Hong Kong CNN — A key index measuring the strength of China’s massive services sector jumped to its highest level in more than a decade, as the country’s economic recovery gained traction. The official non-manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) soared to 58.2 in March from 56.3 in February, marking the best level since 2011, according […]
CNN — With China finally reopening to the world, it’s time to dust off that travel wish list and start planning. Being one of the world’s most visited tourist destinations pre-pandemic, the country has long lured international travelers to popular attractions like Beijing’s Forbidden City, Xi’an’s Terracotta Warriors or Chengdu’s giant panda research base. And […]
Hong Kong CNN — For the past decade, China has lent massive sums to governments across Asia, Africa and Europe, growing its global influence through infrastructure megaprojects and becoming one of the world’s biggest creditors. Now, a new study says Beijing has also become a major emergency rescue lender to those same countries, many of […]
Hong Kong CNN — Travelers across Asia Pacific will likely continue to fork out more than usual for flights this year, even as planes return to the skies at a rate not seen since the start of the pandemic. Airfares within the region were 33% higher in February than the same month in 2019, compared […]
Tokyo CNN — Inside a dimly lit dining room, chef Tomoya Kawada of Sazenka is drawing a yin-yang diagram on a notepad as he explains his dreams for the distant future. “World peace through food,” he says. Such words could easily be dismissed as idealistic hyperbole. But coming from Kawada, they sound almost reassuring – […]
A court in western India found opposition leader Rahul Gandhi guilty of defamation on Thursday for a speech he made in 2019 in which he referred to thieves as having the surname Modi, and sentenced him two years in prison. Gandhi was present at the court in Surat, a city in Gujarat, which is Prime […]
CNN — Beijing, the sprawling Chinese capital and one of the world’s biggest cities, saw its population drop last year for the first time in 19 years as the country grapples with a demographic crisis decades in the making. The city’s population of permanent residents fell from 21.88 million in 2021 to 21.84 million in […]
London CNN — A probe into whether UK soldiers stormed the houses of two innocent Afghan families and summarily executed their relatives began Wednesday, part of an effort by investigators looking into allegations of war crimes committed by the British Armed Forces in Afghanistan – and the purported coverups that followed them. The two families, […]
Hong Kong CNN — Asia Pacific shares opened higher on Wednesday, tracking US gains, as investors awaited the US Federal Reserve’s next monetary policy decision later in the day. Hong Kong’s benchmark Hang Seng (HSI) index was trading 2.3% higher, leading gains in the region. Japan’s Nikkei 225 (N225) rose by 1.8%, while the broader […]
CNN — When it comes to tourist attractions, a lot has happened in China over the last few years. From cruises along the world’s longest canal to a post-earthquake fairyland, various outdoor attractions have opened or undergone dramatic makeovers, giving travelers more reasons than ever to visit China. Now that the country has announced it’s […]