers flocked to the city’s largest Taoist temple, Wong Tai Sin Temple, to burn the first incense sticks of the year. Worshippers believe those who are among the first to place their incense sticks will stand the best chance of having their prayers answered. Local resident Freddie Ho, who visited the temple on Saturday night, was happy that he could join the event in person.
wftv.comChina rings in Lunar New Year with most COVID rules lifted
People across China are ringing in the Lunar New Year with large family gatherings and crowds visiting temples after the government lifted its strict “zero-COVID” policy, marking the biggest festive celebration since the pandemic began three years ago
washingtonpost.comKnife-wielding roosters kill 2 men in cockfighting events in India
Two men have reportedly been killed by knife-wielding roosters in separate cockfights in India. To mark the three-day celebration of the Hindu Makar Sankrati festival, people gathered to hold cockfights in the Kakinada and East Godavari districts on Sunday, according to reports. During the incident in Kakinada, Gande Suryapraksha Rao, the 43-year-old owner of one of the fighting roosters, bled to death after being slashed by his prized cock.
news.yahoo.comAt Lunar New Year, desserts can be customary or 'cute-ified'
Every Lunar New Year without fail, Kat Lieu's mother would make her steamed nian gao, which is a sweet rice — or mochi — cake. There will be customary sweet snacks like nian gao. Known for its diverse food culture, China offers a variety of Lunar New Year desserts that are usually rice-based or flour-based. Nian gao remains one of the most popular options. Vietnamese people eat nian gao, which they call banh to.
wftv.comEU outlines plan for clean tech future boosted by subsidies
The European Union is pushing forward with a major clean tech industrial plan that not only should keep the continent in the vanguard of plotting a greener future but also guarantee its economic survival as it faces challenges from China and the United States.
EU to try again for coordination on China Covid policies
European Union nations will try again on Wednesday to mold a coordinated approach on if and how to check incoming airline passengers from China for any new COVID-19 variants after several member nations announced individual efforts over the past week.