BEIJING, Dec 4 (Reuters) – More Chinese cities including Urumqi in the far west announced an easing of coronavirus curbs on Sunday as China tries to make its zero-COVID policy more targeted and less onerous after unprecedented protests against restrictions last weekend. Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang region and where the protests first erupted, … Read more
SHANGHAI, Dec 3 (Reuters) – Beijing residents on Saturday cheered the removal of COVID-19 testing booths while Shenzhen said it would no longer require commuters to present test results to travel, as an easing of China’s virus curbs gathered pace. Although daily cases are near all-time highs, some cities are taking steps to loosen COVID … Read more
BEIJING, Dec 2 (Reuters) – As a large Beijing street protest against strict COVID curbs reached a climax late last Sunday, several protesters shouted the unspeakable – for China’s ruling Communist Party and its leader Xi Jinping to step down. They were quickly rebuked by some fellow protesters. “Don’t get people too riled up … … Read more
An “assassination attempt” targeted Pakistan’s top diplomat in Afghanistan, Pakistan’s prime minister has said, as tensions between the neighboring countries simmer. The head of mission, Ubaid Ur Rehman Nizamani, was the target of an attack on its embassy compound, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said on Friday. “I strongly condemn the dastardly assassination attempt on Pakistan Head … Read more
Opinions diverge over Xi’s zero-COVID policy Anger over lockdowns, fears about opening up Loosening of rules threatens to stir discontent SHANGHAI, Dec 2 (Reuters) – Samuel Ren is sick of zero-COVID. “Omicron is not a threat, it is just like a normal cold,” said the IT worker in his mid-20s in Shanghai, describing China’s ongoing … Read more
BEIJING, Dec 2 (Reuters) – Some communities in Chinese cities where COVID-19 is still spreading are easing off on testing requirements and quarantine rules ahead of an expected shift in virus policies nationwide after widespread social unrest. The uneven relaxation of COVID restrictions is, however, fueling fear among some residents who suddenly feel more exposed … Read more
Kyiv: Russia withdraws some troops from Oleshky, nearby towns Ukrainian embassy in Spain hit by letter bomb Heavy trench warfare in the east as winter sets in KYIV, Dec 1 (Reuters) – Ukraine’s military said on Thursday Russia had pulled some troops from towns on the opposite bank of the Dnipro River from Kherson city, … Read more
WASHINGTON, Nov 30 (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron addressed US lawmakers from both political parties on Wednesday and pushed back on new American subsidies that are riling European leaders, according to a participant in a closed-door meeting. Macron arrived in Washington on Tuesday for his second state visit to the United States since taking … Read more
BEIJING, Dec 1 (Reuters) – China is softening its tone on the severity of COVID-19 and easing some coronavirus restrictions even as its daily case toll hovers near record highs, after anger over the world’s toughest curbs fueled protests across the country. Several cities in the world’s second-largest economy, while still reporting new infections, are … Read more
HONG KONG/BEIJING, Nov 30 (Reuters) – When Yang, a Shanghai office worker, saw video clips of a burning building in western China, a disaster in which 10 people were killed, she said she could not contain her anger over tough COVID -19 measures three years into the pandemic. Watching a World Cup soccer match in … Read more