China: Latest News

President Xi Jinping said China must stick "unswervingly" to its zero-Covid strategy, as more than half of Shanghai's 25 million lockdown-weary residents got ready for a weekend virus testing drive.

WHO expert panel released a report suggesting that it is impossible to determine the cause of COVID-19 because of lack of data. Experts agree, some scientists might be allergic to the idea of investigating the lab leak theory Another blow to two-year-long efforts to understand how Covid-19 began. Latest investigation into its origins by the World Health Organization have been inconclusive, largely because data from China is missing.

SARS-CoV-2 virus, which was first reported in the Chinese city, of Wuhan in 2019, has killed at least 6.3 million worldwide. While a lot of western countries have claimed that China should be blamed behind the orgin of this deadly virus, the WHO's team underplayed a lab-leak theory that put Chinese officials on the defensive. In March 2021, WHO released a report about Covid-19's origins.

Scientists advising the World Health Organization on its investigation into the origins of Covid-19 said further studies were needed into whether the disease escaped from a lab.

NEW DELHI : Crude oil prices gave up initial gains on Thursday as demand concerns returned as authorities in Shanghai, China started imposing new Covid-related restrictions fueling concerns of fall of demand. A two-month long lockdown in Shanghai had ended last week supported oil prices in the past few sessions. At 7.07 pm, the August contract of Brent futures on the Intercontinental Exchange was at $123.02, lower by 0.45% from its previous close.

Shanghai and Beijing went back on fresh Covid-19 alert after parts of China's largest economic hub started imposing new lockdown restrictions while the most populous district in the Chinese capital shut entertainment venues.

Chinese fighter jet pilots “buzzing” Canadian and Australian planes have broader implications for countering Chinese aggression in the Asia-Pacific region and efforts to enforce sanctions on North Korea.Experts say China’s behaviour in the skies above international waters is another example of its “bullying” tactics as it seeks to claim more territory beyond its traditional borders.“It’s not out of character for the new China that we’ve been seeing,” said Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, a senior fellow at the University of Ottawa’s Institute for Science, Society and Policy who studies China.“Under Xi Jinping we’ve seen a much more aggressive China, and we’re seeing it play out in all kinds of ways. … It has many layers to it, and this buzzing of Western planes is one more.”The dispute over exactly what constitutes Chinese airspace also risks international efforts to monitor United Nations sanctions on North Korea, those experts warn, further ratcheting up tensions in an already tense region of the world.Global News first reported, citing multiple government sources, that Chinese jets have repeatedly flown so close to a Canadian surveillance plane in the Asia-Pacific region that Canadian pilots could make eye contact with Chinese pilots, who have sometimes shown their middle fingers.Sources told Global News there have been approximately 60 of these types of intercepts with Chinese fighter jets since Christmas.

File: A member of the National Guard patrols the grounds of the US Capitol on March 4, 2021, in Washington, DC. (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images) WASHINGTON - A looming Supreme Court decision on abortion, an increase of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border and the midterm elections are potential triggers for extremist violence over the next six months, the Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday.The U.S.

₹96.72 a litre while diesel is priced at ₹89.62 a litre.

Beijing will gradually lift Covid-19 restrictions this week, city officials said this morning.

North Korea fired eight short-range ballistic missiles towards the sea off its east coast on Sunday, a day after South Korea and the United States wrapped up their first combined military exercises involving an American aircraft carrier in more than four years.

Chinese fighter planes intercepted an Australian aircraft in the South China Sea Region during a routine surveillance activity by Australia in international airspace, the department of security said in a news release Saturday.

Princess Charlene of Monaco, who had been away from public life for months due to health issues, has tested positive for Covid-19, the palace said in a statement.

Bloomberg reported adding “The forecast is particularly bleak in developing countries like India. " Currently, the employment gap between men and women is about 58 percent point. And closing that gap could expand India’s GDP by close to a third by 2050, as per an analysis from Bloomberg Economics.

