CHINA

China last year performed 64 orbital rocket launches and finished building its own space station, but the country is planning an even busier year for 2023.

"Population decline" is a mild way to describe what could be a global demographic crisis, according to experts. But while migration may be the obvious solution, politics could get in the way.

People in China are moving past the pandemic and going out to travel, preliminary data for the Lunar New Year holiday show.

LVMH's cautious optimism echoes positive comments earlier this month from Burberry and Swatch.

China is working on a new lunar rover that will begin to explore the south pole of the moon around 2026.

Most shooters don’t think straight. For that matter, most nonshooters don’t either.

A watchdog found that the National Institutes of Health made errors in its oversight of research grants to EcoHealth Alliance to study bat coronaviruses in China.

China's Yutu 2 rover is still operating after four years on the moon and has returned new images from the lunar far side.

Extreme cold has swept across northeastern Asia. But unlike in Japan, China or South Korea, many North Koreans don't have central heating — or even electricity.

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.

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.

Rescuers were heading to the site of a magnitude 5.5 earthquake in a region of southwestern China at the base of the Tibetan plateau that is prone to deadly quakes

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.

The future of the planet and the global economy are entwined in a potentially risky geopolitical game.

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.

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.

After hitting a peak earlier in the month, critically ill COVID-19 cases in China have decreased by 72%. Deaths among coronavirus patients also dropped significantly in the country.

The country of Sri Lanka is bankrupt and has over $50 billion in foreign debt. Sri Lanka has made progress in talks with creditors regarding debt restructuring.

The Russian Defense Ministry said one of its frigates had conducted "hypersonic missile exercises" in the western part of the Atlantic Ocean.

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.

The beaches and temples of Asian travel hotspots like Bali and Chiang Mai are the busiest they've been since the pandemic struck three years ago, but they're still relatively quiet.

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.

Taiwan's Defense Ministry reports that four Chinese aircraft and three Chinese vessels were detected around the island early Wednesday in Beijing's latest show of intimidation.

The country has seized the population crown from China. It shouldn’t wait as long as its rival did to prepare for the graying of its society.

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.

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.

A popular online chatbot powered by artificial intelligence is proving to be adept at creating disinformation and propaganda.

The three crew members of Shenzhou 15 decked out their in-space living quarters in red to celebrate the arrival of the Year of the Rabbit on Sunday (Jan. 22).

India's minister of commerce and industry said Apple is looking to make 25% of all iPhones in India, up from between 5%-7% currently.

With China's population officially shrinking, many women say the government should offer better financial and career support to those who decide to have babies.

Torrents of water spilling over a river dam in central China have swept away several people at the start of the Lunar New Year holiday

Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka has made it back to the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park for the first time since 2016 by coming back to beat Zhu Lin 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.

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.

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.

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

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.

Central banks not finishing what they have started on inflation would be the "greatest tragedy" for the global economy, according to former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers.

France's President Emmanuel Macron is reportedly planning a trip to China in the coming weeks to discuss energy and trade.

China's decision to reopen its economy will increase inflation in Europe as they both compete for more energy, the president of the European Central Bank said Friday.

Authorities say the death toll in an avalanche that buried vehicles outside a highway tunnel in Tibet has risen to 13 with rescue efforts continuing

"My worldview is a lot more positive than most of you hear or read about," Jim Cramer said Thursday.

Overwatch League teams are reportedly seeking financial assistance amid flagging revenue and viewership.

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.

Unlike Thanksgiving, when pie is a given in many households, desserts and confections celebrating the Lunar New Year are as varied as the Asian diasporas around the world that celebrate it.

Open Doors US released its 2023 report called the World Watch List, which shows the top 50 countries across the globe where Christians are persecuted.

Thursday's papers applaud a school visit by the Princess of Wales and look ahead to strikes next month.

The tech giants went on a hiring spree over the last few years, with one exception.

Consumers are back and willing to spend on electric vehicles in India, but the infrastructure to support the sector is lagging. Hybrids could be the answer.

Marvel movies "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" and "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" will open in China in February.

In short: immigration.

The fabrics were discarded along a Silk Road trade route.

China's Zhurong Mars rover remains silent despite being expected to wake up in December — but there's still hope that the vehicle could rise from its slumber.

The latest IEA oil market report forecasts global oil demand will hit a record 101.7 million barrels per day this year — with nearly half of that coming from China.

The fate of the luxury houses still rests on China bouncing back after Covid. They’re in for a volatile year.

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.

The World Health Organization has appealed to China to keep releasing information about its wave of COVID-19 infections.

The Republican-controlled House has voted to block oil from the country’s emergency stockpile from going to China.

Shares have advanced in Asia after news that U.S. consumer inflation slowed last month pushed Wall Street benchmarks higher.

The leaders of Britain and Japan have signed defense agreement that could see troops deployed to each others’ countries.

