Chinese marriages slid by a fifth in 2024, further fanning birthrate concerns
HONG KONG — Marriages in China dropped by a fifth last year, the biggest drop on record, despite manifold efforts by authorities to encourage...
Indonesia launches $183-million free health screening to prevent early deaths
JAKARTA — Indonesia launched an annual free health screening on Monday, a 3-trillion rupiah ($183.54 million) initiative to prevent early deaths that the country’s...
Billionaire Trump says time’s up for lowly US penny
WASHINGTON — U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has been ordered to cease production of the one-cent coin known as the penny, President Donald Trump...
Pentagon doubles number of news outlets to ‘rotate’ out from office spaces
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Defense Department on Friday doubled the number of news organizations that must vacate their Pentagon office spaces to be replaced by other...
Trump to announce 25% steel and aluminum tariffs in latest trade escalation
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he will introduce new 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the U.S., on...
In China’s export hub of Yiwu, traders shrug off Trump’s tariffs
YIWU, China - Traders in China's export manufacturing hub of Yiwu shrugged off U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and moves against China on Sunday, with some saying they...
Trump wants US to own Gaza, could let Middle East states help rebuild
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he is committed to buying and owning Gaza, but could allow sections of the war-ravaged land...
Trump’s aid freeze keeps life-saving programs shut, sparks ‘mayhem’
IN GHANA and Kenya, insecticide and mosquito nets sit in warehouses because US officials haven’t approved urgent anti-malaria campaigns.
In Haiti, a group treating HIV...
Japan PM Ishiba, after meeting Trump, voices optimism over averting tariffs
TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister (PM) Shigeru Ishiba expressed optimism on Sunday that his country could avoid higher US tariffs, saying President Donald Trump...
Far-right leaders hold rally to ‘Make Europe Great Again’
MADRID — Leaders of far-right parties in the European Parliament’s third-largest voting bloc, Patriots for Europe, praised Donald Trump’s return to power at a...
New Zealand to loosen visa rules to lure foreign investors
SYDNEY — New Zealand will relax visa rules to attract more foreign investors, in efforts to stimulate economic growth, its center-right government said on...
Trump says he has spoken to Putin about ending war in Ukraine — New...
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump said that he has talked to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone to discuss an end to the war...