China’s retail outlook dims after mid-year shopping festival flop

SHANGHAI - Retailers in China face a daunting near-term future after a disappointing mid-year online shopping festival that has also clouded the recovery prospects of the...

US Treasury to devote extra $100 mln over 3 years to affordable housing

WASHINGTON - US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen announced $100 million in new financing on Monday to increase the supply of affordable housing, as the Biden administration...

Argentina enters technical recession as job losses mount under Milei

BUENOS AIRES - Argentina entered a technical recession in the first quarter of the year, official data showed on Monday, and job losses mounted amid a...

High airfares to persist as travel booms — airline exec

THERE’S NO END in sight to the high airfares that are a mainstay of the world’s post-pandemic travel boom, according to Asia’s biggest low-cost...

France faces risk of violence due to snap election, interior minister says

PARIS — France could see civil unrest and violence that is related to the elections, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Monday as campaigning...

Hello Kitty, parasites: Inside North Korea’s trash balloons according to South’s officials

SEOUL — Among the trash that balloons carried over the border from North were articles printed with Hello Kitty characters, badly worn clothing, and...

Autocracy is ‘evil’, Taiwan president says after China threatens death for separatism

TAIPEI - Democracy is not a crime and autocracy is the real "evil", Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said on Monday after China threatened to impose the...

Climate-proofing India’s daily bread: The race for resilient wheat

RAMBA, India (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - When all else fails, Satveer Singh knows his family will manage if they have a sack of wheat flour in...

China wants EU to scrap EV tariffs on EVs by July 4, Chinese state...

BEIJING - Beijing wants the European Union to scrap its preliminary tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles by July 4, China's state-controlled Global Times reported, after...

Some Vietnam coffee farms thrive despite drought, but may not stop espresso price hikes

PLEIKU, Vietnam - Vietnamese coffee growers have been hit hard this year by the worst drought in nearly a decade, raising concerns of pricier espressos across...

Mission 2025 group urges governments to set more ambitious climate goals

LONDON - Some of the world's biggest companies, finance houses, cities and regions have joined forces to urge governments to increase their climate ambition ahead of...

Taiwan war games to mimic combat as closely as possible

TAIPEI — Taiwan’s annual war games this year will be as close as possible to actual combat, no longer just putting on a show...