Justin Trudeau says his government will be addressing reports of Chinese fighter jet pilots “buzzing” Canadian planes over international waters directly with Chinese officials to ensure it is not part of an “escalatory pattern.”Global News first reported citing multiple government sources that Chinese jets have repeatedly flown so close to a Canadian surveillance plane in the Asia-Pacific region that Canadian pilots could make eye contact with Chinese pilots, who have sometimes shown their middle fingers.“We take this situation very seriously,” Trudeau told reporters while speaking at an event in the Siksika First Nation in Alberta on Thursday.“The fact that China would have chosen to do this is extremely troubling, so we will be bringing it up directly with Chinese officials and (government) counterparts and ensuring that this doesn’t continue to be part of an escalatory pattern.” Canada alarmed as Chinese fighter pilots ‘buzz’ Canadian planes over international waters The Canadian CP-140 Aurora plane is currently taking part in Operation Neon, part of United Nations efforts to enforce sanctions against North Korea and prevent the rogue nation’s development of weapons of mass destruction. The plane is flown frequently by multiple, rotating crews.Sources told Global News there have been approximately 60 of these types of intercepts with Chinese fighter jets since Christmas.

Chinese fighter pilots in the skies above the Asia-Pacific region.Multiple sources in the Canadian Forces and the federal government tell Global News that Chinese jets are repeatedly “buzzing” a Canadian intelligence plane that is part of a United Nations mission over international waters.Those jets are frequently flying as close as 20 to 100 feet from the Canadian planes, sources say — so close that Canadian pilots can make eye contact with the Chinese pilots, and sometimes see them raising their middle fingers. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information.“(That distance is) scary close at those high speeds, and it could lead to disaster in a crash,” said Charles Burton, a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute in Ottawa.“You do it too much, and eventually, sometime, it’s going to go wrong.” As China pressed over Russia stance, Canada’s MPs revive special committee on ties The Canadian CP-140 Aurora plane is currently taking part in Operation Neon, part of UN efforts to prevent North Korea’s development of weapons of mass destruction.

Since peaking in January, COVID-19 cases worldwide have steadily fallen, dropping 11% last week compared with the week before, and COVID deaths have declined 3%, but cases continue to rise in the Americas region, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today in its weekly update.

Three COVID-19 vaccine doses offer good protection against infection and hospitalization, including those caused by variants of concern—regardless of brand, type, or combination, according to an ongoing meta-analysis published yesterday in BMJ.Researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong searched 38 World

In signs that the country may be over the worst of its Omicron surge, restrictions began easing in two of China's largest cities, Shanghai and Beijing.

HONG KONG : China’s global campaign to expand the reach of its political positions is helping it secure a coveted piece of online real estate: first-page search results on Google and other major Western portals. Content reflecting Beijing’s position on its human-rights record and the origins of Covid-19 now regularly appears among top results on Google, Bing and YouTube, according to a new report from the Brookings Institution and another Washington think tank, the Alliance for Securing Democracy, which seeks to study and resist the influence of authoritarian governments.

Shanghai slowly whirred back to life as a range of Covid-19 restrictions were eased after a two-month lockdown that confined residents to their homes and battered the Chinese economy.

In signs that the country may be over the worst of its Omicron surge, restrictions began easing in two of China's largest cities, Shanghai and Beijing.

FILE IMAGE - Eggs in a carton sit on a kitchen counter in Lafayette, California, in a file image dated Jan. 15, 2021.

Shanghai authorities have begun dismantling fences around housing compounds and ripping police tape off public squares and buildings before the lifting of a two-month lockdown in China's largest city at midnight.

Major headwinds While massive cost-cutting cushioned profits, a spike in inflation, crude oil prices and raw material costs could slow this trajectory. In FY22, operating margins of the sample dropped 140 basis points (bps), while net profit growth slowed from 61% to 52%. Rampant inflation and material shortages have led to build-up of inventory levels, and companies are again taking more time to collect due payments after the FY21 recovery, said Anil Sarin, chief investment officer at Centrum PMS.

