Showing 1 - 10 of 336
Young Chinese parents tighten belts as childcare costs rise
AFP, Published on 08/03/2026
» LANGFANG (CHINA) - New mother Zhang Xiaofei wanted to be financially secure before having a baby, wary of high childcare costs that have been softened only a little by Chinese government cash incentives to boost record-low births.
China sets lowest growth target in decades
AFP, Published on 05/03/2026
» BEIJING - China set its annual growth target at between 4.5% and 5% on Thursday, its lowest figure in decades but at the centre of plans to tackle sluggish consumption and a flagging property market.
Wildfire smoke kills more than 24,000 Americans a year: study
AFP, Published on 05/02/2026
» WASHINGTON (UNITED STATES) - Wildfires are growing larger, lasting longer and happening more often as the climate warms -- but the toll from their toxic smoke, especially from long-term exposure, remains poorly understood.
Trump says closing Kennedy Center arts complex for two years
AFP, Published on 02/02/2026
» WASHINGTON (UNITED STATES) - US President Donald Trump announced Sunday he is closing the Kennedy Center arts complex in Washington for two years, beginning on July 4 -- the nation's 250th anniversary -- for a thorough renovation.
Online platforms offer filtering to fight AI slop
AFP, Published on 29/01/2026
» NEW YORK - As "AI slop" floods the internet, efforts are mounting to stem an online deluge of shoddy images and videos made using increasingly advanced tech tools.
China's Buddha artisans carve out a living from dying trade
AFP, Published on 19/01/2026
» SUZHOU, China - In a dimly lit workshop in eastern China, craftsman Zhang measured and shaped a block of wood into a foot as dozens of half-completed life-sized Buddha statues looked on silently.
Overseas scholars drawn to China's scientific clout, funding
AFP, Published on 07/01/2026
» SHANGHAI - China's government has long made efforts to tempt top scientists from abroad, but researchers say its institutions themselves are increasingly attracting talent thanks to their generous funding and growing prestige.
Swiss seek Unesco listing for yodelling
AFP, Published on 05/12/2025
» LUCERNE, Switzerland - Switzerland hopes to have yodelling recognised by the United Nations this month to help protect the ancestral sing-song tradition of the Alpine nation's herders and shepherds.
‘Very worried’: Hong Kong fire survivors hunt for the missing
AFP, Published on 27/11/2025
» HONG KONG - The morning after saving her elderly neighbour from Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades, retiree Kwok was trawling through social media groups looking for signs other missing residents were safe on Thursday.
China launches Shenzhou-22 early for stranded space station crew
AFP, Published on 25/11/2025
» BEIJING — China conducted an urgent unmanned spacecraft launch on Tuesday, after damage to a previous mission's return capsule left the crew on its space station without a means of getting back to Earth.