BANGKOK (AP) — A hoped-for boom in Chinese tourism in Asia over next week’s Lunar New Year holidays looks set to be more of a blip as most travelers opt to stay inside China if they go anywhere. From the beaches of Bali to Hokkaido’s powdery ski slopes, the hordes of Chinese often seen in … Read more
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) – New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who became a global icon of the left and exemplified a new style of leadership, said Thursday that she would leave office. Just 37 when she became leader, Ardern was praised around the world for her handling of the nation’s worst-ever mass shooting and … Read more
DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — Ukraine’s first lady on Tuesday pressed world leaders and corporate executives at the World Economic Forum’s annual gathering. to do more to help her country at a time when Russia’s invasion is leaving children dying and the world struggling with food insecurity. As the anniversary of the war approaches, Olena Zelenska … Read more
BEIJING (AP) — China on Saturday reported nearly 60,000 deaths in people who had COVID-19 since early December, offering hard numbers for an unprecedented surge that was apparent in overcrowded hospitals. and packed crematoriums, even as the government released little data about the status of the pandemic for weeks. Those numbers may still underestimate the … Read more
South Korea on Tuesday hit back at claims that its Covid rules for Chinese travelers are “discriminatory,” saying more than half of its imported cases are coming from China. In a response to CNBC, Seung-ho Choi, a deputy director at the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said that up to 80% of “imported confirmed … Read more
BEIJING (AP) — China suspended issuing visas Tuesday for South Koreans to come to the country for tourism or business in apparent retaliation for COVID-19 testing requirements imposed by South Korea on Chinese travelers, according to a notice posted by the Chinese Embassy in Seoul. . Japan’s Kyodo News service said the ban would also … Read more
Travel restrictions launched in the wake of China’s border reopening may be affecting where people are booking trips. But it’s not out of spite, said several Chinese travelers who spoke to CNBC. It’s because some countries aren’t letting them in, they said. ‘I think it’s unfair’ Reactions from Chinese travelers who spoke to CNBC were … Read more
NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) – Dressed in a canary blue suit on a warm December night, sweat dripping from his brow, Bishop Lawrence Rolle belts out the lyrics to his latest hit song for the hundreds of children and adults gathered to celebrate Christmas. “FTX!” he sings, bent over and shaking his head for emphasis. “The … Read more
BEIJING (AP) – After two years of separation from his wife in mainland China, Hong Kong resident Cheung Seng-bun made sure to be among the first in line following the reopening of border crossing points Sunday. The ability of residents of the semi-autonomous southern Chinese city to cross over is one of the most visible … Read more
BEIJING (AP) — The Chinese government sharply criticized the COVID-19 testing requirements imposed on visitors from China and threatened countermeasures against the countries involved, which include the US and several European nations. “We believe that the entry restrictions adopted by some countries targeting China lack scientific basis, and some excessive practices are even more unacceptable,” … Read more