A Beijing man has landed thousands of his neighbours in quarantine after he ignored an order to stay at home and later tested positive for Covid-19, prompting a police investigation.

HOLLYWOOD, CA - APRIL 10: Bo Hopkins attends the 2014 TCM Classic Film Festival's opening night gala and world premiere of the restoration of "Oklahoma!" hosted at the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX on April 10, 2014 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jen Actor Bo Hopkins, best known for his roles in "American Graffiti" and "The Wild Bunch," has died.His family shared the news on Hopkins’ website with the following note:  "It is with great sadness that we announce that Bo has passed away.

WHO said, "the public health risk could become high if this virus exploits the opportunity to establish itself as a human pathogen and spreads to groups at higher risk of severe disease such as young children and immunosuppressed persons." While in India, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said that the government is prepared in wake of the increasing cases in the countries. Dr Aparna Mukherjee, an ICMR scientist, has urged people with a travel history to the Monkeypox-affected countries, and those showing symptoms like fever and body-ache, to get themselves tested. A medical devices firm named Trivitron Healthcare said it has developed a real-time PCR-based kit for the detection of Monkeypox (Orthopoxvirus) virus, PTI reported.

China's attempts to remove all traces of Covid from the country have now taken a strange twist.A new edict from officials has been given to funeral homes, and it demands that they test the dead for the virus which is still ravaging the country.The government-backed Shenzhen Funeral Home was given the order last week, after case numbers in the city continued to be reported.Across the entire country, new cases discovered were reported to be 6,392 yesterday (May 28), with around 64,488 active cases across the entire country.Since the pandemic began, China has had more than 1.2 million cases – but only 5,226 deaths.This hasn't stopped the Chinese government from pushing ahead with its “zero Covid” policy, which is something Labour's Richard Burgon pushed for in the UK throughout the pandemic.And now a funeral home in Shenzhen has been told to test the dead for Covid.The hope is, is that anyone who tests positive will be isolated so that mourners won't catch Covid at open-casket funerals.The edict was shown to website Sixth Tone, who said: “An operator at Shenzhen’s city service hotline said they were unable to locate official documents and policies requiring a nucleic acid test of the deceased.“Shenzhen has made negative results from the past 72 hours mandatory to access public transport and crowded spaces since early April.“Such requirements sometimes resulted in tragedies for those in urgent need of medical treatment during the lockdown in other cities.”The testing of the dead policy was slammed by some online locally as “ethically and emotionally unacceptable”, while being criticised for showing “little respect to the dead”.One user on Chinese social media site Weibo wrote: “I’m not sure if I would have to wear a mask for

Covid-19 lockdown, Chinese commercial hub Shanghai has also said that "unreasonable" curbs on businesses will be removed from 1 June.

Amur leopard Dot with her cubs, Anya and Irina.  (Photo by Jackie McGarrahan, Saint Louis Zoo)One of the world’s rarest cats has a new addition to the family. Two Amur leopards, named Anya and Irina, were born last month at the Saint Louis Zoo. The female cubs are the first born at the zoo since 2010 and are a significant contribution to the animal’s population, the zoo said. The Amur leopard is considered one of the most endangered cats in the world.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text

TOKYO - Japanese and U.S. forces have conducted a joint fighter jet flight over the Sea of Japan, Japan’s military said Thursday, in an apparent response to a Russia-China joint bomber flight while U.S. President Joe Biden was in Tokyo.The Japan-U.S.

In the months before it acknowledged its first official Covid-19 outbreak, North Korea suddenly imported millions of face masks, 1,000 ventilators, and possibly vaccines from China, trade data released by Beijing showed.

NEW YORK, USA - MAY 19: A general view of Security Council meeting about ''Maintenance of international peace and security - Conflict and food security'' at United Nations HQ in New York City, United States on May 19, 2022. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/An UNITED NATIONS (AP) - China and Russia vetoed a U.N.