Three Cabinet ministers have welcomed Chinese tourists with flowers and gifts as they arrived at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport after China relaxed travel restrictions.

Authorities in southern China say 19 people have died and 20 are injured in a traffic accident at the start of the Lunar New Year holiday travel rush.

As COVID-19 surges in China, the U.S. is expanding its traveler surveillance program, an early warning system for detecting new variants.

The European Union and China are moving closer to a political standoff over the COVID-19 crisis.

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.

France says it will require negative COVID-19 tests of all passengers arriving from China and is urging French citizens to avoid nonessential travel to China.

Japan has started requiring COVID-19 tests for all passengers arriving from China as an emergency measure against surging infections there and as Japan faces rising case numbers and record-level deaths at home.

The European Union is assessing Beijing’s rollback of its strict anti-infection controls but has refrained from immediately following EU member Italy in requiring coronavirus tests for airline passengers coming from China.

Shares have fallen in Asia after benchmarks skidded more than 1% on Wall Street.

Taiwan will extend its compulsory military service from four months to a year starting in 2024.

Could the COVID-19 surge in China unleash a new coronavirus mutant on the world.

Japan’s Cabinet has approved record defense spending next year in preparation for the country deploying U.S.-made Tomahawks and other long-range cruise missiles as part of a more offensive security strategy.

Nearly three years after the coronavirus was first identified in China, it is now spreading through the country and experts predict difficult months ahead for its 1.4 billion people.

India has begun randomly testing international passengers arriving at its airports for COVID-19 after an increase in cases in neighboring China.

Donald Trump pledged to fix U.S. infrastructure as president.

The U.S. is poised to ban the lucrative trade in shark fins, a move conservationists hope will help protect millions of sharks that are butchered every year to satisfy demand in China and other parts of Asia.

Australia has signed a new security deal with Oceania island country Vanuatu as part of an ongoing competition with China for influence in the Pacific.

Nestled between India, Pakistan and China, Ladakh has not just faced territorial disputes but also stark climate change.

China is setting up more intensive care facilities and trying to strengthen hospitals as it rolls back anti-virus controls that confined millions of people to their homes, crushed economic growth and set off protests.

The European Union has announced that it's begun legal action at the World Trade Organization against China over what it says are import restrictions Beijing has imposed on Lithuania.

Protesters have tried to force their way into Mongolia's State Palace, incensed by allegations of corruption linked to the coal trade with China.

China is easing some of the world’s most stringent anti-COVID controls and authorities say new variants are weaker.

Stocks are mostly lower in Asia after Wall Street pulled back as surprisingly strong economic reports highlighted the difficulty of the Federal Reserve’s fight against inflation.

China has reported two additional deaths from COVID-19 as some cities move cautiously to ease anti-pandemic restrictions following increasingly vocal public frustrations.

FBI Director Chris Wray is raising national security concerns about TikTok.

Shares have advanced in Asia after a rally on Wall Street spurred by the chair of the Federal Reserve's comments on easing the pace of interest rate hikes to tame inflation.

A campaign to vaccinate older Chinese has sparked hopes Beijing might roll back severe anti-virus controls that prompted angry protesters to demand President Xi Jinping resign.

Three Chinese astronauts have docked with their country's space station where they will overlap for several days with the three-member crew already onboard and expand the facility to its maximum size.

At the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, China set out its “zero-COVID” measures that were harsh, but not out of line with what many other countries were doing to try and contain the virus.

Asian shares are trading mostly lower ahead of a closely watched speech by the Federal Reserve chief that may give clues about future interest rate hikes.

China’s strategy of controlling the coronavirus with lockdowns, mass testing and quarantines has provoked the greatest show of public dissent against the ruling Communist Party in decades.

Barely a month after granting himself a third five-year term as China's leader, Xi Jinping is facing a wave of public anger over his “zero COVID" policy.

The government says a rocket carrying three astronauts to finish construction of China’s space station will blast off Tuesday.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has resigned as head of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party following local election losses suffered by her party.

Stocks are closing mixed on Wall Street Friday, but major indexes all notched weekly gains.

Global shares are mostly higher, although optimism about the Federal Reserve holding back on aggressive interest rate hikes was countered by uncertainty over coronavirus restrictions in China.

Asian shares are higher, although optimism about the Federal Reserve holding back on aggressive interest rate hikes was countered by some uncertainty about coronavirus restrictions in China.

Tuan Tuan, one of two giant pandas gifted to Taiwan from China as a symbol of hoped-for reunion between the sides, has died.

U.S. climate envoy John Kerry has tested positive for COVID-19 at U.N. climate talks in Egypt.

This year, every single lantern in Central Florida’s Asian Lantern Festival is brand-new.

Wimbledon is relaxing its requirement for all-white clothing to allow female players to wear colored undershorts to be more comfortable on their periods.