Stargazers could be treated to a dazzling display at the end of May thanks to the remains of a shattered comet. The possible meteor shower, called the tau Heruclid, is forecast to peak on the night of Monday, May 30 and into the early morning of Tuesday, May 31, according to NASA. But due to the circumstances, astronomers say it will be an "all or nothing event."Meteor showers happen as the Earth passes through the trail of dusty debris left by a comet.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text

China's financial hub Shanghai has unveiled more post-lockdown plans as it moves towards a return to normality, but a nationwide economic recovery is still a distance away.

Eamonn Holmes, 62, took to Instagram yesterday to make a joke over his latest health woes.The GB News presenter left many with a few giggles, including his wife, Loose Women's Ruth Langsford, 62.Eamonn took to Instagram in view of his 756,000 followers to share a snap of his back as he underwent cupping therapy.The presenter can be seen covered in wooden cups as they suctioned onto his back.Cupping therapy is a form of alternative medicine, which originated in China, in which a local suction is created on the skin with the application of heated cups.The treatment is said to help decrease pain and inflammation, increase blood flow, reduce stress and even help things like skin issues or cellulite.A post shared by Eamonn Holmes OBE (@eamonnholmes)He captioned the post: "My osteo James has just gone home. How am I supposed to get into bed now?????"Many social media users, including Eamonn's wife Ruth took to the comments to joke with the presenter.Along with two laughing emojis, Ruth commented: "My ninja turtle!"While Carol Vorderman said: "That actually looks HORRIFIC."Lisa Snowdon continued: "Ruth will be playing the peace pipes on your back."Social media user Annielou175 jokes: "Flipping heck!! You look like a hedgehog."Lane_nic added: "At least Ruth will get a good night's sleep as you won’t be snoring on your back."The presenter has been very open about his recent health woes, telling of his battle with chronic pain last year after a dislocated pelvis led to three slipped discs.Eamonn said in a recent interview how swearing has helped him deal with the agony of his chronic back pain.Writing in Best magazine, he said: "Swearing has got a bad reputation – which I personally think it doesn't deserve.

After a week of stabilization, global COVID-19 cases are declining again, with downturns in two of four regions that have seen recent upticks, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today in its latest weekly update on the pandemic.

China's capital Beijing has further tightened its Covid-19 restrictions, with zero community transmission the target, punishing workplaces that flout rules or circumvent curbs and imploring residents to police their own movements.

PHILADELPHIA - The U.S. healthcare system that has been under siege for the last two years was dealt another blow when federal health regulators sounded the alarm on a shortage of contrast dye needed for important imaging procedure. The FDA announced a global shortage of contrast materials that it blamed on COVID-19 shutdowns in Shanghai, China, a major exporter of the medial dye.

FILE IMAGE - World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrives at the Élysée Palace for the inaugural dinner of the Paris Peach Forum as World Leaders and dignitaries arrive in Paris for the first day on Nov. 11, 202 LONDON - WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is expected to be confirmed by the U.N.

NEW DELHI: The coronavirus pandemic remains a cause of worry among households in India and China, according to findings of Ipsos Essentials Survey 2022 conducted in 16 markets.

The baby formula shortage in the United States continues to affect the Canadian market with many parents taking to social media to try and find the formula needed for their infants and toddlers.

TOKYO, JAPAN - MAY 23: U.S. President Joe Biden attends a joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida following their bilateral summit at the Akasaka State Guest House on May 23, 2022, in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Nicolas Datiche TOKYO - President Joe Biden said Monday that the U.S.

U.S. Military Academy West Point Saturday to be prepared for increasing risk of global conflict and a host of new weapons technologies in their careers."The world you are being commissioned into has the potential for a significant international conflict between great powers.

US President Joe Biden holds a press conference with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol following teir meeting at the People's House in Seoul on May 21, 2022. (Photo by Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - President Biden on Saturday signed legislation to support Ukraine with an additional $40 billion in U.S.